US 5,311,438 A · Integrated manufacturing system

Abstract

A manufacturing system utilizes a common database structure and product definition to achieve true integration of multiple systems. The production definition includes an item and specification to define material or resources used in or related to a manufacturing process. The item identifies the material or resources, and the specification describes its performance specifications. Multiple manufacturing systems each utilize the same common database structure and product definition for processing data. These systems may include an Environmental, Health, Safety & Training system to manage environmental and health aspects of the manufacturing process. A New Product Development system may also be integrated with the common database to facilitate and automate the process of developing new products. The true integration of manufacturing systems allows full communication among the systems and automates many functions, such as generating reports and monitoring of hazardous materials and agents.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A plant-level manufacturing system for integrating together an enterprise-level system, a process control system, and other sub-systems, the plant-level manufacturing system comprising:

a) database means for storing and managing data in a common database describing material used and created in the manufacturing process, the database means comprising:
i) item means for storing items, each of the items identifying physical properties of the material;
ii) specification means for describing a plurality of sets of performance specifications of the material;
and
iii) database linking means for linking one or more of the sets of performance specifications to one of the items;
b) interface means for linking the enterprise-level system and the process control system to the database means, the interface means comprising:
i) means for transferring data between the enterprise-level system and the plant-level manufacturing system;
ii) means for transferring data between the process control system and the plant-level manufacturing system;
and
iii) means for transferring data from the process control system to the enterprise system;
and
c) integration means for linking other sub-systems within the plant-level system to the items and the performance specifications in the common database and for allowing both the sub-systems and the plant-level system to utilize the same items and the same performance specifications in the common database.

9 more elements

A health, safety, and training system integrated to a plant-level manufacturing system for managing health, safety, and training aspects of a manufacturing process, the health, safety, and training system comprising:

a) integration means for using a common data repository with the plant-level manufacturing system so that both the health, safety, and training system and the plant-level manufacturing system share the same item data within the repository, the item data describing material used and created in the manufacturing process;
b) the common data repository comprising database means for storing and managing the item data, the database means comprising item means for storing items, each of the items identifying physical properties of the material and health, safety, and training information related to the material;
c) human interface means for linking employee identification data with health and safety factors related to job requirements in order to determine preventive action for employees to alleviate effects of the health and safety factors, the human interface means comprising:
i) means for storing sets of employee identification data in the common database;
ii) means for storing sets of job requirements in the common database and for linking the sets of job requirements with the sets of employee identification data;
iii) means for storing sets of health and safety factors in the common database and for linking the sets of health and safety factors with the sets of job requirements;
and
iv) means for storing sets of preventive action data in the database and for linking the sets of training data with the sets of health and safety factors;
and
d) means for linking the preventive action data with the employee identification data to determine a preventive action plan for a particular employee.

7 more elements

An environmental system integrated to a plant-level manufacturing system for managing environmental aspects of a manufacturing process, the environmental system comprising:

a) integration means for using a common data repository with the plant-level manufacturing system so that both the environmental system and the plant-level manufacturing system share the same item data within the repository, the item data describing material used and created in the manufacturing process;
b) the common data repository comprising database means for storing and managing the item data, the database means comprising item means for storing items, each of the items identifying physical properties of the material and environmental information related to the material;
and
c) environmental means for managing physical properties of the material which are incidental to the environment, the environmental means comprising:
i) identification means for storing environmental factors of the material in the common database;
ii) tracking means for recording usage and production of the material in the common database;
and
iii) reporting means for outputting data from the common database related to the usage and production of the material.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Integrated manufacturing system

Life of this patent

Integrated manufacturing system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29