Method of optimizing a vehicle assembly line build sequence

• US 4,931,944 A
• Filed: 11/08/1989
• Issued: 06/05/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Richter, Roy, Kromer, Robert P., Gay, Jackson G.
• Primary Examiner(s): MACDONALD, ALLEN R
• Application Number:
  US07/434,536
• Time in Patent Office: 209 Days
• Field of Search: 364/400-403, 364/468, 364/478, 364/512, 364/300
• US Class Current: 700/100
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41805 characterised by assembly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/18 Network design, e.g. design based on topological or interconnect aspects of utility systems, piping, heating ventilation air conditioning [HVAC] or cabling circuit design at the physical level G06F30/39; network planning tools for wireless communication networks H04W16/18
• 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 method of scheduling the building sequence of a plurality of objects on an assembly line in order to minimze the cost of building the objects is disclosed. Each object has a plurality of attributes, which together with the position of the object in the sequence, affects the overall cost of the build sequence. A computer is provided with a representation of the object, its attributes, and a procedure for calculating the cost associated with any arrangement of the attributes. An initial build sequence is generated using the representation which has a minimal cost associated with the arrangement of at least one of the attributes. A final build sequence is generated in accordance with a simulated annealing algorithm which utilizes a scoring function that includes the costs defined by the procedure, those costs associated with the attributes being independently weighted in accordance with a temperature varying function. A representation of the final build sequence usable for construction of the object is then provided.

Claims

1. A method of scheduling the build sequence of a plurality of objects on an assembly line in order to minimize the cost of building the objects, each object having a plurality of attributes, which together with the position of the object in the sequence, affect the overall cost of the build sequence:

comprising the steps of;

(a) providing a computer with a representation of the object, its attributes, and a procedure for calculating the cost associated with any arrangement of the attributes,

(b) generating an initial build sequence using the representation of step (a) which has a miminal cost associated with the arrangement of at least one of said attributes,

(c) generating a final build sequence in accordance with a simulated annealing algorithm which utilizes a scoring function that includes the costs defined by the procedure of step (a), those costs associated with the attributes of step (b) being independently weighted in accordance with a temperature varying function,

(d) providing a representation of the final build sequence usable for construction of the objects.

2. A method of scheduling the build sequence of a plurality of vehicles on an assembly line in order to minimize the cost of building the vehicles, each vehicle having a plurality of attributes, which together with the position of the vehicle in the sequence, affect the overall cost of the build sequence:

comprising the steps of;

(a) providing a computer with a representation of the vehicle, its attributes, and a procedure for calculating the cost associated with any arrangement of the attributes,

(b) generating an initial build sequence using the representation of step (a) which has a miminal cost associated with the arrangement of at least one of said attributes,

(c) generating a final build sequence in accordance with a simulated annealing algorithm which utilizes a scoring function that includes the costs defined by the procedure of step (a), those costs associated with the attributes of step (b) being independently weighted in accordance with a temperature varying function,

(d) providing a representation of the final build sequence usable for construction of the vehicles.

3. A method of scheduling the build sequence of a plurality of vehicles on an assembly line in order to minimize the cost of building the vehicles, each vehicle having a plurality of attributes, one of which is color, which together with the position of the vehicle in the sequence, affect the overall cost of the build sequence:

comprising the steps of;

(a) providing a computer with a representation of the vehicle, its attributes, and a procedure for calculating the cost associated with any arrangement of the attributes,

(b) generating an initial build sequence using the representation of step (a) which has a miminal cost associated with placing the color attribute,

(c) generating a final build sequence in accordance with a simulated annealing algorithm which utilizes a scoring function that includes the costs defined by the procedure of step (a), those costs associated with the attribute color being independently weighted in accordance with a temperature varying function,

(d) providing a representation of the final build sequence usable for construction of the vehicles.

4. A method of scheduling the build sequence of a plurality of objects in order to minimize the cost of building the objects, each object having a plurality of attributes, which together with the position of the object in the sequence, affect the overall cost of the build sequence:

comprising the steps of;

(a) providing a computer with a representation of the object including its attributes, and a procedure for calculating the cost associated with any arrangement of the attributes,

(b) generating an initial build sequence using the representation of step (a) which has a minimal cost associated with the arrangement of at least one of said attributes,

(c) generating a final build sequence in accordance with a simulated annealing algorithm which utilizes a scoring function that includes the costs defined by the procedure of step (a), those costs associated with the attributes of step (b) being independently weighted in accordance with a temperature varying function,

(d) providing a representation of the final build sequence usable for construction of the objects.

5. A method of scheduling the build route of a plurality of components in an assembly plant in order to minimize the cost of building the components, each component having a plurality of attributes, which together with the position of the component in the route, affect the overall cost of the build route:

comprising the steps of;

(a) providing a computer with a representation of the component including its attributes, and a procedure for calculating the cost associated with any arrangement of the attributes,

(b) generating an initial build route using the representation of step (a) which has a minimal cost associated with the arrangement of at least one of said attributes,

(c) generating a final build route in accordance with a simulated annealing algorithm which utilizes a scoring function that includes the costs defined by the procedure of step (a), those costs associated with the attributes of step (b) being independently weighted in accordance with a temperature varying function,

(d) providing a representation of the final build route usable for construction of the components.