System and method for using manufacturing states of vehicle products for display of a manufacturing process

• US 8,131,392 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Lohoff, Rex Allen, Krauter, Lance G., Kersavage, Kerwin K, McDonel, Craig E, Eide, Daniel M
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sivanesan, Sivalingam
• Application Number:
  US12/036,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20090216804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• Field of Search: 700/97, 705/7.22
• US Class Current: 700/97
• 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 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling

Abstract

A system and method of using manufacturing states in a manufacturing process is provided in which manufacturing states for an article of manufacture are defined at different time periods of a manufacturing process for display as manufacturing contexts relating to an installation plan. The manufacturing states for the article of manufacture are stored in a process database as the manufacturing states are defined during the manufacturing process. The manufacturing contexts relating to the installation plan for the article of manufacture are visually displayed with at least one other manufacturing context relating to another installation plan for another article of manufacture.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of creating and using manufacturing state models in a manufacturing process comprising:

providing an installation plan, containing information and data related to the installation plan that is saved in a binary large object, for an article of manufacture;

creating manufacturing state models for the article of manufacture at different time periods of a manufacturing process for display as manufacturing contexts relating to the installation plan;

assigning the manufacturing state models to activity objects;

storing the activity objects in a process database outside of the binary large object as the manufacturing state models are created during the manufacturing process; and

visually displaying the manufacturing contexts, comprising the created manufacturing state models stored as the activity objects in the process database outside of the binary large object, with at least one other manufacturing context relating to a different installation plan for a different article of manufacture.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a relationship between the activity objects and process objects.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising storing the established relationship between the activity objects and the process objects in the process database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of creating manufacturing state models includes developing a process definition comprising production tasks referencing part locations and tooling.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of developing the process definition includes determining a process required to perform an installation of the article of manufacture as defined by engineering data.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the steps of creating and storing are performed using a multi-dimensional visualization process authoring application.

7. The method of claim 6 in which the article of manufacture is an electrical wire harness or tubing run for installation in an aircraft.

8. The method of claim 4 further comprising identifying components for the manufacturing contexts.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising determining a number of different states the article of manufacture will pass through before reaching a final installed state defined by engineering data.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising establishing criteria to define the manufacturing contexts from the engineering data or manufacturing state data.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising assigning the criteria to the installation plan and assigning the manufacturing contexts to an operation within the installation plan using the activity objects, and saving the manufacturing contexts to the process database.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the manufacturing state models comprise two or three-dimensional wire harness manufacturing state models.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing an established relationship between the manufacturing state models and the activity objects in the process database.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising using the displayed manufacturing contexts to assist in manufacturing the different article of manufacture under the different installation plan.

15. A computer-implemented system for using created manufacturing state models in a manufacturing process comprising:

a binary large object containing information and data related to an installation plan for an article of manufacture;

a process authoring application adapted to create manufacturing state models for the article of manufacture at different time periods of a manufacturing process for display as manufacturing contexts relating to the installation plan, and adapted to assign the manufacturing state models to activity objects;

a process database for storing the activity objects outside of the binary large object as the manufacturing state models are created and applied during the manufacturing process; and

a display device that visually displays the manufacturing contexts, comprising the created manufacturing state models stored as the activity objects in the process database outside of the binary large object, with at least one other manufacturing context relating to a different installation plan for a different another article of manufacture.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the process database is configured to store an established relationship between the activity objects and process objects.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the process authoring application is adapted to develop a process definition comprising production tasks referencing part locations and tooling.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the process authoring application is adapted to determine a process required to perform an installation of the article of manufacture as defined by engineering data stored in an engineering information database.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the article of manufacture is an electrical wire harness or tubing run for installation in an aircraft.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the process authoring application is adapted to identify components for the manufacturing contexts and to determine a number of different states the article of manufacture will pass through before reaching a final installed state defined by engineering data stored in an engineering information database.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the process authoring application is adapted to assign manufacturing context criteria to the installation plan, to assign the manufacturing contexts to an operation within the installation plan using the activity objects, and to save the manufacturing contexts to the process database.

22. The system of claim 15 wherein the process authoring application is adapted to create the manufacturing state models, which comprise two-dimensional or three-dimensional wire harness manufacturing state models, and to store the two-dimensional or three-dimensional wire harness manufacturing state models in the process database.

23. The system of claim 15 wherein the process database is configured to store an established relationship between the manufacturing state models and the activity objects.

24. The system of claim 15 wherein the manufacturing contexts displayed on the display device are configured to assist in manufacturing the different article of manufacture under the different installation plan.