Patent ID: 6714830
Filing Date: 2004-03-30
Classification: G05B,Y02P

Abstract:
A method for controlling a production line which queues WIP (Work In Process) prior to a re-entrant bottleneck processing node, the method comprising the steps of:determining whether a cleared trajectory is available for a selected one of the WIP through all processing nodes downstream of the re-entrant bottleneck processing node for which processing by the downstream processing nodes is required for the selected one of the WIP in a next pass of the WIP through the production line; and in a case that the determining step determines that a cleared trajectory is available, reserving each of the downstream processing nodes for processing of the selected one of the WIP, the reserving step holding each of the downstream processing nodes as being available for processing the selected one of the WIP in the cleared trajectory and not being available for non-selected ones of the WIP.