Abstract: An apparatus for planning a demand-supply scheme of a supply chain so as to increase the corporate profit. A demand-supply scheme including order receipt, order placement, purchase and supply in the unit of a month of each step of a supply chain that includes various steps, such as product sales steps, product-producing steps, steps of producing parts for producing products, etc. is set so that the order placement to each producing step becomes within an order receivable range that is calculated from the equipment, the manpower, the number of times of operation, etc. of the producing step. Furthermore, a demand-supply scheme is planned and changed so as to maximize a profitability index that is calculated by using a cost regarding the production of a product that includes a material cost, a manpower cost, and an equipment cost, a stock management cost, a transportation cost, etc.

Abstract: A planned production volume in each of production lines, the work force required for production of the planned production volume in the production lines, a tact time, an overtime, a holiday service duty, a work force and so on are initially set based on a required production volume of an article i. The work force, the summated work forces and the planned production volume are successively changed at a predetermined interval to calculate an evaluating value as a cost required for production of the article i of the planned production volume. A set value corresponding to a minimum evaluating value is outputted as an article supply plan value. These processings make it possible to quickly draft a production plan for producing the article at low costs.

Abstract: An apparatus for planning a demand-supply scheme of a supply chain so as to increase the corporate profit. A demand-supply scheme including order receipt, order placement, purchase and supply in the unit of a month of each step of a supply chain that includes various steps, such as product sales steps, product-producing steps, steps of producing parts for producing products, etc. is set so that the order placement to each producing step becomes within an order receivable range that is calculated from the equipment, the manpower, the number of times of operation, etc. of the producing step. Furthermore, a demand-supply scheme is planned and changed so as to maximize a profitability index that is calculated by using a cost regarding the production of a product that includes a material cost, a manpower cost, and an equipment cost, a stock management cost, a transportation cost, etc.

Abstract: An order amount of parts can be calculated from an actually used amount of the parts, so that the used parts can be resupplied subsequently. An order amount can also be calculated form a production plan, so that the parts necessary to meet the plan can be delivered.In this technique, an order amount is calculated by the equation "W1.multidot.X1+W2.multidot.X2", where X1 is the order amount calculated in a subsequently resupplying way, X2 is the order amount calculated in a plan correspondence way, W1 is an actual weight, and W2 is a plan weight. The actual weight W1 becomes high and the plan weight W2 becomes low when the subsequently resupplying way is suitable, and vice versa. The actual weight W1 and the plan weight W2 can be calculated from experience or system analysis.

Abstract: A method for controlling a production apparatus includes steps of providing production information in the form of a specified production time period with respect to a plurality of product types, calculating a production expectation value for each specified production time period, summing the production expectation values for each specified production time period for all the product types and then integer-processing the total number of product portions to be produced each day, providing each day with as many production orders as the integer-processed number of product portions to be produced on that day, and then determining by an average process what product type should be produced in each production order.

Abstract: A method for making a production schedule of an instant process which produces a plurality types of products and supplies the products to a plurality of following processes by trucks. A truck delivery schedule including a number of truck deliveries and times is taken into account when the production schedule of the instant process is made. On the production schedule, a production order of the products is determined, and a stocking schedule also is made on the production order schedule.

Abstract: A control apparatus provided for an FMS line having a robot for carrying a workpiece and an AGV for carrying a jig to be coupled to the workpiece. The control apparatus generally includes a production instruction device and an AGV movement control device. The production instruction device determines a schedule for supplying jigs on the basis of a work supply order schedule. The AGV movement control device causes an AGV to skip an unavailable station and to move to an available station in accordance with the presence or absence of a workpiece and/or a jig and a kind of a cell to which the AGV is to be moved. The robot operates continuously in the order of the disposition of cells. According to the structure, simplification and cost reduction of the control apparatus are attained.

Abstract: The present invention provides a production control system of enhanced efficiency which is adapted to a mixed production line wherein products having different specifications are mass produced by assembling different parts on a common assembly line. This system is used in a factory wherein different products are required for steps of production. As a result, a production control plan can be scheduled in consideration of part transport times between production factories. To this end, the production control system corrects for the required number, transport time, and final production plan schedule. The final production plane schedule is adapted to establish a production ratio that is an integral number in each of feed cycles in a revolution of the assembly line. To this end, unreserved areas are provided in the feed cycles.