Patent ID: 7818081
Filing Date: 2010-10-19
Classification: G05B,G06Q,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A process to control product throughput in a multi-station manufacturing system, the process comprising the steps of: (a) providing said multi-station manufacturing system as a plurality of discrete operating stations, each of said plurality of discrete operating stations having a known rate capacity and being interconnected to form a plurality of pathways for an object of manufacture to pass through said multi-station manufacturing system from a first operating station to a distal operating station; (b) separating said plurality of pathways into a plurality of independent pathways; (c) identifying a first constraining throughput capacity corresponding to each of said plurality of independent pathways; (d) adjusting a target rate of each of said discrete operating stations in each of said plurality of independent pathways according to said corresponding first constraining throughput capacity; (e) reconstituting said plurality of independent pathways into said interconnected pathway comprising said discrete operating stations and re-forming said plurality of pathways for said object of manufacture to pass through said multi-station manufacturing system from said first operating station to said distal operating station; (f) combining the target rate of each of said discrete operating stations of said interconnected pathway; and, (g) adjusting the product throughput according to the combined target rates.