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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

280.0. "3rd party SCHEDULING Applications." by YIPPEE::FITZGIBBON (Joe Fitzgibbon VB/EIC) Wed Feb 13 1991 11:13

	The following provides a summary of some 3rd party SCHEDULING
	applications, with references as to source of information and
	contact names/addresses where known. 

Joe.
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
280.1General Dynamics Mfg, FAIS.YIPPEE::FITZGIBBONJoe Fitzgibbon VB/EICWed Feb 13 1991 11:1623
Name : Foremans Assistant for Intelligent Scheduling (FAIS)

User : General Dynamics Division Mfg facility, Fort Worth, Texas.

Description : Assists foremen (supervisors) in the prioritising of Mfg jobs
		to be set up and loaded into various Numerically Controlled 
		(NC) machines (lathes)  in a metal parts Mfg environment.

		Typically the schedule may be revised serval times a day to 
		several times an hour. Efficient , cost-effective scheduling 
		(re-scheduling) involves many factors; in short it is a job 
		shop type problem involving n jobs, m machines, with 
		operational and technological constraints.

Language : M.1. from Teknowledge on IBM PC, with interface (via API) to IMS 
		database on IBM mainframe.

Platforms : IBM PC.

Contact : ??

Reference : ES Strategies Vol 6 No 5.
280.2Steel Forging, FSSE.YIPPEE::FITZGIBBONJoe Fitzgibbon VB/EICWed Feb 13 1991 11:1741
Name : Forge Shop Scheduling Expert (FSSE)

User : Ellwood City Forge, Ellwood City, PA, USA.

Description : Ellwood City Forge is custom forging facility for large, open-die
		forgings ranging from 0.25 to 25 ton (N.B. Not "tonnes"). 
		Forgings which require "closed-dies" are expensive because 
		the dies have to be machine shaped for every job.

		Individual orders typically consist of 2-3 castings. Each order
		tends to be different. And with over 2,000 orders waiting at
		any one time, the jobs to be scheduled involve constraints 
		such as complex and conflicting Mfg requirements, including 
		grade of steel, use of special alloys, 	differing molds, 
		strict temperature control and processing times

		The production cycle involves, smelting of the raw materials,
		followed by forging to rather larger than required size, then
		very precisley controlled heat treatment which can last for 
		several days, followed by shaping of the finished product on a
		giant lather or milling machine.

		Another n/m/o/t job shop problem, with the objectives of 
		minimising preparation time (operational and technological 
		constraints) in order to optimise overall performance of the 
		Forge.

		Results achieved include a reduction of the Order fulfillment 
		cycle from eight weeks to less than three weeks. Added benefit
		includes an ability to more accurately price a production run
		for an order - apparently resulting in improved customer 
		satisfaction.

Language : Knowledge Craft.

Platforms : VAX

Contact : Carnegie Group.

Reference : ES Strategies, Vol 6 No 5.
280.3Ford Motors Plastics Mfg, MSSYIPPEE::FITZGIBBONJoe Fitzgibbon VB/EICWed Feb 13 1991 11:2116
Name : Mold Scheduling System.

User : Ford Motor Company, Plastics Plant, Sandusky OH, USA.

Description : Schedules the production of Plastic Injection Moulds. Ensures 
		that inventory of Plastic Moulds does not go outside user 
		specified minimun and maximun levels.

Language : OPS83.

Platforms : ???

Contact : ??

Reference : ES Strategies, Vol 6, No 5.
280.4Bulk Chemical Ind., PSA (Domain Shell)YIPPEE::FITZGIBBONJoe Fitzgibbon VB/EICWed Feb 13 1991 11:2450
Name : Production Scheduling Advisor (PSA)

	*** NB This is sold as a Domain Tool for development of Scheduling 
		Applications ***

User : Bulk Chemical Industry. 

Description : Helps planners in Bulk Chemicals Industry prepare long-term
		production plans for products that are produced continuously
		or intermittently, with primary focus on intermittent 
		production. Designed to assist in generation of a day-to-day
		production schedule for up to a 12 month period.

		The tool is structured as follows.-

			- An input module connected to an EXCEL database.
			- an optimisation program using HyperMacLINDO.
			- Stone and Websters custom GANTT chart for
			  visual dsiplay of scheduling cycle - this also 
			  provides the primary interactive dialogue with 
			  the user.
			- LEVEL5, a rule based ES shell written in C and 
			  also embedded into the FOCUS product.

		The scheduler (human user) is presenmted with a graphical, 
		colour coded display of the scheduling process, showing all 
		prodcution constraints and inventories.

		System supports user made changes to schedule, as well as 
		"what if" scenarios.

		The LEVEL5 portion contains approx 225 generic scheduling
		rules which were found to be of use to this industry segment.

		A PSA application is currently is use with a Chemical company
		where time requried to plan the 12 month production schedule
		has been reduced from several days to several hours. The
		operational schedulers (humans) are doing 12 month schedules 
		on a day-to-day basis for 60 products produced in 6 individual
		units.

Language : Microsoft EXCEL, HyperMacLINDO, LEVEL5.

Platforms : MACII. Currently being ported to IBM PC and VAX (FCS unknown).

Contact : Stone and Webster, Advanced Systems Development Services, 
		245 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02107. Tel 617 589-2737.

Reference : ES Strategies, Vol 6, No 5.
280.5Manufacturing Ind., Personnel Scheduler (Tool)YIPPEE::FITZGIBBONJoe Fitzgibbon VB/EICWed Feb 13 1991 11:2723
Name : Personnel Scheduler.

	*** NB This sold as a Domain Tool for development of Personnel 
	       Scheduling Applications ***

User : Large Manufacturing Companies.

Description : Originally developed for a large Mfg company to assign personnel
		to specific tasks while satisfying complex set of requirements
		and constraints. The system matches needs to employee skills 
		and availability, and monitors the experience profile of 
		individual personnel to ensure that professional growth is
		built into assignments.

Language :  ??

Platforms : PC

Contact : Technology Applications Inc., 6621 Southpoint Dr. No., Suite 310,
		Jacksonville, FL 32216 USA. Tel 904 737-1685.

Reference : ES Strategies, Vol 6 No 5.
280.6Manufacturing Ind., The SCHEDULER (Tool)YIPPEE::FITZGIBBONJoe Fitzgibbon VB/EICWed Feb 13 1991 11:2938
Name : The SCHEDULER.

User : Manufacturing.

Description :  Designed to assist with both daily scheduling and long term
		planning. Integrated with plant systems via sensors and data
		captors, it enables plant staff to react to cahnages on the 
		shop floor in a speedy fashion. Used as a Schedulers workbench,
		it allows the user to develop/explore different scheduling
		methods that support,

			- search strategies such as , forward in time, backward
			  from a deadline, or onward from bottlenecks;

			- styles of search expansion - by time or by job;

			- scheduling assumptions which can be used to suit 
			  particular scenarios, such as batch jobs, use of 
			  pre-configured machines, and assembly of component
			  parts.

		Optional integration with Intellicorp's ActiveGantt module,
		providing interactive graphics for "what-if" scenarios.

		Intellicorp Applicatiosn Group say system is in use in two 
		large European semiconductor plants and for PC board Mfg.
		Also used for scheduling the machining and maintenance
		operations in an automobile parts plant, amongst others.

Language : KEE

Platforms : IBM

Contact : Intellicorp, 1975 El Camino Real West, Mountain View, CA 94040. 
	  tel : 415 965-5500

Reference : ES Strategies Vol 6 No 5.
280.7Ford Motor Co., FDSA.YIPPEE::FITZGIBBONJoe Fitzgibbon VB/EICWed Feb 13 1991 11:3143
Name : Foremans Dynamic Scheduling Assistant (FDSA).

User : Ford Motor Co.

Description : A Rule based application, of approx. 200 rules, that helps 
		production Foremen schedule a 16 hour production cycle in 
		1 minute (??!!) or less. 

		Dynamic scheduling differs from traditional MRP in that it 
		addresses s production schedule where a short-term response 
		is required, it is considered as well suited to the JIT 
		Mfg environment.

		Shop floor machine failures result in the "immediate" 
		generation of the "best" alternate schedule(s) within 
		"1 minute or less".

		Application currently used to schedule ooperations in "tube-
		bending area" handling about 280 different parts.

		Three major goals,

			- JIT production with no inventory stockpiling.

			- minimise unavoidable inventory.

			- operational problems must be responded to swiftly
			  and accurately.

		OPS5 prototype was later converted to CLIPS due to difficulty 
		of porting from VMS development envrionment to the HP 
		production environment. Application now runs on VAX and PC
		(development environment) and HP9000 in the production
		environment (i.e. VMS, DOS and UNIX).

Language : CLIPS.

Platforms : VAX, PC, HP.

Contact : Ford Motor Co.

Reference : ES Strategies, Vol 6, No 5.
280.8ASIA From PirelliLUPO::SIMINOAI Marketing Program Mgr. - ItalyTue Mar 12 1991 16:1520
    I'd add ASIA. This Scheduling system  has been developed by a SW house
    belonging to Pirelli Tyres. The Company named EFESO TECHNOLOGIES has
    developed this tool using OPS83, C, DECWindows on a cluster composed by
    a VAXstation 3100 and a �VAX3400. The System has been bought and
    routinely used by WHIRLPOOL for the European production of freezers.
    
    The reference is confidential but it's possible for DEC people to have
    more details. The system is totally integrated with the PDP11 computers
    who manage the factory machines and with a remote IBM3090 who provides
    the weekly orders. ASIA in 3 minutes is able to change the
    configuration scheduling on the basis of changes in orders, brochen
    machines. WHIRLPOOL it's absolutely fond of the tool and is planning to
    extend the use of ASIA also to other production lines.
    
    NAME: ASIA
    PRODUCER: Efeso Technologies (Pirelli Group)
    HARDWARE: VAXStation or DECStation
    SOFTWARE: OPS83 (VMS or ULTRIX), DECWindows 
    Contact: Riccardo Simino (ESTASI::SIMINO)
    
280.9SQM - Shop Floor Scheduling ES from Logica.CHEVIE::FITZGIBBONJoe Fitzgibbon, Valbonne EICTue Aug 27 1991 18:1211
The system embodies generic info. about scheduling whihc can be tailored to
suit customers requirements. Can also be configured to work with existing 
scheduling algorithms and online monitoring equipment. Operates under UNIX
and accepts existing schedules and WIP details from relational DB such as
ORACLE. Can monitor WIP progress, highlight potential problems, recommend 
solutions as well as producing the original schedule

Source : ES Applications June 1991.

Contact : Logica Cambridge (UK) 0223 66343.

280.10LIKMAN - Process control ES for Cement producers.CHEVIE::FITZGIBBONJoe Fitzgibbon, Valbonne EICTue Aug 27 1991 18:2511
LINKMAN process control and optimisation ES, marketed by Linkman systems on a 
turnkey basis. LINKMAN mimics a human operator in the control of cement kilns,
maintaining best operating practices. Operates in real-time control mode rather 
than advisory role and is "particularly suited for processes where efficiency 
is dependent on operator performance". Linkman recently won an order with the
 Indonesian cement producer PT Semen Cibinong. (but do not say if visits from
DEC Europe will be encouraged!)

Source : ES Applications June 1991

Contact : Linkman systems (UK) 081 695 0155