Automated production plan generation system

A generation system generating a production plan for producing products of a plurality of product types by a plurality of processes using a plurality of production lines, the production lines including a series of processes for processing workpieces along a plurality of processing routes, with the workpieces being transferred between the processes and between the production lines, a plurality of equipment being used in the processes, the generation system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:
• generating a processing plan by performing an optimization calculation using first input data, the first input data including a production plan amount of each of the product types and a processing capacity of each equipment, the optimization calculation comprising an objective function including an objective of minimize a number of transfers between the production lines and a constraint condition including a constraint on transfer between the production lines, the processing plan being of a production plan amount for each of the product types, each of the production lines, and each of the processes;
• generating an input plan using second input data, the second input data including an input amount of the workpieces to each of the production lines for each of the product types, the second input data further including the processing routes in the processes for each of the product types, the input plan being of an input timing of the workpieces to the production lines;
• determining whether an appropriateness criterion is satisfied for the processing plan and the input plan by executing, on the one or more processors, a simulation based on the processing plan and the input plan, the simulation modeling at least equipment resources, operator resources, fixture resources, shift schedules, and equipment failure and recovery;
• and
• outputting the production plan when the appropriateness criterion is satisfied, the production plan comprises the processing plan and the input plan.