Computer simulation methods are currently used to simulate production processes and optimize production systems. Computer simulation is one of the most effective tools for implementation of Industry 4.0 principles in industrial practice. This research focused on the optimization of production processes in furniture production using simulation, which is an innovative method of production optimization for furniture manufacturers. The aim of this research was to improve the production system of Slovak furniture manufacturing enterprise by creating a discrete event simulation model of production based on the analysis of its current state. Improvement indicators are specific parameters of the production system, which primarily include material flow, productivity, and workload utilization. First, with the use of Tecnomatix Plant Simulation software and the collected real production data, the original production system processes were simulated and analyzed. Second, the incorporation of more powerful devices was proposed to improve the production line. Third, the proposed improvements were simulated and analyzed. The result of this research was a statistical comparison of the parameters of the current production line and the proposed production improvements.

The digital twin (DT) is undergoing an increase in interest from both an academic and industrial perspective. Although many authors proposed and described various frameworks for DT implementation in the manufacturing industry context, there is an absence of real-life implementation studies reported in the available literature. The main aim of this paper is to demonstrate feasibility of the DT implementation under real conditions of a production plant that is specializing in manufacturing of the aluminum components for the automotive industry. The implementation framework of the DT for engine block manufacturing processes consists of three layers: physical layer, virtual layer and information-processing layer. A simulation model was created using the Tecnomatix Plant Simulation (TPS) software. In order to obtain real-time status data of the production line, programmable logic control (PLC) sensors were used for raw data acquisition. To increase production line productivity, the algorithm for bottlenecks detection was developed and implemented into the DT. Despite the fact that the implementation process is still under development and only partial results are presented in this paper, the DT seems to be a prospective real-time optimization tool for the industrial partner.

The aim of the paper is to introduce the digital twin concept as part of the Industry 4.0 strategy. In the form of a case study, the procedure and outputs of the simulation of a specific production plant together with its intermediate storage and output for the next plant are presented. In the research part is presented a simulation model of production lines and intermediate stock with material flow representation. At the beginning of the research the analysis of production and logistics processes was carried out. The next part describes the programming methods used to record and redirect material flows between individual lines and stock. The simulation method using simulated production line models enables the digitization of dynamic production processes in enterprises. We expect that in the coming years there will be an increase in demand for the creation of simulation models of production systems in modern manufacturing companies that will try to implement the Industry 4.0 strategy and thus increase their competitiveness.

The paper deals with a real manufacturing system improving through simulation models creation. The aim of the paper is to present the possibilities of simulations models as a tool for optimization and quantification of proposals to improve production lines in engineering production. The research is carried out as a case study of a production plant in a Slovak machine-building company dealing with the components for the automotive sector production. The paper presents the creation of simulation models of the original line as well as the simulation model of improved line where robotic arms were used for material handling. Output statistics comparing the performance of the original line and its improved variant are part of the paper. We expect that in the coming years there will be an increased demand for creation of simulation models of manufacturing systems by modern enterprises that will try to implement the Industry 4.0 strategy and thus increase its competitiveness.

The article deals with the process of Industry 4.0 implementation into practice through simulation. The aim of the paper is to point out the possibilities of computer simulations in creating models of real production plants. The research is carried out as a case study of a production plant in a Slovak machine-building company dealing with the components for the automotive sector production. The process of creating a simulation model of a production line consisting from two CNC machining centers is presented. Subsequently the output statistical characteristics of the real-time model are obtained from the simulation model. The simulated model of the manufacturing plant and its components is the basis for the comprehensive deployment of Industry 4.0 strategy into practice. We expect that in the coming years there will be an increased demand for creation of simulation models of manufacturing systems by modern enterprises that will try to implement the Industry 4.0 strategy and thus increase its competitiveness. The results of our simulation models have shown that the production line is not efficient enough and it will be necessary to create a more detailed simulation model with major adjustments. More than 60 % of the overall process time mainly consists of waiting and blocked time, which leads to inefficient production with the machining time only 38 % at maximum. The most efficient station was Stama with 73.67 % of the working time, but we expect to increase the production for this station as well with some changes to the whole production line.