System and method for integrating a business environment with a process control environment

• US 5,463,555 A
• Filed: 09/28/1993
• Issued: 10/31/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aerts, Ronny A. W., Meijer, Jean-Pierre, Ward, Dennis M., Schneemann, Herbert, Arnswald, Silke, Sandoval, Gerald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Application Number:
  US08/127,876
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 364/468, 364/131, 364/138, 364/150, 364/149, 364/401-403, 395/906, 395/904, 395/926
• US Class Current: 700/96
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A system and method for integrating a business transaction processing system with a process control system provides a computer integrated manufacturing environment. The manufacturing execution system receives work orders from the business transaction processing system and obtains enrichment data to enhance the work order. The manufacturing execution system uses the enrichment data and rules contained in a plant model database to generate setpoints based on the received work orders. The setpoints include detailed information required by the process control system to manufacture the product specified by the work order. The setpoints are transmitted to the process control system for manufacture of the required materials. The manufacturing execution system collects the manufacturing data resulting from the execution in response to the work order by the process control system and processes this manufacturing data to provide summary information on manufacturing processes and to provide inventory information data. This data is then transmitted to the business transaction processing system so that business records may be maintained.

Claims

1. A computer-based system for integrating a computerized business system with a computerized manufacturing system, wherein the computerized business system creates a work order containing data specifying a product to be manufactured by the computerized manufacturing system, comprising:

a business systems interface configured to receive the work order from the computerized business system and to extract the data from the received work order; and

an event response processor coupled to said business system interface and configured to apply at least one rule to said extracted data to generate one or more setpoints, and to provide said one or more setpoints to the computerized manufacturing system, wherein said one or more setpoints are manufacturing process settings used to manufacture the product.

2. The computer-based system of claim 1, further comprising a plant model database configured to store said at least one rule.

3. The computer-based system of claim 1, further comprising a work order database configured to store the target data.

4. The computer-based system of claim 2, further comprising a configuration management element coupled to said plant model database, said configuration management element allowing a user to configure said rule in said plant model database for the computerized-manufacturing system.

5. The computer-based system of claim 1, further comprising a shop floor control interface coupled to and providing an operator interface to said event response processor.

6. The computer-based system of claim 1, further comprising a process information system coupled to and providing said event response processor with a common interface to a plurality of process control systems having different interface characteristics in the computerized manufacturing system.

7. The computer-based system of claim 6, wherein said process information system comprises an event dispatch subsystem configured to receive events from the computerized manufacturing system and forward said events to said event response processor.

8. The computer-based system of claim 6, wherein said process information system comprises an information retrieval subsystem configured to retrieve manufacturing data from the computerized manufacturing system and forward said manufacturing data to said event response processor.

9. The computer-based system of claim 8, wherein said process information system further comprises a device driver, coupled to said information retrieval subsystem, configured to provide an interface to and accommodate unique communication requirements of said plurality of process control systems.

10. The computer-based system of claim 5, wherein said shop floor control interface comprises a terminal configured to accept data entry from a human operator.

11. The computer-based system of claim 1, wherein said event response processor further comprises:

means for receiving a process event from the computerized manufacturing system, said process event indicating the occurrence of manufacturing milestones; and

means for retrieving manufacturing data from said computerized manufacturing system in response to said process event.

12. The computer-based system of claim 11, wherein said event response processor further comprises means for applying at least one calculation rule to said retrieved manufacturing data to calculate work order data to be reported to said computerized business system.

13. A computer-integrated manufacturing system, comprising:

a computerized business system configured to create a work order, wherein said work order comprises data specifying a product to be manufactured;

a computerized manufacturing system configured to manufacture said specified product in response to at least one setpoint; and

an event response processor coupled to said computerized business system and said computerized manufacturing system, configured to apply at least one rule to said extracted data to generate one or more setpoints, and to provide said one or more setpoints to the computerized manufacturing system, wherein said one or more setpoints are manufacturing process settings used to manufacture the product and wherein said rule specifies computation of said one or more setpoints to meet specific requirements of said computerized manufacturing system.

14. The computer-integrated manufacturing system of claim 13, wherein said computerized manufacturing system comprises at least one workcenter configured to manufacture said specified product.

15. The computer-integrated manufacturing system of claim 13, further comprising a business systems interface configured to receive the work order from the computerized business system and to extract said target data from the received work order.

16. The computer-integrated manufacturing system of claim 13, further comprising a plant model database coupled to said event response processor and configured to store said at least one rule.

17. The computer-integrated manufacturing system of claim 13, further comprising a work order database coupled to said event response processor and configured to store said target data.

18. The computer-integrated manufacturing system of claim 16, further comprising a configuration management element coupled to said plant model database, said configuration management element allowing a user to configure said at least one rule in said plant model database specifically for said computerized-manufacturing system.

19. The computer-integrated manufacturing system of claim 13, further comprising a shop floor control interface coupled to and providing an operator interface to said event response processor.

20. The computer-integrated manufacturing system of claim 13, further comprising a process information system coupled to and providing said event response processor with a common interface to a plurality of process control systems having different interface characteristics in said computerized manufacturing system.

21. The computer-integrated manufacturing system of claim 20, wherein said process information system comprises an event dispatch subsystem configured to receive events from said computerized manufacturing system and to forward said events to said event response processor.

22. The computer-integrated manufacturing system of claim 20 wherein said process information system comprises an information retrieval subsystem configured to retrieve manufacturing data from said computerized manufacturing system and to forward said manufacturing data to said event response processor.

23. The computer integrated manufacturing system of claim 22, wherein said process information system further comprises a device driver, coupled to said information retrieval subsystem, configured to provide an interface to and accommodate unique communication requirements of said plurality of process control systems.

24. The computer integrated manufacturing system of claim 19, wherein said shop floor control interface comprises a terminal configured to accept data entry from a human operator.

25. The computer integrated manufacturing system of claim 13, wherein said event response processor further comprises:

means for receiving a process event from the computerized manufacturing system, said process event indicating the occurrence of manufacturing milestones; and

means for retrieving manufacturing data from said computerized business system in response to said process event.

26. The computer integrated manufacturing system of claim 25, wherein said event response processor further comprises means for applying at least one calculation rule to said retrieved manufacturing data to calculate work order data to be reported to said computerized business system.

27. A computer-based method of integrating a computerized business system with a computerized manufacturing system, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a work order from the computerized business system, wherein said work order comprises data specifying a product to be manufactured by the computerized manufacturing system;

(b) applying at least one setpoint calculation rule to said data to compute a setpoint required by the computerized manufacturing system, wherein said setpoint comprises one or more manufacturing process settings used to manufacture said specified product and wherein said setpoint calculation rule specifies computation of said setpoint to meet specific requirements of said computerized manufacturing system; and

(c) sending said setpoint to the computerized manufacturing system.

28. The computer-based method of claim 27, further comprising the steps of:

(d) receiving a process event indicating the occurrence of a manufacturing milestone;

(e) retrieving manufacturing data from the computerized manufacturing system in response to said process event; and

(f) applying at least one data calculation rule to said retrieved manufacturing data to calculate work order data.

29. The computer-based method of claim 27, further comprises the step of entering said target data in a database.

30. The computer-based method of claim 29, further comprising the step of modifying the size of said database to hold at least one additional field for manufacturing data to be collected during manufacturing operations.

31. The computer-based method of claim 27, further comprising the step of enriching said work order to include enrichment data, wherein said enrichment data is used in computing said setpoint in said step (b).

32. The computer based method of claim 31, wherein said step of enriching said work order data comprises the steps of:

(i) determining a specific workcenter for manufacturing said specified product;

(ii) determining a generic workcenter class to which said specific workcenter belongs; and

(iii) receiving generic enrichment data for said generic workcenter class.

33. The computer based method of claim 32, further comprising the step of storing said enrichment data in a database.

34. The computer based method of claim 32, wherein said step of receiving generic enrichment data further comprises accepting manual input of enrichment data from an operator terminal.

35. The computer based method of claim 32, wherein said step of receiving generic enrichment data comprises retrieving enrichment data from the computerized manufacturing system.

36. The computer based method of claim 32, wherein said step of receiving generic enrichment data comprises retrieving enrichment data from a database.

37. The computer-based method of claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

(g) applying at least one calculation rule to said manufacturing data to calculate work order data; and

(h) sending said work order data to the computerized manufacturing system.

38. A computer-based system for integrating a computerized business system with a computerized manufacturing system, comprising:

interface means for receiving a work order from the computerized business system, wherein said work order comprises data specifying a product to be manufactured by the computerized manufacturing system; and

setpoint determination means, coupled to said computerized manufacturing system, for applying at least one setpoint calculation rule to said data to compute a setpoint required by the computerized manufacturing system to manufacture said specified product;

wherein said setpoint comprises one or more manufacturing process settings used to manufacture said specified product and wherein said setpoint calculation rule specifies computation of said setpoint to meet specific requirements of said computerized manufacturing system.

39. The computer-based system of claim 38, wherein said setpoint determination means comprises:

first means for receiving a process event from said computerized manufacturing system indicating the occurrence of a manufacturing milestone;

second means, coupled to said first means, for retrieving manufacturing data from the computerized manufacturing system in response to said process event; and

third means, coupled to said second means, for calculating work order data by applying at least one data calculation rule to said manufacturing data.

40. The computer-based method of claim 38, further comprising means for storing said target data.

41. The computer based method of claim 38, further comprising means for enriching said work order to include enrichment data, said enrichment data used to compute said setpoint.

42. The system of claim 38, further comprising storage means for storing a plurality of setpoint calculation rules, wherein said at least one setpoint calculation rule is chosen from among said plurality of setpoint calculation rules based on which one of a plurality of computerized manufacturing systems is to manufacture the product.