Method of analyzing and optimizing a multistage manufacturing process

• US 6,609,040 B1
• Filed: 10/16/2000
• Issued: 08/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BASF Coatings AG (BASF SE)
• Original Assignee: BASF Coatings AG (BASF SE)
• Inventors: Brünnemann, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANK, ELLIOT L
• Application Number:
  US09/690,030
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 700/28, 700/32, 700/37, 700/95, 700/97, 700/108, 700/109, 700/266
• US Class Current: 700/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Method of analyzing and optimizing a multistage manufacturing process which includes a number of standard steps that are carried out identically and which are followed by tuning steps that are carried out in order to achieve predefined product properties, their type, number and exit being variable. The individual steps relate to at least one production-specific property an are recorded quantitatively in an electronic database. The property can be, for example, a proportion of the quantities, a proportion of the costs, or the effects of an individual step on a product property to be achieved. Examples of a multistage manufacturing process are the manufacture of a coating from a plurality of individual components and additives. With the aid of the information compiled in a database, individual steps can be reduced in terms of their number and their extent.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing a multistage manufacturing process comprising individual steps in order to achieve predefined product properties, comprising;

carrying out tuning steps, the type, number and extent of said tuning steps being variable;

quantitatively recording in an electronic database the individual steps of the manufacturing process which relate to at least one production-specific property;

quantitatively recording form an individual step of the manufacturing process at least one of its extent, its proportion of the cost, its effect on the product property to be achieved and its composition from subelements;

logging at least two runs through the manufacturing process; and

combining individual steps which are correlated in terms of occurrence and extent into a smaller number of individual steps.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic database contains information relating to detected product deficiencies.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the database contains the logs of a number of runs through the multistage manufacturing process.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the data contained in the database is plotted in a three-dimensional graph, die various runs through being plotted on a first axis, the individual steps being plotted on a second axis and the number of individual steps or a similar item of information pertaining to the quantity of individual steps being plotted on a third axis.

5. A method of claim 1, wherein a number of individual steps of the manufacturing process which have similar effects on the product property to be achieved are combined into a single individual step.

6. A method of analyzing a multistage manufacturing process comprising individual steps in order to achieve predefined product properties, comprising;

carrying out tuning steps, the type, number and extent of said tuning steps being variable;

quantitatively recording in an electronic database the individual steps of the manufacturing process which relate to at least one production-specific property;

quantitatively recording from an individual step of the manufacturing process at least one of its extent, its proportion of the costs, its effect on the product property to be achieved and its composition from subelements, wherein the database contains the logs of a number of runs through the multistage manufacturing process; and

plotting the data contained in the database in a three-dimensional graph, the various runs being plotted on a first axis, the individual steps being plotted on a second axis and the number of individual steps or a similar item of information pertaining to the quantity of individual steps being plotted on a third axis.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the electronic database contains information relating to detected product deficiencies.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein a number of individual steps of the manufacturing process which have similar effects on the product property to be achieved are combined into a single individual step.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein individual steps which are correlated in terms of occurrence and extent are combined into a smaller number of individual steps.