Pallet arranging system
AssigneeFujitsu Limited
InventorsShozo Suzuki, Satomi Furukawa, Katsuji Kobayashi, Yutaka Wakizaka
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a pallet arranging system for use in a multiple-item small-lot production setup. The system uses a plurality of pallet groups each comprising a plurality of pallets, each of the pallets including a plurality of cartridges, each of the cartridges containing a large number of parts of the same type. The system creates channel setting data for use by a part assembler fed with parts and printed circuit boards. The parts are assembled by the part assembler onto predetermined positions on the printed circuit boards in accordance with the channel setting data that designate which cartridge is to be assigned to which of the channels constituting the pallet groups.
Claims8
A pallet arranging system for assigning a plurality of cartridges to a plurality of pallet groups and arranging the pallet groups to efficiently assemble a plurality of printed circuit boards the plurality of printed circuit boards being used to produce a variety of different products, each of said plurality of pallet groups including a plurality of pallets, each pallet having a plurality of channels and each of said plurality of cartridges containing a number of a respective one of a plurality of part types, said system comprising:
- a first table for storing production order information regarding a product to be produced on each respective one of said plurality of printed circuit boards;
- a second table for storing part assembly information relating to each of said plurality of part types to be assembled on respective ones of each of said plurality of printed circuit boards;
- grouping means comprising:
- means for obtaining part types from said plurality of part types contained in said plurality of cartridges for assembly on each of said plurality of printed circuit boards and grouping the part types into the plurality of pallet groups based on said production order information and part assembly information;
- and
- means for grouping said plurality of printed circuit boards based on the pallet groups formed by said means for obtaining;
- and
- means for creating channel setting data for assigning each of said plurality of cartridges to a respective one of said plurality of channels within each pallet based upon the pallet groups formed by the means for obtaining, wherein the groups of printed circuit boards and said plurality of pallet groups are prepared for sending to a part assembler for assembling the plurality of part types on the plurality of printed circuit boards and wherein the assigning of said plurality of cartridges to their respective pallets based on the production order information and part assembly information minimizes an amount of times said pallet groups are changed on the part assembler with respect to the types of said plurality of part types contained in the cartridges assigned to the pallet groups and defines a maximum allowable number of said plurality of channels of each of said plurality of pallets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.