Simulation to Lean

Designing production lines virtually

AMA launched a project with industry partners during COVID period, a time when real factory visits were not possible.

Against this backdrop, a master thesis project was launched in collaboration with ECAM Engineering School , focusing on the digital transformation of an aerospace manufacturing facility. Without access to the physical site, students utilized simulation software to develop a comprehensive digital twin of the factory, modeling every aspect of the production process, from the arrival of raw materials to final product delivery.

The objective of the thesis was to,

Analyze a realistic aerospace production line
Map flow from FMS CNC machining cells to standalone stations
Identify bottlenecks, assess operator ergonomics, and apply best practices
The virtual model allowed for in-depth analysis of:
Lean philosophies: Pull vs. Push systems
Flow efficiency: Single-piece flow, throughput, cycle/lead/takt time
End-to-end processes: Surface treatments, machining, assembly, internal transport, quality control and more

Key questions addressed included:

What happens when production demand increases?
Where do new bottlenecks emerge?
How can system performance be improved?
Using simulation, various “before and after” scenarios were tested, revealing improvement areas across:
Material Flow: Are parts moving efficiently or trapped in hidden bottlenecks?
Space Utilization: Can the existing layout be optimized without disrupting current operations?
Buffer Zones: Are staging areas sufficient to absorb fluctuations or supplier delays?
Scalability: Can the layout support volume increases or product mix changes?
Employee Movement: Are operators traveling unnecessarily between stations?

This project demonstrated how virtual environments can provide a safe, flexible, and powerful way to test improvements, optimize layouts, and explore new production strategies. The insights gained were not just theoretical, they reflected real challenges and provided actionable solutions for building more resilient, lean, and scalable manufacturing systems in aerospace and beyond.