Production line design apparatus, production line design system, and production line design method

Abstract

To improve the productivity of production line designing.SOLUTION: A production line designing device includes: a storage part which stores equipment configuration information for defining the configuration of the number of units including at least one of each main equipment for performing main operation in a production line and set-up equipment for performing auxiliary operation of the main equipment, a moving system of the applicable set-up equipment, arrangement pattern definition information including one or more arrangement patterns for defining a combination of relative position relationship between the applicable main equipment and the set-up equipment; and a processor which uses the equipment configuration information and the arrangement pattern definition information to execute layout candidate generation processing of combining the arrangement patterns to generate layout information which satisfies the configuration of the number of units.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a production line design apparatus, a production line design system, and a production line design method. [Background technology]

[0002] The introduction of a production line involves several phases, including inquiry, design, hardware manufacturing, software creation, installation testing, and delivery. Of these, the design phase requires determining the equipment configuration and layout. One method for improving productivity in the design phase is the automation of layout placement.

[0003] Traditionally, production lines have been automated using main equipment (so-called processing machines) such as machine tools, injection molding machines, and inspection equipment to perform value-added operations such as turning and drilling. Additionally, setup equipment such as robots and loaders are used to perform setup and transport operations that do not add value, such as welding and painting. Peripheral equipment such as material stockers, hand exchange stockers, travel rails, and conveyors are used as equipment necessary for the main equipment or setup equipment to perform their tasks. The final layout was designed based on the layout of the main equipment, with this kind of subdivision and prioritization.

[0004] On the other hand, in recent years, there has been an increasing demand for fully automated production lines by combining main equipment and setup equipment from the outset, making layout design increasingly difficult. Specifically, the widespread adoption of movable setup equipment that moves along rails or ceiling guides, rather than being fixed to the floor, has increased the freedom of layout, and consequently, the number of possible layout combinations has increased exponentially. For example, when laying out three main equipment units and two setup equipment units, it is becoming possible to generate tens of thousands to hundreds of billions of possible layouts through a brute-force approach.

[0005] Patent Document 1 describes a device for designing the layout of a production line in which workpiece transport equipment is sequentially connected, comprising: a transport equipment database that stores information on the general planar shape of the transport equipment, information on the loading position and loading direction of the workpiece into the transport equipment, and information on the loading position and loading direction of the workpiece out of the transport equipment for each type of transport equipment; a device that stores the upstream transport equipment type and the downstream transport equipment type in association; a device that displays the pre-change layout in which the transport equipment group is arranged according to the condition that the loading position and loading direction of the downstream transport equipment match the loading position and loading direction of the upstream transport equipment; and the transport equipment stored in association. The description states: "A production line layout design device having a change specification input means that allows specifying the type of conveying equipment to be added between conveying equipment, specifying a command to delete one of the associated stored conveying equipment, and specifying the type of conveying equipment to replace one of the associated stored conveying equipment; and a device that, when any change of "addition, deletion, or replacement" is entered in the change specification input means, displays a modified layout in which the group of conveying equipment downstream of the modified conveying equipment is rearranged according to the condition that the loading position and loading direction of the downstream conveying equipment coincide with the loading position and loading direction of the upstream conveying equipment." [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-317079 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The technology described in Patent Document 1 above provides layout design technology under the premise that the equipment to be designed is fixed to the floor and cannot be moved. On the other hand, in order to calculate equipment layouts that include not only floor-fixed equipment but also movable equipment, it is necessary to design the layout including movable methods that represent the possibility of movement of equipment, such as floor travel and ceiling travel, in addition to equipment that is assumed to be fixed to the floor. The technology described in Patent Document 1 does not mention a layout design method that includes the movable methods of equipment, and is limited to equipment layout design that assumes equipment is fixed to the floor, and it is not possible to obtain equipment layouts that include movable methods. Furthermore, if the target problem is extended to equipment layouts that include the movable methods of equipment, the number of combinations of layout candidates to be searched increases exponentially with the increase in the number of equipment, so it may not be possible to derive a layout that optimizes the set KPI within a practical time.

[0008] The objective of this invention is to improve the productivity of production line design. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] This application includes several means to solve at least some of the above problems, and some examples are as follows.

[0010] One aspect of the present invention is a production line design apparatus comprising: a storage unit that stores equipment configuration information defining a number configuration including at least one main piece of equipment that performs the main work on the production line and at least one setup piece of equipment that performs auxiliary work on the main piece of equipment; arrangement pattern definition information including one or more arrangement patterns that define a movable method for the setup piece of equipment that can be adopted and a combination of the relative positional relationship between the main piece of equipment and the setup piece of equipment that can be adopted; and a processor that performs a layout candidate generation process that generates layout information that satisfies the number configuration by combining the arrangement patterns using the equipment configuration information and the arrangement pattern definition information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for improving the productivity of the design of a production line.

[0012] Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the description of the following embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a production line design system. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of equipment configuration information. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of arrangement pattern definition information. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of equipment candidate information. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of constraint condition information. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of process allocation information. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of layout information. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of layout evaluation information. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a production line design device. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing an example of the flowchart of a production line design process. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing an example of the flowchart of a layout candidate generation process. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing an example of the flowchart of a layout evaluation process. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing an example of a candidate list display screen. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing an example of a candidate details display screen. [Figure 15] It is a diagram showing an example of a cycle time display screen.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] In the following embodiments, where necessary for convenience, the description will be divided into multiple sections or embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, these are not unrelated, and one may be a modification, detail, or supplementary explanation of part or all of the other.

[0015] Furthermore, in the following embodiments, when referring to the number of elements (including the number of elements, numerical values, quantities, ranges, etc.), unless specifically indicated 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, in the following embodiments, it goes without saying that the components (including elemental steps, etc.) are not necessarily essential, except in cases where they are specifically indicated or where they are 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 drawings 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 there is a high risk of confusion due to environmental changes or other reasons causing the same designation as the component before the change, a different reference numeral or name may be used. Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] In the following description, "input unit," "output unit," "display unit," and "interface device" may refer to one or more interface devices. These one or more interface devices may be at least one of the following: • One or more I / O (Input / Output) interface devices. An I / O (Input / Output) interface device is an interface device to at least one of the following: an I / O device and a remote display computer. The I / O interface device to the display computer may be a communication interface device. The at least one I / O device may be either a user interface device, such as an input device like a keyboard and a pointing device, or an output device like a display device. • One or more communication interface devices. One or more communication interface devices may be one or more identical communication interface devices (e.g., one or more NICs (Network Interface Cards)) or two or more different communication interface devices (e.g., a NIC and an HBA (Host Bus Adapter)).

[0020] Furthermore, in the following explanation, "memory" refers to one or more memory devices, which are examples of one or more storage devices, and may typically be main memory devices. At least one memory device in memory may be a volatile memory device or a non-volatile memory device.

[0021] Furthermore, in the following explanation, "persistent storage device" may refer to 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), and specifically may be, for example, HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), SSDs (Solid State Drives), NVME (Non-Volatile Memory Express) drives, or SCMs (Storage Class Memory).

[0022] Furthermore, in the following explanation, "storage unit" or "storage device" can refer to either memory or persistent storage, or both.

[0023] Furthermore, in the following description, "processing unit" or "processor" may refer to one or more processor devices. At least one processor device may typically be a microprocessor device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also be other types of processor devices 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. At least one processor device may be a broad-sense processor device such as a circuit that is a collection of gate arrays according to a hardware description language that performs some or all of the processing (e.g., FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit)).

[0024] Furthermore, in the following explanation, functions may be described using the expression "yyy section," but a function may be realized by the execution of one or more computer programs by a processor, by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., FPGA or ASIC), or by a combination thereof. When a function is realized by the execution of a program by a processor, the defined processing is carried out using memory and / or interface devices as appropriate, so the function may be at least a part of the processor. Processing described with a function as the subject may be processing performed by the processor or a device having that processor. Programs may be installed from program source. Program source may be, for example, a program distribution computer or a computer-readable recording medium (e.g., a non-temporary recording medium). The description of each function is an example, and multiple functions may be combined into one function, or one function may be divided into multiple functions.

[0025] Furthermore, in the following explanation, processing may be described using "program" or "processing unit" as the subject. However, processing described using "program" as the subject may also be processing performed by a 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.

[0026] Furthermore, in the following explanation, we may use expressions such as "xxx information" to describe information from which an output can be obtained for a given input. This information can be any data structure, or it can be a neural network that generates an output for a given input, a learning model such as a genetic algorithm, or a random forest. Also, in the following explanation, the data structure of each piece of information is just an example; one data structure may be divided into two or more data structures, or all or part of two or more data structures may be a single data structure.

[0027] Furthermore, in the following explanation, "system" may refer to a system composed of one or more physical computers, or a system implemented on a group of physical computing resources (e.g., a cloud infrastructure) (e.g., a cloud computing system). "Displaying" information by a production line design device may mean displaying the information on a display device owned by a computer, or the computer may transmit the information to a display computer (in the latter case, the display computer will display the information).

[0028] [Example 1] In this example, assuming a flow shop line where the order of the main equipment used is the same for all workpieces to be produced, the problem is to design a layout in which the arrangement of the main equipment, setup equipment, and peripheral equipment, including the movable method of the setup equipment, is determined from a set of input information including equipment configuration information, constraint information such as floor space and cycle time, and process allocation information.

[0029] Here, a job shop refers to a production line configuration in which the order of the main equipment used is the same for all workpieces being produced, that is, the route of the main equipment used is the same.

[0030] Main equipment refers to equipment that performs value-adding operations. For example, main equipment includes machine tools, injection molding machines, and inspection equipment. Setup equipment refers to equipment that performs non-value-adding setup operations, such as loading and unloading workpieces from main equipment and transporting workpieces between main equipment. For example, setup equipment includes industrial robots, gantry loaders, and automated guided vehicles with robotic arms. Peripheral equipment refers to equipment necessary for main equipment or setup equipment to perform operations. For example, peripheral equipment includes material stockers, conveyors, floor rails, and ceiling rails.

[0031] The production line in this embodiment consists of one or more stations. Each station is required to consist of one setup unit and one or more main units. Each station may also include peripheral equipment required by the main unit and setup unit to perform their work.

[0032] The products to be manufactured shall have one or more processes defined for the completion of production. All processes shall be assigned to one of the main pieces of equipment, and multiple processes may be assigned to a single piece of equipment.

[0033] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a production line design system. The production line design system 1 includes a production line design device 100 and is installed at the manufacturing site (area) or at a facility outside the manufacturing site. The production line design system 1 includes a group of devices such as a display computer that are connected to the system via a network (not shown) and are compatible with the usage environment.

[0034] Although not shown in the diagram, the network is, for example, a communication network that uses public telephone lines such as LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), VPN (Virtual Private Network), or the Internet, or a mobile phone communication network, or a combination thereof. The network may also be a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or 5G (Generation).

[0035] The production line design device 100 includes an input unit 110, a display unit 120, a communication unit 130, a processing unit 140, and a storage unit 150. The input unit 110 receives input information that is displayed and operated on a screen, for example, and is entered via a keyboard or mouse. The display unit 120 is a type of processing unit that performs presentation processing on the information to be displayed on the output screen and outputs it to the screen, and also performs screen control in response to on-screen operation inputs such as scrolling, sorting, and highlighting.

[0036] The display unit 120 displays the results of the arrangement pattern combinations, layout information 156, and a two-dimensional or three-dimensional equipment layout diagram related to the layout information 156. The display unit 120 also displays the results of the arrangement pattern combinations, layout information 156, and the results of the layout evaluation process, including an evaluation of whether or not it is applicable to the production line. The display unit 120 also displays process assignment information 155 and the cycle time calculated for each piece of layout information 156.

[0037] The communication unit 130 communicates with a group of devices, such as a display computer, that are connected via a network (not shown) and are appropriate to the user environment. The processing unit 140 includes a layout candidate generation unit 141 and a layout evaluation unit 142. The storage unit 150 includes equipment configuration information 151, arrangement pattern definition information 152, equipment candidate information 153, constraint condition information 154, process assignment information 155, layout information 156, and layout evaluation information 157.

[0038] Figure 2 shows an example of the data structure of equipment configuration information. Equipment configuration information 151 is information that defines the minimum necessary production equipment that constitutes the production line under design. Equipment configuration information 151 stores the following information associated with the line ID 151a and station ID 151b that execute production: equipment classification 151c which identifies whether the equipment to be placed is main equipment, setup equipment or peripheral equipment, equipment name 151d, purchase price 151e, external width 151f, external height 151g, and external dimensions 151h. In other words, equipment configuration information 151 can be said to be information that defines the number of units in a production line configuration that includes at least one main unit that performs the main work and at least one setup unit that performs auxiliary work for the main unit.

[0039] When the major equipment category 151c is "setup equipment," it indicates that the equipment is setup equipment, and setup equipment requires additional peripheral equipment depending on its method of movement. For example, if the method of movement of the setup equipment is "floor-mounted rails," then "floor-mounted rails" are required as peripheral equipment. The peripheral equipment required in accordance with the method of movement of the setup equipment is selected from the equipment candidate information 153 through processing by the layout candidate generation unit 141, which will be described later, and stored in the layout information 156.

[0040] An example of equipment configuration information 151 shows that station ID 151b "1" includes one robot ("Robot A"), one processing machine ("Processing Machine A"), and one material stocker ("Material Stocker A"). Similarly, an example of equipment configuration information 151 shows that station ID 151b "2" includes one conveyor ("Conveyor C"), one robot ("Robot B"), three processing machines ("Processing Machine B", "Processing Machine C", "Processing Machine D"), and one product stocker ("Product Stocker A").

[0041] Furthermore, in the equipment category 151c, for example, if the main equipment includes not only a processing machine but also an injection molding machine and an inspection device, these may be stored separately as "Main Equipment 1," "Main Equipment 2," and "Main Equipment 3." Additionally, equipment that performs workpiece transfer operations between production lines, such as automated guided vehicles and forklifts, may be stored as "Inter-line Transfer Equipment."

[0042] The purchase price 151e is information that identifies the purchase price of the equipment. The external width 151f, external length 151g, and external height 151h are information that identifies the width, length, and height of the equipment's bounding box, respectively.

[0043] Figure 3 shows an example of the data structure of the layout pattern definition information. The layout pattern definition information 152 defines the correspondence between the applicable movement method of the setup equipment and the applicable relative positional relationship between the main equipment and the setup equipment. In other words, the layout pattern definition information 152 can be said to be information that includes one or more layout patterns that define combinations of the applicable movement method of the setup equipment and the applicable relative positional relationship between the main equipment and the setup equipment. Furthermore, the layout patterns in the layout pattern definition information 152 are associated according to the ratio of the number of main equipment and setup equipment units.

[0044] The layout pattern definition information 152 stores, for each layout pattern ID 152a, the ratio of main equipment to setup equipment units 152b, the setup equipment movement method 152c, and the relative position of main equipment to setup equipment 152d, in association with each other. The ratio of main equipment to setup equipment units 152b is information on the number of main equipment units that one setup equipment unit can handle. The setup equipment movement method 152c is information that specifies the method of movement of the setup equipment (floor-mounted or floor-mounted rail). The relative position of main equipment to setup equipment 152d is information that specifies the placement position of the main equipment relative to the setup equipment.

[0045] Here, if the relative position 152d of the main equipment and setup equipment is "upper level," the plan view 152e shows a positional relationship in which the main equipment is placed on the upper level, i.e., above, the setup equipment. Also, if the relative position 152d of the main equipment and setup equipment is "upper and lower levels," the plan view 152f shows a positional relationship in which the main equipment is placed on both the upper and lower levels, i.e., above and below, the setup equipment.

[0046] When the relative position 152d of the main equipment and setup equipment is "upper level, parallel," it indicates a positional relationship in which multiple main equipment pieces are arranged horizontally from left to right on the upper level of the setup equipment, as shown in the plan view 152g. Specifically, as shown in the layout diagram 620 in Figure 14 later, which shows the arrangement of processing machines B, C, and D relative to robot B and floor-running rail C, the main equipment pieces are arranged in a parallel line parallel to the longitudinal direction of the floor-running rail necessary for floor-running.

[0047] If the relative position 152d of the main equipment and setup equipment is "upper and lower levels, parallel," then the plan view 152h shows the positional relationship in which the main equipment is arranged horizontally from left to right, using the space of the upper and lower levels of the setup equipment.

[0048] The setup equipment movable system 152c includes either "floor-mounted" or "floor-mounted rails," but may also include other types such as "free-moving on the floor," like an automated transport system with a robotic arm, or "ceiling-mounted rails," like an industrial robot with ceiling-mounted rails.

[0049] Figure 4 shows an example of the data structure of equipment candidate information. Equipment candidate information 153 is information that defines the specifications of peripheral equipment required depending on the movement method of the setup equipment. For each equipment ID 153a of a candidate piece of equipment, the equipment candidate information 1533 stores the following associated information: equipment category 153b which identifies whether the equipment is main equipment, setup equipment or peripheral equipment; equipment name 153c; rail length 153d which indicates the length of the equipment; purchase price 153e; and movement speed 153f which identifies the movement speed if it is setup equipment or equipment that moves a workpiece.

[0050] Furthermore, while the equipment configuration information 151 stores the minimum necessary equipment regardless of the setup equipment's movement method, the equipment candidate information 153 stores equipment whose necessity changes depending on the setup equipment's movement method. For example, if the setup equipment's movement method is "floor-mounted," the necessary peripheral equipment is "floor-mounted fasteners." Similarly, if the setup equipment's movement method is "floor-mounted rails," the necessary peripheral equipment is "floor-mounted rails."

[0051] Here, the equipment candidate information 153 may include rail width information. By using rail width information, it is possible to select equipment candidates that satisfy the floor space constraints when there are constraints on floor space.

[0052] Figure 5 shows an example of the data structure for constraint information. Constraint information 154 defines the conditions that the production line being designed must satisfy. For each constraint ID 154a, constraint information 154 stores a constraint item 154b and a set value 154c in association. The constraint information includes an upper limit on the cycle time of the main equipment.

[0053] For example, if constraint item 154b is "cycle time limit" and its set value is "300 seconds", the layout evaluation unit 142, described later, will use this to evaluate that the constraint is satisfied if the cycle time value is less than or equal to the limit of "300 seconds". Similarly, if constraint item 154b is "floor space vertical width limit" and its set value is "6m (meters)", the layout evaluation unit 142, described later, will use this to evaluate that the constraint is satisfied if the floor space vertical width value is less than or equal to the limit of "6m". The same applies to the floor space horizontal width limit.

[0054] Figure 6 shows an example of the data structure of process assignment information. Process assignment information 155 defines the equipment assigned to the process of the product to be manufactured and the working time of that process. In other words, process assignment information 155 includes information on the main equipment, the process performed by the main equipment, the setup equipment used in the process, and the working time of the process.

[0055] The process assignment information 155 stores the following information in association with the product ID 155a and its process ID 155b: process details 155c, line ID 155d, station ID 155e, main equipment 155f, main equipment working time 155g, setup equipment 155h, and setup equipment working time 155j.

[0056] Process details 155c is text information describing the process. Line ID 155d, station ID 155e, and main equipment 155f are information that identifies the main equipment responsible for the process and its logical arrangement. Main equipment work time 155g is the work time for the process performed on the main equipment. Setup equipment 155h is information that identifies the setup equipment that performs the setup work for the process performed on the main equipment. Setup equipment work time 155j is the work time for the setup performed on the setup equipment for that process.

[0057] Figure 7 shows an example of the data structure of layout information. Layout information 156 defines the placement coordinates of the equipment that constitute the production line being designed. In other words, layout information 156 is information resulting from combining equipment placement patterns to satisfy the required number of units.

[0058] In this embodiment, the layout is represented by coordinates where the lower left corner of the production line, when viewed from above, is the origin, the rightward direction (horizontal direction) is the x-direction, and the upward direction (vertical direction) perpendicular to the x-direction is the y-direction. The layout information 156 stores, for each line ID 156a and station ID 156b of the target line, the equipment name 156c, the center x-coordinate 156d, the center y-coordinate 156e, the amount of rotation 156f, the outer width 156g, and the outer height 156h, in association with each line.

[0059] Figure 8 shows an example of the data structure of layout evaluation information 157. Layout evaluation information 157 is information that stores evaluation values ​​based on layout evaluation indicators. Layout evaluation information 157 stores the cycle time 157b for each layout candidate ID 157a, the floor space length 157c, the floor space width 157d, and the total investment cost 157e, all associated with each other.

[0060] Returning to the explanation of Figure 1, the processing unit 140 includes a layout candidate generation unit 141 and a layout evaluation unit 142. The layout candidate generation unit 141 uses equipment configuration information 151 and arrangement pattern definition information 152 to combine arrangement patterns and generate multiple layout information 156 that satisfy the number configuration of main equipment and setup equipment. The layout candidate generation unit 141 also uses equipment candidate information 153 to arrange peripheral equipment according to the position of setup equipment in the arrangement pattern and includes it in the layout information. Furthermore, the layout candidate generation unit 141 identifies the arrangement pattern using the number ratio of main equipment and setup equipment.

[0061] The layout evaluation unit 142 calculates an evaluation value for each layout included in the layout information generated by the layout candidate generation unit 141 according to the evaluation index and outputs layout evaluation information 157. The layout evaluation unit 142 also uses the layout information 156 and the process assignment information 155 to calculate the cycle time for each main piece of equipment, including the working time of the main piece of equipment, the working time of the setup equipment, and the movement time of the setup equipment, and executes a layout evaluation process to evaluate the layout information that satisfies the constraints of the constraint information 154 as applicable to the production line.

[0062] Furthermore, if the process assignment information 155 includes multiple processes performed by the main equipment, the layout evaluation unit 142 calculates the cycle time by summing the work times of the processes for each piece of main equipment. Also, if the process assignment information 155 includes multiple processes performed by setup equipment, the layout evaluation unit 142 calculates the work time of the setup equipment by summing the work times of the processes for each piece of setup equipment. In addition, the layout evaluation unit 142 calculates the travel time of the setup equipment as the quotient between the travel distance of the setup equipment according to the process assignment information 155 and the travel speed of the setup equipment included in the equipment candidate information.

[0063] Figure 9 shows an example of the hardware configuration of a production line design device. The production line design device 100 can be realized as a general-purpose computer 300, or a network system comprising multiple such computers 300, which includes a processor 301, memory 302, storage 303 such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a storage medium read / write device 305 for reading or writing information to or from portable storage media 304 such as a CD (Compact Disk) or DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), an input device 306 such as a keyboard, mouse, or barcode reader, an output device 307 such as a display, and a communication device 308 for communicating with other computers via a communication network such as the Internet.

[0064] For example, the processing unit 140 can be implemented by loading a predetermined program stored in the storage 303 into the memory 302 and executing it with the processor 301; the input unit 110 and the display unit 120 can be implemented by the processor 301 utilizing the input device 306 and the output device 307; and the storage unit 150 can be implemented by the processor 301 utilizing the memory 302 or the storage 303.

[0065] This predetermined program may be downloaded to the storage 303 from the storage medium 304 via the storage medium read / write device 305, or from the network via the communication device 308, and then loaded onto the memory 302 and executed by the processor 301.

[0066] Alternatively, this predetermined program may be loaded directly onto the memory 302 from the storage medium 304 via the storage medium read / write device 305, or from the network via the communication device 308, and executed by the processor 301. The communication unit 130 can be implemented using the processor 301, the memory 302, and the communication device 308.

[0067] However, the production line design device 100 is not limited to this, and may also be a wearable computer that can be worn by an operator, such as a headset, goggles, glasses, or intercom.

[0068] Figure 10 shows an example of the production line design process flow. The production line design process starts when a start command is received from the user via the interface device.

[0069] First, the layout candidate generation unit 141 executes the layout candidate generation process described later (step S001). Then, the layout evaluation unit 142 executes the layout evaluation process described later (step S002). Finally, the display unit 120 displays the acquired results (step S003).

[0070] The above is an example of the production line design process flow. According to the production line design process, multiple layout candidates can be generated in a short time, which may include not only floor-mounted equipment but also movable setup equipment such as floor-mounted and ceiling-mounted equipment, and the optimal layout can be derived from a wide range of layout candidates.

[0071] Figure 11 shows an example of the layout candidate generation process flow. The layout candidate generation process starts in step S001 of the production line design process.

[0072] First, the input unit 110 accepts the input of equipment configuration information 151 (step S101). Then, the input unit 110 accepts the input of layout pattern definition information 152 (step S102). Then, the input unit 110 accepts the input of equipment candidate information 153 (step S103). The input of equipment configuration information 151, layout pattern definition information 152, and equipment candidate information 153 accepted by the input unit 110 may be based on the content entered into a predetermined input screen, or it may be configured to accept input such as a path for accessing data compiled as a database or file.

[0073] Then, the layout candidate generation unit 141 acquires setup equipment from the equipment stored in the equipment configuration information 151 and executes the following loop processing for all setup equipment r (steps S104, S107).

[0074] First, the layout candidate generation unit 141 calculates the ratio of main equipment to setup equipment units from the equipment configuration information 151 (step S105). Specifically, the layout candidate generation unit 141 uses the equipment configuration information 151 to obtain the number of main equipment units by counting the number of equipment units whose major equipment category 151c is "main equipment" for each combination of line ID 151a and station ID 151b, and then calculates the ratio of main equipment to setup equipment units.

[0075] For example, in the equipment configuration information 151 shown in Figure 2, there are three items where Line ID = "1", Station ID = "2", and Equipment Category = "Main Equipment", and there is one item where Line ID = "1", Station ID = "2", and Equipment Category = "Setup Equipment". Therefore, the ratio of main equipment to setup equipment units is "3 / 1 = 3".

[0076] Then, the layout candidate generation unit 141 obtains possible layout patterns for each setup equipment r based on the ratio of main equipment to setup equipment units and the layout pattern definition information 152 (step S106).

[0077] For example, if the ratio of main equipment to setup equipment obtained in step S105 is "1", the layout candidate generation unit 141 assigns the layout pattern ID "1" which corresponds to the ratio of main equipment to setup equipment 152b = "1" in the layout pattern definition information 152.

[0078] Similarly, if the ratio of main equipment to setup equipment obtained in step S105 is "3", the layout candidate generation unit 141 searches for items corresponding to the ratio of main equipment to setup equipment 152b = "3", thereby drawing both arrangement pattern IDs "3" and "4". Then, the layout candidate generation unit 141 returns control to step S104 until all setup equipment r is selected, and after all setup equipment r has been selected, the layout candidate generation unit 141 proceeds to step S108.

[0079] The layout candidate generation unit 141 then calculates the possible arrangement patterns for the production line to be designed (step S108). For example, in the case of the equipment configuration information 151, the possible arrangement pattern for "Robot A," which is the first setup piece of equipment in the line, is arrangement pattern ID = "1," and the possible arrangement pattern for "Robot B," which is the second setup piece of equipment in the line, is arrangement pattern ID = "3" or "4." Therefore, there are a total of two possible arrangement pattern combinations: (1, 3) and (1, 4) (i=2). Then, the following loop processing is performed for all arrangement pattern combinations i (steps S109, S115).

[0080] First, the layout candidate generation unit 141 places the main equipment and setup equipment at the positions specified by the arrangement pattern and generates layout information 156 (step S110). If the arrangement pattern is "upper level", the layout candidate generation unit 141 sets the center X coordinate to the same value and places equipment j1 above equipment j2. At that time, the layout candidate generation unit 141 uses the following equation (1) to determine the Y coordinate so that equipment j1 and equipment j2 do not overlap in the y direction.

[0081]

number

[0082] The above formula is used when placing equipment j1 above equipment j2. Therefore, when placing the main equipment above the setup equipment, the layout candidate generation unit 141 only needs to set equipment j1 as the main equipment and equipment j2 as the setup equipment. Conversely, when it is desired to place the main equipment below the setup equipment, this can be achieved by setting equipment j1 as the setup equipment and equipment j2 as the main equipment.

[0083] Similarly, if the layout candidate generation unit 141 is "parallel," it places equipment j1 to the right of equipment j2. In this case, the layout candidate generation unit 141 uses equation (2) below to determine the X coordinate so that equipment j1 and equipment j2 do not overlap in the x direction.

[0084]

Number

[0085] For example, when ID = (1, 3) is selected as the combination of arrangement patterns in the equipment configuration information 151, for the first setup equipment, the arrangement pattern ID152a = "1", the setup equipment movable method 152c = "floor fixed", and the main equipment / setup equipment relative position 152d = "upper stage" are applicable. Therefore, the layout candidate generation unit 141 can arrange the processing machine A above the floor-fixed robot A, such as the processing machine A and the robot A shown in the layout diagram 620 of FIG. 14.

[0086] Similarly, for the second setup equipment, the arrangement pattern ID152a = "3", the setup equipment movable method 152c = "floor traveling rail", and the main equipment / setup equipment relative position 152d = "upper stage / parallel" are applicable. Therefore, the layout candidate generation unit 141 can arrange the processing machine B, the processing machine C, and the processing machine D in parallel in the upper space of the robot B having a floor traveling rail, such as the processing machine B, the processing machine C, the processing machine D, the robot B, and the traveling rail C shown in the layout diagram 620 of FIG. 14.

[0087] Then, the layout candidate generation unit 141 arranges peripheral equipment that depends on the movement method of the setup equipment and updates the layout information 156 (step S111). For example, if the movement method of the setup equipment in line ID "1" and station ID "1" is "floor fixed", the layout candidate generation unit 141 selects "floor fixing device" from equipment candidate information 153, sets the center X coordinate and center Y coordinate to the same values ​​as robot A, and updates the layout information 156. Alternatively, if the movement method of the setup equipment in line ID "1" and station ID "2" is "floor running rail", the layout candidate generation unit 141 selects "floor running rail" from equipment candidate information 153, sets the center X coordinate to the same value as robot B, and the center Y coordinate to the midpoint between the left end face of processing machine B and the right end face of processing machine D, and updates the layout information 156.

[0088] For example, in the case of equipment configuration information 151, the layout candidate generation unit 141 places a material stocker A on robot A, which corresponds to the first setup equipment, and a product stocker A on robot B, which corresponds to the last setup equipment, as shown in the layout diagram 620. Similarly, the layout candidate generation unit 141 places a conveyor C for inter-process transport between robot A, which is the first setup equipment, and robot B, which is the second setup equipment.

[0089] Then, the layout candidate generation unit 141 arranges peripheral equipment that does not depend on the operation method of the setup equipment based on the equipment configuration information and updates the layout information 156 (step S112). For example, the layout candidate generation unit 141 can generate a layout in which "material stocker A", which is peripheral equipment assigned to line ID "1" and station ID "1", is placed to the left of "robot A" in equation (2) above by setting equipment j1 to "robot A" and equipment j2 to "material stocker A", as shown in layout diagram 620.

[0090] Similarly, the layout candidate generation unit 141 can generate a layout in which "Conveyor C" is placed to the left of "Robot B" as shown in layout diagram 620 by setting equipment j1 to "Robot B" and equipment j2 to "Conveyor C" in equation (2) above.

[0091] Then, if the layout candidate generation unit 141 finds that there is insufficient space to place the hand exchange stocker, which is peripheral equipment required by the setup equipment, it deletes the layout information and returns control to step S109 (step S113).

[0092] Then, the layout candidate generation unit 141 calculates the required rail length when the setup equipment's movable method is a floor-surface running rail, selects the corresponding running rail from the equipment candidate information 153, and updates the layout information 156 (step S114). For example, in the case of the combination of robot B and floor-surface running rail C shown in Figure 14, robot B is responsible for setting up from processing machine B to processing machine D, so the required rail length is 6.0m, which is the distance in the X-axis direction between the center coordinates of processing machine B and processing machine D, 4.5m plus the outer dimensions of robot B in the X-axis direction, 1.5m. The layout candidate generation unit 141 selects floor-surface running rail C as the required peripheral equipment, where the rail length 153d in the equipment candidate information 153 is "6.0".

[0093] Furthermore, if the required running rail length is 5.5m, and there is no rail length 153d that matches the required running rail length, the layout candidate generation unit 141 selects a rail length 153d of "6.0" from among the values ​​that are greater than the required running rail length of 5.5m, as this is the value closest to 5.5m.

[0094] Then, the layout candidate generation unit 141 returns control to step S109 until all arrangement pattern combinations are selected, and after all arrangement pattern combinations i have been selected, the layout candidate generation unit 141 terminates the layout candidate generation process.

[0095] The above is an example of the layout candidate generation process flow. According to the layout candidate generation process, by using the placement pattern definition information 152, multiple layout candidates can be generated in a short time, including not only floor-fixed equipment but also movable equipment such as floor-traveling and ceiling-traveling equipment.

[0096] Figure 12 shows an example of the layout evaluation process flow. The layout evaluation process starts in step S002 of the production line design process.

[0097] First, the input unit 110 accepts the input of constraint information 154 (step S201). Then, the input unit 110 accepts the input of process allocation information 155 (step S202). The input of constraint information 154 and process allocation information 155 accepted by the input unit 110 may be accepted by the input unit 110 based on the content entered on a predetermined input screen, or it may be accepted as input such as a path for accessing data compiled as a database or file.

[0098] The layout evaluation unit 142 then calculates the investment cost as the sum of the purchase prices of all equipment for all N layout candidates generated by the layout candidate generation process, and sorts the N layout candidates in ascending order of investment cost (step S203). The layout evaluation unit 142 then selects the layout candidate with n=1, i.e., the minimum investment cost (step S204).

[0099] Then, the layout evaluation unit 142 calculates the floor space length 157c and floor space width 157d for the selected layout candidate n using the coordinates and external dimensions of all the equipment (step S205). Here, the layout evaluation unit 142 calculates the floor space length 157c by first calculating the Y coordinate of the upper end surface of each piece of equipment using the following formula (3), and then obtaining the maximum value.

[0100]

number

[0101] Similarly, the layout evaluation unit 142 calculates the floor space width 157d by first calculating the X coordinate of the right end face of each piece of equipment using the following formula (4), and then obtaining the maximum value.

[0102]

number

[0103] For example, in the case of the layout candidate shown in Figure 14, the layout evaluation unit 142 calculates the Y coordinate of the upper end face of all equipment using equation (3) and then obtains the maximum value, resulting in a floor space vertical width 157c of 5.5m, which is the center Y coordinate of processing machine B (4.0m) plus half of the outer vertical width of processing machine B (1.5m). Here, the floor space vertical width 157c will be the same value even if calculated based on processing machine C or processing machine D, not just processing machine B. Similarly, the layout evaluation unit 142 calculates the X coordinate of the right end face of all equipment using equation (4) and then obtains the maximum value, resulting in a floor space horizontal width 157d of 13.5m, which is the center X coordinate of product stocker A (13.0m) plus half of the outer vertical width (0.5m).

[0104] The reason why the external length rather than the external width was used in the calculation of the floor space width of 157d is that the equipment was rotated 90 degrees, as indicated in the layout information 610 in Figure 14, where the rotation amount (degree) = "90". In this case, the second term on the right side of equation (4) is equivalent to "0", so the third term on the right side becomes "Y size(j) This can be seen from the fact that it becomes ".

[0105] Then, the layout evaluation unit 142 determines whether the layout candidate n satisfies the floor space constraints of the constraint information 154 (step S206). Specifically, the layout evaluation unit 142 determines whether both the vertical and horizontal dimensions (width of the bounding box of the floor space) of the floor space of the layout candidate n satisfy the floor space constraints.

[0106] For example, the layout evaluation unit 142 determines that the constraints are satisfied because the floor space candidate in Figure 14 has a floor space length of "5.5m" and a floor space width of "13.5m" in relation to the floor space length limit of "6m" and floor space width limit of "14m" in the constraint condition information 154, and the result of the determination in step S206 is "Yes". However, if either the floor space width limit or the floor space length limit is not satisfied, the layout evaluation unit 142 determines the result of the determination in step S206 to be "No".

[0107] If the layout candidate n does not satisfy the floor space constraint (i.e., the answer is "No" in step S206), the layout evaluation unit 142 increments the number of layout candidates to be processed n (i.e., changes to use a different layout candidate) and returns control to step S205.

[0108] If the layout candidate n satisfies the floor space constraints (if the answer is "Yes" in step S206), the layout evaluation unit 142 obtains the main equipment work time for the layout candidate n by referring to the main equipment work time 155g in the process assignment information 155 (step S207). For example, the layout evaluation unit 142 obtains the main equipment work time of the main equipment 155f "machine A" to which the process assigned has product ID 155a "1" and process ID 155b "1" in the process assignment information 155 as "120 seconds".

[0109] Then, the layout evaluation unit 142 obtains the setup equipment work time 155j for the layout candidate n by referring to the setup equipment work time 155j in the process assignment information 155 (step S208). For example, the layout evaluation unit 142 obtains the setup work time of setup equipment 155h "Robot A" which is assigned a process where product ID 155a is "1" and process ID 155b is "1" in the process assignment information 155 as "30 seconds".

[0110] Then, the layout evaluation unit 142 calculates the setup equipment travel time for each setup equipment included in the layout candidate n by dividing the running rail length by the travel speed 153f of the equipment candidate information 153 (step S209). For example, in the calculation method using the maximum travel distance of the robot shown in Figure 15, the layout evaluation unit 142 calculates the setup equipment travel time for setup equipment 155h "Robot B" assigned to a process where product ID 155a is "1" and process ID 155b is "3" in the process assignment information 155 by dividing the rail length 153d of "6.0" m by the travel speed 153f of "0.5" m / s, i.e., "12" seconds. Alternatively, the layout evaluation unit 142 may use the mode or average value of the robot's travel distance as another calculation method.

[0111] The layout evaluation unit 142 then calculates the cycle time 157b for the layout candidate n as the sum of the main equipment work time, setup equipment work time, and setup equipment movement time (step S210). The layout evaluation unit 142 calculates the cycle time for each piece of main equipment. That is, if the main equipment is responsible for multiple processes, the layout evaluation unit 142 calculates the cycle time by summing up the processes performed by the main equipment.

[0112] For example, in the case of the processing machine C shown in Figure 15, the main equipment work time for process IDs "4" and "5" assigned to processing machine C is 75 seconds and 75 seconds respectively, totaling 150 seconds. The setup equipment work time is 120 seconds, and the setup equipment movement time is 12 seconds. The layout evaluation unit 142 adds these together to calculate the cycle time of processing machine C as 282 seconds.

[0113] Then, the layout evaluation unit 142 determines whether or not the cycle time constraint of the constraint condition information 154 is satisfied (step S211). Specifically, the layout evaluation unit 142 determines whether or not the maximum cycle time of the main equipment of layout candidate n satisfies the cycle time constraint.

[0114] If the cycle time constraint cannot be satisfied (i.e., the answer is "No" in step S211), the layout evaluation unit 142 increments the number of layout candidates n and returns control to step S205.

[0115] If the cycle time constraint is satisfied (i.e., "Yes" in step S211), the layout evaluation unit 142 terminates the layout evaluation process.

[0116] The above is an example of a layout evaluation process flow. The layout evaluation process allows for the selection of a layout from n layout candidates that satisfies the constraints while minimizing investment costs. In this example, the objective function was set to investment cost with cycle time and floor space as constraints. However, it is also possible to select a layout with minimal floor space by setting the objective function to floor space with investment cost and cycle time as constraints, or to select a layout with minimal cycle time by setting the objective function to cycle time with investment cost and floor space as constraints.

[0117] Figure 13 shows an example of a candidate list display screen. The candidate list display screen 500 is an example of a screen displayed in step S003 of the production line design process. The candidate list display screen 500 includes a table 510 of layout candidate information, a total investment cost comparison graph 521, a cycle time comparison graph 522, a floor space comparison graph 523, and a layout details display button 530 for layout candidate ID "1".

[0118] Table 510 of the layout candidate information displays information about each layout candidate, such as the arrangement pattern combinations, total investment cost, cycle time, and floor space, in descending order of total investment cost.

[0119] Furthermore, the results of the determination of whether or not the constraints based on evaluation indicators such as the cycle time limit and floor space limit are met, as well as the optimal layout ID selected from all layout candidate IDs, are displayed. In addition, a layout details display button 530 is displayed, which accepts instructions to view the details of each layout candidate.

[0120] The total investment cost comparison graph 521 displays the total investment cost values ​​from Table 510 of the layout candidate information in a comparative manner for each layout candidate. The cycle time comparison graph 522 displays the cycle time values ​​from Table 510 of the layout candidate information in a comparative manner for each layout candidate, and the upper limit indicated by the horizontal dashed line in the graph is the upper limit of the cycle time from the constraint information 154. The floor space comparison graph 523 displays the floor space values ​​from Table 510 of the layout candidate information in a comparative manner for each layout candidate, and the upper limit indicated by the horizontal dashed line in the graph is the product of the upper limit of the floor space vertical width and the upper limit of the floor space horizontal width (i.e., the total area) from the constraint information 154.

[0121] The layout details display button 530, upon receiving input, transitions to the candidate details display screen 600, which displays the details of the corresponding layout ID. By using the candidate list display screen 500, users can easily, intuitively, and quantitatively compare the layout evaluation results for each arrangement pattern combination based on investment cost and cycle time.

[0122] Figure 14 shows an example of the candidate details display screen. The candidate details display screen 600 is displayed when input is received from the layout details display button 530 on the candidate list display screen 500.

[0123] The candidate details display screen 600 shows the layout information table 610 and layout diagram 620 for the selected layout candidate ID and arrangement pattern combination. The layout information table 610 displays the equipment name, center X coordinate, center Y coordinate, rotation amount, outer width, and outer height for each line ID and station ID. The layout diagram 620 visually displays the physical arrangement of the equipment listed in the layout information table 610. The layout diagram 620 is a two-dimensional or three-dimensional diagram (e.g., plan view, perspective view, bird's-eye view, six-view view, etc.).

[0124] According to the candidate details display screen 600, users can quickly and visually understand the equipment layout of the selected placement pattern combination, and by sharing the screen with multiple designers, they can quickly and easily consider proposals for improving the layout.

[0125] Figure 15 shows an example of the cycle time display screen. The cycle time display screen 700 is displayed when input is received from the layout details display button 530 on the candidate list display screen 500 (for example, the candidate details display screen 600 and the cycle time display screen 700 are displayed at the same time).

[0126] The cycle time display screen 700 shows the process assignment table 710 and the cycle time detail graph 720. The process assignment table 710 displays the process details for each product ID and process ID, the assigned main equipment, the main equipment operation time, the assigned setup equipment, the setup equipment operation time, and the setup equipment movement time in association with each other. The cycle time detail graph 720 graphically displays the cycle time for each combination of setup equipment and main equipment, as well as the cycle time limit as a constraint condition.

[0127] According to the cycle time display screen 700, users can quantitatively understand the variation in cycle times for each main equipment, and by sharing the screen with multiple designers, it becomes possible to consider increasing or decreasing the number of main equipment units or changing the process allocation.

[0128] The above describes a production line design apparatus and production line design system to which Embodiment 1 of the present invention is applied. According to the embodiment of Embodiment 1 of the present invention, multiple layout candidates are generated that include not only floor-fixed equipment but also movable equipment such as floor-traveling and ceiling-traveling equipment, and the optimal layout can be derived from a wide range of layout candidates. Furthermore, by using arrangement patterns, the number of combinations of layout candidates to be searched can be reduced, so the optimal layout can be derived from the wide range of layout candidates mentioned above in a short time, thereby improving the efficiency of production line layout design work. Therefore, the present invention can provide a technology that improves the productivity of production line design.

[0129] 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.

[0130] Furthermore, each of the above configurations, functions, processing units, and processing means may be implemented in hardware, either partially or entirely, by designing them as integrated circuits, for example. Alternatively, each of the above configurations and functions may be implemented in software by having the processor interpret and execute programs that implement each function. Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in memory, a recording device such as a hard disk or SSD, or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

[0131] Furthermore, the control lines and information lines shown are those deemed necessary for explanatory purposes, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown in the actual product. In reality, it is safe to assume that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0132] 1: Production line design system, 100: Production line design device, 110: Input unit, 120: Display unit, 130: Communication unit, 140: Processing unit, 141: Layout candidate generation unit, 142: Layout evaluation unit, 151: Equipment configuration information, 152: Arrangement pattern definition information, 153: Equipment candidate information, 154: Constraint condition information, 155: Process assignment information, 156: Layout information, 157: Layout evaluation information.

Claims

1. Equipment configuration information that defines the number of units, including at least one main piece of equipment that performs the main work on the production line and at least one setup piece of equipment that performs auxiliary work for the main piece of equipment, A storage unit that stores the movable methods of the setup equipment that can be adopted, and arrangement pattern definition information that includes one or more arrangement patterns that define combinations of the relative positional relationship between the main equipment and the setup equipment that can be adopted, A processor that performs a layout candidate generation process to generate layout information that satisfies the number of units configuration by combining the aforementioned equipment configuration information and the aforementioned arrangement pattern definition information, A production line design apparatus characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. A production line design apparatus according to claim 1, A display unit that displays the results of the combination of the aforementioned arrangement patterns, the layout information, and a two-dimensional or three-dimensional layout diagram relating to the layout information. A production line design apparatus characterized by being equipped with the following features.

3. A production line design apparatus according to claim 1, The storage unit stores equipment candidate information that defines the specifications of peripheral equipment required according to the operating method of the setup equipment. The processor arranges the peripheral equipment using the equipment candidate information according to the position of the setup equipment in the arrangement pattern and includes it in the layout information. A production line design apparatus characterized by the following features.

4. A production line design apparatus according to claim 1, The arrangement pattern definition information is associated with the arrangement pattern according to the ratio of the number of main equipment and the setup equipment. The processor, in the layout candidate generation process, identifies the arrangement pattern using the ratio of units. A production line design apparatus characterized by the following features.

5. A production line design apparatus according to claim 1, Constraint information that identifies constraints including an upper limit on the cycle time of the main equipment, The storage unit stores process allocation information including the main equipment, the process performed by the main equipment, the setup equipment used in the process, and the working time of the process. The aforementioned processor, Using the layout information and the process assignment information, the cycle time, including the working time of the main equipment, the working time of the setup equipment, and the movement time of the setup equipment, is calculated for each piece of main equipment, and a layout evaluation process is performed to evaluate whether the layout information that satisfies the constraints is applicable to the production line. A production line design apparatus characterized by the following features.

6. A production line design apparatus according to claim 5, A display unit that displays the results of the combination of the aforementioned arrangement patterns, the layout information, and the results of the layout evaluation process, which includes an evaluation of whether or not it is applicable to the production line. A production line design apparatus characterized by being equipped with the following features.

7. A production line design apparatus according to claim 5, A display unit that displays the process allocation information and the cycle time calculated for each of the layout information. A production line design apparatus characterized by being equipped with the following features.

8. A production line design apparatus according to claim 5, In the layout evaluation process, the aforementioned processor If the process allocation information includes multiple processes performed by the main equipment, the cycle time is calculated by summing the work times of the processes for each piece of main equipment. A production line design apparatus characterized by the following features.

9. A production line design apparatus according to claim 5, In the layout evaluation process, the aforementioned processor If the process allocation information includes multiple processes performed by the setup equipment, the work time for the setup equipment is calculated by summing the work times for each of the processes for each setup equipment. A production line design apparatus characterized by the following features.

10. A production line design apparatus according to claim 5, The storage unit stores equipment candidate information, including the movement speed of the setup equipment. In the layout evaluation process, the aforementioned processor The quotient between the travel distance of the setup equipment according to the process assignment information and the travel speed of the setup equipment included in the equipment candidate information is calculated as the travel time of the setup equipment. A production line design apparatus characterized by the following features.

11. A production line design apparatus according to claim 1, The storage unit stores constraint information that identifies constraints including the external dimensions of the layout information, The equipment configuration information includes information that specifies the external dimensions of the main equipment and the setup equipment. The aforementioned processor, Using the layout information and the equipment configuration information, the external dimensions for each layout are calculated based on the external dimensions of the main equipment and the external dimensions of the setup equipment, and a layout evaluation process is performed to evaluate whether the layout information that satisfies the constraints is applicable to the production line. A production line design apparatus characterized by the following features.

12. A production line design system that uses an information processing device to design a production line, The aforementioned information processing device is Equipment configuration information that defines the number of units, including at least one main piece of equipment that performs the main work on the production line and at least one setup piece of equipment that performs auxiliary work for the main piece of equipment, The system includes a storage unit that stores the movable methods of the setup equipment that can be adopted, and arrangement pattern definition information that includes one or more arrangement patterns that define combinations of the relative positional relationship between the main equipment and the setup equipment that can be adopted, and a processing unit, The aforementioned processing unit, A procedure for executing a layout candidate generation process that generates layout information that satisfies the number of units configuration by combining the aforementioned equipment configuration information and the aforementioned arrangement pattern definition information, A production line design system characterized by implementing the following:

13. A production line design method that uses an information processing device to design a production line, The aforementioned information processing device is Equipment configuration information that defines the number of units, including at least one main piece of equipment that performs the main work on the production line and at least one setup piece of equipment that performs auxiliary work for the main piece of equipment, The system includes a storage unit that stores the movable methods of the setup equipment that can be adopted, and arrangement pattern definition information that includes one or more arrangement patterns that define combinations of the relative positional relationship between the main equipment and the setup equipment that can be adopted, and a processing unit, The aforementioned processing unit, A procedure for executing a layout candidate generation process that generates layout information that satisfies the number of units configuration by combining the aforementioned equipment configuration information and the aforementioned arrangement pattern definition information, A production line design method characterized by implementing the following.

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