Process Execution Model for Automated System Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automated manufacturing systems lack efficient procedures for resource allocation and release, particularly in continuous processes, and face challenges in process recovery, re-work, and step skipping or skipping, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A process execution model that includes sub-processes with defined event procedures such as load, pre-process, pre-sub-process, post-sub-process, post-process, and unload procedures, allowing for controlled initialization, shutdown, and resumption of processes, enabling resource management and flexible step execution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If procedures are run to initialize manufacturing resources when a process is restored after server stop, then the process can continue from a known state, but this adds time and complexity to process resumption
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by saving the process state to a database before server stop occurs. When the server restarts, the process can be quickly restored from the saved state without needing to re-initialize resources, thus maintaining reliability while reducing resumption time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a copy of the process state and stores it in a database. This copy can be quickly restored when the server restarts, avoiding the need to re-execute initialization procedures and reducing the time loss associated with process resumption.
2Reliability
If resource allocation is performed each time a continuous process executes, then resources are properly assigned, but this increases operational costs
Solution Approach 1:
For continuous processes, the system maintains resource allocation across multiple executions without re-allocating resources each time. The process state and resource allocation information are persisted in a database, allowing the process to continue executing with the same resource allocation, thereby reducing operational costs while maintaining correct resource assignment.
3Reliability
If procedures are run to clean up partial execution when process steps are skipped or re-work is needed, then system consistency is maintained, but this increases process complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs cleanup of partial executions when process steps are skipped or re-work is needed. By leveraging the saved process state from the database, the system can self-manage the cleanup operations without requiring complex external control procedures, thus maintaining system consistency while reducing process control complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided for operating an automated process defined by an execution model. The automated process includes a plurality of sub-processes. The method includes detecting an event during a first sub-process of the plurality of sub-processes, and resetting the first sub-process by operating an unload procedure that is written into the execution model. The method also includes operating at least one of a pre-process and a pre-sub-process procedure to facilitate continuing the automated process at a predetermined step of the automated process. The pre-process and the pre-sub-process procedures are written into the execution model.