Lot start agent that determines quantity and timing for lot starts
First Claim
1. An automated system in a facility that manufactures m products, where m≧
- 1, comprising;
a virtual factory, the virtual factory containing objects corresponding to physical elements of the facility that manufacturing m products; and
a software object coupled to the virtual factory, the software object including means for identifying a selected bottleneck workstation from among a plurality of n bottleneck workstations, each of the plurality of n bottleneck workstations being associated with a distinct one of a plurality of bottleneck delta virtual work in process time (“
VWIP”
) values, each of the plurality of bottleneck delta VWIP values representing the time until the associated bottleneck workstation begins to risk starvation;
means for determining that the selected bottleneck workstation is associated with a lowest bottleneck delta VWIP value from among the plurality of bottleneck delta VWIP values;
means for determining whether products starts should be recommended for the selected bottleneck workstation; and
means for recommending starts if starts should be recommended for the selected bottleneck workstation.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automated system is provided in a facility that manufactures m products, where m>0. The system comprises a software object that provides for calculation of one or more bottleneck delta virtual work in process time (“VWIP”) values. Each of the bottleneck delta VWIP values represents the amount of time until one of n bottleneck workstations begins to risk starvation, where n>0. VWIP is the amount of time a bottleneck will stay busy processing WIP that will reach the bottleneck in less time than new lot starts will reach the same bottleneck. In at least one embodiment, each of the bottleneck delta VWIP values is calculated as a mathematical function of virtual WIP time for the corresponding bottleneck workstation and a lower control limit for the corresponding bottleneck workstation. In at least one other embodiment, n>2 and the software object provides for calculation of a plurality of bottleneck delta VWIP values. The software object contains program code that provides for the foregoing functionality either directly or by invoking one or more other objects.
31 Citations
35 Claims
-
1. An automated system in a facility that manufactures m products, where m≧
- 1, comprising;
a virtual factory, the virtual factory containing objects corresponding to physical elements of the facility that manufacturing m products; and
a software object coupled to the virtual factory, the software object including means for identifying a selected bottleneck workstation from among a plurality of n bottleneck workstations, each of the plurality of n bottleneck workstations being associated with a distinct one of a plurality of bottleneck delta virtual work in process time (“
VWIP”
) values, each of the plurality of bottleneck delta VWIP values representing the time until the associated bottleneck workstation begins to risk starvation;
means for determining that the selected bottleneck workstation is associated with a lowest bottleneck delta VWIP value from among the plurality of bottleneck delta VWIP values;
means for determining whether products starts should be recommended for the selected bottleneck workstation; and
means for recommending starts if starts should be recommended for the selected bottleneck workstation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
- 1, comprising;
-
5. An automated system in a facility that manufactures m products, where m≧
- 1, comprising;
a virtual factory, the virtual factory containing objects corresponding to physical elements of the facility that manufactures m products; and
a software object coupled to the virtual factory, the software object including means for calculating a current bottleneck delta virtual work in process time (“
VWIP”
) value for each of a plurality of n bottleneck workstations, where n>
0, each of the plurality of current bottleneck delta VWIP values representing the time until the associated bottleneck workstation begins to risk starvation;
means for determining whether a selected bottleneck workstation requires additional product starts during a current evaluation cycle in order to avoid risk of starvation;
means for determining if the selected bottleneck workstation requires additional product starts in order to avoid risk of starvation, recommending that additional product be started, wherein the recommended additional product starts comprise at least one of the m products; and
means for determining to calculate a new bottleneck delta VWIP value for each of the bottleneck workstations that is expected to process the recommended additional starts. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
- 1, comprising;
-
14. An automated system in a facility that manufactures m products, where m≧
- 1, comprising;
a virtual factory, the virtual factory containing objects corresponding to physical elements of the facility that manufactures m products; and
a software object coupled to the virtual factory, the software object including means for calculating a current bottleneck delta virtual work in process time (“
VWIP”
) value for each of a plurality of n bottleneck workstations, where n>
0, each of the plurality of current bottleneck delta VWIP values representing the time until the associated bottleneck workstations begins to risk starvation;
means for determining whether any bottleneck workstation requires additional product starts during a current evaluation cycle in order to avoid risk of starvation;
means for determining if no bottleneck workstation requires additional product starts during the current evaluation cycle in order to avoid risk of starvation, whether less than a maximum amount of new product, MaxStarts, has been started during the current evaluation cycle. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- 1, comprising;
-
20. An automated system in a facility that manufactures m products, where m≧
- 1, comprising;
a virtual factory, the virtual factory containing objects corresponding to physical elements of the facility that manufactures m products; and
a software object coupled to the virtual factory, the software object including means for calculating a current bottleneck delta virtual work in process time (“
VWIP”
) value for each of a plurality of n bottleneck workstations, where n>
0, each of the plurality of current bottleneck delta VWIP values representing the time until the associated bottleneck workstation begins to risk starvation;
means for determining whether a selected bottleneck workstation requires additional product starts during a current evaluation cycle in order to avoid risk of starvation;
means for providing for, if the selected bottleneck workstation requires additional product starts in order to avoid risk of starvation, recommending that additional product be started, wherein the recommended additional product starts comprise at least one of the m products;
wherein recommending that recommended additional product be started further includes;
calculating remaining product starts available for a starts period; and
determining an amount of additional product to be started; and
wherein the amount of additional product to be started represents one or more batches, wherein a batch includes a predetermined number, B, of lots. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
- 1, comprising;
-
27. An automated system in a facility that manufactures m products, where m≧
- 1, comprising;
a virtual factory, the virtual factory containing objects corresponding to physical elements of the facility that manufactures m products; and
a software object coupled to the virtual factory, the software object including means for calculating a current bottleneck delta virtual work in process time (“
VWIP”
) value for each of a plurality of n bottleneck workstations, where n>
0, each of the plurality of current bottleneck delta VWIP values representing the time until the associated bottleneck workstation begins to risk starvation;
means for determining whether a selected bottleneck workstation requires additional product starts during a current evaluation cycle in order to avoid risk of starvation;
means for providing for, if the selected bottleneck workstation requires additional product starts in order to avoid risk of starvation, recommending that additional product be started, wherein the recommended additional product starts comprise at least one of the m products;
wherein recommending that additional product be started further includes;
determining a total planned starts value for the starts period;
determining an actual starts-to-date value for the starts period; and
calculating the remaining product starts available as a mathematical function of the total planned starts value and the actual starts-to-date value. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
- 1, comprising;
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34. An automated system in a facility that manufactures m products, where m≧
- 1, comprising;
a virtual factory, the virtual factory containing objects corresponding to physical elements of the facility that manufactures m products; and
a software object coupled to the virtual factory, the software object including means for calculating a current bottleneck delta virtual work in process time (“
VWIP”
) value for each of a plurality of n bottleneck workstations, where n>
0, each of the plurality of current bottleneck delta VWIP values representing the time until the associated bottleneck workstation begins to risk starvation;
means for determining whether any bottleneck workstation requires additional products starts during a current evaluation cycle in order to avoid risk of starvation;
means for determining whether less than a maximum amount of new product, MaxStarts, has been started during the current evaluation cycle if the maximum amount of new product has been started during the current evaluation cycle, then waiting a minimum wakeup delay before starting another evaluation cycle. - View Dependent Claims (35)
- 1, comprising;
Specification