Production line design apparatus and production line design method

Abstract

The present invention provides a production line design device that can reduce the problem space of production line design and shorten computation time. [Solution] A production line design device for designing a product production line includes a storage unit that stores product work information that associates products with the work required to produce those products, work equipment correspondence information that associates work with the equipment required to perform the work, component classification information that associates the main components and auxiliary components that make up the equipment, and equipment common ID information that associates the main components of the equipment with reference equipment.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a production line design device and a production line design method.

Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-201721 (Patent Document 1) discloses a production line design support device that stores basic data of a production line model defined by a combination of a component composed of equipment element information constituted by specifications of equipment elements, work element information constituted by specifications of work elements including triggering conditions of necessary work elements and output destinations after work completion, link information associating equipment elements and work elements, or a production line model including a combination of work elements and equipment elements in which link information can be set, generates a problem space composed of a dimensional axis corresponding to a plurality of types of variable parameters of a plurality of independent variables from among changeable specifications in the equipment element information, changeable specifications in the work element information, and changeable link information, and has a learning processing unit acquire an optimal solution or a group of optimal solutions for production design using the problem space as boundary conditions.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes an easy and accurate definition of a problem space for production line design. However, with the definition in Patent Document 1, it is not possible to narrow down the problem space consisting of the links between work elements and equipment elements.

[0005] In a problem space consisting of links between work elements and equipment elements, as the number of work elements increases, the number of equipment elements capable of handling multiple tasks increases in proportion to the number of combinations of work elements. This expands the problem space, resulting in an enormous increase in the computation time required for production line design.

[0006] For example, if we consider the work elements of picking and placing and screwing, and assume the equipment elements of an industrial robot and robot hand, and an industrial robot and robot driver, then to perform both tasks, two industrial robots, a robot hand, and a robot driver would be required.

[0007] To consider a single industrial robot performing both tasks using a robot hand and a robot driver, a new industrial robot capable of handling both tasks must be considered, taking the robot hand and robot driver as input equipment elements. In other words, as the number of work elements increases, the number of equipment elements capable of handling multiple tasks increases in proportion to the number of combinations of work elements, thus expanding the problem space and resulting in an enormous increase in the computation time required for production line design.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention views equipment elements as combinations of components and reduces the number of equipment elements while maintaining the combination of components corresponding to work elements, thereby reducing the calculation time required for production line design.

[0009] For example, the device provides a mechanism where a robot hand is linked to an industrial robot component when the task element is pick-and-place, and a robot screwdriver is linked to an industrial robot component when the task element is screw-tightening. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The above problem is solved by a production line design device for designing a product production line, comprising: a storage unit that stores product work information associating products with the work required to produce them; work equipment correspondence information associating the equipment required to perform the work; component classification information associating the main components and auxiliary components that make up the equipment; and equipment common ID information associating the main components of the equipment with reference equipment; a process design variable calculation unit that adds work, equipment and decision variables to process design variable information when the work included in the product work information and the work equipment correspondence information match, and the equipment included in the matching work equipment correspondence information is not included in the reference equipment of the equipment common ID information; a process design variable cost calculation unit that calculates the costs corresponding to the work and equipment corresponding to the added decision variables from the component classification information; and an output device that outputs the investment cost obtained by summing the number of decision variables added by the process design variable calculation unit and the costs of each decision variable calculated by the process design variable cost calculation unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, a production line design apparatus can be provided that can reduce the problem space of production line design and shorten the computation time.

[0012] Other issues, configurations, and effects not mentioned above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This diagram illustrates examples of production lines and process designs. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a production line design device in an embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of product work information in the embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of component information in an embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of equipment candidate information in the embodiment. [Figure 6]It is a diagram showing an example of work equipment correspondence information in an embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example of process design condition information in an embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an example of component classification information of main component calculation in work in an embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing an example of component classification information of common component calculation in an embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing an example of equipment common ID information in an embodiment. [Figure 11] ;It is a diagram showing an example of process design variable information in an embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing an example of process design result information in an embodiment. [Figure 13] It is an example of a flowchart showing the process of production line design in an embodiment. [Figure 14] It is an example of a flowchart showing the process of equipment common ID information calculation in an embodiment. [Figure 15] It is an example of a flowchart showing the process of process design variable information calculation in an embodiment. [Figure 16] It is an example of a flowchart showing the process of process design variable cost calculation in an embodiment. [Figure 17] It is an example of a flowchart showing the process of main component calculation in an embodiment. [Figure 18] It is an example of a flowchart showing the process of common component calculation in an embodiment. [Figure 19] It is an example of an output screen of a production line design device in an embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Furthermore, in the following embodiments, when referring to the number of elements (including number, numerical value, quantity, range, etc.), unless specifically stated or clearly limited in principle to a particular number, it is not limited to that particular number, and may be greater than or less than that number.

[0016] Furthermore, it goes without saying that in the following embodiments, the constituent elements (including elemental steps, etc.) are not necessarily essential unless specifically stated or considered to be clearly essential in principle.

[0017] Similarly, in the following embodiments, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc., of components, unless otherwise specifically stated or when it is clearly not the case in principle, it shall include those that substantially approximate or resemble such shapes, etc. The same applies to the numerical values ​​and ranges mentioned above.

[0018] Furthermore, in all the diagrams used to illustrate the embodiments, the same reference numerals are generally used for identical components, and repeated explanations are omitted. However, even for identical components, if sharing a name with a component before a change is likely to cause confusion due to environmental changes or other reasons, a different reference numeral or name may be used.

[0019] In the following embodiments, the "input device" and "output device" refer to one or more interface devices. These one or more interface devices are at least one of the following:

[0020] An I / O interface device is an interface device to at least one of the following: an I / O device or a remote display computer. The I / O interface device to the display computer is a communication interface device.

[0021] At least one I / O device may be either a user interface device, such as an input device like a keyboard and pointing device, or an output device like a display device.

[0022] One or more communication interface devices may be one or more identical communication interface devices (for example, one or more NICs (Network Interface Cards)) or two or more different communication interface devices (for example, a NIC and an HBA (Host Bus Adapter)).

[0023] Furthermore, "memory" refers to one or more memory devices, which are examples of one or more storage devices, and are typically main memory devices. At least one memory device in memory may be a volatile memory device or a non-volatile memory device.

[0024] Furthermore, "external storage device" may be one or more persistent storage devices, which are examples of one or more storage devices. Persistent storage devices are typically non-volatile storage devices (e.g., auxiliary storage devices), such as HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), SSDs (Solid State Drives), NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) drives, or SCMs (Storage Class Memory).

[0025] Furthermore, the "storage unit" or "external storage device" may be either memory or persistent storage, or both.

[0026] Furthermore, a "processing unit" or "processor" may consist of one or more processor devices. At least one processor device may be a microprocessor device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but it may also be another type of processor device such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). At least one processor device may be single-core or multi-core. At least one processor device may be a processor core.

[0027] At least one processor device may be a broad-sense processor device such as a circuit that is a collection of gate arrays (e.g., FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit)) which performs some or all of the processing using a hardware description language.

[0028] Furthermore, while the function may be described using the expression "yyy section," the function may be implemented by one or more computer programs being executed by a processor, by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., FPGA or ASIC), or by a combination thereof.

[0029] When a function is realized by the execution of a program by a processor, the defined processing is carried out using memory devices and / or interface devices as appropriate, so the function may be at least a part of the processor. The processing described with the function as the subject may be processing performed by the processor or a device having that processor.

[0030] The program may be installed from the program source. The program source may be a program distribution computer or a computer-readable recording medium (e.g., a non-temporary recording medium). The descriptions of each function are examples, and multiple functions may be combined into one function, or one function may be divided into multiple functions.

[0031] Furthermore, while processing may be described using "program" or "calculation unit" as the subject, processing described using "program" as the subject may also be processing performed by the processor or a device having such a processor. Also, two or more programs may be implemented as a single program, or one program may be implemented as two or more programs.

[0032] Furthermore, in the following explanation, information obtained from inputs may be described in table format using expressions such as "xxx information." However, the structure of each table is just an example, and one table may be divided into two or more tables, or all or part of two or more tables may be combined into one table.

[0033] The following examples will be described with reference to the drawings. [Examples]

[0034] Figure 1 illustrates an example of a production line and process design. Production line 001 consists of one or more pieces of equipment arranged in a row, through which products are produced.

[0035] Equipment 002 is an element that makes up production line 001 and is composed of one or more components 003. Component 003 is an element that makes up equipment 002. For example, it could be a robot, a hand, a worker, a parts feeder, or a workbench.

[0036] Product 004 is an object produced on production line 001 and requires one or more operations 005 to produce. In this embodiment, even if a product is mass-produced, one physical product is not treated as an individual product 004; rather, products that require the same operations to produce are treated as the same product 004.

[0037] Task 005 is a task necessary for producing the product and needs to be assigned to a compatible piece of equipment 002 in order to be performed. For example, pick-place is assigned to equipment S01.

[0038] Process design 006 consists of line configuration, which determines which equipment will make up the production line, and work assignment, which determines which equipment on the production line will perform which tasks on the product.

[0039] Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration diagram of the production line design device in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the production line design device 100 will be described as an example of implementation using a standalone computer having an input device 110, an output device 120, an external storage device 130, a main memory device 140, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 150 connected by a bus.

[0040] This may also be implemented using a cloud service that provides computing resources. The input device 110 is a device that inputs information from a user or an external system to the production line design device.

[0041] The output device 120 is a device that outputs information to the production line design device to the user or an external system. The external storage device 130 is a device that stores information input from the input device 110, information processed by the production line design device, and information output from the output device 120.

[0042] The external storage device 130 stores product work information 131, component information 132, equipment candidate information 133, work equipment correspondence information 134, process design condition information 135, component classification information 136, equipment common ID information 137, process design variable information 138, and process design result information 139.

[0043] The main memory 140 performs calculations based on the information stored in the external memory 130 and saves the results to the external memory 130. The main memory 140 stores the equipment common ID calculation unit 141, the process design variable calculation unit 142, the process design variable cost calculation unit 143, the process design calculation unit 144, the main component calculation unit 145, and the common component calculation unit 146.

[0044] Each computing unit, implemented as a software module stored in the main memory 140, refers to information stored in the external memory 130 and is executed by the CPU 150.

[0045] Figure 3 shows an example of product work information in the embodiment. Product ID 131a is an identifier used to distinguish between multiple product varieties that differ even partially in the production process, and is a different identifier for each product produced. However, it may be omitted if there is only one product and there is no need to distinguish it.

[0046] Task ID 131b is an identifier used to distinguish tasks involved in producing a product, and a different identifier is stored for each task. However, if there are common tasks for different products, the same identifier may be used.

[0047] For example, in a built-to-order product where different parts are assembled for each product type, the same identifier may be used for the assembly of common parts between two product types that differ in some of their components.

[0048] Task name 131c is the name assigned to the task of producing a product, and is uniquely determined for each task ID 131b. However, the same task name 131c may be used for different task IDs 131b.

[0049] Figure 4 shows an example of component information in an embodiment. Component information 132 is information about the components that make up the equipment that constitutes the production line. Component ID 132a is an identifier used to distinguish components, and is an independent identifier for each component.

[0050] Component name 132b is the name assigned to a component and is uniquely determined for component ID 132a. However, the same component name 132b may be used for different component IDs 132a.

[0051] Cost 132c is a numerical value representing the cost of the component, and may include currency as a unit. However, it may be omitted if cost information is not required for process design.

[0052] Furthermore, the cost can be not only the purchase price but also a cost per hour, such as labor costs or depreciation expenses. The component information may also include values ​​such as carbon dioxide emissions.

[0053] Figure 5 shows an example of equipment candidate information in the embodiment. Equipment ID 133a is an identifier used to distinguish equipment candidates, and each equipment candidate has a different identifier.

[0054] Component 133b stores one or more component IDs that make up the equipment candidate. These component IDs correspond to component ID 132a in the component information.

[0055] Figure 6 shows an example of work equipment compatibility information in an embodiment. This information indicates whether the work can be performed using the equipment.

[0056] Task ID 134a is an identifier for the task and corresponds to Task ID 131b in the product task information. Equipment ID 134b is an identifier for the equipment candidate and corresponds to Equipment ID 133a in the equipment candidate information. Compatibility status 134c indicates whether the task indicated by the Task ID can be performed using the equipment candidate indicated by the Equipment ID.

[0057] In this example, True is stored if the task is feasible, and False if it is not. The task time 134d is a numerical value representing the time required for the task if feasibility 134c is feasible, and may include a unit representing time. If feasibility 134c is not feasible, no data representing time is included. For example, a common hyphen may be used to indicate that no data is included.

[0058] Figure 7 shows an example of process design condition information in an embodiment. Production period 135a is the period during which the product is produced on the designed production line. Production quantity per product 135b is the production quantity that should be produced on the production line for each product ID. Objective function 135c is the objective function of the process design, and can be a word or formula that is generally minimized or maximized in process design, such as minimizing cost or minimizing cycle time.

[0059] Furthermore, if there are limitations on the number of pieces of equipment on a production line due to the size of the factory, etc., information may be included, such as a maximum number of 135d for the number of pieces of equipment. Also, information regarding the limit on the number of workers required for a production line may be included, such as a maximum number of 135e for the number of workers.

[0060] Figure 8 shows an example of component classification information for the calculation of key components within a task in an embodiment. This is an example at the end of the calculation of key components within a task.

[0061] Task ID 135a is an identifier for the task and corresponds to Task ID 131b in the product task information. Equipment ID 135b is an identifier for the equipment candidate and corresponds to Equipment ID 133a in the equipment candidate information.

[0062] The main component 136c stores one or more different component IDs for each equipment ID 135b with the same work ID 135a. This component ID corresponds to the component ID 132a in the component information.

[0063] The auxiliary component 136d stores zero or more component IDs that are included in the component 136b of the equipment candidate information corresponding to the equipment ID 135b, but are not included in the main component 136c. Alternatively, the above process may be implemented by calling calculation processing such as macros each time.

[0064] Figure 9 shows an example of component classification information for common component calculation in the embodiment. This is an example of component classification information at the end of the common component calculation or when it is input from the input device 110.

[0065] The calculation of common components for the work involves reducing the number of components included in the main component 136c and moving them to the auxiliary component 136d.

[0066] Figure 10 shows an example of common equipment ID information in an embodiment. It is an example of common equipment ID information 137 that classifies the equipment candidates included in the equipment candidate information 133 and distinguishes them with a common ID. Common equipment ID 137a is an identifier that classifies the equipment candidates included in the equipment candidate information using the main component 136c of the component classification information and distinguishes the classified sets.

[0067] The main component 137b is identical to the main component 136c, which is classified under the common equipment ID 137a. The reference equipment 137c stores one or more equipment IDs 133a of the equipment candidate information classified under the common equipment ID 137a.

[0068] Figure 11 shows an example of process design variable information in an embodiment. Decision variable ID 138a is a variable that indicates whether the production line is composed of equipment candidates in the process design. It is a variable that indicates whether product work and equipment candidates are assigned.

[0069] For example, the decision variable can be a non-negative integer. If it is 0, the equipment candidate will not be used in the production line configuration and no work will be assigned to it. If it is 1 or greater, the equipment candidates will be placed in the order of the decision variable ID from the end of the production line, and work will be assigned to them.

[0070] However, the meaning of the variables is not limited to this example. For example, one could use a variable indicating whether the production line is composed of equipment candidates, and another variable indicating whether product tasks are assigned to equipment candidates, as separate decision variables.

[0071] Product ID 138b is a product identifier and corresponds to Product ID 131a. Task ID 138c is a task identifier and corresponds to Task ID 131b in the product task information. Equipment Common ID 138d is an identifier for a set of classified equipment candidates and corresponds to Equipment Common ID 137a.

[0072] Feasibility 138e indicates whether the work can be performed using the equipment, and corresponds to Feasibility 134c. In this example, True indicates feasibility, and False indicates feasibility. Work time 138f is a numerical value representing the time required for the work, and corresponds to Work time 134d.

[0073] The main cost 138g is the sum of the component information costs 132c for all component IDs included in the main component 137b of the equipment common ID information, which corresponds to equipment common ID 137a in equipment common ID 138d.

[0074] The auxiliary cost 138h is the sum of the component information costs 132c for all component IDs included in auxiliary component 136d, where work ID 138c corresponds to work ID 136a, and equipment common ID 137a corresponds to equipment common ID information reference equipment 137c, which includes equipment ID 136b.

[0075] Figure 12 shows an example of process design result information in an embodiment. It is an example of process design result information that represents the equipment candidates that constitute the production line as a result of the process design, and the work required to produce the products assigned to those equipment candidates.

[0076] Product ID 139a is a product identifier and corresponds to Product ID 131a. Configuration ID 139b is an identifier assigned sequentially to the equipment that makes up the production line. In configurations that include multiple identical equipment candidates, a different identifier is assigned to each equipment candidate.

[0077] Equipment ID 139c is an identifier for a candidate piece of equipment and corresponds to Equipment ID 133a in the candidate piece of equipment information. Task ID 139d is an identifier for a task and corresponds to Task ID 131b in the product task information. Common piece of equipment ID 139e is an identifier for a set of classified candidate pieces of equipment and corresponds to Common piece of equipment ID 137a.

[0078] The work time 139f is a numerical value indicating the time required for the work, and corresponds to the work time 134d. The cost 139g is the sum of the component information costs 132c for all components 133b of the equipment candidate information corresponding to equipment ID 139c.

[0079] Figure 13 is an example flowchart showing the production line design process in the embodiment. First, in S100, user input is received from the input device and product work information 131 is saved to the external storage device 130. Next, in S101, component information 132 received from the input device is saved to the external storage device 130.

[0080] Next, in S102, the equipment candidate information 133 received from the input device is saved to the external storage device 130. Next, in S103, the work equipment correspondence information 134 received from the input device is saved to the external storage device 130.

[0081] Next, in S200, it is determined whether component classification information can be obtained from the input device. If it can be obtained, the process proceeds to S104.

[0082] If major component classification information cannot be obtained, the process proceeds to S500, where the major component calculation unit 145 calculates the major components and saves the component classification information to component classification information 136. The processing in S500 reduces the effort required to pre-create component classification information.

[0083] Next, the process proceeds to S600, where the common component calculation unit 146 performs the common component calculation, updates the component classification information in component classification information 136, and then proceeds to S104.

[0084] While the S600 process is not strictly necessary, it reduces the calculation time for process design by increasing the number of overlapping equipment candidates for major components, reducing the number of common equipment IDs after the common equipment ID information calculation in S300, and reducing the number of determination variable ID 138a in the process design variable information after the process design calculation in S400. In S104, the component classification information is saved.

[0085] Next, in S300, the equipment common ID calculation unit 141 calculates the equipment common ID information and saves it. However, instead of providing the equipment common ID calculation unit 141, the same process may be implemented using a macro or the like in the process design variable information calculation.

[0086] The decision variable IDs included in the process design variable information are output to the output device, and the number of decision variable IDs becomes smaller than that of the equipment candidates in the work equipment correspondence information, demonstrating the effect of reducing the number of decision variable IDs.

[0087] For example, in Figure 6, there are 18 rows for work IDs T01, T02, and T03 in the work equipment correspondence information, but in Figure 11, the number of rows for work IDs T01, T02, and T03 with product ID P01 in the process design variable information has been reduced to 9 rows.

[0088] By understanding the effect of reducing the decision variable ID, users can estimate the computation time required for the objective function to converge, thereby reducing unnecessary computation time. Furthermore, it prevents inaccurate process design results due to the termination of insufficient calculations.

[0089] The process design variable information 138 and process design condition information 135 obtained here may be used to perform a process design calculation and output the process design results along with the process design variables in S105. The process design calculation uses general optimization methods such as genetic algorithms and linear programming problems to determine which equipment will make up the production line and which product operations will be performed on that equipment.

[0090] In general optimization, an objective function to be maximized or minimized, decision variables that must be determined to calculate the objective function, and constraints that the decision variables must satisfy are required.

[0091] First, as a decision variable, if we treat, for example, the decision variable ID138a in the process design variable information as an integer variable representing which piece of equipment on the production line it is or is not, then if the number is negative, the work for the product indicated by that product ID and work ID will not be performed on the equipment indicated by the common equipment ID.

[0092] If N is a number greater than or equal to 0, it indicates that the equipment indicated by the common equipment ID constitutes the Nth piece of equipment on the production line, and that the work for the product indicated by the product ID and work ID is performed on that equipment.

[0093] Next, as the objective function, if the objective function Xc of the process design condition information is cost minimization, the total cost required for the production line is calculated from the main cost 138g and auxiliary cost 138h of the equipment for which the decision variable ID 138a of the process design variable information is 0 or greater.

[0094] As a constraint, for example, consider the constraint that the target production volume must be produced within the production period. For equipment where the determination variable ID 138a of the process design variable information is 0 or greater, the cycle time for each product of that equipment can be calculated by summing the work time 138f for each product ID.

[0095] A constraint is imposed on all equipment constituting the production line: the product of the cycle time and the production quantity (135b) for each product, as specified in the process design conditions, must be less than the production period (135a) specified in the process design conditions.

[0096] Furthermore, a constraint can be imposed that the maximum number of equipment 135d in the process design condition information 135 is greater than the maximum value of the determination variable ID 138a in the process design variable information. Additionally, a constraint can be imposed that the maximum number of workers 135e is greater than the total number of workers included in the equipment components indicated by the equipment common ID of the determination variable ID 138a in the process design variable information.

[0097] Figure 14 is an example flowchart showing the process of calculating equipment common ID information in an embodiment. The equipment common ID calculation unit 141 extracts the main components common to the equipment using component classification information 136 and assigns an equipment common ID to each of these main components to create equipment common ID information 137.

[0098] First, in S301, a loop is started for all rows of component classification information 136, and row i of component classification information 136 is designated as row i.

[0099] Next, in S302, it is determined whether the main component 136c of row i exists in the main component 137b of the equipment common ID information 137. If it exists, the loop processing in S301 proceeds. If it does not exist, proceed to S303.

[0100] Next, in S303, a new common equipment ID 137a is generated in the common equipment ID information 137, and the main component 136c of row i is set to the main component 137b. The added row is designated as row j.

[0101] Next, in S304, a loop is started for all rows of component classification information 136, resulting in k rows. Then, in S305, it is determined whether the main component in row i matches the main component in row k. If they do not match, the loop in S304 is continued. If they do match, the process proceeds to S306.

[0102] Next, in S306, the equipment ID from row k is added to the reference equipment 137c in row j of the equipment common ID information 137. Then, in S307, the loop processing in S304 is continued. If the loop processing in S304 is completed, proceed to S308.

[0103] Next, in S308, the loop processing in S301 is continued. Once the loop processing in S301 is complete, S300 is terminated.

[0104] Figure 15 is an example flowchart showing the process of calculating process design variable information in an embodiment. The process design variable calculation unit 142 uses product work information 131, work equipment correspondence information 134, and equipment common ID information 137 to create process design variable information 138 by replacing the equipment ID in the work equipment correspondence information 134 with the corresponding equipment common ID. Alternatively, process design variable cost calculation, which will be described later in Figure 16, may also be performed.

[0105] First, in S401, a loop is started for all rows of product work information 131, and this is set to row i.

[0106] Next, in S402, a loop is started for all rows of the work equipment correspondence information 134, and row j is created. Then, in S403, it is determined whether the work ID 131b in row i matches the work ID 134a in row j. If they do not match, the loop in S402 continues. If they do match, proceed to S404.

[0107] Next, in S404, a loop is started for all rows of equipment common ID 137, and row k is created. Then, in S405, it is determined whether equipment ID 134b from row j is included in reference equipment 137c in row k. If it is not included, proceed to S407. If it is included, proceed to S406.

[0108] Next, in S406, a new decision variable ID is added to the process design variable information 138, and the product ID and work ID in row i, the equipment common ID in row k, and the equipment ID, compatibility status, and work time in row j are saved. Proceed to S450.

[0109] Next, in S450, if the component information includes costs, the process design variable cost calculation unit may calculate the process design variable costs and add information on major and minor costs to the process design variables. By using major and minor costs, the costs of the equipment constituting the production line can be used as objective functions or constraints during process design, allowing the user's intentions to be reflected in the process design in more detail.

[0110] Figure 16 is an example flowchart showing the process of calculating the cost of process design variables in an embodiment. The process design variable cost calculation unit 143 uses the component classification information 136 and component information 132 to calculate the total cost of major components and the total cost of auxiliary components, and modifies the process design variable information 138.

[0111] First, in S451, a loop is started for all rows of the component classification information in component classification information 136, resulting in m rows. Next, in S452, it is determined whether the work ID in row m matches the work ID in row i, and whether the equipment ID in row m matches the equipment ID in row j. If they do not match, the loop in S451 is continued. If they match, the process proceeds to S453.

[0112] Next, in S453, a loop is started for all component IDs included in the main component of row m, and that component ID is set to n. Next, in S454, a loop is started for all rows of component information 132, and this becomes row o. Next, in S455, it is determined whether component ID n matches the component ID of row o. If they do not match, the loop in S455 continues. If they do match, the process proceeds to S456.

[0113] Next, in S456, the cost in row o is added to the main cost in row l of the process design variable information 138. Next, in S457, the loop processing in S454 is continued. If the loop processing is completed, proceed to S458. Next, in S458, the loop processing in S453 is continued. If the loop processing is completed, proceed to S459.

[0114] Next, in S459, a loop is started for the component IDs included in the auxiliary components of row m. Let this component ID be n. Then, in S460, a loop is started for all rows of component information 132, resulting in row 0.

[0115] Next, in S461, it is determined whether component ID n matches the component ID in row o. If they do not match, the loop process in S460 proceeds. If they do match, the process proceeds to S462. Next, in S462, the cost of row o is added to the auxiliary cost of row l of the process design variable information 138. Next, in S463, the loop process in S460 proceeds. If the loop process is completed, the process proceeds to S464.

[0116] Next, in S464, the loop processing in S459 is carried out. If the loop processing is completed, proceed to S465. Next, in S465, the loop processing in S451 is carried out. If the loop processing is completed, terminate S450.

[0117] Next, in S407 of Figure 15, the loop processing of S404 is carried out. If the loop processing is completed, proceed to S408. Next, in S408, the loop processing of S402 is carried out. If the loop processing is completed, proceed to S409. Next, in S409, the loop processing of S401 is carried out. If the loop processing is completed, terminate S400.

[0118] Next, in step S105 of Figure 13, the process design variable information 138 is output to the output device 120.

[0119] Alternatively, by providing process design condition information 135, a process design calculation unit 144, and process design result information 139, process design condition information, which is information regarding the design conditions of the production line necessary for process design, can be acquired from the input device, stored in the process design condition information 135, the process design calculation unit 144 can perform process design calculations together with the process design variable information, the results can be stored in the process design result information 139, and output to the output device. In addition, the elapsed calculation time and the change in the best value of the objective function can be output to the output device as calculation progress during the process design calculation.

[0120] Process design calculations are achieved by using common optimization methods such as genetic algorithms and linear programming to calculate the configuration of candidate equipment that make up the production line and the assignment of product operations to these candidate equipment.

[0121] The process design calculation unit 144 outputs process design result information and calculation progress to an output device, thereby clarifying the causal relationship between the process design variable information, which is the input for process design, and the calculation time and process design result information. By confirming that the objective function has sufficiently converged and then terminating the process design calculation, it is possible to obtain necessary and sufficient process design result information while reducing the calculation time.

[0122] Figure 19 shows an example of the output screen of the production line design device in the embodiment. The file input screen 110a is the screen on which the input device receives input from the user. It may also include a button to start processing by the production line design device.

[0123] The process design variable screen 120a is a screen on which the output device displays process design variable information to the user. It may also display a work equipment correspondence table, component classification information, and equipment common ID information. The results display screen 120b is a screen on which the output device displays process design result information to the user.

[0124] When the user enters their respective files into the file input screen 110a and presses the button to start variable calculation, the process design variable information is calculated according to the process shown in Figure 13. The number of determination variables in the process design variable information is displayed in the text box for the number of determination variable IDs.

[0125] Furthermore, by referring to past data on the number of decision variables and the time required for optimization calculations, the predicted calculation time at which the calculation time expected from the number of decision variables converges is output to the process design variable screen 120a.

[0126] After the user confirms the estimated calculation time, they can press the "Start Process Design" button to begin the optimization calculation. At regular intervals, the value of the best solution's objective function at that point is output to the calculation progress screen 120c.

[0127] As time passes, the objective function (cost) converges, and the user can stop the calculation by pressing the process design stop button. Alternatively, the user can wait for the calculation to finish. Once the calculation is stopped or finished, the process design results information is output to the results display screen 120b, showing the equipment components, products and operations, and cycle time for each configuration ID, along with the total investment cost.

[0128] Figure 17 is an example flowchart showing the process of calculating major components in an embodiment. The major component calculation unit 145 uses the work equipment correspondence information 134 and equipment candidate information 133 to classify components that are included in only one equipment candidate among the equipment candidates that can correspond to a certain work as major components, and classifies the other components as auxiliary components, thereby creating component classification information. First, in S501, a loop is started for all rows of the work equipment correspondence information 134, and row i is created. Next, in S502, a loop is started for all rows of the equipment candidate information 133, and row j is created. Next, in S503, it is determined whether the equipment ID in row i matches the equipment ID in row j. If they do not match, the loop in S502 is continued. If they match, the process proceeds to S504.

[0129] Next, in S504, row k is inserted into the component classification information 136, and the work ID in row i and the equipment ID in row j are saved. Then, in S505, a loop is started for all component IDs included in the component in row j, and the component ID is set to l.

[0130] Next, in S506, component ID l is added to the main component of row k. Then, in S507, a loop is started for all rows of equipment candidate information in work equipment correspondence information 134, resulting in row m. Next, in S508, it is determined whether the work ID in row i matches the work ID in row m. If they do not match, the loop in S507 is continued. If they match, proceed to S509.

[0131] Next, in S509, it is determined whether the equipment ID in row i matches the equipment ID in row m. If they match, the loop process in S507 continues. If they do not match, proceed to S510. Next, in S510, the loop process is started for all rows of equipment candidate information 133, resulting in row n. Next, in S511, it is determined whether the equipment ID in row n matches the equipment ID in row m. If they do not match, the loop process in S510 continues. If they match, proceed to S512.

[0132] Next, in S512, it is determined whether component ID l is included in the component of row n. If not, proceed to S514. If it is included, proceed to S513. Next, in S513, component ID l is moved from the main component of row k to the auxiliary component. The loop processing in S510 proceeds.

[0133] Next, in S514, the loop processing in S510 is carried out. If the loop processing is completed, proceed to S515. Next, in S515, the loop processing in S507 is carried out. If the loop processing is completed, proceed to S516. Next, in S516, the loop processing in S505 is carried out. If the loop processing is completed, proceed to S517.

[0134] Next, in S517, the loop processing in S502 is continued. If the loop processing is completed, proceed to S518. Next, in S518, the loop processing in S501 is continued. If the loop processing is completed, the calculation of the main components is terminated.

[0135] Figure 18 is an example flowchart showing the common component calculation process in the embodiment. The common component calculation unit 146 uses the component classification information 136 to modify the component classification information by moving non-common main components to auxiliary components so that the components included in the main components are common to as many equipment candidates as possible.

[0136] First, in S601, a sufficiently large loop is started. A timeout can be set based on the number of loop iterations or duration. Next, in S602, the component classification information of component classification information 136 is copied to temporary storage A. Then, in S603, a loop is started for all rows of component classification information of component classification information 136, resulting in row i.

[0137] Next, as S604, a counter is prepared that can count the numbers for each component ID included in the main component of row i. Next, as S605, a loop is started for all rows of component classification information 136, resulting in row j. Next, as S606, a loop is started for all component IDs included in the main component of row i, resulting in component ID k.

[0138] Next, in S607, it is determined whether the main component of row j contains component ID k. If it does not, the loop process in S606 continues. If it does contain k, proceed to S608. Next, in S608, 1 is added to the counter for component ID k. Next, in S609, the loop process in S606 continues. If the loop process is completed, proceed to S610.

[0139] Next, in S610, the loop processing in S605 is continued. If the loop processing is completed, proceed to S611. Next, in S611, among the component IDs included in the main component of row i, all component IDs except the most frequently occurring component ID are moved to the auxiliary component of row i. Multiple frequently occurring component IDs may be retained.

[0140] Next, in S612, the loop processing in S603 is continued. If the loop processing is completed, proceed to S613. Next, in S613, it is determined whether the component classification information in temporary storage A and component classification information 136 match. If they do not match, proceed to the loop processing in S601. If they match, the common component calculation is terminated.

[0141] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are included. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail to make the present invention easier to understand, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace parts of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add configurations from other embodiments to the configuration of one embodiment. In addition, it is possible to add, delete, or replace parts of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0142] Furthermore, each of the above configurations, functions, processing units, and processing means may be implemented in hardware by designing some or all of them as integrated circuits. Each of the above configurations, functions, and means may also be implemented in software by having the processor interpret and execute programs that realize each function. Information such as programs, tables, and files that realize each function can be stored in memory, a recording device such as a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

[0143] The control lines and information lines shown are those deemed necessary for explanatory purposes and do not necessarily represent all control lines and information lines in the actual product. In practice, it is safe to assume that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0144] 100 Production System Design Equipment 110 Input Device 120 Output device 131 Product Operation Information 132 Component Information 133 Equipment Candidate Information 134 Work Equipment Compatibility Information 135 Process design condition information 136 Component Classification Information 137 Equipment Common ID Information 138 Process Design Variable Information 139 Process design result information 141 Equipment common ID calculation section 142 Process Design Variable Calculation Unit 143 Process Design Variable Cost Calculation Unit 144 Process design calculation department 145 Main Component Calculation Unit 146 Common Component Calculation Unit

Claims

1. In a production line design device for designing product production lines, Product work information stores products and the tasks required to produce them in association with each other. Work equipment correspondence information that stores the aforementioned work and the equipment necessary to perform the aforementioned work in association, Component classification information that stores the main components and auxiliary components constituting the aforementioned equipment in association with each other. A storage unit that includes a reference equipment which is equipment that uses the main components and stores equipment common ID information in association with it, When the work included in the product work information and the work equipment correspondence information match, if the equipment included in the matching work equipment correspondence information is not included in the reference equipment of the equipment common ID information, the process variable calculation unit adds the work, the equipment and decision variables to the process design variable information. A process design variable cost calculation unit that calculates the costs corresponding to the work and equipment corresponding to the added decision variables from component classification information, A production line design apparatus comprising an output device that outputs an investment cost obtained by summing the number of decision variables added by the process design variable calculation unit and the cost of each decision variable determined by the process design variable cost calculation unit.

2. In the production line design apparatus according to claim 1, A production line design device comprising a common equipment ID calculation unit that creates common equipment ID information by associating major components commonly used in equipment with reference equipment that uses those major components, based on the aforementioned component classification information.

3. In the production line design apparatus according to claim 1, A production line design apparatus comprising a main component calculation unit that, by referring to the aforementioned work equipment compatibility information, classifies components that are included in only one of the equipment candidates capable of handling the aforementioned work as main components in the component classification information.

4. In the production line design apparatus according to claim 1, A production line design apparatus comprising a common component calculation unit that uses components included in the main components of the aforementioned component classification information, with a predetermined frequency of occurrence or less, as auxiliary components.

5. In a production line design method for designing a product production line, Product work information stores products and the tasks required to produce them in association with each other. Work equipment correspondence information that stores the aforementioned work and the equipment necessary to perform the aforementioned work in association, Component classification information that stores the main components and auxiliary components constituting the aforementioned equipment in association with each other, Equipment common ID information that stores the main components of the aforementioned equipment in association with reference equipment, Store it in the memory unit, When the process design variable calculation unit finds that the work included in the product work information and the work equipment correspondence information match, and the equipment included in the matching work equipment correspondence information is not included in the reference equipment of the equipment common ID information, it adds the work, the equipment and the decision variable to the process design variable information. The process design variable cost calculation unit obtains the costs corresponding to the work and equipment corresponding to the added decision variables from the component classification information. A production line design method in which an output device outputs the investment cost obtained by summing the number of decision variables added by the process design variable calculation unit and the cost of each decision variable calculated by the process design variable cost calculation unit.

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