Use Zones as shared assets in a process flow

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In FlexSim, a shared asset is an asset that can be utilized by multiple entities or processes within your model.

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Shared assets help you manage dependencies within your process flow and allow you to set specific criteria for the use of the shared asset.

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There are four main types of shared assets, one of which is Zones.

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Zones are commonly used to collect statistics for a group of activities within your process flow.

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Additionally, a Zone allows you to restrict access, so that only a certain number of tokens may be within the zone at a time.

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Here, a model and process flow have been set up to illustrate how a Zone operates.

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In this example, a Zone is used—designated by the red area on the conveyor—to restrict access to only one item in the Zone at a time.

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An item arrives at the first decision point—the start of the Zone—and creates a corresponding token in the ProcessFlow.

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Here, the token stops the item and attempts to enter the Zone.

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In the ProcessFlow, click the Zone to view its properties, where you see that Use Max Content is selected, and a value of 1 is applied.

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This means that only one token can occupy the Zone at a time.

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Back in the model, you can see that when the Zone is occupied, an item stops and waits before entering the Zone.

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When it is empty, the item moves instantly into the Zone without stopping.

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In the process flow, the token waits in the Zone until the matching item reaches the second decision point.

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In the ProcessFlow, click Wait for Event to view these properties, where you see that On Arrival at decision point 2,

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or DP2, the token is sent to the Next Activity.

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Then, it exits the Zone, allowing the next item to enter.

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Zones can also help you keep track of statistics, such as Throughput, Output Rate, and Staytime of the Zone, as shown here on the Dashboard.

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Now you can use a Zone to help manage the flow of items in your process, and to gather important statistics.