Simulation-Assisted Fractional Factorial Design

Simulation-assisted fractional factorial design (SA-FFD) combines the statistical efficiency of fractional factorial experimentation with computerized simulation models to screen and estimate factor effects when physical experiments are too costly, hazardous, or time-consuming. A carefully chosen subset of factor-level combinations — the fractional factorial array — is executed inside a validated simulation model instead of (or alongside) a real process, dramatically reducing resource requirements while preserving the ability to identify main effects and low-order interactions.