Sequence Planning Using Multiple and Coordinated Sequences of Operations

The sequential behavior of a manufacturing system results from several constraints introduced during the product, manufacturing, and control logic development. This paper proposes methods and algorithms for automatically representing and visualizing this behavior from various perspectives throughout the development process. A new sequence planning approach is introduced that uses self-contained operations to model the activities and execution constraints. These operations can be represented and visualized from multiple perspectives using a graphical and formal language called Sequences of Operations (SOPs). The operations in a manufacturing system are related to each other in various ways, due to execution constraints expressed by operation pre- and post-conditions. These operation relations include parallel, sequence, arbitrary order, alternative, and hierarchy relations. Based on the SOP language, these relations are identified and visualized in various SOPs and sequences. A software tool, Sequence Planner, has been developed, for organizing the operations into SOPs that visualize only relevant operations and relations.