Device for production control and method for production control using the same

• US 5,282,139 A
• Filed: 11/20/1991
• Issued: 01/25/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Yasumasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): GORDON, PAUL P
• Application Number:
  US07/796,033
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 364/468, 364/478, 364/131, 364/138, 364/401, 364/403
• US Class Current: 700/101
• 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

The present invention relates to a device for production control which employs control, transport and processing means and which sets optimal priorities according to production conditions that may vary from moment to moment. The present invention also relates in this regard to a method of production control.

Claims

1. A device for production control which comprises:

(1) a control means for generating production instruction data regarding a subsequent production process, which production instruction data is provided to each production lot and which contains (i) priority data needed for defining an order of processing (ii) lot information depicting attributes of each production lot, (iii) primary condition information depicting conditions under which each production lot is transported and (iv) secondary condition information depicting conditions under which each production lot is processed;

(2) a transport means for transporting a predetermined production lot based on said production instruction data and for forming and outputting said primary condition information;

(3) a processing means for processing said predetermined production lot transported by said transport means based on said production instruction data and for forming and outputting said secondary condition information, wherein said control means further comprises;

(a) a batching time examining means for computing, when a plurality of production processes are to be performed simultaneously, an expected ending time of each production process and when said subsequent production process should start;

(b) a batching means for computing production lots which can be processed based on said primary and secondary condition information, and for creating a candidate list of production lots for said subsequent production process, said production lots on said candidate list being sorted according to the order in which each subsequent production process is performed, said batching means conveying said order to each device in said subsequent production process;

(c) a top priority batch determining means for defining priority for each subsequent production process from said list based on priorities of the production lots for said subsequent production process,

said control means determining each priority of said plurality of production processes when the same are performed simultaneously and said control means producing production instruction that determines production of the top priority.

2. A method for production control which comprises:

(1) a first process for generating production instruction data regarding a subsequent production process which production instruction data is provided to each production lot and which contains (i) priority data needed for defining an order of processing (ii) lot information depicting attributes of each production lot, (iii) primary condition information depicting conditions under which each production lot is transported and (iv) secondary condition information depicting conditions under which each production lot is processed;

(2) a second process for transporting a predetermined production lot based on said production instruction data and for forming and outputting said primary condition information;

(3) a third process for processing said predetermined production lot transported by said second process based on said production instruction data and for forming and outputting said secondary condition information, wherein said first process further comprises;

(a) a batching time examining process which computes, when a plurality of production processes are to be performed simultaneously, an expected ending time of each production process and when said subsequent production process should start;

(b) a batching process which computes production lots which can be processed based on said primary and secondary condition information, and which creates a candidate list of production lots for said subsequent production process, said production lots on said candidate list being sorted according to the order in which each subsequent production process is performed, wherein said batching process conveys said order to each device in said subsequent production process;

(c) a top priority batch determining process which defines priority for each subsequent production process from said list based on priorities of the production lots for said subsequent production process,

said first process determining each priority of said plurality of production processes when the same are performed simultaneously and said first process producing production instruction data that determines the production of the top priority.