US3703725A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method for operating a manufacturing line
Assignee: Texas Instruments Inc
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Filing: 1970-11-02
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Granted: 1972-11-21
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Expires: 1990-11-02
Abstract
Abstract A manufacturing line has a plurality of work stations. The work stations are ordered into sequential flow points through which work in process flows. The work flow through the sequentially ordered flow points is balanced in an automatic data processing machine by starting at the last flow point in the ordered sequence. In a multiproduct path manufacturing line, the flow points on adjacent product paths are ordered into neighborhoods prior to balancing the manufacturing line.
Inventors
- 👤 Earl Raymond Gomersall
- 👤 Roger Paul Meyer
- 👤 Susan English Rejmaniak
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 17:52
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/06; G05; G05B; G05B19/00; G05B19/02; G05B19/418; G05B19/4189; Y; Y02; Y02P; Y02P90/00; Y02P90/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
The method of balancing a manufacturing line having a plurality of product paths through said manufacturing line comprising the steps of establishing the work stations through which the work flows in each product path, ordering said work stations into sequential path points in each product path, ordering the path points in said product paths into a sequence of neighborhoods in said manufacturing line, and balancing in an automatic data processing machine the flow of work in said plurality of product paths in said manufacturing line starting with the last neighborhood in said sequence of neighborhoods.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
95 words
The method of balancing a manufacturing line having a plurality of product paths through said manufacturing line comprising the steps of establishing the work stations through which the work flows in each product path, ordering said work stations into sequential path points in each product path, ordering the path points in said product paths into a sequence of neighborhoods in said manufacturing line, and balancing in an automatic data processing machine the flow of work in said plurality of product paths in said manufacturing line starting with the last neighborhood in said sequence of neighborhoods.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
95 words
The method of balancing a manufacturing line having a plurality of product paths through said manufacturing line comprising the steps of establishing the work stations through which the work flows in each product path, ordering said work stations into sequential path points in each product path, ordering the path points in said product paths into a sequence of neighborhoods in said manufacturing line, and balancing in an automatic data processing machine the flow of work in said plurality of product paths in said manufacturing line starting with the last neighborhood in said sequence of neighborhoods.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
95 words
The method of balancing a manufacturing line having a plurality of product paths through said manufacturing line comprising the steps of establishing the work stations through which the work flows in each product path, ordering said work stations into sequential path points in each product path, ordering the path points in said product paths into a sequence of neighborhoods in said manufacturing line, and balancing in an automatic data processing machine the flow of work in said plurality of product paths in said manufacturing line starting with the last neighborhood in said sequence of neighborhoods.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
126 words
The method of claim 1 of balancing a manufacturing line wherein said neighborhoods are established in the following manner in an automatic data processing machine wherein N is a collection of flow points defining the manufacturing line, P is a product path in said manufacturing line, a flow point i, on product path P is said to have a predecessor in the manufacturing line N if and only if there exists a flow point j in N such that i immediately precedes j on product path P, a neighborhood Ni, in the manufacturing line N is the set of all path points i which have no predecessors in the set; N ; i 1 j i- 1 N - Nj ; i > 1 j 1
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 of balancing a manufacturing line wherein said neighborhoods ordered by path pointers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of balancing a manufacturing line claimed in claim 3 wherein variables are taken into account in the calculation of the necessary input to each path point to deliver the desired input to the succeeding flow point.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of balancing a manufacturing line claimed in claim 4 wherein said variables include a scrap factor, a rework factor, and an excess work in process factor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the desired output from said manufacturing line is established and the inputs to the path points in said neighborhoods are calculated by neighborhood starting with the last neighborhood in said sequence to provide the necessary input and continuing this calculation to each preceding neighborhood in succession.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method claimed in claim 6 wherein said path points in said product paths are grouped into flow points for adjacent product paths.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method claimed in claim 7 wherein the unit labor cost is calculated at each flow point according to the following manner: where: ULC is unit labor cost, VOL is flow point volume, ALR is average labor rate, LS is labor standard, and LP is labor performance.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of balancing a manufacturing line as claimed in claim 7 wherein a rework-in variable is taken into the calculation for determining the required input to each flow point.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method claimed in claim 9 wherein equipment capacity constraint is taken into account as a variable.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method claimed in claim 10 wherein a capacity simulation is carried out adding equipment required to rebalance a line.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method claimed in claim 9 wherEin a bottleneck flow point is identified and the input of each path point in the bottleneck flow point is ratioed down to drive the achievable output to the end of the manufacturing line.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method claimed in claim 12 wherein a bottleneck is identified at a multi-use flow point and path point inputs are ratioed down.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method claimed in claim 9 wherein work in process is allocated to the particular path points in the same ratio as the input desired work in process is calculated.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the material cost at each flow point is calculated with the cost of entered material divided by the number of good units proceeding to next sequential flow point.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
74 words
The method claimed in claim 9 wherein a number is retrieved from a random number generator as each piece of work enters the first flow point of the product path, comparing this random number to the input values of yield and rework-out percentage, and each piece is processed down the product path until it is scrapped or enters the end of the path to simulate the total pieces of rework-in at each flow point.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method claimed in claim 16 wherein the yields and rework-out percentage is calculated for each flow point.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
78 words
Apparatus for balancing a model of a manufacturing line having a plurality of product paths with the work stations in said product paths ordered into a sequence of path points along each product path comprising means for ordering the path points in said product paths into a sequence of neighborhoods and means for balancing the flow of work in said plurality of product paths in said manufacturing line starting with the last neighborhood in said sequence of neighborhoods.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
78 words
Apparatus for balancing a model of a manufacturing line having a plurality of product paths with the work stations in said product paths ordered into a sequence of path points along each product path comprising means for ordering the path points in said product paths into a sequence of neighborhoods and means for balancing the flow of work in said plurality of product paths in said manufacturing line starting with the last neighborhood in said sequence of neighborhoods.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-11-21 | 1976-05-22 | 1976-11-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-11-21 | 1980-05-22 | 1980-11-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-11-21 | 1984-05-22 | 1984-11-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |