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Dynamically adjusting the distribution for dispatching lot between current and downstream tool by using expertise weighting mechanism

  • US 7,257,454 B2
  • Filed: 11/21/2003
  • Issued: 08/14/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2003
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A system for dispatching of at least one product lot for processing to a plurality of pieces of manufacturing equipment arranged in groups within processing stages of a manufacturing line, said system comprising:

  • a lot dispatcher in communication with an order entry system to receive requests for fabrication of a product lot, in communication with a process information system to receive procedures defining which pieces of manufacturing equipment are required for said fabrication of said product lot, and in communication with a manufacturing information system to dynamically receive a status of said fabrication of said product lot, a criticality factor for each piece of manufacturing equipment, and a queue level for each piece of manufacturing equipment that follows a current group of pieces of manufacturing equipment required for said product lot; and

    a priority factor calculator in communication with said lot dispatcher to receive a listing of said defined pieces of manufacturing equipment required for said fabrication of said product lot, said criticality factor, and said queue level, for determining a priority factor for said product lot such that each group of pieces of manufacturing equipment following said current group of pieces of manufacturing equipment has a balanced loading and said product lot is processed at an expeditious time for on-time delivery;

    wherein;

    if groups of first following pieces of manufacturing equipment have a criticality factor of a first level, said priority factor has a first priority level, andif groups of first following pieces of manufacturing equipment are of a first type and if groups of second following pieces of manufacturing equipment are of a second type, said priority factor has a second priority level; and

    wherein;

    said priority factor calculator determines said first priority factor level by the formula;

    KF_

    1
    = WIP_c TOOL

    #

    _c * PPH_c * EFF_c
    where;

    KF

    1 is said first priority level for a product lot entering a group of current pieces of manufacturing equipment WIP_c is a number of items within all product lots in a queue for the group of first following pieces of manufacturing equipment, TOOL#_c is a number of pieces of equipment within a group of the first following pieces of manufacturing equipment;

    PPH_c is an average number of items of product capable of being manufactured by said group of the first following pieces of manufacturing equipment, EFF_c is an efficiency factor for said group of the first following pieces of manufacturing equipment.

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