In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, systems and methods are provided for managing production resources including scheduling production events for production resources used to manufacture products relative to time intervals while maintaining collaboration among the production resources. The systems and methods may include retrieving information related to each production resource, evaluating each production event for each product to determine a sequence of the production events, and generating potential production scheduling schemes for use of each production resource within the time intervals while maintaining collaboration among the production resources. The systems and methods may include generating a production schedule for the production events within the time intervals based on the potential production scheduling schemes for use of each production resource within the time intervals while maintaining collaboration among the production resources.

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.

Apparatuses and methods for operating at least two tools in a first and at least a second processing area, wherein in each processing area a number of machining locations is assigned to the tool by which first components carried by a component web are conveyed along a track through the first and the at least second processing area, wherein the total number of tools in the apparatus is less than the number of machining locations in each processing area, wherein the track comprises a number of partial paths corresponding to the number of machining locations, wherein the tool of each processing area is adapted such as to couple respective second components to respective first components at each associated machining location in its processing area, and wherein the apparatus comprises a control unit adapted to operate in response to a conveying movement of the component web along the track.

Method for manufacturing a workpiece with a predefined sequence of machine tools by a computer-controlled manufacturing machine with an optimal tool configuration, wherein the initial locations of the tools are allocated, first and second time transfer time functions are calculated for all tools, possible tool location sequences are generated, for possible tool location sequences a respective first cost factor is calculated, obtained tool location sequences are ranked in accordance with the respective first cost factor, the tools are transferred from their initial locations to the optimal locations in accordance with an optimal tool configuration, and the workpiece is manufactured with the optimal tool configuration by the manufacturing machine.