WITNESS Simulation Engineering in Texas

Yesterday it was a real pleasure to visit Dr Brian Huff and students at the University of Texas at Arlington. Dr Huff has enthused students for many years in the art of simulation and understands more than most the benefits it can bring. He introduces simulation using WITNESS to both undergraduate and graduate students and is rated highly for his style and commitment – the students feel engaged and inspired.

Today we were looking at the new Experimentation options launched in WITNESS 13 and the new 3D technology being implemented in WITNESS 14, due soon! The students did the University proud giving good answers to the simulation questions posed – some of which required lateral thinking and showed the true value in simulation as a methodology for exploring change. There was considerable interest in real-time linking to factory data – I have to admit that I couldn’t answer all questions but I was able to show that WITNESS can accept through a programmed interface any data that can be passed to it by other systems – leading to options such as changing the cycle time of operations in the middle of a simulation run. Of course great care and planning is needed to use such information wisely, but the options for operational running and control are exciting.

Texas is booming for business, Lanner are proud to be based there with an office in Houston and offering our simulation software and building long term academic relationships such as that with Dr Huff. Another key component of the relationship is the links to industry that are enabled. Pictured below is myself with Dr Huff outside the University building where the lectures were delivered.