The disclosure relates to digital models of a production apparatus. The digital models can generate simulations of production sequences of the production apparatus, and a controller can access the simulation to improve operations of the production apparatus. The digital model uses data of a locating system to create the simulation. The locating system monitors carriers for transporting components. The controller can compare parameters of the simulation results with corresponding parameters of earlier simulation results and/or actually obtained parameters of earlier production sequences, which can be stored in a model library. The disclosure further relates to corresponding production control methods.

Disclosed is a process configuration and control system for an unmanned casting workshop for primary aluminum and an aluminum alloy, which relates to the technical field of aluminum smelting. A material transfer system transfers the primary aluminum and the aluminum alloy from an electrolytic workshop to the casting workshop; a smelting casting system burdens and purifies the primary aluminum and the aluminum alloy; a quality inspection system inspects quality to obtain an aluminum ingot qualified in quality inspection; a product package system palletizes, weighs, measures, marks and labels the aluminum ingot qualified in quality inspection; a product storage system stores a packaged aluminum ingot; and a human-computer interaction unit controls starting and stopping of the material transfer system, the smelting casting system, the quality inspection system, the product package system or the product storage system.