Patent ID: 7257454
Filing Date: 2007-08-14
Classification: G06Q,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A system for dispatching of at least one product lot for processing to a plurality of pieces of manufacturing equipment arranged in groups within processing stages of a manufacturing line, said system comprising: a lot dispatcher in communication with an order entry system to receive requests for fabrication of a product lot, in communication with a process information system to receive procedures defining which pieces of manufacturing equipment are required for said fabrication of said product lot, and in communication with a manufacturing information system to dynamically receive a status of said fabrication of said product lot, a criticality factor for each piece of manufacturing equipment, and a queue level for each piece of manufacturing equipment that follows a current group of pieces of manufacturing equipment required for said product lot; and a priority factor calculator in communication with said lot dispatcher to receive a listing of said defined pieces of manufacturing equipment required for said fabrication of said product lot, said criticality factor, and said queue level, for determining a priority factor for said product lot such that each group of pieces of manufacturing equipment following said current group of pieces of manufacturing equipment has a balanced loading and said product lot is processed at an expeditious time for on-time delivery; wherein: if groups of first following pieces of manufacturing equipment have a criticality factor of a first level, said priority factor has a first priority level, and if groups of first following pieces of manufacturing equipment are of a first type and if groups of second following pieces of manufacturing equipment are of a second type, said priority factor has a second priority level; and wherein: said priority factor calculator determines said first priority factor level by the formula: where: KF WIP_c is a number of items within all product lots in a queue for the group of first following pieces of manufacturing equipment, TOOL#_c is a number of pieces of equipment within a group of the first following pieces of manufacturing equipment; PPH_c is an average number of items of product capable of being manufactured by said group of the first following pieces of manufacturing equipment, EFF_c is an efficiency factor for said group of the first following pieces of manufacturing equipment.