Shop Floor Scheduling
HYDRA Shop Floor Scheduling
Closer to Production with HYDRA
Today, manufacturing companies must be able to plan effectively, use resources at full capacity and respond quickly to customer requirements. HYDRA shop floor scheduling offers
the advantage of providing necessary information and the flexibility needed for your production process.
HYDRA is an integrated and modular solution for the areas of production, human resources and quality management. To control your production process, HYDRA offers numerous recording, planning and information functions that are either unavailable or only partially available from your ERP system. HYDRA meets all the requirements of a modern MES (Manufacturing Execution System) and thus closes the gap between the technically oriented platform of machines and equipment and the more commercially oriented world of ERP and management systems.
HYDRA shop floor scheduling is a tool that enables quick and effective reaction to modified planning data and deviations from the norm at machines and workplaces. Centrally organized PPS or ERP systems and manually operated planning boards cannot provide this ability. In doing so, all resources including machines, tools, equipment, material and personnel are checked for availability.
The smooth integration of the HYDRA shop floor and machine data collection modules provides direct insight into current production results (such as order progress, produced yield and scrap, machine downtime, etc.) – an important precondition for planning to be synchronized with the current status.
Transparency and Planning Reliability
A special characteristic defines HYDRA shop floor scheduling: it clearly displays planning results and the current status in the planning board. This increases transparency and is
the basis for short-term, target-oriented planning activities. Main benefits include:
• Shortened lead times
• Reduced stock and work in progress
• On-time deliveries at an optimum capacity load
• Reduced setup costs
• Optimized batch sizes
HYDRA shop floor scheduling assigns single or multi-level orders to machines, machine groups or workplaces. These consist of interlinked operation sequences that are taken
over from the ERP system in a roughly planned state. At the same time, it considers the actual capacities available in the form of individual shift calendars or capacity pools. Within
the specified timeframe, the production scheduler can establish an ideal production sequence, either manually or automatically, using adjustable criteria. Simulations allow for
comparison between planning variants and the selective release of the optimal planning scenario. After starting production, its progress can be monitored in real-time. As a result, conflict situations can be recognized at an early stage and effective countermeasures can be started immediately.
Effective Resource Management
In many companies, one of the main challenges of shop floor control and process planning is having the resources required for production available on time. HYDRA shop floor scheduling supports planners in dispatching orders by accessing resource data and checking the availability of machines, material, tools, gages, NC programs and other resources online. In addition, workforce requirements are determined and integrated personnel scheduling can assist the user in assigning employees with the right qualifications to specific machines and workplaces.
HYDRA shop floor scheduling guarantees recognition of resource bottlenecks in the planning phase. As a result, conflicts such as having tools assigned to several machines at the
same time, waiting for the setter or missing material, can be avoided.
Planning and Machine Scheduling
When dispatching orders to machines and workplaces, the planner can decide whether to carry out an assignment manually or have it done automatically by HYDRA shop floor scheduling. Different methods are available for this purpose:
• Variable machine scheduling with adjustable sort keys
• Target-oriented assignment based on assessed objectives or
• Rule-based machine scheduling according to key figures (e.g., shortest operation time, least setup effort)
Optimization and Simulation
The task of shop floor control is to determine an ideal utilization plan in order to achieve all required objectives. For example, it can determine an optimal load factor with the shortest lead times, subject to delivery dates and with minimalsetup costs – a task that cannot be fulfilled by ordinary means. Moreover, HYDRA shop floor scheduling offers an optimization program based on an evolutionary strategy which carries out several planning procedures by varying influence parameters and then selecting the best for the final plan.
HYDRA shop floor scheduling offers a simulation tool allowing the planner to carry out, save and compare machine scheduling procedures using different methods and planning strategies or simply by varying the shift models and performance rates of machines. HYDRA shop floor scheduling
provides comparisons based on key figures calculated automatically through planning objectives and by varying them.
If planners have several simulation results, they can compare them. They simply select the simulation with the best planning result, vary it, if required (e.g., by manual corrections), set the optimal planning status and release it for production.
The conflict list provides the planner with all the information required for assessing production bottlenecks and conflict
situations. At the push of a button, machines that are assigned to several different operations simultaneously or violations of basic dates from rough-cut planning, are displayed.
The Gantt chart is the central information and planning tool of the production scheduler. Operations are displayed in bar form. Processes such as setup, start-up,
production and teardown as well as information such as availability of material, tools or personnel, can be highlighted by using different colors or symbols. The elements
of the planning board can be configured individually. The above screenshot, for example, displays an additional window showing the required tools and resources.
The order network displays the preceding / subsequent relationships between all operations of an order.
As an option, a second level shows all orders and components that belong to a superior module or a sales order.
If problems occur when dispatching orders, HYDRA shop floor scheduling also considers alternative
production variants in addition to the preferred ones and suggests using an alternative machine or another tool.
HYDRA Shop Floor Scheduling
Configuration and Information
Clarity and ergonomics are important for working with shop floor scheduling. Various configuration options allow each employee to set his or her individual view and save it
in the user profile:
Orders may be assigned to machines, machine groups and workplaces in the pool of orders.
Capacity peaks can be presented in a histogram in the graphic planning board.
It can be immediately known where bottlenecks arise and when capacities are available at which workplace.
Further functions at a glance:
• Scheduling of single-level and multi-level production orders (forward, backward, …)
• Reduction strategies for capacity bottlenecks
• Extensive information functions for orders and machines
• Information scheduling tool without authorization for planning
• Definition and presentation of notes
• Configurable planning horizons
• Individual shift calendars for each machine as a precondition for real capacity leveling
• Functions for temporary modifications of the offered capacities of machines and workplaces
• Splitting, fixing and specific release of operations
• Consideration of tool or color changes (matrix of setup change) for optimization of setup times
• Scheduling of operations based on defined priorities
• Automatic closing of gaps in the assignment
• Lists on the pool of orders for machines and machine groups including tabular planning functions
• Capacity charts and graphics displaying the utilization ratio
• Print functions for scheduling graphics and tables
The matrix for setup changes supports planners in planning setup changes in an optimum manner.
The statistics relating to orders provide users with current information on how good the order was.
This is very important for the planner, as they always have to respond quickly, e.g., in the case of postproduction.