Create tokens using an Inter-Arrival Source

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In FlexSim, most process flows begin with the creation of tokens,

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which are used to represent physical or abstract items flowing through a model.

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This involves setting the arrival method to control when and how they enter your process flow.

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The Inter-Arrival Source activity is one of four token creation methods and involves specifying an amount of time,

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or interval, between token arrivals.

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Typically, you select an arrival source in your Library, add it to your ProcessFlow,

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and then edit the Quick Properties to meet the needs of your model.

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In this case, a process container is already set up in the ProcessFlow with an Inter-Arrival Source included.

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In this case, click the Inter-Arrival Source to open the Quick Properties.

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Here, in the Inter-Arrivaltime field, you can include a fixed number to set an exact interval of time between token creations,

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or you can use a statistical distribution to randomly calculate the time between token arrivals.

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In this example, a triangular distribution is used, with a minimum of 3, a maximum of 6, and a mode of 4.

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The unit for all of these is minutes, which is visible next to this field.

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A token name of “Inter-Arrival” is also included here.

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Close the Properties dialog.

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Click Reset, and then click Run to view the simulation in action.

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In this case, the simulation is set to an accelerated speed.

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Watch as it fills out the histogram on the Dashboard with the minimum of 3 and maximum of 6,

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as well as the mode, which is building around 4 minutes.

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The longer you run this simulation, the more prominent the mode becomes.

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Now that you know how to use the Inter-Arrival Source activity to create new tokens according to a specific interval,

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take some time to review the remaining token creation methods, so that you can select the best method for your model.