NEW GAME IN TOWN

Simio LLC (Sewickley, PA) is introducing some game-changing simulation software that uses intelligent objects to make simulation easier for decision-making. Companies that use this software will benefit from the ability to create 3D modeling components without writing code, saving time and extending the benefits beyond specialists.

Manufacturers use simulation software to model process flows, enabling them to test scenarios before implementing them in reality. Simulation helps companies determine the most efficient method of production, map the best flow on the manufacturing floor, and test how new equipment and processes will affect factory output, among other applications.

Yet simulation software has changed little in 25 years, and its complexity has limited its use. "With the tools in use today, an engineer who wants to create an object so that he can more accurately model a situation has to create it from scratch using text-based computer language," says Simio founder Dennis Pegden, Ph.D. "We set out to make simulation simpler and more accurate, so that simulation software can reach its potential to help businesses make decisions in today?s fluid environment."

This software is easy to learn and use, yet able to model a wide range of complex systems.  In addition, it fully integrates 3D animation directly into the modeling process for real-world visualization. Engineers can create 3D graphical objects as easily as traditional 2D objects, using familiar graphical process flows. This enables those closest to the business operation to create life-like models of manufacturing and supply chain processes ? regardless of whether they know text-based computer code.

According to Dave Sturrock, Simio?s vice president of products, because the new software is so easy to use, companies that have avoided using simulation software ? or those that have abandoned other simulation software because of its complexity ? now can reap the benefits of simulation. "Simulation has the potential to help companies take the fat out of operations," he points out. "It can aid decision-making and fuel continuous improvement. This makes it possible for new groups of users to harness the power of simulation, and makes simulation easier than ever for those who already use it."

Simio LLC, 504 Beaver Street, Sewickley, PA 15143, 412-528-1576, Fax: 412-253-9378, www.simio.biz.