Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage medium, for processing multiple jobs using a plurality of workstations. The plurality of workstations are grouped into multiple Pull groups, each Pull group including one or more workstations of a same type. The processing includes, repeatedly, at each of multiple time steps until a predetermined condition is satisfied: collecting, using sensors that monitor the plurality of workstations, sensor data from Pull groups in the multiple Pull groups; computing, for each of the multiple jobs, a current remaining lead time using the collected sensor data and Little's Law; and adjusting, based on the computed current remaining lead times, priorities at which the multiple jobs are processed by each Pull group.

Provided is a system and method for minimizing non-productive idle times within an automation process executed by an automation facility, the system including a model memory which stores a probabilistic model of a distribution of object exchange times of objects used or consumed in the automation process; and an optimizer adapted to calculate optimal assignments of objects to magazine positions of an object storage magazine depending on the probabilistic model and depending on a sequence of productive non-idle times of objects used or consumed in process steps of the automation process.

A storage medium storing a work plan specifying program that causes a computer to execute a process that includes specifying a certain order under conditions that, in a work line that generates a plurality of objects in the certain order, a certain amount of a material is partially cut from a raw material for each of the plurality of objects, the cut material is processed, the raw material is switched to a next raw material when the raw material lacks, and a changeover is performed to change the settings of the cutting device and the proceeding; and optimizing an objective function that reflects the changeover and an excess amount of each raw material that are determined according to an input order of the plurality of objects to the work line.

An apparatus for assisting a setup work in a system having lines for producing types of products, each of the lines requesting the setup work for producing the product after switching of the type of product, includes a processor to calculate an earliest time when the setup work for each product in each line becomes executable based on the production-plan information, and when a difference between the earliest time when the setup work for a first product in a first line becomes executable and the earliest time when the setup work for a second product in a second line other than the first line becomes executable is equal or greater than a predetermined threshold value, determines that the setup work for the first product is executed before the setup work for the second product, and determines an execution order of the setup work for each product using a problem solver.

An optimization device is applied to a production line in which multiple production devices respectively execute a production process. The optimization device includes a cycle time setting section configured to set a cycle time for each production device, a target time setting section configured to set a target time based on a cycle time and a time required for periodic operation in each of multiple production devices except for the component mounter, and a line design section configured to calculate the unit number of the component mounters constituting the production line based on the target time.

An information processing device includes: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to: acquire information on production of substrates and equipment information on a mounting line in which a component is mounted on the substrates; and optimize, based on the information on the production of the substrates and the equipment information on the mounting line, a plurality of factors that affect a time to complete the production of the substrates.

An information processing device includes: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to: acquire information on production of substrates and equipment information on a mounting line in which a component is mounted on the substrates; and optimize, based on the information on the production of the substrates and the equipment information on the mounting line, a plurality of factors that affect a time to complete the production of the substrates.

An optimization device is applied to a production line in which multiple production devices respectively execute a production process. The optimization device includes a cycle time setting section configured to set a cycle time for each production device, a target time setting section configured to set a target time based on a cycle time and a time required for periodic operation in each of multiple production devices except for the component mounter, and a line design section configured to calculate the unit number of the component mounters constituting the production line based on the target time.

Provided is a system and method for minimizing non-productive idle times within an automation process executed by an automation facility, the system including a model memory which stores a probabilistic model of a distribution of object exchange times of objects used or consumed in the automation process; and an optimizer adapted to calculate optimal assignments of objects to magazine positions of an object storage magazine depending on the probabilistic model and depending on a sequence of productive non-idle times of objects used or consumed in process steps of the automation process.

An apparatus for assisting a setup work in a system having lines for producing types of products, each of the lines requesting the setup work for producing the product after switching of the type of product, includes a processor to calculate an earliest time when the setup work for each product in each line becomes executable based on the production-plan information, and when a difference between the earliest time when the setup work for a first product in a first line becomes executable and the earliest time when the setup work for a second product in a second line other than the first line becomes executable is equal or greater than a predetermined threshold value, determines that the setup work for the first product is executed before the setup work for the second product, and determines an execution order of the setup work for each product using a problem solver.