FlexSim 2023 Update 1: Mass Flow Conveyor Improvements, Table Validation, and more
Mass Flow Conveyor Enhanced
FlexSim’s Mass Flow Conveyor object has received several enhancements, including Width Rules, Mass Flow Transfers between connected segments, a calculator button, and a randomized fill order to provide more realistic visuals as items accumulate. Learn more about the enhancements.
Table Validation Tool
The new Table Validation tool allows you to add rules and constraints to search through data in a global table and shows any table errors and which rules were violated. There are many pre-built constraints, and it comes with a Table Validation API.
Learn more about the Table Validation tool.
New Packing Method
There’s a new packing method for Pallet Stacking. This method will adjust the pallet’s bounding box as items are packed.
New Processor Shape
The Workbench is available as an alternate shape for the processor object. You can choose this shape by clicking on Processor in the 3D Object Library and selecting it from the menu.
FlexSim 2023 Update 1: In-Depth Look
Mass Flow Conveyor Enhancements
Width Rules
These rules allow you to specify a simulated with for the mass flow conveyor segment. Pre-built rules include:
- Conveyor Width: uses the actual Width property.
- Virtual Width: uses the Width Value for the simulated width
- Number of Lanes: the width becomes based on the item size
- Single Lane Flow Unit Distance: single lane, but item gap is the distance from the center of an item to center of the next item
- Single Lane Gap: single lane with an “air gap” (back of item to front of next item)
- Percent of Upstream [Conveyor] Width: useful for sending a percentage of upstream flow to one conveyor, with the rest of the percentage going to other conveyors
Mass Flow Transfer
These objects 
are created by making an A connection between two conveyors. Items teleport from one to another as if they were snapped together (like A connects between 3D objects). Mass Flow Transfers allow you to specify a conversion between two different units when entities flow through the transfer.
Mass Flow Calculator
A new calculator button 
helps you calculate values like conveyor width, speed, and max flow rate if you already know two values. For example:
- Conveyor width based on max flow rate and speed.
- Conveyor speed based on max flow rate and conveyor width.
- Max flow rate from conveyor width and speed.
- Similar calculations are available for the trio of conveyor width / max capacity / conveyor length.
Randomized Fill Order
If you choose Randomized for your Fill Order in the Mass Flow Units properties, items will travel down the conveyor in a random order before accumulating. This adds some visual realism as the product accumulates.
Better Process Flow Click + Drag
You can use the A connect hotkey on a Process Flow activity to quickly connect and create new activities. The position of your mouse will dynamically determine the arrow direction. It’s a slightly faster alternative to using the existing circles to connect and create activities.
XML API
FlexSim’s new XML API allows you to save data into an XML file. For example, you can save the names and attributes of objects. This is a great file format for storing and transferring arbitrary data.
Other Updates
- Popups are resizeable from the left.
- FlexQL has been updated to allow cleaner queries for arrays to filter and sort.
- FlexQL has been updated with MAP and MAP_AGG functions.
To see a complete list of updates and changes in FlexSim 2023 Update 1, see the Release Notes.