| Feature name |
Outline |
| Changeovers types: both setups and cleanups |
Setup and cleanup operations can be independently or at the same time scheduled before or after manufacturing. |
| Changeover types & Pre/Post arrangement |
In order to adapt to diverse sectors, PW's changeover operations have several different patterns. |
| Changeover for specification change |
PW is able to generate changeovers taking into account spec.combination of products such as color, shape, length, etc. and reduce total lead time. |
| Changeover after long intervals |
When an inoperative interval between two orders is too long, PW optionally generates a changeover even between the same products. |
| Regular changeover |
Even with mfg. of same products at same machine, changeovers may be necessary after several lots or a certain time. PW deals with this problem. |
| Limit to the number of changeovers |
When the work load of changeover is too heavy, setting the limit of changeovers to some machine or machine group is enabled. |
| The longest idle time between C/O and MFG |
PW allows idle time between setup and mfg, and mfg. and cleanup separately, or on the both side of the manufacturing. |
| Maximum downtime during changeover |
This downtime setting is utilized so that a changeover period does not include nights or holidays during its time course. |
| Controlling connections between changeover and production at different steps |
This feature is used in order to control assignment of setups and mfg's, or clenaups and mfgs. at different steps having various preceeding /succeeding positions. |
| Pre/Post arrangement feature |
Extra but inherent work to each production such as charging, discharging, adjustment, etc. is considered to be arrangement work different from changeover work in PlanWizard |
| Multiple job assignment to limited operators |
PW solves multiple jobbing case where a few operators have to operate multiple machines .
PW succeeded in completely modeling this kind of job conditions. |
| One-by-one transfer |
Shortening lead time can be achieved by passing products to the next step one by one . PW allows items to be sent in any packed number. |
| One-by-one transfer and lot grouping |
Grouping lots which are once split by one-by-one transfer function is enabled. Proper grouping brings about a very effective production plan. |
| Delayed start of succeeding lots |
PW is able to insert some idling time between lots when machines need cooling or something.
The number of lots to have each interval can be set freely. |
| Lot start time setting feature |
With the settings, each lot starts at the designated time in forward scheduling. |
| Concurrent production |
Multiple kinds of different products and orders can be simultaneously made in a batch like in a furnace. |
| Co-products feature |
In some processes like press operation, a set of products is produced. PW creates that kind of orders and controls each stock of both products separately. |
| Process steps avoiding concurrent manufacturing |
This prevents multiple processes at the joint or branch steps from running simultaneously, irrespective of their sequences. |
| Restriction of the number of products |
If necessary, the number of products and of product groups or kinds of specs. manufactured per day or hour can be restricted to machines. |
| Maximum downtime during manufacturing |
This setting is utilized so that manufacturing is not interrupted on the half way. Production orders are made so that they do not include nights or holidays within their time courses. |
| Machine assignment options at each step |
Preference of assignment order to machines can be defined at each operation step if necessary. |
| Change of manufacturing quantity along with stretched bars |
Products quantity or yield changes proportionately to the length of a stretched bar in the Gantt chart. |
| Just-in-time connection between process steps(TOC auto-analyzing) |
PW regulates intervals between two operation stpes, which is essential for planning just-in-time mfg. This function is necessary for those processes paying attention to continuity. |
| Substitute process routing selection |
If there are several routings (e.g. 2 operation steps in a new plant, 3 in an old one), users can select substitute steps on Gantt chart or the list. |
| Bi-directional scheduling |
Cross execution of backward and forward scheduling results in a forward scheduling result close to the backward one. It is very parctical. |
| Assignment to facilities according to loading limits |
When containers have maximum or minimum volume limit, PW judges which container is available for the production, by allowance range for loading. |
| Assignment control of machines by numeric specification |
PW assigns orders so that numberic specs. of products (lenght, weight, width etc.) may meet the machine's allowance. The allowance has both upper and lower limit. |
| Overlap assignment to a single machine |
Mounting multiple tasks within a duration is enabled by a simple flag setting. An image of mounted tasks on a machine can be seen in a histogram. |
| Restriction of concurrent use of machine groups |
To such problems as a shared stock room is too small, PW deals with it by preventing particular machine groups from running. at the same time. |
| Consistent line assignment |
PW optionally assigns lots to the consistent lines out of several candidates. This is essential for chemical, and assembly industries. |
| Assignment with weight factors |
The scheduler tries several temporary assignments using more than 30 sorts of weight factor. and decides the best one . |
| Multiple machines assignment |
An order can be assigned to multiple machines, for example, in bottle neck steps. Numbers of machines are defined to each step and each product. |
| Locking of assigned machines |
PW is able to insert an urgent order among currently assigned orders without changing currently assigned machines. |
| Multi-purpose tank control |
When semiproduct is made in a tank and discharged to product steps, the next batch waits until the tank becomes empty. PW deals with this mfg. |
| Intermediate warehouse capacity constraint feature |
PW makes a schedule to avoid situations that the warehouse lacks space for work-in-process goods if they are temporarily stored. |
| Resources proportionate to production quantity feature |
Resources used for orders can be proportional to the amount of the ordered products. |
| Resource retention between process steps |
PW is able to optionally retain the same resources even when there exists a idle timep or time lag between operation steps. |
| Resource retention through semi-product and final product |
Even betweem products and semiproducts steps, it is possible to retain the same resources., e.g., trays used throughout the process can be retained. |
| Raw material substitution |
Substitute raw materials are allowed to use for the regular one. If registered in the products master, those materials are conditionally used in stead of default ones . |
| Disallowing preservation of raw materials feature |
If a material is classified as non-preservable, PW automatically generates an exhaustion order which uses all the rest of the material. |
| Rolled materials concurrent use forbidden feature |
At processes where rolled materials are made in use, several machines cannot share the same reel material simultaneously. PW deals with this sort of manufacturing line. |
| Disallowing mixed usage of raw material lots |
This function works when for example, materials such as fabric are not allowed mixed usage with others. |
| Variable machine capacity with time-course |
It is possible to vary machine capacity along with series of certain intervals. |
| Production rate change to each step |
The productivity originally defined in the master can be altered on each order and each operation step. |
| Productivity depending on operators skills |
When productivity depends on operators skills, PW is able to make a production schedule taking their skills into consideration. |
| Lot number customization |
PW is able to provide lots with special numbers which users originally define. Serial numbers per product or group of products can be given, depending on necessity. |
| Data linkage feature |
Data exchange among several PW is possible. Each PW has its own position within the stream of whole production; upstream side or downstream side. |
| A single product manufacturing feature |
We call a certain group of functions as 'A Single product manufacturing function'. It facilitales registration and manintenance of masters for so-called 'a single product'. |
| Order grouping feature |
Certain orders can be dealt with as a group and assgined continuously. Other orders are not inserted within the grouped orders on automatic scheduling. |
| Locking/Unlocking feature |
Currently scheduled plans can be locked or unlocked with certain conditions about period, machine, and others. |