Hybrid Part Installation Process Combining Mass Part Installation Techniques With Discrete Part Number Assembly Activities

• US 20100125354A1
• Filed: 11/14/2008
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zemke, Matthew H., Knipfer, Ivory Wellman, Lee, Jason Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/95
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32028 Electronic catalog, to select material, resources, make lists with prices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A hybrid data collection and component installation scheme for optimizing equipment cost, throughput, and quality practices in a multi-stage manufacturing environment. A kit comprising a plurality of parts corresponding to an order for a product is received from one of the stages in the multi-stage manufacturing environment. The parts in the kit were validated in the stage using data collected about the plurality of parts in the stage. At a subsequent stage in the manufacturing environment, a determination is made if the product qualifies for mass installation. If the product qualifies for mass installation, a set of parts in the kit is selected for mass installation. The set of parts are re-verified using the data collected in the previous stage in the environment to determine if the set of parts selected for mass installation is valid. If valid, the set of parts are installed en masse.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for managing assembly of parts in a multiple stage manufacturing environment, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a stage in the multiple stage manufacturing environment, a kit comprising a plurality of parts corresponding to an order for a product, wherein the plurality of parts were validated in the stage using data collected about the plurality of parts in the stage;

determining, at a subsequent stage in the multiple stage manufacturing environment, if the product qualifies for mass installation;

responsive to a determination that the product qualifies for mass installation, selecting a set of parts in the kit corresponding to the product for mass installation;

re-verifying the set of parts using the data collected in the stage in the multiple stage manufacturing environment to determine if the set of parts selected for mass installation is valid; and

responsive to a determination that the set of parts is valid for mass installation, installing the set of parts en masse.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that one or more parts in the order for the product do not qualify for mass installation, collecting data about the one or more parts in the subsequent stage;

verifying the one or more parts using the data collected in the subsequent stage to determine if the one or more parts are valid for installation; and

responsive to a determination that the one or more parts are valid for installation, installing the one or more parts on a part by part basis.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the set of parts is valid for mass installation, providing an interface to an operator, wherein the interface informs the operator that the set of parts is valid for mass installation;

responsive to selection, by the operator, of a first option on the interface, installing the set of parts en masse; and

responsive to selection, by the operator, of a second option on the interface, collecting data about the set of parts, verifying that the set of parts is valid for installation using the collected data, and installing the set of parts on a part by part basis if the set of parts are valid for installation.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the stage and the subsequent stage in the multiple stage manufacturing environment are implemented in a same manufacturing facility.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the stage and the subsequent stage in the multiple stage manufacturing environment are implemented in different manufacturing facilities.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data collected in the stage is collected by a vendor or supplier of the kit comprising the plurality of parts corresponding to the production order.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining if the product qualifies for mass installation further comprises:

comparing characteristics of the product and the manufacturing environment against a set of mass installation rules defined in a table; and

responsive to the characteristics of the product and the manufacturing environment matching the set of mass installation rules in the table, determining that the product qualifies for mass installation.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the characteristics of the manufacturing environment include at least one of manufacturing plant, plant area, operator shift, or manufacturing workcell.

9. A data processing system for managing assembly of parts in a multiple stage manufacturing environment, the data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device contains computer usable code;

at least one managed device connected to the bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus; and

a processing unit connected to the bus, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable code to receive, from a stage in the multiple stage manufacturing environment, a kit comprising a plurality of parts corresponding to an order for a product, wherein the plurality of parts were validated in the stage using data collected about the plurality of parts in the stage;

determine, at a subsequent stage in the multiple stage manufacturing environment, if the product qualifies for mass installation;

select a set of parts in the kit corresponding to the product for mass installation in response to a determination that the product qualifies for mass installation;

re-verify the set of parts using the data collected in the stage in the multiple stage manufacturing environment to determine if the set of parts selected for mass installation is valid; and

install the set of parts en masse in response to a determination that the set of parts is valid for mass installation.

10. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable code to collect, in response to a determination that one or more parts in the order for the product do not qualify for mass installation, data about the one or more parts in the subsequent stage;

verify the one or more parts using the data collected in the subsequent stage to determine if the one or more parts are valid for installation; and

install the one or more parts on a part by part basis in response to a determination that the one or more parts are valid for installation.

11. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable code to provide, in response to a determination that the set of parts is valid for mass installation, an interface to an operator, wherein the interface informs the operator that the set of parts is valid for mass installation;

install the set of parts en masse in response to selection, by the operator, of a first option on the interface; and

collect data about the set of parts, verify that the set of parts is valid for installation using the collected data, and install the set of parts on a part by part basis if the set of parts are valid for installation in response to selection, by the operator, of a second option on the interface.

12. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the computer usable code to determine if the product qualifies for mass installation further comprises computer usable code to compare characteristics of the product and the manufacturing environment against a set of mass installation rules defined in a table, wherein the characteristics of the manufacturing environment include at least one of manufacturing plant, plant area, operator shift, or manufacturing workcell;

and responsive to the characteristics of the product and the manufacturing environment matching the set of mass installation rules in the table, determine that the product qualifies for mass installation.

13. A computer program product for managing assembly of parts in a multiple stage manufacturing environment, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code tangibly embodied thereon, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code for receiving, from a stage in the multiple stage manufacturing environment, a kit comprising a plurality of parts corresponding to an order for a product, wherein the plurality of parts were validated in the stage using data collected about the plurality of parts in the stage;

computer usable program code for determining, at a subsequent stage in the multiple stage manufacturing environment, if the product qualifies for mass installation;

computer usable program code for selecting a set of parts in the kit corresponding to the product for mass installation in response to a determination that the product qualifies for mass installation;

computer usable program code for re-verifying the set of parts using the data collected in the stage in the multiple stage manufacturing environment to determine if the set of parts selected for mass installation is valid; and

computer usable program code for installing the set of parts en masse in response to a determination that the set of parts is valid.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

computer usable program code for collecting, in response to a determination that one or more parts in the order for the product do not qualify for mass installation, data about the one or more parts in the subsequent stage;

computer usable program code for verifying the one or more parts using the data collected in the subsequent stage to determine if the one or more parts are valid for installation; and

computer usable program code for installing the one or more parts on a part by part basis in response to a determination that the one or more parts are valid for installation.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

computer usable program code for providing, in response to a determination that the set of parts is valid for mass installation, a user interface to an operator, wherein the user interface informs the operator that the set of parts is valid for mass installation;

computer usable program code for installing the set of parts en masse in response to selection, by the operator, of a first option on the user interface; and

computer usable program code for collecting data about the set of parts, verifying that the set of parts is valid using the collected data, and installing the set of parts on a part by part basis if the set of parts are valid in response to selection, by the operator, of a second option on the user interface.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the stage and the subsequent stage in the multiple stage manufacturing environment are implemented in a same manufacturing facility.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the stage and the subsequent stage in the multiple stage manufacturing environment are implemented in different manufacturing facilities.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the data collected in the stage is collected by a vendor or supplier of the kit comprising the plurality of parts corresponding to the production order.

19. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer usable program code for determining if the product qualifies for mass installation further comprises:

computer usable program code for comparing characteristics of the product and the manufacturing environment against a set of mass installation rules defined in a table; and

computer usable program code for determining, in response to the characteristics of the product and the manufacturing environment matching the set of mass installation rules in the table, that the product qualifies for mass installation.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the characteristics of the manufacturing environment include at least one of manufacturing plant, plant area, operator shift, or manufacturing workcell.