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Conference heron::euro_swas_ai

Title:Europe-Swas-Artificial-Intelligence
Moderator:HERON::BUCHANAN
Created:Fri Jun 03 1988
Last Modified:Thu Aug 04 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:442
Total number of notes:1429

185.0. "Manufacturing AI References" by YIPPEE::MCGREGOR () Mon Mar 12 1990 13:45

    The first reply to this note is copied from the European Manufacturing
    AI notes file (YIPPEE::EUR_MFG_AI), and gives a list of the (AI)
    systems in use in the Ayr manufacturing plant.
    
    I am placing this here because a number of people have asked for a
    brief description of internal AI references. This is just a start!
    
    Last week we organised a visit to Ayr and Valbonne, hosted by a member
    of our team. This was very successful, and the client went away with a
    better understanding of how Digital uses AI internally.
    
    This type of combined visit may be appropriate, particularily for 
    manufacturing/process industry customers. The Ayr plant puts on a very
    good show! 
    
    The value of the business/customer must of course be such that the 
    time/expense devoted to the visit by the people in Ayr is justified.
    
    Contact me for further info.
    
    George
     
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185.1Ayr ReferencesYIPPEE::MCGREGORMon Mar 12 1990 13:46337
            <<< YIPPEE::AI$TOOLS:[NOTES$LIBRARY]EUR_MFG_AI.NOTE;1 >>>
                        -< European Manufacturing A.I. >-
================================================================================
Note 31.0            Internal References/AI in Manufacturing             1 reply
YIPPEE::MCGREGOR                                     28 lines   8-FEB-1990 15:49
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    This note is related to the previous one, following a request to me
    for a list of "Internal AI References in Manufacturing". For the 
    purposes of this discussion, a "reference" is
    
    - a system, or project, of genuine interest to customers
    
    - in use, or has been in use (not just a demo or prototype) 
    
    - can be discussed with customers,  i.e not sensitive information.
    
    These references could be presented to customers in a variety of ways,
    from overview presentation to detailed demo.
    
    Note the slightly different needs from a simple list of internal projects.
    
    The first reply gives a first 5 good references, compiled from Note 9
    with the help of Arnold VandeBrug
    
    Please reply to this note with others, in similar detail, and use this
    topic in addition for  
    1. Any discussion around this subject (e.g. are we correct in eliminating 
       prototypes?).
    
    2. Updates to the status of projects already mentioned.
    
    Thanks for your time, George  
    
================================================================================
Note 31.1            Internal References/AI in Manufacturing              1 of 1
YIPPEE::MCGREGOR                                    298 lines   8-FEB-1990 15:57
                     -< Arnolds List of Good References! >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AYR AI References
-----------------------
    
      All Ayr customer & field visits should be coordinated by the plant 
      reference group Carol Slaven or Jim Steel @AYO
      Direct contacts for these projects are Mike Kennelly for CIIRES, 
      Colin Alexander for LATTIS, Eric White for ET (KAT/IDE) and David Brown
      for order scheduling (OSD).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
List of Ayr AI References 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
				    CIIRES		

        
    Business Problem
    

	To reduce the amount of repair inventory in FSL and
	manufacturing. 
	To address to growing problems faced by automatic
	test processes because of changing technologies.

    
    Objectives
    
	To provide a toolkit to debug technicians/engineers to help
	them perform more efficiently.

	    
    Benefits

	Reduce the 'Mean Time to Repair' of our products.
	To capture and preserve the knowledge of our
	repair personnel.
    
    Status
    
	Still in development. Effort is distributed between AYO and JGO.
	Currently phase 1 application running in JGO and other 
	European DRO'S.
	    
    Location

	AYO and JGO.

    Reference Status: This is a good customer demo, in use in Ayr, with a
		      workstation interface, and a subset of CIIRES is used
		      in the field.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                
		ET-mayfair troubleshooting system


TOOL:   Experts Toolkit (ET- Kat/Ide)
_____                

BUSINESS PROBLEM
________________

          Diagnosis of Stage II manufacturing problems required skilled
          technician.

          Too much of the support op / technicians time was spent repairing 
          systems, this does not allow them to take  up more projects etc.
  
          Operator does not have experience to repair system he built.


OBJECTIVES
__________

          To provide an on-line system to help operators diagnose and repair
          own systems.

          This will be repair to a FRU (field replaceable unit) cable etc.

          It should be easily setup and maintained by the existing technician.
          (minimum VMS experience)

BENEFITS
________
          The operator will get his own training in how to repair his own job.
    
          The system is available 24 HRS a day. 

          The support opperators/technicians are freed to work on new product
          introduction.

          No time is now wasted between operator reporting failure and 
          diagnosis starting, thefore improve time to market.

STATUS
______
          Implementation for Mayfair product.

PLANS
_____

          The ET is planned to be used through out the MAYFAIR I , II & III
          business, we have been using the last five months in MAYFAIR I  as
          a pilot run , we are in the process of recieving capital equipment
          to run ET and any tool  (e.g Vax Camps).
          

LOCATION
________

          Ayr(mayfair),Westfield(microvax,mayfair),Nijmegen(VT330,340)

REFERENCE_STATUS: Was in constant use for 3 months; currently the use is
		  reducing, since the system has helped to train up a set of 
		  technicians. This system is similar to VLSI SET-UP SUPPORT 
		  SYSTEM below. As far as demos are concerned, only one
		  of these two is necessary.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

			ORDER SCHEDULING DEVOLUTION

BUSINESS PROBLEM
		Automation of a order scheduling process
		
		Large volumes of orders to be scheduled

		Existing process requires manual intervention for 
		each and every order

		Manual co-ordination of schedule information across
		manufacturing shipping sites

		Scheduling performed by Central Function outwith 
		manufacturing shipping sites

OBJECTIVES
		Provide manufacturing shipping sites with Scheduling 
		capability

		Design and develop an expert system capable of 
		scheduling customer orders 

		Improve order turnaround time/reduce lead-time

		Design a module that is independent of plant specific
		business system(eg.Maxcim or PIOS)

Benefits
		Removes manual intervention where it is not required

		Faster Scheduling of customer orders and response
		to customer

		Scheduling rules clearly defined and consistently 
		executed
		
		Provides plant with flexibility to incorporate plant
		unique scheduling rules/parameters

Status

		Development
		
Location	

		Galway,Ireland, and in Ayr

Reference Status: Excellent to show to customers. In use in April 90

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             
	Knowledge Elicitation and Maintenance Tool

    Business Problem
    
	Support environments are needed for the knowledge-base of
        applications.
     
    Objectives
    
        Deliver knowledge acquisition tools with application projects.
   
    Benefits

        Expert System applications that are easier to maintain:-

           - Easier to find out existing knowledge in the system

           - Shorter learning curve to maintain the system

           - Guidelines about how to represent knowledge

           - Knowledge can be added more rapidly

           - New knowledge is less likely to cause unexpected behaviour
    
    Status
    
        Domain specific tools (layered on the OPS5 programming 
        environment) are in use for prototyping projects in Ayr
        technology groups. 
    
    Location

    	Ayr CIS, SSM & VLSI Technology

    Reference Status: Not an application, but perhaps of interest to customers
		      who want to know about how these manufacturing ES are put
		      together. 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VLSI TEST SET-UP SUPPORT SYSTEM

Business Problem
	
	Production downtime due to problems in system setups.
	Setup techs are still learning how to faultfind on test systems.


Objectives
	To help setup technicians tackle problems in system setups.
	For all setup problems to be recorded and communicated back
	to engineering.


Benefits
	Facilitates the introduction of AI into the facility.
        Reduce system downtime therefore increase productivity.
	Training for setup techs in faultfinding.
	Communicates problems back to engineering.

Status
	Implementation

Location
	VLSI Test, Ayr, Scotland.                            

Reference Status: This is a good diagnostic system based on ET, like the Mayfair
Diagnostic System above. Of the two the VLSI diagnostic system is the preferred
demo.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
                             Project Name: LATTIS
                    (LAb-based TAB Tape Inspection System)

    Business Problem

	- AYO VLSI business needs to qualify process and vendors for
	  Tape Automated Bonding (TAB) packaging process.

	- A piece-part inspection system is required to evaluate material
	  for this process.

	- No equipment is currently available on the market to fulfil this
	  function.

    Objectives
    
	- Whilst equipment is being developed with equipment vendors, an 
	  interim system based on existing lab equipment is being developed,
	  to perform detailed measurement of sample material.

	- Hardware consists of: 
		o VAXstation for OPS control s/w development.
		o uVAX for equipment control and user i/f.
		o 3-axis table for material handling.
		o Optical & image processing hardware.

	- Software consists of:
		o Menu-driven control software (in OPS5, using RIO)
		o CAD interface software (in C).
		o Image processing software (in C).

    Benefits

	- Introduction of new technology geared to high pin-count devices

	- Provision of engineering evaluation support for this process.
    
    Status
    
	- Implementation phase.  Core software developed - debug and testing
	  now underway.

	- After initial use in lab, and user feedback, will install equipment
	  in cleanroom.

    Location

	Ayr, Scotland.

    Reference Status: Extremely impressive demo, including vision. Has been in 
    daily use for 6mths.