Production loss tracking system

• US 7,353,074 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Baker, Henry W., Nickolaou, James N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard; Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garland; Steven R.
• Application Number:
  US11/375,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20070050071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 700/108, 700/111, 700/99, 700/96, 700/80, 700/110, 702/182, 702/185
• US Class Current: 700/108
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32349 Simulate effect of stoppages of production facilities, operate as function of simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0264 Control of logging system, e.g. decision on which data to store; time-stamping measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 Manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/30 Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing

Abstract

A production loss tracking system for a manufacturing system includes a collection module, an event module, and a report module. The collection module collects a processing status from a plurality of processing stations. The event module forecasts an upstream production loss event for a first of the processing stations that is upstream from a second of the processing stations that experienced a production loss event when the processing status indicates the production loss event. The event module forecasts a downstream production loss event for a third of the processing stations that is downstream from the second of the processing stations that experienced the production loss event when the processing status indicates the production loss event. The report module communicates with the event module and generates a report indicating the upstream production loss event, the downstream production loss event, and the production loss event.

Claims

1. A production loss tracking system for a manufacturing system, comprising:

a collection module that collects a processing status from a plurality of processing stations;

an event module that forecasts an upstream production loss event for a first of said processing stations that is upstream from a second of said processing stations and a downstream production loss event for a third of said processing stations that is downstream from said second of said processing stations when said processing status indicates that said second of said processing stations experienced a production loss event; and

a report module that communicates with said event module and that generates a report indicating said upstream production loss event, said downstream production loss event, and said production loss event.

2. The production loss tracking system of claim 1 wherein said event module receives a system configuration of the manufacturing system from a storage module and forecasts said upstream production loss event and said downstream production loss event based on said system configuration.

3. The production loss tracking system of claim 2 wherein said event module generates an upstream object in memory to track said upstream production loss event and a downstream object in memory to track said downstream production loss event.

4. The production loss tracking system of claim 3 wherein said upstream object comprises:

a root cause location attribute that indicates said second of said processing stations that experienced said production loss event;

a root cause duration attribute that indicates a period of said production loss event;

an upstream location attribute that indicates an upstream location from said second of said processing stations that is experiencing said upstream production loss event; and

an upstream destination attribute that indicates one of said processing stations that is upstream from said second of said processing stations and that is forecasted to experience said upstream production loss event.

5. The production loss tracking system of claim 4 wherein said downstream object comprises:

said root cause location attribute;

said root cause duration attribute;

a downstream location attribute that indicates a downstream location from said second of said processing stations that is experiencing said downstream production loss event; and

a downstream destination attribute that indicates one of said processing stations that is downstream from said second of said processing stations and that is forecasted to experience said downstream production loss event.

6. The production loss tracking system of claim 5 further comprising a timer that decrements from said root cause duration attribute.

7. The production loss tracking system of claim 6 wherein said event module removes said upstream object and said downstream object from memory when said timer expires.

8. The production loss tracking system of claim 6 wherein:

said event module stores said upstream object in said storage module and removes said upstream object from memory when said upstream production loss event has completely propagated through the manufacturing system; and

said event module stores said downstream object in said storage module and removes said downstream object from memory when said downstream production loss event has completely propagated through the manufacturing system.

9. The production loss tracking system of claim 8 wherein said event module determines that:

said upstream production loss event has completely propagated through the manufacturing system based on said timer and said upstream location attribute; and

said downstream production loss has completely propagated through the manufacturing system based on said timer and said downstream location attribute.

10. The production loss tracking system of claim 9 wherein said event module includes an error module that determines a confidence level of said upstream production loss event and downstream production loss event.

11. The production loss tracking system of claim 10 wherein said confidence level is based on a total system time and a time required for a part to completely traverse the manufacturing system.

12. The production loss tracking system of claim 10 wherein said confidence level is based on a total number of pallets in the manufacturing system and a number of pallets the manufacturing system has processed.

13. The production loss tracking system of claim 10 wherein a graphical user interface displays at least one of said report and said confidence level.

14. The production loss tracking system of claim 13 wherein said report is at least one of a real time report and a historical report.

15. The production loss tracking system of claim 14 wherein said report module includes a playback module that plays back said historical report on said graphical user interface in a real time format.

16. A method to track production loss for a manufacturing system, comprising:

collecting a processing status from a plurality of processing stations;

forecasting an upstream production loss event for a first of said processing stations that is upstream from a second of said processing stations and a downstream production loss event for a third of said processing stations that is downstream from said second of said processing stations when said processing status indicates that said second of said processing stations experienced a production loss event; and

generating a report indicating said upstream production loss event, said downstream production loss event, and said production loss event.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

receiving a system configuration of the manufacturing system from a storage module; and

forecasting said upstream production loss event and said downstream production loss event based on said system configuration.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising generating an upstream object in memory to track said upstream production loss event and a downstream object in memory to track said downstream production loss event.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said upstream object comprises:

a root cause location attribute that indicates said second of said processing stations that experienced said production loss event;

a root cause duration attribute that indicates a period of said production loss event;

a upstream location attribute that indicates an upstream location from said second of said processing stations that is experiencing said upstream production loss event; and

an upstream destination attribute that indicates one of said processing stations that is upstream from said second of said processing stations and that is forecasted to experience said upstream production loss event.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said downstream object comprises:

said root cause location attribute;

said root cause duration attribute;

a downstream location attribute that indicates a downstream location from said second of said processing stations that is experiencing said downstream production loss event; and

a downstream destination attribute that indicates one of said processing stations that is downstream from said second of said processing stations and that is forecasted to experience said downstream production loss event.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising providing a timer to decrement said root cause duration attribute.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising removing said upstream object and downstream object from memory when said timer expires.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

storing said upstream object in said storage module and removing said upstream object from memory when said upstream production loss event has completely propagated through the manufacturing system; and

storing said downstream object in said storage module and removing said downstream object from memory when said downstream production loss event has completely propagated through the manufacturing system.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

determining that said upstream production loss event has completely propagated through the manufacturing system based on said timer and said upstream location attribute; and

determining that said downstream production loss event has completely propagated through the manufacturing system based on said timer and said downstream location attribute.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising determining a confidence level of said upstream production loss event and said downstream production loss event.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said confidence level is based on a total system time and a time required for a part to completely traverse the entire manufacturing system.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein said confidence level is based on a total number of pallets in the manufacturing system and a number of pallets the manufacturing system has processed.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising displaying at least one of said report and said confidence level.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said report is at least one of a real time report and a historical report.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising displaying said historical report in a real time format.