Production Line Layout Planning With Accurate Setup Time Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing production line design techniques fail to accurately calculate setup time, leading to suboptimal and costly production line designs.
Innovation Solution
A production line design apparatus that includes a memory unit storing resource configuration information, layout generation units, and setup time calculation units to generate layout candidates and calculate setup times based on resource configuration, work allocation, and work order information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If setup time calculation is not performed, then production line design can be completed quickly, but the design accuracy and operational cost-effectiveness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The production line design process is segmented into distinct phases: layout candidate generation (without detailed setup time calculation) and layout evaluation (with setup time calculation). This allows quick initial design exploration followed by accurate cost assessment for selected candidates, resolving the contradiction between speed and accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary layout candidate generation using resource configuration and arrangement constraints before conducting detailed setup time calculations. This preliminary action filters out obviously suboptimal designs early, so that accurate setup time calculation is only performed on promising candidates, balancing accuracy with computational efficiency.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple layout candidates are generated and evaluated with setup time calculation, then production line design accuracy improves, but computational time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system generates multiple layout candidates (excessive action) but only performs detailed setup time calculation on a subset of promising candidates (partial action). This approach ensures high design accuracy for the final selection while avoiding the excessive computational time required to calculate setup times for all possible layouts.
Solution Approach 2:
Different levels of analysis are applied to different layout candidates: basic feasibility checks for all candidates, and detailed setup time calculation only for those meeting initial criteria. This local quality approach optimizes the balance between comprehensive evaluation and computational efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
The production line design apparatus includes a memory unit configured to store resource configuration information defining production resources constituting a production line to be designed, resource arrangement constraint information defining an arrangement constraint on the production resources, a production condition to be satisfied by the production line, work allocation information including a workpiece allocated to the production resources and a number of the workpiece, work order information including the production resources used in setup works of the production line and an order of the setup works, and resource candidate information defining a specification of the production resources; a layout generation unit configured to generate a plurality of layout candidates for each of the resource configuration information, where the layout candidate satisfies the arrangement constraint and the production condition; and a setup time calculation unit configured to calculate a setup time for each layout candidate.