Realistic physic simulation for prototyping

[Nick3d]

Hello there guys,
I have a question for you about simulation that can be achieved with ICE, since I have a couple of ideas in mind.

Basically what I want to do is to simulate, close as real as possible, some simulation that will show the behaviour of some components based on physics laws.
This is an example:
Related to mechanical design, I need to orient equal objects in order for them to align an literlally "walk" into a tunnel...let me explain it better, since unfortunately I don't know what this device is called in english...
You have a bowl (50-60cm diameter ) that has a vibrating base. You put the same equal components into it and with the vibrations basically push them one into another, letting them walk into a predefined path around the edges of the bowl, so they will be aligned and they can be mounted into other components.

So I was thinking to simulate this situation with ICE by setting the particles as shapes, add real life gravity to them and setup the collision with the bowl.
Later on add the vibration to the bowl itself in order to check if the shaped particles behave how they would behave in real life ( basically push them in order for them to be aligned ).
So what I need to do is:
Put particles into the bowl and set the shape as the component I need to test.
Real life gravity
Setting real physic property to the component like plastic
Setup the vibration rate to the bowl to something like looped 2mm on X movement, 1000 movement x minute more or less

This is one test. The other one that I have in mind is something like this:
Plastic material (1mm thick 300mm wide ) that is "attracted" to a conveyor with vacuum air
Later on the plastic material is cutted with a shaped knife, so the plastic material will be separated:
One is the shaped cutted, the other one is the waste.

What I need to do is:
- Setup a "vacuum compound" that will attract the plastic material on a conveyor ( actually many of them )
- Find a way to separate the shaped cutted plastic material from the waste

I have some ideas but I recently started with ICE, so I'm experimenting a LOT with it, but I would like to hear your opinion on how to setup those thing

Cheers