IT—Information Technology and the Human Interface: Simulation for Performance Improvement of a Rice-taffy Processing Plant

Abstract

A model using the simulation language for alternative modelling (SLAM) to represent a rice-taffy processing plant in Korea was developed and validated. The simulation model was used to improve the processing efficiency and productivity of the rice-taffy plant by examining variations in the model. The daily rice-taffy products and the ratio of products to the input of rice in the simulation were 349 kg and 58%, while those in the actual rice-taffy plant were 350 kg and 58·3%, respectively. Hence, the developed simulation proved to be modelled well. As a result of the basic simulation, the mechanisation of the process to cut rice-taffy products and an increase of daily input materials were necessary for increasing the rice-taffy productivity. Also, the reduction of two workers in the hand-kneading process was required with the decrease of rice soaking time and saccharifying time. The products of rice-taffy in the alternative simulation could be increased up to about two times compared with those of the actual plant when (a) the interval of material inputs was reduced from 24 to 12 h, (b) the rice soaking period was reduced from 12 to 8 h, (c) the saccharifying period was also reduced from 9 to 6 h in the plant, (d) the number of workers in the hand-kneading process was reduced from four to two persons.