Toolbox objects > Processes

Contents

1. Brief Description

The Buffer object is used to temporarily store a large number of parts and then pass them on.

2. Operation and Control Description

Install a buffer between two components of your system:

•To temporarily store parts when one of the subsequent components or machines in the sequence of stations malfunctions, thereby preventing the preceding machines from stopping production.

•To continue conveying parts when the upstream components are at a standstill, thereby preventing production from coming to a halt.

If you design a buffer with sufficient capacity to cover all disruptions, this results in a complete decoupling of the corresponding system components.

Buffers can both bridge disruption periods and serve as balancing elements when transport and processing times fluctuate, causing queues to form in front of machines.

However, they cannot prevent an interruption or stoppage of the material flow in every case.

Since the buffer does not have individual processing stations, it does not need to divide the processing time—that is, the time during which the part is inside it—into small individual steps.

Instead, you can select the order in which the parts leave the buffer.

3. Parametrization

20260724_buffer_object

Figure 1 - Buffer

Parameter	Required	Description
Name	no	Name of the object
Capacity	yes	Defines the capacity, i.e., the maximum number of MUs that can be in the buffer. Enter -1 for unlimited capacity.
Dwell time	no	The time that MUs remain in the buffer.
Accumulating	no	Yes: Here, the MUs can move up so that their front ends touch their rear ends when the exit of the space buffer is blocked. No: MUs maintain their distance from one another, thereby stopping all subsequent MUs if the preceding MU cannot leave the space buffer. If the frontmost MU cannot leave the space buffer and the “Accumulation” option is disabled, no further MUs can enter the space buffer.
Exit strategy	yes	Cyclical: MUs are cyclically reassigned to their successors according to the sequence, Start with Successor 1: MUs are always reassigned to the successor of the object with edge number 1
Comment	no	Text field for comments on the object