Performance control apparatus and method in a processing plant

In a processing plant having a plurality of process means operated in a certain pattern to form manufacturing operations, a method of controlling performance of manufacturing operations comprising the steps of:

• operating a plurality of process means in a certain pattern providing manufacturing operations;
• sensing current state of process means;
• providing indications of sensed current state of process means to a digital processor assembly;
• in the digital processor assembly, (i) establishing quantitative measurements of performance of manufacturing operations from the indications of sensed current state of process means, when sensed current state of a process means includes sensed amount of resource used from a start time to a current time, said establishing quantitative measurements of performance including determining measurements of performance in terms of production cost, and when sensed current state of a process means includes sensed rate of operation, said establishing quantitative measurements of performance including determining measurements of performance in terms of yield, such that quantitative measurements of performance are indicative of one of production factors and resource factors, and (ii) comparing the established quantitative measurements to predetermined measurements of desired overall performance of manufacturing operations based on the same one of production factors and resource factors, said comparing forming quantitative differences between current state of process means and the predetermined measurements of desired overall performance of manufacturing operations in terms of said one of production factors and resource factors;
• displaying on a video display coupled to the digital processor assembly, a series of screen views indicating formed quantitative differences between current states of process means and the predetermined measurements of desired performance of manufacturing operations provided by the process means, said formed quantitative differences being indicative of current overall quality of manufacturing operations in terms of said one of production factors and resource factors;
• and
• adjusting said one of production factors and resource factors by adjusting control means coupled to the process means in accordance with the quantitative difference indicated in the screen views such that states of process means approach operations thereof that provide the desired performance of manufacturing operations.

In a processing plant having a plurality of process means operated in a certain pattern forming manufacturing operations, control apparatus comprising:

• a multiplicity of sensors coupled to the process means, each sensor providing signals indicative of current state of a respective process means;
• a network of computer workstations, each workstation having:
• (a) a digital processor assembly coupled to the sensors of a certain group of process means for receiving the signals therefrom, digital processor assemblies of different workstations being coupled to sensors of different groups of process means to receive respective sensor signals;
• (b) a video display coupled to the digital processor assembly;
• (c) computer means coupled to the digital processor assembly for (i) providing from the received sensor signals quantitative measurements of current performance of manufacturing operations with respect to sensed current states of process means of the workstation, the computer means determining quantitative measurements of current performance of manufacturing operations (a) in terms of production cost when sensed current state of a process means includes sensed amount of resource used, and (b) in terms of yield when sensed current state of a process means includes sensed rate of operation, such that each quantitative measurement of current performance is indicative of one of production factors and resource factors, and for (ii) displaying on the video display indications of the quantitative measurements in a manner which is indicative of necessary adjustments of said ones of production factors and resource factors and of the process means of the workstation to provide a predetermined desired measurement of performance of manufacturing operations, said adjustments changing state of the process means of the workstation to a state of operation which provides the predetermined desired measurement of performance of manufacturing operations;
• and
• computer means of different workstations displaying on respective video displays indications of respective quantitative measurements in manners indicative of necessary adjustments of respective ones of production factors and resource factors and of process means to provide the same predetermined desired measurement of performance of manufacturing operations.