Combine

Entity-Related Operation Statement

Syntax samples

COMBINE <expression> {AS <new entity name>}

COMBINE Var1

COMBINE 3 AS EntQ

COMBINE Var1 as ENT(Attr1)

Description

Accumulates and consolidates a specified quantity of entities into an entity, optionally with a different name. Unlike the GROUP statement, combined entities lose their identities and attributes and cannot be ungrouped later. Use COMBINE when several entities need to be combined, such as when eight spark plugs are combined in a box. Note that after several entities have been combined at a location, no additional statistics will be collected for any of the combined entities at that location.

When specifying COMBINE <expression> AS <new entity name> in the operation logic, there must be another operating block at the same location. In this case, the incoming entity at the new operating block is the new entity name specified in the COMBINE statement.

Valid In

Operation logic only. COMBINE may not be used in combination with CREATE, GROUP, UNGROUP, LOAD, UNLOAD, SPLIT AS, or other combine statements in the same process logic.

Components

<expression>

The number of entities to combine. Negative values generate an error message. If this expression evaluates to zero, it is ignored. If it evaluates to one, then no entities are actually combined, but the entity that encountered the combine statement is renamed (if the AS option has been specified).

This expression is evaluated every time an entity encounters the COMBINE statement, so the amount of entities to be combined can vary as the simulation progresses. If an entity arrives that changes this expression to a number lower than the number of entities already waiting to be combined, all of the entities waiting to be combined are combined, including the entity that just arrived.

AS <new entity name>

The optional name of the resulting entity. If left off, the new entity will have the same name as the last combined entity or the output entity name.

Explicit Entity Actions

COMBINE passes cost on to new entities but not statistical information. ProModel counts combined entities as exits.

Example

A manufacturing plant makes computer motherboards. After manufacture and inspection, when the motherboards are ready for shipping, workers combine them into sets of twenty to distribute to the company’s customers. A COMBINE statement will work well for this example, because workers do not inspect or use the individual motherboards again. At the final assembly location, workers group motherboards into totes of twenty, and route the totes to the shipping department.

Process Table

Routing Table

See Also

GROUP, ENT(), ACCUM, and LOAD. Also see the Attributes.