Autodesk says it will add factory simulation and operational efficiency analysis to its factory design tools with the acquisition of simulation and modelling software developer FlexSim.
Autodesk Vice President of Design and Manufacturing Stephen Hooper announced in a blog post that Autodesk has signed a definitive agreement to acquire FlexSim, a provider of simulation technology that enables factory and logistics center operators to optimize their processes.
The core of FlexSim’s offering is discrete event simulation, or DES. The technology aids the design of factories or logistics centers, using production flow analysis of operations to discover fundamental insights that help achieve time and cost objectives.
Hooper says FlexSim’s factory simulation technology complements Autodesk’s existing factory design solutions by providing in-depth model analysis, layout scenarios and process simulation to users of Autodesk Inventor, Revit, Autodesk Construction Cloud, AutoCAD and Autodesk’s Product Design and Manufacturing Collection.
FlexSim will initially be offered in conjunction with Autodesk’s Design and Make Platform, closely aligned with Autodesk Fusion, which integrates CAD, PCB design, CAM, CAE, PLM, and MES software into a single, cloud-based solution.
Hooper also says FlexSim’s technology can provide key links between factory design data and operational data. “Think of how powerful that will be for an asset’s digital twin,” Hooper says in his blog. “Imagine a greenfield or brownfield factory layout seamlessly maturing into a high-resolution model of the factory, and from there into a digital virtual replica of the factory.”
A digital representation of a factory is an environment where you can plan, simulate, and control operations to accurately predict performance, forecast energy consumption and emissions, analyze safety, and measure equipment utilization. FlexSim brings all these capabilities, enabling more informed decisions sooner, helping meet production targets with precision, and reducing time to market and costly inventory.
Simulation has become a foundational part of the digital factory and uncovers the need for changes in design, workflows or products before investment capital is committed to a project. “No one wants to bolt a $4 million machine to the floor only to move it soon thereafter, along with everything else, due to poor planning,” says Hooper.
“To have reliable simulations, manufacturers need reliable data—data that’s secure and available anywhere, at any time, to the people who should have access. These are guiding principles of the Autodesk Design and Make Platform, which is enabled by cloud-connected data. In this environment, design data flows to everyone in the product lifecycle, from CAD through to CAM and into the manufacturing execution system, or MES. By acquiring FlexSim, we’re investing in extending this environment to also include factory simulation,” he says.
The acquisition of FlexSim has not been completed and is subject to various closing conditions. Autodesk expects the acquisition to close either during Autodesk’s fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2024, ending January 31, 2024, or during Autodesk’s first quarter of Fiscal Year 2025, ending April 30, 2024.
