Patent ID: 6141598
Filing Date: 2000-10-31
Classification: B23P,G05B,G06Q,Y02P

Abstract:
A vehicle assembly line control method for controlling a vehicle assembly process having a vehicle body line for assembling vehicle bodies, a paint line for painting vehicle bodies after the same pass through the vehicle body line, a trim line in which various trim parts are mounted to the vehicle bodies after the same pass through the paint line, a WBS buffer positioned between the vehicle body line and the paint line and in which vehicles passing through the vehicle body line are temporarily stored, and a PBS buffer positioned between the paint line and the trim line and in which vehicles passing through the paint line are temporarily stored, wherein said method comprises the steps of:(a) assigning vehicle identification numbers, signifying vehicle type, paint color, options, etc., to order numbers;(b) establishing a trim line production sequence plan using leveling based on options for the trim line;(c) dividing the vehicles to be fed to the trim line in predetermined PBS bucket sizes;(d) establishing a paint line production sequence plan for the vehicles divided into PBS buckets using grouping to determine a sequence to which vehicles are fed to the paint line;(e) dividing the vehicles to be fed to the paint line in predetermined WBS bucket sizes;(f) establishing a vehicle body line production sequence plan for the vehicles divided into WBS buckets using leveling to determine a sequence to which vehicles are fed to the vehicle body line;(g) assembling vehicle bodies according to the vehicle body line production sequence plan determined in step f;(h) storing the vehicle bodies after the vehicle body assembly process in the WBS buffer;(i) re-sequencing the vehicles in the WBS buffer that have become disordered from defects, then feeding the vehicles to the paint line;(j) painting the vehicles fed to the paint line to predetermined colors and designs, and storing the same in the PBS buffer;(k) re-sequencing the vehicles in the PBS buffer that have become disordered from defects, then feeding the vehicles to the trim line; and(l) mounting trim parts to the vehicles in the trim line to complete the vehicle assembly process, wherein the re-sequencing the vehicles in the WBS buffer in step (i) is performed using a dynamic re-specification method in which order number and vehicle identification numbers are exchanged to re-sequence the vehicles, and wherein the re-sequencing the vehicles in the PBS buffer in step (k) is performed using a dynamic re-specification method in which order number and vehicle identification numbers are exchanged to re-sequence the vehicles.