Method and system for optimizing material movement within a computer based manufacturing system

• US 5,467,285 A
• Filed: 08/30/1994
• Issued: 11/14/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Laszcz, John F., Flinn, Donald R., Withers, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Envall, Jr., Roy N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): OAKES, BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US08/299,171
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 364/401, 364/402, 364/403, 364/408, 364/148, 364/468, 364/478, 364/479, 364/188, 395/159
• US Class Current: 700/95
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/40 Minimising material used in manufacturing processes
• 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 and system for determining an optimal material movement product path within a computer based manufacturing system is disclosed. A transport matrix is created having multiple rows and columns, each associated with a workstation within a computer based manufacturing system. At each cell within the matrix located at an intersection of a selected row and column, the attributes for all possible methods of transport between the associated workstations are listed. Preferably transport attributes, such as transport type, velocity/distance, travel time, capacity, authorization required, fragility, cost and current status of the transport system are listed within the cell and may thereafter be dynamically updated. After identifying a selected product path an analysis of the transport matrix may be utilized to determine an optimal route based upon user inputs, such as the most rapid, least expensive, or most reliable form of transport, for transporting material between selected workstations.

Claims

1. A computer based system for controlling the movement of at least one material along an identified product path within a manufacturing process, said computer based system including a display device and a user input device, said computer based system comprising:

a plurality of workstations within said manufacturing process for operating upon said at least one material;

a plurality of means for transporting said at least one material between selected ones of said plurality of workstations wherein at least two diverse means exist for transporting said at least one material between a specified two of said plurality of workstations;

a transport matrix displayed within said display device, said transport matrix having a plurality of cells each located at an intersection of one of a plurality of rows and columns, each row and column having associated therewith an identification of one of said plurality of workstations, each cell including a graphic representation displayed therein of a means for transporting said at least one material;

a plurality of dynamically alterable parameters associated with each cell, said plurality of dynamically alterable parameters including an elapsed time required and a cost associated with each of said means for transporting said at least one material; and

processor means for analyzing said displayed transport matrix for identifying an optimum route for transporting at least one material between selected ones of said plurality of workstations in response to an identified product path and at least one desired path attribute specified by a user of said system utilizing said user input device.

2. The computer based system for controlling the movement of at least one material along an identified path within a manufacturing process according to claim 1, wherein said at least one desired path attribute comprises minimal cost and wherein said processor means for identifying an optimum route for transporting said at least one material between selected ones of said plurality of workstations comprises means for identifying a least costly route.

3. The computer based system for controlling the movement of at least one material along an identified path within a manufacturing process according to claim 1, wherein said processor means for identifying an optimum route for transportation said at least one material between selected ones of said plurality of workstations comprises means for identifying a least time consuming route.

4. A method in a computer based manufacturing system for controlling the transport of at least one material along a product path between selected ones of a plurality of workstations which operate upon said material, said computer based manufacturing system including a display device and a user input device, said method comprising the steps of:

creating a transport matrix having a plurality of rows and columns;

associating an identification of a selected one of said plurality of workstations with each of said plurality of rows and with each of said plurality of columns within said transport matrix;

displaying said transport matrix within said display device;

associating selected attributes for each of multiple available methods of transport from a first of said plurality of workstations to a second of said plurality of workstations within a cell within said transport matrix displayed at an intersection between a row associated with said first of said plurality of workstations and a column associated with said second of said plurality of workstations;

displaying a graphic representation of at least one of said available methods of transport within said cell within said transport matrix displayed at an intersection between a row associated with said first of said plurality of workstations and a column associated with said second of said plurality of workstations;

prompting a user to input a desired path attribute for an identified product path; and

determining an optimum route for transporting material between selected ones of said plurality of workstations for said identified product path by an analysis of said selected attributes within said transport matrix and said desired path attribute.

5. The method in a computer based manufacturing system for controlling the transport of at least one material along a product path between selected ones of a plurality of work stations according to claim 4, wherein said step of listing selected attributes for each available method of transport comprises the step of listing a cost associated with each available method of transport.

6. The method in a computer based manufacturing system for controlling the transport of at least one material along a product path between selected ones of a plurality of work stations according to claim 4, wherein said step of listing selected attributes for each available method of transport comprises the step of listing a time delay associated with each available method of transport.

7. The method in a computer based manufacturing system for controlling the transport of at least one material along a product path between selected ones of a plurality of work stations according to claim 4, wherein said step of listing selected attributes for each available method of transport comprises the step of listing a capacity associated with each available method of transport.