A revolution in laptop format- the simulation program became a game changer

There has been a real shift in how to create and build production lines. What has traditionally been a hands-on job, where everything was planned in rough sketches designed in CAD systems, manufactured, assembled and finally tested on site, is starting to become more and more something that can be done in a regular laptop equipped with a simulation program. One who was early to invest in the technology is Henrik Jönsson, automation engineer at the system integrator Metso Outotec in Kil. For Henrik Jönsson, it is the simulation program KUKA.Sim that has opened up a completely new way of working. - At first we only used it to simulate robots, then I discovered that we had just scratched the surface, he says. In the program - developed by the robot manufacturer KUKA - it is possible to build and test industrial lines directly in the computer. 

As he learned more, he has become something of a pioneer breaking new ground, and has also become involved in the manufacturer's customer event to tell about how he works. But how far can you really go with just your laptop and a computer program at home in the office? According to Henrik Jönsson, it is in principle possible to optimize most things already in the virtual environment, before anything is actually built. You can even do things like simulate an emergency stop and see how far the robot has time to move after someone has pressed the button, and what the consequences are. But, he says, there is much more that can be done than just visualizing and testing the pure function. - The good thing is that we can also extract data and gain deeper insights about the line before we have even started building something in the physical environment. We can get times, bottlenecks and power consumption and more already in the computer. That's an incredible advantage. An aid in sales? - Yes, of course.