Logistics of Bulk Material Handling - Challenges for a Holistic Simulation Approach

Bulk materials are economically important goods to be handled in almost every industry branch. The planning of logistical plants for such goods require the understanding of the meso- or even microscopic behavior of the bulk material handling equipment and the macroscopic interaction with other plant areas. Different simulation approaches such as the Discrete Element Method (DEM), Cellular Automata (CA) or time/event driven material flow simulation (MFS) exist for all these “perspectives” to solve problems on this level. Almost never the different simulation approaches are used together to realize a holistic solution. The paper will show several examples how the different simulation levels could be used to solve problems in the bulk material handling industry. To the presented problems belong rail wagon unloading as well as the storage management and traceability of agricultural bulk solids in silos.