Process management system and process management method

Abstract

The present invention is a process management system, comprising an acquisition unit and a calculation unit. The acquisition unit acquires additional operation time and element operation time. The calculation unit adds additional operation to at least one process among multiple processes according to the additional operation time and element operation time, re-arranges element operation between processes, and calculates the combination of additional operation and multiple element operations. At this time, the calculation unit calculates the combination of additional operation and multiple element operations in a manner that the maximum operation time among the operation times of the multiple processes becomes smaller.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a process management system and a process management method, and in particular, to a process management system and a process management method for managing a production line including multiple processes. Background Art

[0002] In the case of additional work such as bad disposal occurring in the production line, in order to maintain high productivity, it is preferred to implement the additional work in the production line. In relation to such technology, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-210822 discloses a manufacturing line having a plurality of manual operation areas, a plurality of mechanical operation areas, and an image acquisition area for acquiring an appearance image of a workpiece, and capable of implementing an inspection for judging the correctness of the operation content based on the appearance image of the workpiece. The manufacturing line of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-210822 also has a photographing unit for photographing the workpiece carried into the image acquisition area, and a display unit for displaying the image photographed by the photographing unit. Furthermore, the display unit is arranged in a beat remaining area in the plurality of manual operation areas, where the time required for inspection remains when the time required for manual operation is subtracted from the beat time. Summary of the invention

[0003] In the technology of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-210822, an inspection process is set in a process having a surplus from the takt time in the production line. However, in the technology of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-210822, when the surplus from the takt time is not large to a certain extent, the inspection process may not be set. In other words, when there is no process having a surplus greater than the time required for the inspection process, the inspection process may not be properly set. Therefore, in the technology of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-210822, when additional work occurs, the productivity of the production line may not be properly improved.

[0004] The present invention provides a process management system and a process management method which can optimize the productivity of a production line even when additional work occurs.

[0005] The process management system of the present invention is a process management system for managing a production line including multiple existing processes for implementing specified operations, and comprises: an acquisition unit, which acquires the operation time required for an additional operation to be implemented in the production line, namely the additional operation time, and the operation time required for each of more than one element operations in the process, namely the element operation time; and a calculation unit, which calculates the combination of the additional operation and the multiple element operations related to the multiple processes based on the acquired additional operation time and the element operation time, in a manner that adds the additional operation to at least one of the processes and makes the maximum operation time of each operation time of the multiple processes when the element operation is reconfigured between the processes smaller.

[0006] In addition, the process management method of the present invention is a process management method for managing a production line including multiple existing processes for performing specified operations, and obtains the operation time required for an additional operation to be additionally performed in the production line, i.e., the additional operation time, and the operation time required for each of more than one element operations in the process, i.e., the element operation time. Based on the obtained additional operation time and element operation time, the method calculates the combination of the additional operation and the multiple element operations related to the multiple processes in a manner such that the additional operation is added to at least one of the processes and the maximum operation time of each operation time of the multiple processes when the element operation is reconfigured between the processes becomes smaller.

[0007] In the present invention, by such a structure, the operation time of each process of the element operation and the additional operation is smoothed. Moreover, by smoothing the operation time of each process, the productivity of the production line can be improved. Therefore, in the present invention, even if the additional operation occurs, the productivity of the production line can be appropriately improved.

[0008] Furthermore, it is preferable that the method further comprises a specifying unit that specifies a relocated step of a step to be relocated as the element operation among the plurality of steps.

[0009] With such a structure, it is possible to appropriately carry out the rearrangement of element operations.

[0010] Furthermore, it is preferable that, when the maximum operation time calculated by the calculation unit exceeds a predetermined time, the determination unit changes the rearrangement process, and the calculation unit calculates the combination for the changed rearrangement process.

[0011] This structure can limit the reconfiguration process for reconfiguring the element operations, and at the same time calculate the combination of element operations whose maximum operation time is less than a predetermined time. Thus, when adding additional operations to the production line, the impact on the production plan can be suppressed.

[0012] Furthermore, it is preferable that the acquisition unit further acquires worker information about a worker who performs the work in the process, and the calculation unit calculates the combination based on the worker information.

[0013] With such a configuration, since a combination of element tasks corresponding to the skills of the operator is calculated, the calculation of the combination of element tasks can be performed more appropriately.

[0014] Furthermore, it is preferable that the acquisition unit further acquires restriction information indicating restrictions on the element operations, and the calculation unit calculates the combination based on the restriction information.

[0015] With such a configuration, since a combination of element operations corresponding to the restrictions on the element operations is calculated, the calculation of the combination of element operations can be performed more appropriately.

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a process management system and a process management method that can optimize the productivity of a production line even when additional work occurs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like symbols represent like elements.

[0018] Figure 1 It is a diagram for explaining the outline of this embodiment.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the process management system according to the first embodiment.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a functional block diagram showing the structure of the process management system according to the first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating process information stored in the process information storage unit according to the first embodiment.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating the standard operation time of each element operation in the first embodiment.

[0023] Figure 6 is Figure 5 In the example of FIG. 1 , the element operation time is accumulated for each process, and a graph showing the operation time of each process is shown.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating the operator information stored in the operator information storage unit according to the first embodiment.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a diagram for explaining the processing of the process identification unit in the first embodiment.

[0026] Fig. 9 This is a flowchart showing a process management method executed by the process management system of the first embodiment.

[0027] Fig.10 This is a diagram for explaining a method of performing a rearrangement process when an additional work occurs in the process management system according to the first embodiment.

[0028] Fig.11 This is a diagram for explaining a method of performing a rearrangement process when an additional work occurs in the process management system according to the first embodiment.

[0029] Fig.12 This is a diagram for explaining a method of performing a rearrangement process when an additional work occurs in the process management system according to the first embodiment.

[0030] Fig.13 This is a diagram for explaining a method of performing a rearrangement process when an additional work occurs in the process management system according to the first embodiment.

[0031] Fig.14 This is a diagram for explaining a method of performing a rearrangement process when an additional work occurs in the process management system according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] (Implementation Method 1)

[0033] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the embodiments of the present invention will be described. For the sake of clarity of the description, the following description and the accompanying drawings are appropriately omitted and simplified. In addition, in each of the accompanying drawings, the same symbols are used for the same elements, and repeated descriptions are omitted as needed.

[0034] <Summary>

[0035] Before describing Embodiment 1, an overview of the embodiment will be described.

[0036] Figure 1 It is a diagram for explaining the outline of this embodiment. Figure 1 is a diagram showing a production line 50 in a factory. The production line 50 includes a plurality of processes. Figure 1 In the example of , production line 50 includes process A, process B, process C, process D, process E, process F, and process G. In production line 50, operations are usually performed in the order of process B, process C, process D, ... from process A. Therefore, in Figure 1 In the example of , the process of production line 50 flows from process A to process G.

[0037] In each process of the production line 50, an assembly line operation is performed. Here, in each process A to G, a predetermined operation is performed simultaneously for each process. That is, the operations of processes B to G are not not performed before the operation of process A is completed, but the operations respectively determined for processes B to G are performed while the operation of process A is performed. In each process A to process G, the operation plan is formulated in such a way that the operation time does not exceed the time predetermined according to the production plan, that is, the takt time. The takt time can be determined according to the production plan.

[0038] Here, in the case where additional work such as treatment for quality defects suddenly occurs in the production line 50, it is required to perform the additional work without stopping the operation of the factory. Here, when the additional work is performed outside the production line 50, it is necessary to transport the workpiece outside the production line 50 for the additional work and return the workpiece to the production line 50 after the additional work is completed, so there is a possibility that the factory operation rate will be reduced. Therefore, it is desirable to perform the additional work within the production line. In other words, it is desirable to incorporate the additional work into the production line 50.

[0039] However, when an additional operation is added to a certain process and the additional operation is performed in the process, the operation time of the process becomes longer than the operation time of other processes, and the process may become a bottleneck. For example, when a defect occurs in process C in production line 50, it is efficient to perform additional operations in process C. However, when additional operations are simply added to process C, the operation time of process C may become significantly longer than the operation time of other processes. In this case, when the difference between the operation time of process C and the operation time of other processes becomes too large, since process C becomes a bottleneck, the overall production efficiency of production line 50 may be reduced. Furthermore, in this case, when the operation time of process C exceeds the takt time, it may affect the production plan.

[0040] Here, in each process, there are a plurality of element operations performed in the process. That is, each process is composed of a plurality of element operations. In the present embodiment, as described below, additional operations are added to the process, and the element operations in each process are reconfigured (reorganized) between the processes. That is, in the present embodiment, one or more element operations in each process are reconfigured to other processes. Moreover, in the present embodiment, it is configured to smooth the operation time of each process in which the element operations are reconfigured as much as possible at this time. That is, in the present embodiment, the element operations and additional operations are reconfigured in such a way that the maximum operation time in the operation time of each process after reconfiguration becomes smaller. Thus, in the case of additional operations, the productivity of the production line can also be appropriated. That is, in the case of additional operations, the reduction in the productivity of the production line can also be suppressed. Therefore, by incorporating additional operations into the production line, the impact on the operation of the factory can also be reduced.

[0041] <Process Management System>

[0042] Next, the process management system according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0043] Figure 21 is a diagram showing the hardware structure of the process management system 1 according to the first embodiment. Here, the process management system 1 can be implemented by one or more information processing devices such as computers. The process management system 1 can also be implemented by, for example, a cloud system. In addition, the process management system 1 can also be implemented by multiple devices (such as servers). In this case, each of the multiple devices can have Figure 2 The hardware configuration shown.

[0044] The process management system 1 includes a CPU 12 (Central Processing Unit), a ROM 14 (Read Only Memory), a RAM 16 (Random Access Memory), and an interface 18 (IF) as main hardware configurations. The CPU 12, ROM 14, RAM 16, and interface 18 are connected to each other via a data bus or the like.

[0045] The CPU 12 functions as a computing device (processing apparatus or processor) for performing control processing and computing processing, etc. The ROM 14 functions as a memory for storing control programs and computing programs executed by the CPU 12. The ROM 14 may include a database. The RAM 16 functions as a memory for temporarily storing processing data, etc.

[0046] The interface unit 18 inputs and outputs signals with the outside via wired or wireless communication. Therefore, the interface unit 18 has a function as a communication device. In addition, the interface unit 18 receives data input operations based on the user and implements processing for displaying information to the user. The interface unit 18 may also have input devices such as a keyboard and output devices such as a display. In addition, the interface unit 18 may also have a touch panel in which the input device and the output device are integrated. In addition, the interface unit 18 may also include a microphone and a speaker. For example, the interface unit 18 may also display information indicating the reconfiguration of the element operation. In addition, the interface unit 18 may also have a shooting device such as a camera. In addition, the interface unit 18 may also be implemented as a device that is physically different from the above-mentioned information processing device.

[0047] Figure 3 1 is a functional block diagram showing the structure of the process management system 1 according to Embodiment 1. The process management system 1 includes, as components, an information storage unit 100, an acquisition unit 120, a process identification unit 130, a calculation unit 140, a determination unit 150, and a display control unit 160. The information storage unit 100 includes a process information storage unit 102, an operator information storage unit 104, and an additional operation information storage unit 106. The acquisition unit 120 includes an additional operation information acquisition unit 122 and an existing operation information acquisition unit 124.

[0048] Here, each component of the process management system 1 is not limited to being physically implemented by one device, and can also be implemented by multiple devices, for example, through cloud computing. In other words, the process management system 1 can also be physically composed of multiple devices. For example, the information storage unit 100 can also be implemented by a device different from other components.

[0049] In addition, these components can be implemented, for example, by CPU12 executing a program stored in ROM14. In addition, each component can also be implemented by recording the necessary program in advance in any non-volatile recording medium and installing it as needed. In addition, each component is not limited to being implemented by software as described above, and can also be implemented by hardware such as a certain circuit element. In addition, each component can also be implemented using a user-programmable integrated circuit such as an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) or a microcomputer. In this case, the integrated circuit can also be used to implement the program composed of the above-mentioned components. In addition, one or more of the above-mentioned components can also be implemented by physically different hardware.

[0050] The information storage unit 100 stores information related to the production line. In addition, the information storage unit 100 may be implemented by one database. Alternatively, the information storage unit 100 may be implemented by multiple databases. In this case, each component of the information storage unit 100 may also be implemented by different databases.

[0051] Furthermore, each component of the information storage unit 100 may be implemented by different devices. For example, the process information storage unit 102 may be implemented by a database or server managed by a production management department or the like. In addition, the operator information storage unit 104 may be implemented by a database or server managed by a personnel management department or the like. In addition, the additional operation information storage unit 106 may be implemented by a database or server managed by a quality management department or the like.

[0052] The process information storage unit 102 and the operator information storage unit 104 may store existing operation information as information related to existing operations regardless of whether additional operations have occurred. On the other hand, the additional operation information storage unit 106 may store information related to additional operations when additional operations have occurred.

[0053] The process information storage unit 102 stores process information as existing operation information. The process information is information related to each existing process. The process information includes information related to the element operation of each process. The process information can also be stored in advance. The process information can also be input in advance by the manager using the interface unit 18.

[0054] Figure 4 1 is a diagram illustrating process information stored by the process information storage unit 102 of the first embodiment. The process information indicates takt time, process equipment information, operation type information, standard operation time, and previous and next operation restriction information. Takt time is the time required in common for each process. As described above, the takt time can be predetermined according to the production plan. In addition, as described above, usually, the operation time of each process must be set to be less than the takt time.

[0055] The process equipment information indicates the type of equipment that can be used in each process. In addition, the process equipment information may also indicate the identification information of the equipment. In addition, when the equipment that can be used is different depending on the element operation of each process, the process equipment information may also indicate information related to the equipment that can be used for each element operation. In addition, since the process equipment information indicates the equipment that can perform the element operation, it can be called restriction information indicating the restriction related to the element operation.

[0056] The operation type information indicates the operation type of each element operation. The operation type includes, for example, "fastening operation", "assembling operation" and "component replacement operation". In addition, the operation types may be different in multiple element operations of a process. In other words, a process may include multiple element operations of different operation types.

[0057] The standard operation time indicates the standard operation time of each element operation. Here, the standard operation time is the operation time of the element operation predetermined based on the takt time. Here, the operation time required for the element operation is sometimes referred to as the "element operation time". In addition, the standard operation time can also be determined based on the operation content (operation type) of each element operation. In other words, the standard operation time can also be determined based on the operation content (operation type) of each element operation. In addition, the standard operation time can also be, for example, the operation time when a certain operator performs the element operation as a representative. Alternatively, the standard operation time can also be determined by managers, etc. based on the previous actual situation of the element operation.

[0058] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating the standard operation time of each element operation in Implementation Example 1. Figure 6 is Figure 5 In the example of , the operation time of each process is shown by accumulating the element operation time for each process. Figure 5 and Figure 6 , exemplified Figure 1 The standard operation time (standard element operation time) of each element operation of process A to process D in the illustrated multiple processes. Figure 5 and Figure 6This shows an example where each process consists of five element operations. However, the number of element operations in each process may not be five. In addition, the number of element operations in each process does not need to be the same. Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the example, the takt time is set to 32 seconds. Figure 6 In the process, the length of each element operation of each process corresponds to the element operation time (standard operation time) of the element operation.

[0059] The standard operation time (element operation time) of the first element operation A1 of process A is 5 seconds. In addition, the standard operation time (element operation time) of the second element operation A2 of process A is 7 seconds. In addition, the standard operation time (element operation time) of the third element operation A3 of process A is 5 seconds. In addition, the standard operation time (element operation time) of the fourth element operation A4 of process A is 8 seconds. In addition, the standard operation time (element operation time) of the fifth element operation A5 of process A is 7 seconds. And, the sum of the standard operation times of element operations A1 to element operations A5, that is, the operation time of process A, is 32 seconds corresponding to the tact time.

[0060] The standard operation time (element operation time) of the first element operation B1 of process B is 2 seconds. In addition, the standard operation time (element operation time) of the second element operation B2 of process B is 10 seconds. In addition, the standard operation time (element operation time) of the third element operation B3 of process B is 8 seconds. In addition, the standard operation time (element operation time) of the fourth element operation B4 of process B is 6 seconds. In addition, the standard operation time (element operation time) of the fifth element operation B5 of process B is 6 seconds. And, the sum of the standard operation times of element operations B1 to element operations B5, that is, the operation time of process B, is 32 seconds corresponding to the takt time.

[0061] The standard operation time (element operation time) of the first element operation C1 of process C is 5 seconds. In addition, the standard operation time (element operation time) of the second element operation C2 of process C is 8 seconds. In addition, the standard operation time (element operation time) of the third element operation C3 of process C is 3 seconds. In addition, the standard operation time (element operation time) of the fourth element operation C4 of process C is 11 seconds. In addition, the standard operation time (element operation time) of the fifth element operation C5 of process C is 5 seconds. And, the sum of the standard operation times of element operations C1 to element operations C5, that is, the operation time of process C, is 32 seconds corresponding to the tact time.

[0062] The standard operation time (element operation time) of the first element operation D1 of process D is 6 seconds. In addition, the standard operation time (element operation time) of the second element operation D2 of process D is 6 seconds. In addition, the standard operation time (element operation time) of the third element operation D3 of process D is 5 seconds. In addition, the standard operation time (element operation time) of the fourth element operation D4 of process D is 5 seconds. In addition, the standard operation time (element operation time) of the fifth element operation D5 of process D is 10 seconds. And, the sum of the standard operation times of element operations D1 to element operation D5, that is, the operation time of process D, is 32 seconds corresponding to the tact time. In addition, for other processes, the sum of the standard operation times (element operation times) of the element operations, that is, the operation time of each process, is 32 seconds corresponding to the tact time.

[0063] return Figure 4 Description of the preceding and following operation restriction information. The preceding and following operation restriction information indicates the restriction on the operation order of each of the multiple element operations of each process (previous and next operation restriction). For example, the preceding and following operation restriction information may also indicate, for each of the multiple element operations of each process, the operations (element operations or processes) that must be performed before the element operation. In addition, for example, the preceding and following operation restriction information may also indicate, for each of the multiple element operations of each process, the operations (element operations or processes) that must be performed after the element operation. For example, in Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the example of , the preceding and following operation restriction may also indicate that the element operation A1 must be executed before the element operation C2. In addition, since the preceding and following operation restriction information indicates the restriction of the order in which the element operations are executed, it can be called restriction information indicating the restriction related to the element operations.

[0064] return Figure 3 The operator information storage unit 104 stores operator information as existing operation information. The operator information is information related to the operator who performs the operation in each process. The operator information includes information related to the element operation of each operator. The operator information can also be stored in advance. In this case, the operator information can also be input in advance by the administrator using the interface unit 18. Alternatively, the operator information can also be obtained by photographing the situation in which each operator actually performs the element operation as described later.

[0065] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating the operator information stored in the operator information storage unit 104 according to the first embodiment. Figure 7 The operator information about operator #1, operator #2, operator #3, and operator #4 is shown. The operator information includes data indicating operable processes, process skill levels, actual operation time, and operation type skill levels for each operator, for example.

[0066] The operable process indicates the process that the corresponding operator can perform the work. Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the example, regarding the operable processes related to operator #1, "Process A", "Process C", and "Process D" can be represented as processes that can be performed by operator #1. In addition, regarding the operable processes related to operator #2, "Process B", "Process C", and "Process D" can also be represented as processes that can be performed by operator #2. In addition, regarding the operable processes related to operator #3, "Process A", "Process B", and "Process C" can also be represented as processes that can be performed by operator #3. In addition, regarding the operable processes related to operator #4, "Process A", "Process C", and "Process D" can also be represented as processes that can be performed by operator #4.

[0067] The process skill level indicates the skill level of the corresponding operator in performing the work of each process. In addition, the process skill level may also indicate the skill level of the process that the corresponding operator can perform the work. The process skill level may also be expressed in 10 levels of numerical values, or in three levels such as "high level", "medium level" and "low level".

[0068] For example, in the above example, the process skill level associated with operator #1 may also be expressed as "Process A: High", "Process C: Low", and "Process D: Medium". In addition, the process skill level associated with operator #2 may also be expressed as "Process B: High", "Process C: Low", and "Process D: Medium". In addition, the process skill level associated with operator #3 may also be expressed as "Process A: High", "Process B: High", and "Process C: Low". In addition, the process skill level associated with operator #4 may also be expressed as "Process A: High", "Process C: Medium", and "Process D: Medium".

[0069] The actual operation time is the operation time actually required for the corresponding operator to perform the element operation of each process. Therefore, the actual operation time is the operation time of the element operation, so it is the element operation time. On the other hand, compared with the above-mentioned standard operation time which is the operation time determined by the tact time, the actual operation time can be determined according to the skill level of the operator, etc. Therefore, for example, with respect to the actual operation time of each element operation of process A related to each operator, if the process skill level of the corresponding operator's process A is high, it will be shorter, and if the process skill level of the corresponding operator's process A is low, it will be longer. In addition, the actual operation time can be less than the standard operation time. Moreover, for a certain operator, when the process skill level of a certain process is "low", the actual operation time of the element operation of the process can also be roughly the same as the standard operation time of the corresponding element operation. In addition, the actual operation time can also represent the operation time of the element operation of the process that the corresponding operator can perform the operation.

[0070] The job type skill level indicates the skill level of each job type of the corresponding operator. The job type skill level can be expressed, for example, by a numerical value of 10 stages, or by three stages such as "high level", "medium level" and "low level". For example, the job type skill level related to operator #1 can also be expressed as "fastening work: high", "assembling work: medium", and "parts replacement work: medium". The same applies to other operators.

[0071] In addition, the operator information can also be generated by, for example, capturing the movements of operators who perform element operations through motion capture. At this time, the information representing the captured movements can also be used as input to obtain the operable processes, process skill levels, actual operation time, and operation type skill levels through machine learning algorithms such as neural networks. In addition, for example, as described above, the operator information can also be generated by photographing the situation in which the operator actually performs the element operation. For example, the appearance information of the operator who actually performs each element operation can also be obtained through a camera set up in the workplace of each process. In addition, the operable processes, process skill levels, actual operation time, and operation type skill levels can also be obtained for each operator based on the operation time, operation posture, and operation movement route of each element operation obtained by analyzing the appearance information.

[0072] The additional operation information storage unit 106 stores additional operation information related to the additional operation. The additional operation information indicates the additional operation time and the operation type. The additional operation time is the operation time required for the additional operation. Here, the additional operation time represented by the additional operation stored in the additional operation information storage unit 106 may also be the standard operation time, i.e., the standard operation time. The operation type indicates the type of operation (element operation) corresponding to the additional operation. The operation types of the additional operation include, for example, "fastening operation", "assembly operation", and "component replacement operation". In addition, in the additional operation information, for a certain additional operation, it is also possible to establish an association with multiple operation types. In other words, the additional operation may also include multiple element operations.

[0073] Additional work information can be generated when additional work occurs. For example, additional work information can also be generated when an operator performs additional work as a representative when additional work occurs. Specifically, the additional work time can also be obtained by the representative operator actually performing the additional work and measuring the time required for the additional work. Here, in the case where the additional work time is the standard work time, the standard work time of the additional work can also be obtained by correcting the measured time according to the skill level of the representative operator. For example, the standard work time of the additional work can be obtained in a manner that the higher the skill level of the representative operator, the more it increases from the measured time. In addition, the type of work of the additional work can also be obtained by the administrator judging the type of work and inputting it through the interface unit 18.

[0074] Alternatively, the additional work information may also be generated by the same method as the operator information. That is, the additional work information may also be obtained, for example, by capturing the movements of a representative operator who performs the additional work through motion capture. At this time, the information representing the captured movements may also be used as input to obtain the additional work time and the type of work through a machine learning algorithm such as a neural network. Furthermore, the additional work information may also be obtained, for example, by photographing the actual additional work performed by the representative operator. For example, the appearance information of the representative operator who actually performs the additional work may be obtained through a camera. Furthermore, the operation time and the type of work of the additional work may also be obtained by analyzing the appearance information.

[0075] The acquisition unit 120 acquires information stored in the information storage unit 100. The additional operation information acquisition unit 122 acquires additional operation information. Therefore, the acquisition unit 120 having the additional operation information acquisition unit 122 acquires the additional operation time. Specifically, the additional operation information acquisition unit 122 acquires the additional operation information generated by the above method through the interface unit 18. In addition, the additional operation information acquisition unit 122 stores the acquired additional operation information in the additional operation information storage unit 106. Then, when the additional operation information acquisition unit 122 implements the processing based on the calculation unit 140 described later, it extracts (acquires) the additional operation information stored in the additional operation information storage unit 106. In addition, the additional operation information acquisition unit 122 can also generate the additional operation information by executing the above-mentioned motion capture and machine learning algorithm.

[0076] The existing operation information acquisition unit 124 acquires the existing operation information. That is, the existing operation information acquisition unit 124 acquires the process information and the operator information as the existing operation information. Therefore, the acquisition unit 120 having the existing operation information acquisition unit 124 acquires the element operation time. In addition, the acquisition unit 120 having the existing operation information acquisition unit 124 acquires the operator information and the restriction information.

[0077] Specifically, the existing operation information acquisition unit 124 acquires the process information and operator information generated by the above method through the interface unit 18. In addition, the existing operation information acquisition unit 124 stores the acquired process information and operator information in the process information storage unit 102 and the operator information storage unit 104, respectively. Then, when the existing operation information acquisition unit 124 performs the processing based on the process identification unit 130 and the calculation unit 140 described later, it extracts (acquires) the process information and operator information stored in the process information storage unit 102 and the operator information storage unit 104, respectively. In addition, the existing operation information acquisition unit 124 can also generate operator information by executing the above-mentioned motion capture and machine learning algorithm, etc.

[0078] The process determination unit 130 determines a process in which the element operation is relocated among the multiple processes, that is, a relocated process. The calculation unit 140 adds the additional operation to at least one process among the multiple processes and relocates the element operation between the processes based on the additional operation time and the element operation time, and calculates the combination of the additional operation and the multiple element operations. At this time, the calculation unit 140 calculates the combination of the additional operation and the multiple element operations in such a way that the maximum operation time among the operation times of the multiple processes becomes smaller. In addition, it is preferred that the calculation unit 140 calculates the combination of the additional operation and the multiple element operations in such a way that the maximum operation time becomes the minimum.

[0079] The judgment unit 150 judges whether the calculated combination is appropriate. Specifically, the judgment unit 150 judges whether the maximum operation time in the combination calculated by the calculation unit 140 is less than the tact time. Then, the judgment unit 150 judges that the combination is appropriate when the maximum operation time is less than the tact time. On the other hand, when the maximum operation time exceeds the tact time, the judgment unit 150 judges that the combination is inappropriate. In this case, the process determination unit 130 changes the reconfiguration process. Then, for the changed reconfiguration process, as described above, the calculation unit 140 calculates the combination of additional operations and multiple element operations. The details will be described later.

[0080] The display control unit 160 controls the display of the calculated element operations of each process. Specifically, the display control unit 160 controls the interface unit 18 to present the calculated combination of element operations for each process. Thus, the element operations of each process are displayed (output) on the interface unit 18 as an output device.

[0081] Here, the process identification unit 130 and the calculation unit 140 will be described in detail.

[0082] The process determination unit 130 determines a process in which the element operation is reconfigured among the multiple processes, namely, a reconfiguration process. That is, the process determination unit 130 determines the range of the process to be reconfigured. Here, multiple processes can be used as reconfiguration processes. And, the reconfiguration process is a process that is a processing object in the calculation unit 140 described later. That is, the element operation is reconfigured between multiple processes. The details will be described later.

[0083] The process determination unit 130 first determines a reference process. The reference process corresponds to a process for configuring additional work. The reference process may also correspond to a process in which a defect has occurred. Figure 1 In the example of , when a defect occurs in process C and additional work is required, the process identification unit 130 may identify process C as the reference process.

[0084] Next, the process determination unit 130 determines the relocation process including the reference process. Specifically, the process determination unit 130 determines two or more consecutive processes (set to N) including the reference process as relocation processes. For example, when the initial value of the process number N is set to 3, Figure 1 In the example of , when process C is the reference process, the process determination unit 130 may determine process B, process C, and process D as reconfiguration processes, or may determine process A, process B, and process C as reconfiguration processes. In addition, the initial value of N may be 2 or 4 or more.

[0085] Then, for the determined reconfiguration process, the calculation unit 140 described later performs the reconfiguration of the element operations, and calculates the combination of the additional operation and the plurality of element operations. Then, when the judgment unit 150 determines that the calculated combination is inappropriate, the process determination unit 130 changes the reconfiguration process. In this case, the process determination unit 130 first changes the reconfiguration process including the reference process without changing the number of processes (N) in the reconfiguration process determined in the previous determination process. For example, in the above example, the process determination unit 130 may also determine process C, process D, and process E as the reconfiguration process.

[0086] Then, for all possible patterns of the reconfiguration process consisting of N consecutive processes including the reference process, the combination calculated by the calculation unit 140 is judged to be inappropriate by the judgment unit 150. In this case, the process determination unit 130 increases the process number N of the reconfiguration process by 1. That is, the process determination unit 130 determines the N+1 consecutive processes including the reference process as the reconfiguration process. For example, in the above example, the process determination unit 130 may also determine the four processes A, process B, process C, and process D as the reconfiguration process. Thereafter, each time the judgment unit 150 judges that the combination is inappropriate, the process determination unit 130 changes the reconfiguration process by repeating the same process.

[0087] Figure 8 1 is a diagram for explaining the processing of the process identification unit 130 according to the first embodiment. Figure 8 In the example of , the process determination unit 130 determines process C as the reference process. Then, the initial value of the number of processes N of the reconfiguration process is set to 3. In this case, first, the process determination unit 130 determines N=3 processes A, B, and C including process C as the reference process and the two processes before it as the reconfiguration processes of pattern #1-1.

[0088] Then, it is assumed that the combination of element operations calculated for the relocation process of pattern #1-1 is judged to be inappropriate. In this case, the process determination unit 130 determines N=3 processes B, process C, and process D, which include process C as the reference process, one process before it, and one process after process C, as the relocation process of pattern #1-2. In other words, the process determination unit 130 determines three processes B, process C, and process D, which are moved one process range from the relocation process of pattern #1-1 to the later process, as the relocation process of pattern #1-2.

[0089] Then, it is assumed that the combination of element operations calculated for the reconfiguration process of pattern #1-2 is judged to be inappropriate. In this case, the process determination unit 130 determines N=3 processes C, process D, and process E, which include process C as the reference process and the two processes after it, as the reconfiguration processes of patterns #1 to 3. In other words, the process determination unit 130 determines three processes C, process D, and process E, which are moved from the reconfiguration process of pattern #1-2 to the later process by one process range, as the reconfiguration processes of pattern #1-3.

[0090] Then, it is assumed that the combination of element operations calculated for the reconfiguration process of pattern #1-3 is judged to be inappropriate. In this case, the process determination unit 130 determines that the combination of element operations is inappropriate for all possible patterns of reconfiguration processes with the number of processes N=3. In this case, the process determination unit 130 adds 1 to the number of processes N, setting the number of processes N=4. Then, the process determination unit 130 determines N=4 processes A, B, C, and D, which include process C as the reference process, two processes before it, and one process after process C, as the reconfiguration processes of pattern #2-1.

[0091] Then, it is assumed that the combination of element operations calculated for the reconfiguration process of this pattern #2-1 is judged to be inappropriate. In this case, the process determination unit 130 determines N=4 processes B, process C, process D, and process E, which include process C as the reference process and one process before it and two processes after process C, as the reconfiguration process of pattern #2-2. In other words, the process determination unit 130 determines four processes B, process C, process D, and process E, which are moved from the reconfiguration process of pattern #2-1 to the later process by one process range, as the reconfiguration process of pattern #2-2. In addition, since process A is the first process, the process range cannot be moved from pattern #2-1 to the previous process.

[0092] Then, it is assumed that the combination of element operations calculated for the reconfiguration process of pattern #2-2 is judged to be inappropriate. In this case, the process determination unit 130 determines N=4 processes C, D, E, and F, which include process C as the reference process and the three processes after it, as the reconfiguration process of pattern #2-3. That is, the process determination unit 130 determines the four processes C, D, E, and F, which are moved from the reconfiguration process of pattern #2-2 to the later process by one process range, as the reconfiguration process of pattern #2-3.

[0093] Then, for the reconfiguration process of pattern #2-3, it is determined that the calculated combination of element operations is inappropriate. In this case, the process determination unit 130 determines that the combination of element operations is inappropriate for all possible patterns of reconfiguration processes with the number of processes N=4. In this case, the process determination unit 130 adds 1 to the number of processes N, setting the number of processes N=5. Then, the process determination unit 130 determines that N=5 processes A, B, C, D, and E, including process C as the reference process and the two processes before it and the two processes after process C, are the reconfiguration processes of pattern #3-1. Similarly, each time the determination unit 150 determines that the combination is inappropriate, the process determination unit 130 changes the reconfiguration process.

[0094] In addition, the order in which the process identification unit 130 identifies the pattern of the rearrangement process is not limited to Figure 8 For example, as long as the number of steps is the same, the order of these patterns can be arbitrary. Figure 8 In the example of , the process identification unit 130 moves the process range of the reconfiguration process to the subsequent process one by one, but the process range of the reconfiguration process may be moved to the previous process one by one.

[0095] Calculation unit 140( Figure 3 ) As described above, in the relocation process of adding the additional work to the base process, the element work is relocated between the processes, and the combination of the element work that makes the maximum work time of the work time of each process smaller is calculated. That is, the calculation unit 140 relocates the element work between the processes in the relocation process, and calculates the combination of the element work that smoothes the work time of each process. The following describes a specific method by which the calculation unit 140 calculates the combination of the element work that makes the maximum work time of the work time of each process the minimum.

[0096] The calculation unit 140 calculates the operation time of each process in the reconfiguration process based on the actual operation time (element operation time) of each element operation of the corresponding process assigned to the operator of each process in the reconfiguration process. Specifically, the calculation unit 140 calculates the operation time of each process by summing up the actual operation time of each element operation of the corresponding process for the assigned operator. For example, when the reconfiguration process is process A to process C, and operator #1 is assigned to process A, the calculation unit 140 calculates the operation time of process A by summing up the actual operation time of operator #1 related to each element operation A1 to A5 of process A. In addition, the calculation unit 140 can also change the standard operation time of each element operation of each process according to the skills of the operator assigned to each process, thereby calculating the operation time of each process.

[0097] Then, the calculation unit 140 calculates the operation time of the reference process to which the additional operation is arranged. Specifically, the calculation unit 140 calculates the operation time of the reference process to which the additional operation is arranged by adding the additional operation time to the operation time of the reference process before the additional operation is arranged, which is calculated by the above method. For example, when process C is the reference process, the calculation unit 140 adds the additional operation time to the operation time of process C to calculate the operation time of process C to which the additional operation is arranged.

[0098] In addition, when the operation time of the base process in which the additional operation is configured is less than the tact time, the calculation unit 140 may not perform the reconfiguration process. That is, since the operation time of each process in which the additional operation is not configured is less than the tact time, if the operation time of the base process in which the additional operation is configured is less than the tact time, the operation time of each process is all less than the tact time. Therefore, in this case, the calculation unit 140 may also consider that the additional operation is simply configured only in the base process, and the combination of element operations is appropriate, thereby terminating the processing. In this case, before the calculation unit 140 performs the reconfiguration process, the judgment unit 150 may also judge whether the operation time of the base process in which the additional operation is configured is less than the tact time.

[0099] On the other hand, when the operation time of each process is very short compared to the tact time, that is, when there is a margin between the operation time and the tact time, idle time is generated in the process. Therefore, the less often the difference between the actual operation time and the tact time in the process exists, the more productivity is improved. Therefore, in the existing production line, in most cases, planning is not performed in a way that there is a margin in a certain process. Therefore, regarding the operation time of the base process in the case where an additional operation is configured in the base process, as long as the additional operation time is not excessively small, there is a high possibility that it exceeds the tact time.

[0100] Then, the calculation unit 140 re-arranges the element operations between the processes in the re-arrangement process and calculates the combination of the element operations. At this time, the calculation unit 140 performs the re-arrangement processing (combination calculation) of the element operations of the re-arrangement process under the constraint conditions (constraints) described later. At this time, the calculation unit 140 may also perform the re-arrangement processing of the element operations of the re-arrangement process for all combinations that can be obtained under the constraint conditions. The re-arrangement processing includes, for example, the processing of replacing (exchanging) two or more element operations between processes and the processing of moving (transferring) the element operations of a process to another process.

[0101] Here, the calculation unit 140 does not perform rearrangement contrary to the restriction conditions indicated by the restriction information. That is, the calculation unit 140 calculates the combination of element operations based on the restriction information (process equipment information and previous and next operation restriction information) as described below.

[0102] The calculation unit 140 uses the process equipment information to determine the equipment that can perform each element operation. Then, in the reconfiguration process (combined calculation), the calculation unit 140 does not reconfigure (transfer) the element operation to a process that does not use the equipment that can perform the element operation. Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the example of FIG. 1 , when the equipment used in process B cannot execute elemental operation C5 , the calculation unit 140 does not transfer elemental operation C5 to process B and does not exchange elemental operation C5 with an elemental operation of process B.

[0103] In addition, the calculation unit 140 uses the preceding and following operation restriction information to determine whether preceding and following operation restrictions are set for each element operation. Then, in the reconfiguration process (combined calculation), the calculation unit 140 does not reconfigure the element operation for which preceding and following operation restrictions are set, in a manner that makes the configuration of the element operation opposite to the preceding and following operation restrictions. For example, for a certain element operation, if an element operation or process (previous operation) is set that must be performed before the element operation, the calculation unit 140 does not reconfigure (transfer) the element operation to before the previous operation. For example, in Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the example of , when the element job A4 must be executed before the element job C4, the calculation unit 140 does not relocate the element job C4 before the element job A4 which is the preceding job.

[0104] Furthermore, for example, when an element operation or process (post-operation) that must be performed after the element operation is set for a certain element operation, the calculation unit 140 does not relocate (transfer) the element operation to after the post-operation. Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the example, if the element operation C2 must be executed after the element operation B3, the calculation unit 140 does not relocate the element operation B3 after the element operation C2. In addition, the calculation unit 140 may not relocate the element operation for which the previous and next operation restrictions are set. That is, in the above example, the calculation unit 140 may not relocate the element operation C4 and the element operation A4, and the element operation B3 and the element operation C2, that is, not transfer them.

[0105] In addition, as a restriction condition, a limit may be set for the number of reconfigured element operations. That is, the calculation unit 140 may not treat element operations that are greater than the set number as objects for reconfiguration. For example, when the limit on the number of reconfigured element operations is "6", the calculation unit 140 may not reconfigure (transfer) more than 7 element operations. With such a structure, it is possible to calculate appropriate combinations without reconfiguring element operations as much as possible. Here, when the number of reconfigured element operations is large, it is possible that the operator will feel confused when performing the element operations. Therefore, by avoiding reconfiguring element operations as much as possible, the operator's confusion can be suppressed.

[0106] Then, when a combination is calculated, the calculation unit 140 calculates the maximum operation time of the operation time of each process in which the element operation is relocated for the combination. Specifically, the calculation unit 140 calculates the operation time of the process by calculating the total of the actual operation time (element operation time) of the element operation (and the additional operation) included in the process for each process in which the element operation is relocated.

[0107] In addition, when calculating the operation time of each process, the calculation unit 140 may also change the element operation time (actual operation time) of the reconfigured element operation according to the skills of the operator who performs the operation of the process in which the element operation is reconfigured. In other words, when calculating the operation time of the process in which the element operation is reconfigured, the calculation unit 140 may also add the actual operation time of the operator who performs the operation of the process in which the element operation is reconfigured. For example, Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the example of FIG. 1 , when the element operation A5 and the element operation C5 are exchanged, the calculation unit 140 may use the actual operation time of the element operation C5 assigned to the operator of the process A when calculating the operation time of the process A. Similarly, the calculation unit 140 may use the actual operation time of the element operation A5 assigned to the operator of the process C when calculating the operation time of the process C.

[0108] Then, the calculation unit 140 calculates the next combination in the same manner as the above method, and calculates the maximum operation time for the combination. Then, when all possible combinations are calculated, the calculation unit 140 determines the combination with the minimum maximum operation time among all the calculated combinations. In this way, the calculation unit 140 calculates the combination of element operations with the minimum maximum operation time among the operation times of each process.

[0109] In addition, in the above method, the calculation unit 140 calculates the combination of element operations whose maximum operation time is the smallest among the operation times of each process, but the present invention is not limited to such a structure. The calculation unit 140 may also terminate the combination calculation processing (reconfiguration processing) for a certain combination when the maximum operation time of the combination is less than the takt time. Then, the calculation unit 140 may also determine the combination whose maximum operation time is less than the takt time as the combination of element operations displayed by the display control unit 160. In this case, the judgment unit 150 may not perform processing.

[0110] In addition, the calculation unit 140 may terminate the combination calculation process (re-arrangement process) when the difference between the maximum operation time of a certain combination and the average operation time of each process is less than a predetermined threshold value. Then, the calculation unit 140 may determine the combination in which the difference between the maximum operation time and the average value is less than the threshold value as the combination to be determined by the determination unit 150. In this case, the threshold value may be, for example, several seconds (1 to 2 seconds, etc.).

[0111] As described above, in order to calculate the combination of element operations with the minimum maximum operation time, it is necessary to calculate all the combinations that can be calculated under the constraints. In this case, in order to calculate all the combinations, it may take a lot of time and a lot of processing load. In this regard, by ending the processing at the moment when a combination with a maximum operation time below the tact time or a combination with a difference between the maximum operation time and the average value below the threshold is calculated, the processing load can be reduced. That is, the appropriate combination can be calculated with the least possible number of reconfigurations. On the other hand, by calculating the combination of element operations with the minimum maximum operation time, the best combination can be calculated. That is, a combination with a smoother operation time for each process can be calculated.

[0112] In addition, the calculation unit 140 may also use artificial intelligence (AI) that can achieve combination optimization when calculating the combination of element operations. For example, the calculation unit 140 may also use a reinforcement learning algorithm to calculate the combination of element operations. In addition, the calculation unit 140 may also use an algorithm such as a genetic algorithm or a greedy algorithm to calculate the combination of element operations.

[0113] Furthermore, when the total of the operation time of each process of the reconfiguration process exceeds the value obtained by multiplying the takt time by the number of processes N of the reconfiguration process (takt time×N), the maximum operation time will not be less than the takt time regardless of the combination of element operations. Therefore, in this case, the calculation unit 140 does not perform the reconfiguration process, and the process determination unit 130 may change the process.

[0114] Fig. 91 is a flowchart showing a process management method executed by the process management system 1 of Embodiment 1. The acquisition unit 120 acquires additional operation information and existing operation information. That is, the additional operation information acquisition unit 122 acquires the operation time and operation type of the additional operation (step S102). In addition, the existing operation information acquisition unit 124 acquires process information and operator information (step S104).

[0115] As described above, the process determination unit 130 determines the relocation process (step S106). As described above, the calculation unit 140 calculates the combination of the additional work and the plurality of element works based on the additional work time and the element work time (step S108). At this time, as described above, the calculation unit 140 calculates the combination of the element works so that the maximum work time among the work times of each process is minimized. That is, the calculation unit 140 repeatedly calculates the combination of the element works so that the maximum work time among the work times of each process is minimized.

[0116] As described above, the judgment unit 150 judges whether the maximum operation time of the calculated combination is less than the tact time (step S110). When the maximum operation time is less than the tact time (Yes in S110), the display control unit 160 controls the display of the element operations of each process related to the combination calculated in S108 (step S112). On the other hand, when the maximum operation time is not less than the tact time, that is, the maximum operation time exceeds the tact time (No in S110), the processing flow returns to S106. Then, as described above, the process determination unit 130 changes the reconfiguration process, that is, determines other reconfiguration processes (S106). Then, the calculation unit 140 calculates the combination of additional operations and multiple element operations for the changed reconfiguration process (S108). Then, the judgment unit 150 judges again whether the maximum operation time of the calculated combination is less than the tact time (S110). The same process is repeated below.

[0117] <Specific example>

[0118] Next, the processing of the process management system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described using a specific example.

[0119] Figure 10 to Figure 14 This is a diagram for explaining a method of performing a rearrangement process when an additional work occurs in the process management system 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 10 to Figure 14 Indicated in Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the production line of the example of , an additional operation occurs in process C. In this case, the process identification unit 130 identifies process C as the reference process.

[0120] Fig.10This is a diagram illustrating the actual operation time of each element operation when operators are assigned to each process. Fig.11 is Fig.10 In the example of , a graph showing the operation time of each process is shown by accumulating the element operation time for each process. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The same example as in the previous example has a tact time of 32 seconds. Figure 6 Similarly, in Fig.11 In the example, the length of each element operation of each process corresponds to the element operation time (actual operation time) of the element operation.

[0121] like Fig.11 As shown, worker #1 whose process skill level of process A is "high" is assigned to process A. In addition, worker #2 whose process skill level of process B is "high" is assigned to process B. In addition, worker #3 whose process skill level of process C is "low" is assigned to process C. In addition, worker #4 whose process skill level of process D is "medium" is assigned to process D.

[0122] like Fig.10 As shown, the actual operation time (element operation time) of the element operation A1 of process A to which operator #1 is assigned is 5 seconds. In addition, the actual operation time (element operation time) of the element operation A2 of process A is 6 seconds. In addition, the actual operation time (element operation time) of the element operation A3 of process A is 5 seconds. In addition, the actual operation time (element operation time) of the element operation A4 of process A is 6 seconds. In addition, the actual operation time (element operation time) of the element operation A5 of process A is 7 seconds. And, the sum of the actual operation times of element operations A1 to element operations A5, that is, the operation time of process A is 29 seconds. That is, the operation time of process A is 3 seconds shorter than the tact time (32 seconds). Since operator #1 whose process skill level of process A is "high" is assigned to process A, the operation time of process A becomes shorter than the tact time.

[0123] The actual operation time (element operation time) of element operation B1 of process B to which operator #2 is assigned is 2 seconds. In addition, the actual operation time (element operation time) of element operation B2 of process B is 8 seconds. In addition, the actual operation time (element operation time) of element operation B3 of process B is 8 seconds. In addition, the actual operation time (element operation time) of element operation B4 of process B is 5 seconds. In addition, the actual operation time (element operation time) of element operation B5 of process B is 6 seconds. And, the sum of the actual operation times of element operations B1 to element operations B5, that is, the operation time of process B is 29 seconds. That is, the operation time of process B is 3 seconds shorter than the tact time (32 seconds). In process B, since operator #2 whose process skill level of process B is "high" is assigned to process B, the operation time of process B is shorter than the tact time.

[0124] The actual operation time (element operation time) of the element operation C1 of process C to which operator #3 is assigned is 5 seconds. In addition, the actual operation time (element operation time) of the element operation C2 of process C is 8 seconds. In addition, the actual operation time (element operation time) of the element operation C3 of process C is 3 seconds. In addition, the actual operation time (element operation time) of the element operation C4 of process C is 11 seconds. In addition, the actual operation time (element operation time) of the element operation C5 of process C is 5 seconds. In addition, an additional operation with an additional operation time of 5 seconds is configured in process C.

[0125] In addition, the additional operation time may also be the actual operation time. In this case, the additional operation time may also be determined based on the standard operation time of the additional operation, the operation type of the additional operation, and the operation type skill level of the operator who performs the additional operation. For example, if the operation type skill level of the operator who performs the additional operation corresponding to the operation type of the additional operation is "low", the additional operation time (actual operation time) may also be the same as the standard operation time of the additional operation. In addition, if the operation type skill level of the operator who performs the additional operation corresponding to the operation type of the additional operation is "medium", the additional operation time (actual operation time) may also be slightly shorter than the standard operation time of the additional operation (for example, 1 second). In addition, if the operation type skill level of the operator who performs the additional operation corresponding to the operation type of the additional operation is "high", the additional operation time (actual operation time) may also be further shorter than the standard operation time of the additional operation (for example, 3 seconds).

[0126] Moreover, the total of the actual operation time and the additional operation time of the element operation C1 to element operation C5, that is, the operation time of process C is 37 seconds. That is, the operation time of process C is 5 seconds longer than the tact time (32 seconds). In process C, since operator #3 with a process skill level of "low" is assigned to process C, the operation time of process C excluding the additional operation time is the same as the tact time. Moreover, since additional operations are also configured in process C, the operation time of process C exceeds the tact time.

[0127] The actual operation time (element operation time) of the element operation D1 of process D to which operator #4 is assigned is 5 seconds. In addition, the actual operation time (element operation time) of the element operation D2 of process D is 6 seconds. In addition, the actual operation time (element operation time) of the element operation D3 of process D is 5 seconds. In addition, the actual operation time (element operation time) of the element operation D4 of process D is 5 seconds. In addition, the actual operation time (element operation time) of the element operation D5 of process D is 10 seconds. And, the sum of the actual operation times of element operations D1 to element operations D5, that is, the operation time of process D is 31 seconds. That is, the operation time of process D is 1 second shorter than the tact time (32 seconds). Since operator #4 whose process skill level of process D is "medium" is assigned to process D, the operation time of process D is slightly shorter than the tact time.

[0128] In this example, the number of processes of the reconfiguration process including the reference process (process C) is set to N=2. In this case, when the reconfiguration process is set to process B and process C, the total operation time of each process of the reconfiguration process is 29+37=66, which exceeds the value obtained by multiplying the takt time by the number of processes N of the reconfiguration process (32×2=64). In addition, when the reconfiguration process is set to process C and process D, the total operation time of each process of the reconfiguration process is 37+31=68, which exceeds the value obtained by multiplying the takt time by the number of processes N of the reconfiguration process (32×2=64). Therefore, when the number of processes of the reconfiguration process is N=2, the maximum operation time will not be less than the takt time regardless of the combination of any element operations, so an appropriate combination cannot be calculated.

[0129] Therefore, the process determination unit 130 sets the number of processes of the rearrangement process to N=3. Figure 8 The illustrated process A, process B, and process C corresponding to pattern #1-1 are determined as the reconfiguration process (S106). In this case, the total operation time of each process of the reconfiguration process is 29+29+37=95, which is less than the value obtained by multiplying the takt time by the number of processes N of the reconfiguration process (32×3=96). Therefore, in this case, depending on the combination of the element operations, the maximum operation time of the reconfiguration process may be less than the takt time.

[0130] Figure 12 to Figure 14 is an example Fig.10 and Fig.11 Figure 1 shows the reconfiguration of the element operations in the example. Fig.12 As shown in FIG. 1 , the calculation unit 140 exchanges the element operation C1 with the element operation B1 between the reconfiguration process C and the process B. In addition, the calculation unit 140 moves the element operation C3 to the beginning of the process A between the reconfiguration process C and the process A. As a result, Fig.13 As shown, the element operation C1 is relocated in process B, the element operation C3 is relocated in process A, and the element operation B1 is relocated in process C. In this way, the calculation unit 140 relocates the element operations between process A, process B, and process C, which are the relocated processes. In addition, in process A, the element operation C3 can be executed at any time as long as the previous and next operation constraints are met. That is, the element operation C3 can be executed at the beginning of process A, in the middle of process A (for example, after element operation A2, etc.), or at the end of process A.

[0131] Here, if Fig.14 As shown, for the reconfigured process A, the element operation C3 with an actual operation time of 3 seconds is added as an additional operation. Therefore, the operation time of the reconfigured process A increases by 3 seconds from that before the reconfiguration, becoming 32 seconds. In addition, the process skill level related to process C of operator #1 assigned to process A and the process skill level related to process C of operator #3 assigned to process C are both "low". Therefore, the actual operation time of element operation C3 does not change. On the other hand, when the process skill level related to process C of operator #1 is "high" or "medium", the actual operation time of element operation C3 reconfigured in process A can also be shortened from 3 seconds.

[0132] In addition, for the reconfigured process B, the element operation B1 with an actual operation time of 2 seconds is replaced by the element operation C1 with an actual operation time of 5 seconds. Therefore, the operation time of the reconfigured process B increases by 3 seconds from before the reconfiguration to 32 seconds. In addition, the process skill level related to process C of operator #2 assigned to process B and the process skill level related to process C of operator #3 assigned to process C are both "low". Therefore, the actual operation time of element operation C1 is not changed. On the other hand, when the process skill level related to process C of operator #2 is "high" or "medium", the actual operation time of the element operation C1 reconfigured in process B can also be shortened from 3 seconds.

[0133] In addition, for the reconfigured process C, the element operation C1 with an actual operation time of 5 seconds is replaced by the element operation B1 with an actual operation time of 2 seconds. Furthermore, the element operation C3 with an actual operation time of 3 seconds disappears from process C. Therefore, the operation time of the reconfigured process C is reduced by 6 seconds from before the reconfiguration to 31 seconds. In addition, the process skill level related to process B of operator #3 assigned to process C and the process skill level related to process C of operator #2 assigned to process B are both "high". Therefore, the actual operation time of element operation B1 is not changed. On the other hand, when the process skill level related to process B of operator #3 is "low" or "medium", the actual operation time of the element operation B1 reconfigured in process C can also be extended from 2 seconds.

[0134] for Figure 12 to Figure 14 The calculation unit 140 determines that the maximum operation time of each process is 32 seconds. Then, the calculation unit 140 compares the maximum operation time of other combinations and determines that the maximum operation time (32 seconds) in this example is the minimum. Therefore, the calculation unit 140 calculates Figure 12 to Figure 14 The maximum operation time is shown as a combination of element operations with the shortest operation time (S108).

[0135] Then, the determination unit 150 determines whether the maximum operation time is less than the tact time (S110). Here, since the maximum operation time is 32 seconds, the determination unit 150 determines that the maximum operation time is less than the tact time (Yes in S110). Therefore, the display control unit 160 sets Fig.13 The element operations of each process shown are displayed on the interface unit 18 (S112).

[0136] As described above, the process management system 1 of the first embodiment is configured to add an additional operation to at least one of the processes and to rearrange the element operation between the processes based on the additional operation time and the element operation time. Furthermore, the process management system 1 of the first embodiment is configured to calculate the combination of additional operations related to the multiple processes and the multiple element operations in such a way that the maximum operation time among the operation times of the multiple processes becomes smaller. With such a structure, the operation time of each process in which the element operation and the additional operation are rearranged is smoother. Furthermore, by smoothing the operation time of each process, the productivity of the production line can be improved. Therefore, the process management system 1 of the first embodiment can also make the productivity of the production line appropriate in the case where an additional operation occurs.

[0137] In addition, the process management system 1 of embodiment 1 is configured to determine the reconfiguration process of reconfiguring the element operation. With such a structure, the process of reconfiguring the element operation can be limited. Here, when the process of reconfiguring the element operation is not limited, it is possible to reconfigure a certain element operation to a process with poor operating efficiency. For example, when a certain element operation is reconfigured in a process away from the originally configured process, it is possible that the movement of the workpiece based on the element operation becomes complicated. In contrast, by limiting the process of reconfiguring the element operation, it is possible to suppress the reconfiguration of the element operation in a process with poor operating efficiency. For example, as in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, by using two or more consecutive processes including a reference process as the reconfiguration process, it is possible to suppress a certain element operation from being reconfigured to a process away from the originally configured process. Therefore, the process management system 1 of embodiment 1 can appropriately reconfigure the element operation.

[0138] In addition, the process management system 1 of the first embodiment is configured to change the reconfiguration process when the maximum operation time exceeds a predetermined time (takt time, etc.), and calculate the combination of element operations for the changed reconfiguration process. With such a structure, it is possible to limit the reconfiguration process for reconfiguring the element operations, and at the same time, it is possible to calculate the combination of element operations that makes the maximum operation time less than the predetermined time. As a result, when additional operations are added to the production line, the impact on the production plan can also be suppressed.

[0139] Furthermore, the process management system 1 of the first embodiment is configured to calculate the combination based on the worker information. With such a configuration, since the combination of element operations corresponding to the skills of the worker is calculated, the combination of element operations can be calculated more appropriately.

[0140] In addition, the process management system 1 of the first embodiment is configured to calculate the combination based on the restriction information (previous and next operation restriction information, etc.). With such a configuration, since the combination of element operations corresponding to the restrictions of the element operations is calculated, the combination of element operations can be calculated more appropriately.

[0141] (Variation Example)

[0142] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be appropriately changed within the scope of the main purpose. For example, the order of each step in the above-mentioned flowchart can be appropriately changed. In addition, one or more steps of each step in the flowchart can also be omitted. For example, in Fig. 9 In the flowchart shown, the order of the processing of S102 and the processing of S104 may be reversed. In addition, the processing of S112 may also be omitted.

[0143] In addition, Fig. 9In the flowchart shown, the processing of S106 and S110 may be omitted. That is, the process management system 1 of this embodiment may calculate the combination of element operations in a manner that the maximum operation time becomes small without determining the reconfiguration process. On the other hand, by implementing the processing of S106 and S110, as described above, the reconfiguration of element operations can be appropriately implemented, and the influence on the production plan can be suppressed.

[0144] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the additional work time and the work type of the additional work are obtained by performing the additional work on behalf of the operator, but the present invention is not limited to such a structure. The additional work time and the work type of the additional work may also be estimated. For example, the additional work time and the work type of the additional work may also be estimated using information related to existing element work close to the additional work.

[0145] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the additional operation is configured as one reference process, but it is not limited to such a structure. Depending on the content of the additional operation, the additional operation can also be added to multiple processes. That is, the reference process can also be multiple. In other words, the reference process can also be at least one.

[0146] In addition, in the above examples, various types of non-transitory computer readable media can be used to store programs and supply them to the computer. Non-transitory computer readable media include various types of tangible recording media. Examples of non-transitory computer readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., floppy disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, semiconductor memories (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, RAMs). In addition, the program can be supplied to the computer by various types of transitory computer readable media (transitory computer readable medium). Examples of transitory computer readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. Transitory computer readable media can supply programs to the computer via wired communication paths such as wires and optical fibers or wireless communication paths.

Claims

1. A process management system for managing a production line including a plurality of existing processes for performing a predetermined operation, comprising: An acquisition unit that acquires additional operation time, which is operation time required for additional operation to be additionally performed in the production line, and element operation time, which is operation time required for each of one or more element operations in the process; a calculation unit that calculates a combination of the additional work and the plurality of element work related to the plurality of processes based on the acquired additional work time and the element work time in such a manner that the additional work is added to at least one of the processes and the maximum work time among the work times of the plurality of processes when the element work is reconfigured between the processes is less than a predetermined time, The acquisition unit further acquires operator information related to an operator who performs the work in the process. The calculation unit calculates the combination based on the operator information.

2. The process management system according to claim 1, wherein: The method further includes a specifying unit that specifies a relocated process as a process to be relocated among the plurality of processes as the element operation.

3. The process management system according to claim 2, wherein: When the maximum operation time calculated by the calculation unit exceeds the predetermined time, The determining unit changes the reconfiguration process, The calculation unit calculates the combination for the changed rearrangement step.

4. The process management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The acquisition unit further acquires restriction information indicating restrictions related to the element operation. The calculation unit calculates the combination based on the restriction information.

5. A process management method for managing a production line including a plurality of existing processes for performing a predetermined operation, The additional operation time, which is the operation time required for the additional operation to be performed in the production line, and the element operation time, which is the operation time required for each of the one or more element operations in the process, are obtained. Based on the obtained additional operation time and the element operation time, the combination of the additional operation and the plurality of element operations related to the plurality of processes is calculated in such a manner that the additional operation is added to at least one of the processes and the maximum operation time among the operation times of the plurality of processes when the element operation is reconfigured between the processes is less than a predetermined time. further acquiring operator information related to an operator who performs the work in the process, The combination is calculated based on the operator information.

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