Probabilistic dispatching method and arrangement

An apparatus for routing material in a computer controlled manufacturing arrangement having alternate locations for predetermined ones of a plurality of manufacturing process steps, comprising:

• means for establishing a distribution of events indicative of the alternate locations at which material is processed for a manufacturing process step;
• means for generating ranges of relative probability figures for the respective alternate locations of the manufacturing step as a function of the distribution of events;
• means for identifying a next manufacturing process step for material received for dispatch;
• and
• means for selecting one of a plurality of alternate locations to which to route the material for the next manufacturing process step as a function of the relative probability figures and a distribution of events associated with a plurality of alternate locations of the next manufacturing process step.

A method for dispatching material in a computer controlled manufacturing arrangement having alternate locations for predetermined ones of a plurality of manufacturing process steps, comprising the steps of:

• recording events indicative of the alternate locations at which material is processed for a manufacturing process step;
• generating ranges of relative probability figures for the respective alternate locations of the manufacturing step as a function of the events from the recording step;
• identifying a next manufacturing process step for material received for dispatch;
• generating a random probability;
• and
• selecting one of a plurality of alternate locations to which to route the material for the next manufacturing process step, the one location having a range of probability figures that includes the random probability.

An apparatus for dispatching material in a computer controlled manufacturing arrangement having alternate locations for predetermined ones of a plurality of manufacturing process steps, comprising:

• means for recording events indicative of the alternate locations at which material is processed for a manufacturing process step;
• means for generating ranges of relative probability figures for the respective alternate locations of the manufacturing step as a function of the events from the means for recording;
• means for identifying a next manufacturing process step for material received for dispatch;
• means for generating a random probability;
• and
• means for selecting one of a plurality of alternate locations to which to route the material for the next manufacturing process step, the one location having a range of probability figures that includes the random probability.

An automated manufacturing arrangement for routing material between locations in a factory floor, comprising:

• a material movement rail;
• a plurality of stockers coupled to the rail and arranged to transfer material to and from the rail, each stocker providing temporary storage of material for a manufacturing process step at a respective location, and at least one manufacturing processing step is performed at alternate locations;
• and
• a data processing system coupled to the stockers and configured and arranged to record a distribution of removal events indicative of the alternate locations at which material is removed from stockers and processed for manufacturing process steps, to generate ranges of relative probability figures for the respective alternate locations of the manufacturing step as a function of the removal events from the recording, and to dispatch material to stockers for subsequent manufacturing processing steps as a function of a distribution of removal events and the relative probability figures.