Abstract:
To provide a production system creating system that can create production systems of various articles by freely combining a plurality of production factors of various types from a superordinate concept toward a subordinate concept thereof. In the production system creating system, while referring to a point in time when a three-term relationship creates a production system and a point in time when the three-term relationship separates from the production system, a plurality of three-term relationships of various types required for the creation of the production system at an arbitrary point in time are extracted from the relational database 18 and a plurality of production factors of various types corresponding to first to third production factors for forming the extracted three-term relationships are extracted from the factor-type database 17, these three-term relationship extracted from the relational database 18 are integrated, and these production factors extracted from the factor-type databases 17 are connected in series from a superordinate concept toward a subordinate concept thereof according to the integrated three-term relationship to thereby create production systems of various articles at the arbitrary point in time.
Abstract:
A system and method for the simulation and modeling of biopharmaceutical batch process manufacturing facilities using process time lines is described herein. The system employs a four-field delimited string code which specifies the unit identifier code and the iteration value for each of the three levels of scheduling cycle—“Unit Operation Cycles,” “Unit Operation Cluster Cycles,” and “Batch Cycles”—of the biopharmaceutical drug production process being modeled. The method includes the step of selecting a sequence of unit operations wherein each of the sequence of unit operations has an identifier code. Next, a set of scheduling cycles is selected for each of the sequence of unit operations. A master table is then referenced, using the identifier code, to obtain operational parameters for each of the sequence of unit operations. A block flow diagram is then generated using the sequence of unit operations and the operational parameters. The method further includes generating a process time line using the operational parameters, the block flow diagram, and the set of scheduling cycles for each of the sequence of unit operations. The process time line—a time line for the beginning and ending times of each unit operation and its associated tasks for the entire biopharmaceutical drug production process—is used as a tool for batch processing and facility design.
Abstract:
A method or apparatus automatically configures a control module for synchronous execution on a Fieldbus segment of a process control network by determining if all of the critical function blocks of a particular control module can be assigned to FOUNDATION® Fieldbus field devices or to the I/O device associated with a particular Fieldbus segment. If so, the method or apparatus automatically assigns the function blocks of the control module, which would otherwise be scheduled to execute in a controller, to the I/O device for the Fieldbus segment. This technique enables all of the critical or necessary function blocks within the control module to execute in one macrocycle of the Fieldbus segment, thereby executing synchronously on a Fieldbus segment. This operation, in turn, increases the overall execution rate of the control module with respect to control modules that have function blocks split between a controller and field devices on a Fieldbus segment, which has been the traditional manner of configuring control modules implemented using devices on a Fieldbus segment.
Abstract:
The present invention discloses an operational model for simulating a manufacturing flow. The operational model includes an operational block, an operational library, a strategic block and a strategic library. The operational block is built in accordance with operational data of the equipments, and the operational library is built by integrating a plurality of operational blocks. The strategic block is built in accordance with throughput data of the equipments, and the strategic library is built by integrating a plurality of strategic blocks.
Abstract:
A scheduler handles the various tasks to be performed on a wafer processing system as operations, with each operation having a predefined data structure. Operations that meet a set of requirements are added to an operation list. In the operation list, operations meeting another set of requirements are switched to the active state. Each active operation in the operation list is scheduled to run on the wafer processing system. Using structured operations to perform various tasks improves the extensibility and maintainability of the present scheduler. Further, the present scheduler can schedule several compatible operations at the same time by going through each operation in the operation list, and running those that are in the active state.
Abstract:
A system and method for the simulation and modeling of biopharmaceutical batch process manufacturing facilities is described herein. The system and method includes the steps of identifying a production process sequence, the production process sequence including a plurality of zsubprocesses. At least one of the plurality of subprocesses includes a plurality of batch cycles, each of which includes a plurality of unit operations. Each of the unit operations are identified by unit operation identifiers. Next, the system and method retrieves the process parameter information from a master list for each of the unit operation identifiers in the process sequence. The process parameter information includes information on discrete tasks associated with each unit operation. After the steps of identifying and retrieving, the system and method generates a process schedule that identifies initiation and completion times for each of the discrete tasks in the process sequence.
Abstract:
An example apparatus includes a first interface configured to identify a first function associated with a process control routine. The example apparatus also includes a sub-schedule generator configured to generate a first sub-schedule associated with a first time period. The first sub-schedule indicates a first execution time at which the first function is to be executed. The example apparatus also includes a schedule generator configured to form a schedule associated with a second time period based on two instances of the first sub-schedule. The schedule indicates the first execution time and a second execution time at which the first function is to be executed.
Abstract:
A method to handle operation exceptions in an automated manufacturing system is achieved. The method comprises providing an automated manufacturing system comprising a means to track progress of work in process against standard process flows and a means to select product lots for processing from the work in process and to select equipment for processing the product lots based on next step information from the standard process flows. The automated manufacturing system is monitored for operation exception events. The product lots must deviate from the standard process flows. A floating process flow is selected corresponding to the operation exception event and the product lots from a floating process flow database. The floating process flow is linked to the standard process flow such that the next step is derived from the floating process flow. Manufacturing is continued using the floating process flow. The floating process flow is unlinked from the standard process flow such that the next step is derived from the standard process flow when the floating process flow is completed. A control system apparatus for handling operation exceptions in an automated manufacturing plant is achieved.
Abstract:
A method for automatically preparing a working plan for producing a product having several components. The method involves the following steps: a) providing a product data model of the product, in which each component is described by a partial data set containing a classification characteristic; b) preparing a database, whereby the data sets contained therein are divided into classes according to the classification characteristic, whereby each class contains one or more selection rules, whereby a manufacturing partial process provided with an index is assigned to each selection rule, and each manufacturing partial process contains one or more working cycles; c) automatically selecting the class applying to the component by using the classification characteristic; d) automatically selecting a manufacturing partial process suited for producing the component by using the selection rule; e) automatically establishing the sequence of the manufacturing partial processes by using the respective index.
Abstract:
A method to handle operation exceptions in an automated manufacturing system is achieved. The method comprises providing an automated manufacturing system comprising a means to track progress of work in process against standard process flows and a means to select product lots for processing from the work in process and to select equipment for processing the product lots based on next step information from the standard process flows. The automated manufacturing system is monitored for operation exception events. The product lots must deviate from the standard process flows. A floating process flow is selected corresponding to the operation exception event and the product lots from a floating process flow database. The floating process flow is linked to the standard process flow such that the next step is derived from the floating process flow. Manufacturing is continued using the floating process flow. The floating process flow is unlinked from the standard process flow such that the next step is derived from the standard process flow when the floating process flow is completed. A control system apparatus for handling operation exceptions in an automated manufacturing plant is achieved.