Method and apparatus for determining and representing continuous resource loading profiles for complex discrete manufacturing

An apparatus for analyzing a manufacturing system, the system including a plurality of manufacturing resources, a set of orders being currently appointed for processing by the manufacturing system, each order of the set of orders requiring performance of at least one task, each task to be performed by at least a respective one of the manufacturing resources, the apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor and storing software instructions, said processor operative with said software instructions to:
• determine stochastic parameters for each task of said plurality of tasks;
• and
• calculate a loading profile function for at least one of said manufacturing resources that is allocated to at least one of said plurality of tasks, said loading profile function being a function of time and representing a probability that said each manufacturing resource is occupied at a given time, said calculating based at least in part on said stochastic parameters of said tasks.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for analyzing a manufacturing system, the system including a plurality of manufacturing resources, a set of orders being currently appointed for processing by the manufacturing system, each order of the set of orders requiring performance of at least one task, each task to be performed by at least a respective one of the manufacturing resources, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising:
• computer readable program code means for determining stochastic parameters for each task of said plurality of tasks;
• and
• computer readable program code means for calculating a loading profile function for at least one of said manufacturing resources that is allocated to at least one of said plurality of tasks, said loading profile function being a function of time and representing a probability that said each manufacturing resource is occupied at a given time, said calculating based at least in part on said stochastic parameters of said tasks.