Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Optimal buffer space configuration and scheduling for single-arm multi-cluster tools
- Patent Title (中): 单臂多集群工具的最优缓冲空间配置和调度
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Application No.: US14639137Application Date: 2015-03-05
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Publication No.: US09227318B1Publication Date: 2016-01-05
- Inventor: Liping Bai , Naiqi Wu , Zhiwu Li , Mengchu Zhou
- Applicant: Macau University of Science and Technology
- Applicant Address: MO Macau
- Assignee: Macau University of Science and Technology
- Current Assignee: Macau University of Science and Technology
- Current Assignee Address: MO Macau
- Agency: Ella Cheong Hong Kong
- Agent Sam T. Yip
- Main IPC: G06F19/00
- IPC: G06F19/00 ; B25J9/00 ; G05B19/418 ; G06F17/50

Abstract:
A method for scheduling single-arm multi-cluster tools is provided. The present invention studies the scheduling problem of a single-arm multi-cluster tool with a linear topology and process-bound bottleneck individual tool. Its objective is to find a one-wafer cyclic schedule such that the lower bound of cycle time is reached by optimally configuring spaces in buffering modules that link individual cluster tools. A Petri net model is developed to describe the dynamic behavior of the system by extending resource-oriented Petri nets such that a schedule can be parameterized by robots' waiting time. Based on this model, conditions are presented under which a one-wafer cyclic schedule with lower bound of cycle time can be found. With the derived conditions, an algorithm is presented to find such a schedule and optimally configure the buffer spaces.
Public/Granted literature
- US2243189A Fan blade Public/Granted day:1941-05-27
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