SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR MANAGING CHANGES TO A PRODUCT IN A MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENT INCLUDING A BILL OF MATERIAL PRE-PROCESSOR

• US 20170199517A1
• Filed: 01/08/2016
• Published: 07/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: DiPippo, Edward A., Hagberg, Kyle Kurtis, Williams, Anthony John, Carpenter, Christopher Luis, Jensen, Max Neal
• Granted Patent: US 10,054,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49301 Identify material to be used, select between several
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis

Abstract

A manufacturing process management (MPM) computer device is provided. The MPM computer device includes a processor and at least one memory device. The processor is in communication with the at least one memory device. The MPM computer device is configured to receive a first engineering design for a first configuration of a product to be assembled including a plurality of features, determine a plurality of parts associated with the plurality of features based on the received engineering design, and prior to completion of a manufacturing process plan, generate a manufacturing bill of materials based on the determined plurality of parts.

Claims

1. A manufacturing process management (MPM) computer device (212) comprising a processor (405) and at least one memory device (410), wherein said processor (405) is in communication with said at least one memory device (410), said MPM computer device (212) configured to:

receive (605) a first engineering design (102) for a first configuration of a product to be assembled including a plurality of features (104);

determine (610) a plurality of parts (116) associated with the plurality of features (104) based on the received engineering design (102); and

prior to completion of a manufacturing process plan (126), generate (615) a manufacturing bill of materials (124) based on the determined plurality of parts (116).

2. The MPM computer device (212) in accordance with claim 1 further configured to:

store a first manufacturing process plan (126) for the first configuration, wherein the first manufacturing process plan (126) includes a plurality of procedures and parts;

receive a second engineering design (102) for a second configuration of the product;

determine one or more differences between the first engineering design (102) and the second engineering design (102);

generate a second manufacturing process plan (126) for the second configuration, wherein the second manufacturing process plan (126) only includes the procedures and parts that did not change between the first engineering design (102) and the second engineering design (102); and

submit the one or more differences to a user (301) for approval.

3. The MPM computer device (212) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first engineering design (102) includes a plurality of attributes (120), and wherein the MPM computer device (212) is further configured to:

store a first manufacturing process plan (126) for the first configuration, wherein the first manufacturing process plan (126) includes a plurality of processes associated with the plurality of attributes (120);

receive a change to one of the plurality of attributes (120);

determine one or more processes (136) of the plurality of processes associated with the changed attribute;

determine an update to the one or more processes (136) based on the received change; and

modify the first manufacturing process plan (126) based on the determined update.

4. The MPM computer device (212) in accordance with claim 1 further configured to:

receive a second engineering design (102) for a second configuration of the product;

compare the first engineering design (102) and the second engineering design (102);

determine a plurality of common features (104) and a plurality of differences based on the comparison;

store the plurality of common features (104) in the manufacturing process plan (126) associated with the first configuration; and

generate a second manufacturing process plan (126) for the second configuration based on the plurality of common features (104) and the plurality of differences.

5. The MPM computer device (212) in accordance with claim 4 further configured to:

receive a third engineering design (102) for a third configuration of the product;

compare the first engineering design (102), the second engineering design (102), and the third engineering design (102);

determine a plurality of common features (104) and a plurality of differences based on the comparison;

store the plurality of common features (104) in the manufacturing process plan (126) associated with the first configuration;

generate a second manufacturing process plan (126) for the second configuration based on the plurality of common features (104) and the plurality of differences; and

generate a third manufacturing process plan (126) for the third configuration based on the plurality of common features (104) and the plurality of differences.

6. The MPM computer device (212) in accordance with claim 1 further configured to:

receive a first plurality of data based on a first production line and a second plurality of data based on a second production line, wherein each production line is configured to assemble the first configuration of the product;

generate a first manufacturing process plan (126) based on the first plurality of data and the first engineering design (102); and

modify the first manufacturing process plan (126) to generate a second manufacturing process plan (126) based on the second plurality of data.

7. The MPM computer device (212) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first engineering design (102) includes a plurality of installations, wherein each installation is a non-physical collection of parts (116), and wherein the MPM computer device (212) is further configured to:

store a first manufacturing process plan (126) for the first configuration, wherein the first manufacturing process plan (126) includes a plurality of processes associated with the plurality of installations;

receive a change to one installation of the plurality of installations;

determine one or more processes (136) of the plurality of processes associated with the one installation;

determine an update to the one or more processes (136) based on the received change; and

modify the first manufacturing process plan (126) based on the determined update.

8. The MPM computer device (212) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first engineering design (102) includes a plurality of parts (116), and wherein the MPM computer device (212) is further configured to:

store a first manufacturing process plan (126) for the first configuration;

receive a change to a part (132) of the plurality of parts (116);

when the change modifies the part (132), update all instances of the part (132) in the first manufacturing process plan (126) and the engineering design (102) based on the change; and

when the change replaces the part (132), transmit a request for decision to the user (301) based on the change.

9. The MPM computer device (212) in accordance with claim 8, wherein the request for decision includes at least one of generating a new manufacturing process plan (126), updating the first manufacturing process plan (126), and rejecting the change.

10. The MPM computer device (212) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first engineering design (102) includes a plurality of certifications associated with a plurality of processes, and wherein the MPM computer device (212) is further configured to:

receive one or more certifications of a mechanic to perform a process of the plurality of processes;

compare the one or more certifications with the certifications corresponding to the process to be performed; and

when there is not a match based on the comparison, generate an alert.

11. The MPM computer device (212) in accordance with claim 1 further configured to:

store a first manufacturing process plan (126) for the first configuration;

compare the plurality of features (104) associated with the first engineering design (102) with the first manufacturing process plan (126);

determine one or more differences based on the comparison;

generate a report based on the one or more differences; and

provide the report to the user (301).

12. The MPM computer device (212) in accordance with claim 1 further configured to:

receive a plurality of historical engineering designs (102);

receive a plurality of historical manufacturing process plan (126)s associated with the plurality of historical engineering designs (102); and

generate a plurality of operation templates based on the plurality of historical engineering designs (102) and the plurality of historical manufacturing process plans (126).

13. The MPM computer device (212) in accordance with claim 12 further configured to generate a first manufacturing process plan (126) template based on the first engineering design (102) and the plurality of operation templates.

14. The MPM computer device (212) in accordance with claim 12 further configured to:

determine an order of operations (164) for at least one feature of the plurality of features (104) based on the plurality of historical engineering designs (102) and the plurality of historical manufacturing process plans (126); and

generate a template for each determined order of operations (164).

15. The MPM computer device (212) in accordance with claim 1 further configured to:

store a first revision manufacturing process plan (126) for the first configuration including a revision number and a plurality of manufacturing change levels;

receive a request from a user (301) to generate a new revision of the manufacturing process plan (126) based on a change to the first engineering design (102), wherein the request includes a selection of manufacturing change level of the plurality of manufacturing change levels; and

generate a second revision manufacturing process plan (126) based the selected manufacturing change level of the first revision manufacturing process plan (126) and the change.

16. The MPM computer device (212) in accordance with claim 1 wherein the product is an aircraft.

17. A computer implemented method for managing changes to a product in a manufacturing environment, said method implemented using a manufacturing process management (MPM) computer device (212) in communication with a memory (410), said method comprising:

receiving (605) a first engineering design (102) for a first configuration of a product to be assembled including a plurality of features (104);

determining (610) a plurality of parts (116) associated with the plurality of features (104) based on the received engineering design (102); and

prior to completion of a manufacturing process plan (126), generating (615) a manufacturing bill of materials (124) based on the determined plurality of parts (116).

18. The method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising:

storing a first manufacturing process plan (126) for the first configuration, wherein the first manufacturing process plan (126) includes a plurality of procedures and parts;

receiving a second engineering design (102) for a second configuration of the product;

determining one or more differences between the first engineering design (102) and the second engineering design (102);

generating a second manufacturing process plan (126) for the second configuration, wherein the second manufacturing process plan (126) only includes the procedures and parts that did not change between the first engineering design (102) and the second engineering design (102); and

submitting the one or more differences to a user (301) for approval.

19. At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by manufacturing process management computer device (212) having at least one processor (405) coupled to at least one memory device (410), the computer-executable instructions cause the processor (405) to:

receive (605) a first engineering design (102) for a first configuration of a product to be assembled including a plurality of features (104);

determine (610) a plurality of parts (116) associated with the plurality of features (104) based on the received engineering design (102); and

prior to completion of a manufacturing process plan (126), generate (615) a manufacturing bill of materials (124) based on the determined plurality of parts (116).

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor (405) to:

store a first manufacturing process plan (126) for the first configuration, wherein the first manufacturing process plan (126) includes a plurality of procedures and parts;

receive a second engineering design (102) for a second configuration of the product;

determine one or more differences between the first engineering design (102) and the second engineering design (102);

generate a second manufacturing process plan (126) for the second configuration, wherein the second manufacturing process plan (126) only includes the procedures and parts that did not change between the first engineering design (102) and the second engineering design (102); and

submit the one or more differences to a user (301) for approval.