Patent · US Expired

Method and system for optimizing material movement within a computer based manufacturing system

US5467285A · kind A · utility

29Cited by
13References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 30, 1994
Grant dateNov 14, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 30, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P90/02
  • WIPO fieldIT methods for management
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and system for determining an optimal material movement product path within a computer based manufacturing system is disclosed. A transport matrix is created having multiple rows and columns, each associated with a workstation within a computer based manufacturing system. At each cell within the matrix located at an intersection of a selected row and column, the attributes for all possible methods of transport between the associated workstations are listed. Preferably transport attributes, such as transport type, velocity/distance, travel time, capacity, authorization required, fragility, cost and current status of the transport system are listed within the cell and may thereafter be dynamically updated. After identifying a selected product path an analysis of the transport matrix may be utilized to determine an optimal route based upon user inputs, such as the most rapid, least expensive, or most reliable form of transport, for transporting material between selected workstations.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.