Production line planning method and apparatus

Abstract

A production line planning method, the method comprising: receiving a user inputted production line to be planned, the production line to be planned comprising a plurality of processes (step 110); combining the plurality of processes of the production line to be planned to generate at least two production line models, and calculating production time of each production line model (step 120); determining a planning model from the at least two production line models according to the production time of each production line model; connecting the plurality of processes to form the planning model (step 130); and automatically providing a plurality of planning models for the user to select, and calculating production time of each planning model according to historical data, thereby not only reducing time cost of production planning, but also improving accuracy of production line planning.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates primarily to the field of digital manufacturing, and more particularly to a production line planning method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Production line planning is an important part of the production process. It includes defining the production process. A reasonable and efficient production line plan will significantly improve production speed and save production time.

[0003] Traditionally, when planning production lines in a manufacturing plant, process engineers first define the production process to meet its speed requirements. In defining the production process, process engineers manually calculate production times based on prior experience, which is not only time-consuming but also results in rough estimates with low accuracy and significant errors. To achieve the target production time, process engineers need to repeatedly test and modify the data, further increasing the planning time cost. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a production line planning method and apparatus to reduce the time cost of production planning and improve the accuracy of production line planning.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this invention proposes a production line planning method. The method includes: receiving a production line to be planned input by a user, wherein the production line to be planned consists of multiple processes; combining the multiple processes of the production line to be planned to generate at least two production line models, and calculating the production time of each production line model; determining a planning model from the at least two production line models based on the production time of each production line model; and connecting the multiple processes to form the planning model. Therefore, multiple planning models can be automatically provided for the user to choose from, and the production time of each planning model can be calculated based on historical data, which not only reduces the time cost of production planning but also improves the accuracy of production line planning.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, calculating the production time of each production line model includes: obtaining the historical production time of each process; and calculating the production time of the production line model based on the historical production time of each process and the topology of the production line model. Therefore, calculating the production time of the production line model based on the historical production time of each process and the topology of the production line model can reduce the computational load and improve planning efficiency.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, calculating the production time of each production line model includes: matching the production line model with a historical model; and using the production time of the matched historical model as the production time of the production line model. Therefore, matching the production line model with the historical model and using the production time of the matched historical model as the production time of the production line model can improve the accuracy of the production line model, thereby improving the accuracy of production line planning.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, determining a planning model from at least two production line models based on the production time of each production line model includes: receiving the planning model determined from the at least two production line models as input by the user. Therefore, receiving the planning model determined from at least two production line models as input by the user can improve the flexibility of selection, thereby improving the accuracy of production line planning.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, determining a planning model from at least two production line models based on their production times includes: sorting the production line models according to their production times and determining the production line model with the shortest production time as the planning model. This allows for automatic determination of the planning model, improving the efficiency of production line planning.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: receiving the target production time of the production line to be planned input by the user, calculating the arithmetic sum of the historical production times of each process, and displaying the target production time and the arithmetic sum. Therefore, by estimating the production time by calculating the arithmetic sum of the historical production times of each process, the user can be initially notified of the time already spent and the remaining time.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: displaying corresponding prompt information based on the relationship between the production time of each production line model and the arithmetic cumulative value. Therefore, displaying corresponding prompt information based on the relationship between the production time of each production line model and the arithmetic cumulative value can intuitively indicate to the user the relationship between each production line model and the arithmetic cumulative value.

[0012] The present invention also proposes a production line planning device, comprising: a receiving unit for receiving a production line to be planned input by a user, the production line to be planned consisting of multiple processes; a combining unit for combining the multiple processes of the production line to be planned to generate at least two production line models and calculating the production time of each production line model; a determining unit for determining a planning model from the at least two production line models based on the production time of each production line model; and a connecting unit for connecting the multiple processes to form the planning model.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the combination unit calculates the production time of each of the production line models by: obtaining the historical production time of each of the processes; and calculating the production time of the production line model based on the historical production time of each of the processes and the topology of the production line model.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the combination unit calculates the production time of each production line model by: matching the production line model with a historical model; and using the production time of the matched historical model as the production time of the production line model.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the determining unit determines a planning model from the at least two production line models based on the production time of each production line model, including: receiving the planning model determined from the at least two production line models from user input.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the determining unit determines a planning model from the at least two production line models based on the production time of each production line model, which includes: sorting the production line models according to their production time, and determining the production line model with the shortest production time as the planning model.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the production line planning device further includes: receiving the target production time of the production line to be planned input by the user, calculating the arithmetic sum of the historical production times of each process, and displaying the target production time and the arithmetic sum.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the production line planning device further includes: displaying corresponding prompt information based on the production time of each production line model and the magnitude relationship of the arithmetic cumulative value.

[0019] The present invention also proposes an electronic device including a processor, a memory and instructions stored in the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, implement the method described above.

[0020] The present invention also proposes a computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, which, when executed, perform the method as described above. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The following figures are intended only to illustrate and explain the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a production line planning method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2-6This is a schematic diagram of a graphical user interface for a production line planning method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a production line planning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0026] 100 Production Line Planning Methodology

[0027] Steps 110-140

[0028] 700 production line planning equipment

[0029] 710 receiving unit

[0030] 720 combined unit

[0031] 730 Determining Unit

[0032] 740 connection unit Detailed Implementation

[0033] To provide a clearer understanding of the technical features, objectives, and effects of the present invention, specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the invention. However, the invention may also be practiced in other ways different from those described herein, and therefore the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0035] As indicated in this application and claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the words "a," "an," "an," and / or "the" are not specifically singular and may include plural forms. Generally speaking, the terms "comprising" and "including" only indicate the inclusion of explicitly identified steps and elements, which do not constitute an exclusive list, and the method or apparatus may also include other steps or elements.

[0036] This invention provides a production line planning method and apparatus to reduce the time cost of production planning and improve the accuracy of production line planning.

[0037] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a production line planning method 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2-6 This is a schematic diagram of a graphical user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention. The following is in conjunction with... Figure 1-6 The production line planning method 100 in this embodiment of the present invention will be described. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the production line planning method 100 includes:

[0038] Step 110: Receive the production line to be planned from the user input. The production line to be planned consists of multiple processes.

[0039] Users can input information via peripheral devices such as touchscreens, mice, or microphones. This step receives the user's input regarding the production line to be planned. For example, users can enter the name of the production line to be planned via the touchscreen, or select a production line to be planned from a template via the touchscreen. The production line to be planned consists of multiple processes, and these processes can be combined to form production line models with different topologies. The multiple processes of the production line to be planned can be retrieved from the database after the user inputs the production line to be planned, or the user can define the multiple processes of the production line to be planned.

[0040] exist Figure 2 In the graphical user interface shown, the user enters the name of the production line to be planned as "PCB Testing." The interface also includes predefined templates A, B, and C. Users can also input the production line to be planned by selecting a predefined template. Figure 3 In the graphical user interface shown, the user has defined a process, designated as Process 1: ICT (in-circuittest) test. Figure 4 In the graphical user interface shown, the user has defined a total of 4 processes: process 1: ICT test, process 2: FCT1 (functional circuit test), process 3: FCT2 test, and process 4: PCBA (printed circuit board assembly) loading.

[0041] In some embodiments, the production line planning method may further include: receiving the target production time of the production line to be planned input by the user, calculating the arithmetic sum of the historical production times of each process, and displaying the target production time and the arithmetic sum. Therefore, by estimating the production time by calculating the arithmetic sum of the historical production times of each process, the user can be initially notified of the time already spent and the remaining time.

[0042] exist Figure 2 In the graphical user interface shown, the user inputs a target production time of 8 hours for the production line to be planned. Figure 3 In the process, after the user defines process 1, the historical production time of process 1 is 1 hour, and the arithmetic cumulative value is also 1 hour. The arithmetic cumulative value and the target production time are displayed simultaneously. Figure 4 In the process, after the user defines processes 1-4, the historical production times for processes 1-4 are 1 hour, 1.8 hours, 2.4 hours and 1 hour respectively, with an arithmetic cumulative value of 6.2 hours. The arithmetic cumulative value and the target production time are displayed simultaneously.

[0043] Step 120: Combine multiple processes of the production line to be planned to generate at least two production line models, and calculate the production time of each production line model.

[0044] In this step, based on the multiple processes of the production line to be planned, these processes are combined into multiple production line models of at least two. Figure 5 In the graphical user interface shown, combining processes 1-4 generates three production line models: Production Line Model 1, Production Line Model 2, and Production Line Model 3. In Production Line Model 1, processes 2 and 3 are executed in parallel. In Production Line Model 2, processes 1 and 2 are executed in parallel. In Production Line Model 3, processes 1, 2, 3, and 4 are executed sequentially.

[0045] Calculating the production time of each production line model can include: obtaining the historical production time of each process; and calculating the production time of the production line model based on the historical production time of each process and the topology of the production line model. Therefore, calculating the production time of the production line model based on the historical production time of each process and the topology of the production line model can reduce computational load and improve planning efficiency.

[0046] exist Figure 5 In production line model 1, processes 2 and 3 are executed concurrently. Process 2 takes 1.8 hours, and process 3 takes 2.4 hours. Since process 3 takes longer than process 2, the total time for concurrently executed processes 2 and 3 is the longer process 3. Therefore, the production time for production line model 1 is 1 hour (process 1) + 2.4 hours (process 3) + 1 hour (process 4) = 4.4 hours. Similarly, for production line model 2, with processes 1 and 2 executed concurrently, the production time is 1.8 hours (process 2) + 2.4 hours (process 3) + 1 hour (process 4) = 5.2 hours. For production line model 3, the total time is 1 hour (process 1) + 1.8 hours (process 2) + 2.4 hours (process 3) + 1 hour (process 4) = 6.2 hours.

[0047] Calculating the production time for each production line model can also include: matching the production line model with historical models; and using the production time of the matched historical models as the production time of the production line models. Therefore, matching the production line model with historical models and using the production time of the matched historical models as the production time of the production line models can improve the accuracy of the production line models, thereby improving the accuracy of production line planning.

[0048] Will Figure 5The production line models 1, 2, and 3 shown are matched with historical models. For example, the historical models in the database can be traversed to find historical models that are the same as or similar to production line models 1, 2, and 3. The production time of the matched historical models is used as the production time of the production line models. For example, the production times of the historical models matched by production line models 1, 2, and 3 are 5.8 hours, 6.1 hours, and 6.3 hours, respectively.

[0049] In some embodiments, the planning method may further include: displaying corresponding prompts based on the relationship between the production time and the arithmetic cumulative value of each production line model. The prompts may be color-coded, text-based, or a combination thereof. Therefore, displaying corresponding prompts based on the relationship between the production time and the arithmetic cumulative value of each production line model can intuitively indicate to the user the relationship between each production line model and the arithmetic cumulative value.

[0050] exist Figure 5 In the example, the production times of the historical models matched by production line model 1, production line model 2, and production line model 3 are 5.8 hours, 6.1 hours, and 6.3 hours, respectively. Among them, the matching production time of production line model 1 and production line model 2 is less than the arithmetic cumulative value of 6.2 hours, so they can be displayed in the first color (e.g., green). The matching production time of production line model 3 is greater than the arithmetic cumulative value of 6.2 hours, so it can be displayed in the second color (e.g., yellow).

[0051] Step 130: Based on the production time of each production line model, determine a planning model from at least two production line models.

[0052] In this step, based on the calculated production time of each production line model, a planning model is determined from at least two production line models, and the determined planning model serves as the planning target for the production line to be planned.

[0053] Determining a planning model from at least two production line models based on their production times may include receiving user input for the planning model determined from at least two production line models. Therefore, receiving user input for the planning model determined from at least two production line models increases the flexibility of selection, thereby improving the accuracy of production line planning.

[0054] exist Figure 5 The system displays the production times for production line model 1, production line model 2, and production line model 3 as 5.8 hours, 6.1 hours, and 6.3 hours, respectively. Users can choose the production line model with the shortest production time from among production line model 1, production line model 2, and production line model 3, which is production line model 1.

[0055] Determining a planning model from at least two production line models based on their production times can include: ranking the production line models according to their production times and selecting the model with the shortest production time as the planning model. This allows for automatic model selection, improving the efficiency of production line planning.

[0056] exist Figure 5 The data shows that the production times of production line model 1, production line model 2, and production line model 3, after being sorted, are 5.8 hours, 6.1 hours, and 6.3 hours, respectively. The production line model with the shortest production time, namely production line model 1, is determined as the planning model.

[0057] Step 140: Connect multiple processes to form a planning model.

[0058] After determining the planning model, multiple processes are connected to form the planning model. At this point, the production line planning is completed. Then, based on the planning model, the on-site equipment is connected for production and manufacturing.

[0059] Flowcharts are used herein to illustrate the operations performed by the method according to embodiments of this application. It should be understood that the preceding operations are not necessarily performed in exact order. Instead, the steps can be processed in reverse order or simultaneously. Furthermore, other operations may be added to these processes, or one or more steps may be removed from them.

[0060] This embodiment of the invention provides a production line planning method. By receiving a production line to be planned from user input, it combines multiple processes of the production line to be planned to generate at least two production line models, calculates the production time of each production line model, determines a planning model from the at least two production line models based on the production time of each production line model, and connects multiple processes to form a planning model. It can automatically provide multiple planning models for users to choose from, and calculate the production time of each planning model based on historical data. This not only reduces the time cost of production planning, but also improves the accuracy of production line planning.

[0061] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a production line planning device 700 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 As shown, the production line planning device 700 includes:

[0062] The receiving unit 710 receives the production line to be planned input by the user, which consists of multiple processes; the combining unit 720 combines the multiple processes of the production line to be planned to generate at least two production line models and calculates the production time of each production line model; the determining unit 730 determines a planning model from at least two production line models based on the production time of each production line model; and the connecting unit 740 connects multiple processes to form a planning model.

[0063] In one embodiment of the present invention, the combination unit 720 calculates the production time of each production line model by: obtaining the historical production time of each process; and calculating the production time of the production line model based on the historical production time of each process and the topology of the production line model.

[0064] In one embodiment of the present invention, the combination unit 720 calculates the production time of each production line model by: matching the production line model with the historical model; and using the production time of the matched historical model as the production time of the production line model.

[0065] In one embodiment of the present invention, the determining unit 730 determines a planning model from at least two production line models based on the production time of each production line model, including receiving user input of the planning model determined from at least two production line models.

[0066] In one embodiment of the present invention, determining a planning model from at least two production line models based on the production time of each production line model includes: sorting the production line models according to their production time and determining the production line model with the shortest production time as the planning model.

[0067] In one embodiment of the present invention, the production line planning device 700 further includes: receiving the target production time of the production line to be planned input by the user, calculating the arithmetic sum of the historical production times of each process, and displaying the target production time and the arithmetic sum.

[0068] In one embodiment of the present invention, the production line planning device 700 further includes: displaying corresponding prompt information based on the relationship between the production time and the arithmetic cumulative value of each production line model.

[0069] The implementation method and specific process of the production line planning device 700 can be referred to the production line planning method 100, which will not be repeated here.

[0070] The present invention also proposes an electronic device including a processor, a memory and instructions stored in the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, implement the method described above.

[0071] The present invention also proposes a computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, which, when executed, perform the method described above.

[0072] Some aspects of the methods and apparatus of this invention can be executed entirely by hardware, entirely by software (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or by a combination of hardware and software. The aforementioned hardware or software may be referred to as a "data block," "module," "engine," "unit," "component," or "system." The processor may be one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DAPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or combinations thereof. Furthermore, aspects of this invention may be embodied as computer products residing in one or more computer-readable media, including computer-readable program code. For example, computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic tapes, etc.), optical discs (e.g., compact discs (CDs), digital multifunction discs (DVDs), etc.), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., cards, sticks, key drives, etc.).

[0073] A computer-readable medium may contain a propagated data signal containing computer program code, for example, on baseband or as part of a carrier wave. This propagated signal may take various forms, including electromagnetic, optical, and so on, or suitable combinations thereof. A computer-readable medium can be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium, which can be connected to an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device to enable communication, propagation, or transmission of a program for use. The program code located on the computer-readable medium can be propagated through any suitable medium, including radio, cable, fiber optic cable, radio frequency signals, or similar media, or any combination of the above media.

[0074] It should be understood that although this specification is described according to various embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other implementation methods that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0075] The above description is merely an illustrative embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Any equivalent changes, modifications, and combinations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the concept and principles of the present invention should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A production line planning method (100), the production line planning method (100) comprising: Receive the production line to be planned by the user, which consists of multiple processes (110). Combine the multiple processes of the production line to be planned to generate at least two production line models, and calculate the production time of each production line model (120). Based on the production time of each of the production line models, a planning model (130) is determined from the at least two production line models. The multiple processes are connected to form the planning model (140). It also includes: receiving the target production time of the production line to be planned input by the user, calculating the arithmetic sum of the historical production times of each process, and displaying the target production time and the arithmetic sum. Based on the relationship between the production time of each production line model and the magnitude of the arithmetic cumulative value, corresponding prompts are displayed.

2. The production line planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Calculating the production time of each production line model (120) includes: obtaining the historical production time of each process; and calculating the production time of the production line model based on the historical production time of each process and the topology of the production line model.

3. The production line planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Calculating the production time (120) of each production line model includes: matching the production line model with the historical model; and using the production time of the matched historical model as the production time of the production line model.

4. The production line planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining a planning model (130) from the at least two production line models based on the production time of each production line model includes: receiving the planning model determined from the at least two production line models from the user input.

5. The production line planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining a planning model (130) from the at least two production line models based on their production time includes: sorting the production line models according to their production time and determining the production line model with the shortest production time as the planning model.

6. A production line planning device (700), the production line planning device (700) comprising: The receiving unit (710) receives the production line to be planned input by the user, wherein the production line to be planned consists of multiple processes; The combination unit (720) combines the multiple processes of the production line to be planned to generate at least two production line models and calculates the production time of each production line model. The determining unit (730) determines a planning model from the at least two production line models based on the production time of each production line model; A connecting unit (740) connects the multiple processes to form the planning model; The production line planning device (700) further includes: receiving the target production time of the production line to be planned input by the user, calculating the arithmetic sum of the historical production times of each process, and displaying the target production time and the arithmetic sum. Based on the relationship between the production time of each production line model and the magnitude of the arithmetic cumulative value, corresponding prompts are displayed.

7. The production line planning device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The combination unit (720) calculates the production time of each production line model by: obtaining the historical production time of each process; and calculating the production time of the production line model based on the historical production time of each process and the topology of the production line model.

8. The production line planning device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The combination unit (720) calculates the production time of each production line model by: matching the production line model with the historical model; and using the production time of the matched historical model as the production time of the production line model.

9. The production line planning device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The determining unit (730) determines a planning model from the at least two production line models based on the production time of each production line model, including receiving the planning model determined from the at least two production line models from the user input.

10. The production line planning device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The determining unit (730) determines a planning model from the at least two production line models based on the production time of each production line model, including: sorting the production line models according to their production time, and determining the production line model with the shortest production time as the planning model.

11. An electronic device comprising a processor, a memory, and instructions stored in the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, implement the method as claimed in any one of claims 1-5.

12. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer instructions that, when executed, perform the method according to any one of claims 1-5.

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