Simulation of a Start-up Manufacturing Facility for Nanopore Arrays

Simulation is a powerful tool in developing and troubleshooting manufacturing processes, particularly when considering process flows for manufacturing systems that do not yet exist. Simulation can bridge the gap in terms of setting up full-scale manufacturing for nanotechnology products if limited production experience is an issue. An effective use of simulation software is identified when analyzing a typical manufacturing process flow for anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) nanopore arrays. Simulation models, using the ProModel simulation software, were developed based on production flows, projected process times, and equipment. An attempt was made to realistically estimate process times and capacities, however model outputs, in terms of quantitative values, were found less important than the activities involved in setting up the models. The ability of simulation to help link theory and practice in the classroom may be useful in leading students toward higher levels of intellectual behavior as educators strive to build students’ abilities to apply, analyze, evaluate, and create, rather than simply to remember and understand.