AbstractSimulation models of manufacturing systems can realistically represent system performance and aid in solving production scheduling problems, determining the job sequence and machine loading policy. In the design stage, they help when making layout decisions, dec iding appropriate resources such as the number of machines,and deciding among different material handling devices. For system control, scheduling rules and policles can be addressed. The material handling component greatly influences both the layout and schedul ing alternatives. Often the material handling is modeled as lnput/output to the manufacturlng process with little emphasis on the specific characteristics of the transportation device. Significant developments in sophisticated material handling devices, usually incorporated in automated manufacturlng celIs, demand the inclusion of performance measures,asweIl as the lnfluence on the overall system performance, of such devlces.This paper describes the development of a simulation generator for automated manufacturing cells.The simulation modelis structured to captures pecific design and control characteristlcs of a manufacturing cell to facilitate the evaluatlon of alter native design characteristics and control policies. To accomplish this, the modells constructed from the process level and is integrated through a set of station sub-models to configure a cellular structure. The manufacturing cell sare interconnected by a material handling component. The model can incorporate a part carrousel, transporters(such as robots), a shuttle cart or a roller convey or as the transportation devices(s). The simulation generator is designed to provlde a developmental interface between the specificities of model construction (and operation)and the engineering data (and analysis) required for design and control. Although the model is capable of capturing a great level of detail in each manufacturing cell, emphasis is placed on the design and selection of the material handling component.The difficulty in modeling this level of detail,for complex and/or large systems, is overcome by using a simulation model generator. The concept of such a generator is to translate a development-oriented description of the system into a simulation program using an existing simulation language. With the development of simulation languages that can beentered on a miorocomputer, and other user-oriented features of the microcomputer, an enhanced user-model interface is possible.