System for assisting in management of packaging plant

• US 5,999,920 A
• Filed: 04/14/1997
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okada, Yasuhiro, Kanematsu, Koichi, Sato, Kenichi, Yamazaki, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Chinor M.
• Application Number:
  US08/837,100
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/8, 705/400, 705/9, 705/1, 705/11, 364/468.13, 364/468.14, 364/468.22, 364/468.05, 364/468.09
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/043 Optimisation of two dimensional placement, e.g. cutting of clothes or wood
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A system for assisting in management of a packaging plant, according to which such information as on packaging cost, machine characteristics and surface packaging method is transformed into database, whereby the packaging cost calculation, production capacity calculation, line arrangement method, packaging method, and packaging arrangement investigation method are translated into numeral equations or software. With this system, highly accurate investigation results can be output in a short time period, thereby assisting in making an optimum management decision.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring and controlling a packaging plant comprising:

storing in a database packaging cost data for individual types of parts to be packaged on a board;

applying an algorithm based on said packaging cost database so that packaging costs are minimized, wherein said algorithm considers at least the basis of the arrangement and number of parts on a board, and;

outputs a result produced by said algorithm

wherein user selects an arrangement and number of parts based on said results.

5. A method for monitoring and controlling a packaging plant, comprising a combination of any two or more of the methods described in claims 1 through 4.

2. A method for monitoring and controlling a packaging plant comprising:

generating a machine characteristic database wherein said database comprises machine characteristic information about parts-associated capacity and standard packaging capacity of a plurality of packaging machines;

applying an algorithm based on said machine characteristic database wherein said algorithm calculates the production capacity of each packaging machine by multiplying a packaging cycle for each type of parts by the sum of parts to be packaged, and dividing the multiplication product by an appropriate machine packaging capacity wherein the packaging cycle, the sum of the parts to be packaged and the machine packaging capacity are derived from said machine characteristic database, and;

outputting a result produced by said algorithm

wherein user selects a machine for packaging parts based upon said results.

3. A method for monitoring and controlling a packaging plant comprising:

creating a machine characteristic database wherein said database comprises machine characteristic information about the parts-associated capacity and standard packaging capacity of a plurality of packaging machines;

applying an algorithm for selecting an optimum line arrangement by selecting an optimum machine based on production information about an arrangement and a number of parts and production capacity of boards to be produced wherein said production information is derived from said machine characteristic database, and;

a result from said algorithm is output

wherein user selects an optimal line arrangement according to said results.

4. A method for monitoring and controlling a packaging plant comprising:

creating a packaging method database wherein said database comprises assessment values including parts costs, packaging costs, control costs and quality during the production with respect to each method utilized in said plant;

applying an algorithm to provide a method which satisfies a required commodity specification and which maximizes a calculated assessment value, by calculating an overall assessment value involved in production of a commodity of required specification for each packaging method, and;

outputting a result generated from said algorithm

wherein user selects a packaging method based on said results.

6. A system for monitoring and controlling a packaging plant comprising:

a computer wherein a packaging cost database and a packaging cost algorithm are stored and manipulatable; and

a display for displaying data stored in said packaging cost database and results generated by said packaging cost algorithm

wherein a user selects an arrangement and number of parts based upon said results.

10. A system for monitoring and controlling a packaging plant, comprising a combination of any two or more of the systems described in claims 6 through 9.

7. A system for monitoring and controlling a packaging plant comprising:

a computer wherein a machine characteristic database and a production capacity algorithm are stored and manipulatable; and

a display for displaying data stored in said machine characteristic database and results generated by said production capacity algorithm

wherein a user selects a machine for packaging parts based upon said results.

8. A system for monitoring and controlling a packaging plant comprising:

a computer wherein a machine characteristic database and a line arrangement algorithm are stored and manipulatable; and

a display for displaying data stored in said machine characteristic database and results generated by said line arrangement algorithm are displayed

wherein a user selects an optimal line arrangement according to said results.

9. A system for monitoring and controlling a packaging plant comprising:

a computer wherein a packaging method database and packaging board arrangement algorithm are stored and manipulatable; and

a display for displaying data stored in said machine characteristic database and results generated by packaging board arrangement algorithm are displayed

wherein a user selects a packaging method based upon said results.