US 5,691,906 A · Method of management of a production line and a system for use in the management

Abstract

For managing a production line which includes a plurality of facilities for carrying out a production process to produce products of a target quantity, use is made of a production simulator (22). In managing the production line, the production simulator makes the production process have a virtual stop period for a selected one of the facilities. The production simulator executes a simulation of the production process excepting the virtual stop period to produce a simulated quantity. With the simulated quantity being compared with the target quantity, the production simulator produces an allowed stop period of the production process so that the allowed stop period uninfluences on the target quantity. Therefore, it is possible to stop the selected facility during the allowed stop period.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A method of managing a production line in which a product is produced using a plurality of production facilities, the method comprising:

providing a production simulator responsive to data including:
maximum operating rate data for each said production facility,
product processing time data for each said production facility,
product processing route data,
product feed data, and
products-in-process data for each said production facility;
inputting said data to said production simulator;
executing on said production simulator a simulation;
and
predicting and controlling an influence of a stopped one of said plurality of production facilities on a production quantity, on the basis of results of said simulation;
wherein said simulation models said plurality of production facilities taking into account a production facility stop period preliminarily determined by controlling a products-in-process transition in said one of said plurality of production facilities.

8 more elements

A system for use in managing a production line which includes a plurality of facilities for carrying out a production process to produce products of a target quantity, said system comprising:

means for determining how a virtual stop period for a selected one of said facilities influences said production process;
means for executing a simulation of said production process modified by said virtual stop period to provide a simulated quantity, said executing means being connected to said determining means;
and
means for producing an allowed stop period for said modified production process based on a comparison of said simulated quantity and said target quantity said producing means being connected to said executing means;
said allowed stop period being characterized in that said simulated quantity of produced products is at least said target quantity.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of management of a production line and a system for use in the management

Life of this patent

Method of management of a production line and a system for use in the management

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9