Finite-capacity scheduling that understands machines, tanks, and pumps
More than a production calendar. The scheduler understands the character of each resource: machine cycle times, tank capacity and hold times, pump flow rates. It then builds a schedule around the constraints that genuinely exist on the shop floor.
What scheduling covers
- Four scheduling strategies in one engine Use Forward to finish work as soon as possible, Backward to hit a due date just-in-time, Leveling to balance load, or Drum-Buffer-Rope to protect throughput around a bottleneck.
- Built for discrete and process manufacturing The scheduler understands different constraints for machines, tanks, and pumps, including capacity, minimum and maximum hold times, cleaning, cooldown, and maintenance windows.
- Lot pipelining to raise throughput One order can be split into lots that flow independently and overlap across processes, so work does not have to wait for the whole order to finish before the next process starts.
- Workforce capacity taken into account Schedules can use complex shift patterns, from DuPont and Panama to custom rotations, and treat labour availability as part of the constraint set.
- An interactive Gantt to control the schedule Reschedule with drag-and-drop, lock the slots that matter, apply changes in bulk, see resource utilization, and spot material shortages or late-order risk early.
Every resource has its own behaviour and constraints
Machines, tanks, and pumps cannot be treated with the same formula. The scheduler computes duration from the character of the resource in use, rather than from a duration figure typed in by hand.
| Resource type | How duration is determined |
|---|---|
| Machine | Setup time plus cycle time multiplied by the production quantity. |
| Tank | Based on volume and hold time. If the volume exceeds capacity, the scheduler can allocate to the next tank while respecting the available piping connections. |
| Pump | Based on volume divided by flow rate. Transfer duration is computed from the pump's flow capacity rather than entered manually. |
Per-resource constraints can include tank capacity, minimum and maximum hold time, cleaning, cooldown, maintenance windows, and pump rates for both inbound and outbound transfers.
Tank occupancy is counted from start to finish
An intermediate tank is in use from the moment filling starts until its entire contents have been moved out. Counting only the dwell time can make a schedule look free when the tank is still tied up by a running process.
| Phase | Duration | Example at 1000 kg |
|---|---|---|
| Fill in | Lot volume ÷ pump rate in | 1000 L ÷ 100 L/min = 10 minutes, and can overlap with the pump-out of the preceding process |
| Wait | Minimum hold time | 30 minutes, no overlap |
| Fill out | Lot volume ÷ pump rate out | 1000 L ÷ 50 L/min = 20 minutes, and can overlap with the downstream process |
| Total occupancy | — | 60 minutes, not just the 30 minutes of hold time |
Four strategies, one engine
- Forward Schedules work as early as possible from the available start date. That is the right choice when the goal is to finish production sooner.
- Backward Works the schedule backward from the due date, so material and resources are not committed earlier than they need to be.
- Leveling Distributes workload across available resources so capacity does not pile up on one resource while others sit idle.
- Drum-Buffer-Rope Identifies the constraint resource and protects the flow of production around it, so the bottleneck does not throttle overall throughput.