A novel method designs and analyzes composite parts including optimal manufacturing strategies. The invention analyzes part design including curvatures and other surface topology to formulate an optimal strategy for material layup, number of plies, initial orientation angle, and towpath steering vectors. The method computes an optimum starting point for each fiber path and a stagger offset for each successive fiber path to as to eliminate or minimize gaps and overlaps between adjacent plies. Intermediate surfaces are generated by a polynomial discretization method which generates large computational time savings and enhances blending of adjacent zones to control surface smoothness. The method further calculates a variable steering path for the layer taking into account material parameters and limitations such that plies originating in the same location have a variable orientation angle and follow any reference curve generated by the method to maximize strength and minimize weight of the component.

Provided is a machining time prediction device including a predicted machining speed table where predicted machining speeds are registered in association with shape groups used for classification based on a shape of a machining path, a machining path generation unit generating machining path data including the machining path based on the program, a shape group determination unit determining which shape groups partial machining paths belong to, a path length addition unit adding and summarizing path lengths of the partial machining paths for the respective shape groups, a predicted machining time calculation unit calculating predicted machining times of the respective shape groups on the basis of a predicted machining speed table and the path lengths of the respective shape groups, a predicted machining time summation unit calculating a predicted machining time of the machining path by adding the predicted machining times of the respective shape groups, and a display unit displaying the predicted machining time of the machining path.

A novel method designs and analyzes composite parts including optimal manufacturing strategies. The invention analyzes part design including curvatures and other surface topology to formulate an optimal strategy for material layup, number of plies, initial orientation angle, and towpath steering vectors. The method computes an optimum starting point for each fiber path and a stagger offset for each successive fiber path to as to eliminate or minimize gaps and overlaps between adjacent plies. Intermediate surfaces are generated by a polynomial discretization method which generates large computational time savings and enhances blending of adjacent zones to control surface smoothness. The method further calculates a variable steering path for the layer taking into account material parameters and limitations such that plies originating in the same location have a variable orientation angle and follow any reference curve generated by the method to maximize strength and minimize weight of the component.

A novel method designs and analyzes composite parts including optimal manufacturing strategies. The invention analyzes part design including curvatures and other surface topology to formulate an optimal strategy for material layup, number of plies, initial orientation angle, and towpath steering vectors. The method computes an optimum starting point for each fiber path and a stagger offset for each successive fiber path to as to eliminate or minimize gaps and overlaps between adjacent plies. Intermediate surfaces are generated by a polynomial discretization method which generates large computational time savings and enhances blending of adjacent zones to control surface smoothness. The method further calculates a variable steering path for the layer taking into account material parameters and limitations such that plies originating in the same location have a variable orientation angle and follow any reference curve generated by the method to maximize strength and minimize weight of the component.

A machining time estimation device includes a motor information input unit inputting a rated power of a first spindle motor of a first NC machine tool and a rated power of a second spindle motor of a second NC machine tool, a machining time input unit inputting a first machining time for machining of a workpiece by the first NC machine tool using an NC program, a high-load machining ratio input unit inputting a high-load machining ratio as a ratio of machining performed at a predetermined high loading in the first machining time, and a machining time estimation unit. The machining time estimation unit estimates a second machining time for machining of the workpiece by the second NC machine tool under a condition making a high loading with respect to the rated power of the second spindle motor equal to the high loading in the first NC machine tool, based on the rated powers of the first and second spindle motors, the first machining time, and the high-load machining ratio.

Methods and systems for generating sensor data, wherein the sensor data includes measured transit time information for items flowing through a work process, accessing a set of control data for one or more machine tool workstations and accounting data for the work process, calculating a standard deviation of the measured transit time information, calculating an achievable minimum WIP for at least one of the workstations using current values of workstation performance parameters, receiving input including: information identifying process improvement projects and corresponding predictive performance parameter values, and information identifying resources available for process improvement, for the at least one of the workstations: determining an achievable minimum WIP using the corresponding predictive performance parameter values, determining a reduction in minimum WIP based on the difference between the achievable minimum WIP for the current performance parameter values and the predictive performance parameter values, and determining one or more process efficiency improvements.

Provided is a machining time prediction device including a predicted machining speed table where predicted machining speeds are registered in association with shape groups used for classification based on a shape of a machining path, a machining path generation unit generating machining path data including the machining path based on the program, a shape group determination unit determining which shape groups partial machining paths belong to, a path length addition unit adding and summarizing path lengths of the partial machining paths for the respective shape groups, a predicted machining time calculation unit calculating predicted machining times of the respective shape groups on the basis of a predicted machining speed table and the path lengths of the respective shape groups, a predicted machining time summation unit calculating a predicted machining time of the machining path by adding the predicted machining times of the respective shape groups, and a display unit displaying the predicted machining time of the machining path.

A cycle time calculation apparatus includes: a plurality of resource process units, each provided in correspondence to one of a plurality of work resources, wherein each of the plurality of resource process units virtually judges progress of a process in a corresponding work resource; a process control unit which dynamically determines timings to start operations of the plurality of work resources, and sends a command to start a process to the resource process unit in accordance with a result of the determination; a cumulative management unit which measures a time in which a resource state of at least one of the resource process units is in-operation; and a cycle time calculation unit which calculates a cycle time, which is a time required for actually executing machining in accordance with the sequence program, based on a result of the measurement by the cumulative management unit.

A method for controlling a production process is disclosed. The method comprises performing a simulation of a production process of a plurality of machines of a production line for a plurality of configurations of a speed management component, comprising, for each configuration, determining, by a simulation component, a plurality of statuses of the plurality of machines of the production line based on one or more events altering an operation state of the production line and based on speed set points for the plurality of machines, calculating, by a digital twin speed management component, at least one new speed set point for at least one machine of the plurality of machines of the production line, based on the determined plurality of statuses and the respective configuration used for the digital twin speed management component, and analysing performance of the production line based on speed set points for the plurality of machines, including the calculated at least one new speed set point for at least one machine of the plurality of machines, and, based on the analysis, deploying a configuration of the plurality of configurations of the speed management component for controlling the plurality of machines of the production line.

In some implementations, a controller may obtain a production plan for a work environment, the production plan including at least one production circuit for machines, wherein the at least one production circuit is based on respective production parameters. The controller may determine cycle times for respective production circuits of the at least one production circuit, wherein the cycle times are based on at least one machine performance parameter. The controller may perform an action associated with controlling a speed of a first machine based on a cycle time of a first production circuit in which the first machine is operating and based on at least one dynamic event in the work environment.