Abstract: A method allows one to store in a parallel way branches and nodes of a hierarchy into a database by creating queues. Each queue has a status and a unlock item indicating if a superior node has already been stored. A process looks up these indicators and performs according to commands received from a first process control of the queues.

Abstract: A method and system control for closing a plant application running on a manufacturing execution system (MES) application. The method includes the steps of providing to a set of classes, a custom shutdown rule to be customized at engineering time; defining, for certain classes belonging to the set of classis, certain shutdown rules with a set of actions to be performed by the MES application; notifying the closing request to the MES application; invoking the shutdown rules once for each object of the classes which have a defined shutdown rule; performing the actions defined in the invoked custom shutdown rules; by the MES application, closing or not closing the plant application according to the results of the invoked shutdown rules; by the MES application, notifying the PM launcher whether the plant application was closed or not.

Abstract: A method enables an administration of resources (content) in web packages. By automatically adding a prefix to a resource name causing a name conflict, even resources having the same name can be handled when installing a new web package by a virtual file system mapping the resources to which a prefix has been added to the physical content required for the web application.

Abstract: A Manufacturing Executing System (MES) implements a planned manufacturing process and controls the corresponding production at the plant floor in a method and in a system for managing and controlling manufacturing processes planned by an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and produced by the plant floor. The method includes defining sequential process segments. Each sequential process segment includes a plurality of actions to be performed at a plant floor level. The method includes the execution of a software tool including the steps of activating a sequential process segment and sequentially executing the respective actions. The method further includes defining state machines including a plurality of states and state transitions corresponding to actions to be performed at plant floor. A state manager tool is executed to define the state machines. A software tool is activated by the state manager tool to execute the state transitions of the state machine.

Abstract: A method for validating a translation of a graphical workflow of activities into an arbitrary, but structured language uses as input a term of a high level graphically expressed language having a number of graphical elements related logically to each other and analyzes its content and/or structure in order to translate this content and/or structure into a structured set of instructions. The graphical workflow of activities is simulated to arrive at a first set of activity results. Each instruction is translated into a generic language in order to trace the execution of such instruction to arrive at a second set of results from the translated instructions. The first set of activity results is compared with the second set of results, and the translation is validated in case of a match among the first set of activity results and the second set of results.

Abstract: In a method for translating a graphical workflow in a textual description, a structure of the graphical workflow is analyzed by detecting graphical blocks of the graphical workflow. Further, each graphical block of the graphical workflow is translated in a textual description.

Abstract: A method for allocating resources among a plurality of client work machines includes representing at least one client work machine as a resource object, representing at least one manufacturing process executable at a client work machine as a process, defining at least one usage capability for a resource object, selecting one of at least two states of the usage capability, and executing at least one manufacturing process on at least one client work machine according to the selected state of the usage capability.

Abstract: A method enables an administration of resources (content) in web packages. By automatically adding a prefix to a resource name causing a name conflict, even resources having the same name can be handled when installing a new web package by a virtual file system mapping the resources to which a prefix has been added to the physical content required for the web application.

Abstract: A method allows one to store in a parallel way branches and nodes of a hierarchy into a database by creating queues. Each queue has a status and a unlock item indicating if a superior node has already been stored. A process looks up these indicators and performs according to commands received from a first process control of the queues.

Abstract: A method evaluates key production indicators in a manufacturing execution system (MES). An object oriented tool for modeling a production process is executed in the manufacturing execution system. The modeling includes a definition of plant floor equipment involved in the production process and corresponding MES applications managing the plant floor equipment. A plant performance analyzer tool for calculating the key production indicators on the plant floor equipment is executed. The key production indicators calculated by the plant performance analyzer tool in the object oriented tool are read. The step of modeling the production process includes the definition of a class associated to the key production indicators and including the calculus to be executed by the plant performance analyzer on the plant floor equipment.

Abstract: A Manufacturing Executing System (MES) implements a planned manufacturing process and controls the corresponding production at the plant floor in a method and in a system for managing and controlling manufacturing processes planned by an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and produced by the plant floor. The method includes defining sequential process segments. Each sequential process segment includes a plurality of actions to be performed at a plant floor level. The method includes the execution of a software tool including the steps of activating a sequential process segment and sequentially executing the respective actions. The method further includes defining state machines including a plurality of states and state transitions corresponding to actions to be performed at plant floor. A state manager tool is executed to define the state machines. A software tool is activated by the state manager tool to execute the state transitions of the state machine.

Abstract: A method and system control for closing a plant application running on a manufacturing execution system (MES) application. The method includes the steps of providing to a set of classes, a custom shutdown rule to be customized at engineering time; defining, for certain classes belonging to the set of classis, certain shutdown rules with a set of actions to be performed by the MES application; notifying the closing request to the MES application; invoking the shutdown rules once for each object of the classes which have a defined shutdown rule; performing the actions defined in the invoked custom shutdown rules; by the MES application, closing or not closing the plant application according to the results of the invoked shutdown rules; by the MES application, notifying the PM launcher whether the plant application was closed or not.

Abstract: In a method for translating a graphical workflow in a textual description, a structure of the graphical workflow is analyzed by detecting graphical blocks of the graphical workflow. Further, each graphical block of the graphical workflow is translated in a textual description.

Abstract: A method for allocating resources among a plurality of client work machines includes representing at least one client work machine as a resource object, representing at least one manufacturing process executable at a client work machine as a process, defining at least one usage capability for a resource object, selecting one of at least two states of the usage capability, and executing at least one manufacturing process on at least one client work machine according to the selected state of the usage capability.

Abstract: A method for validating a translation of a graphical workflow of activities into an arbitrary, but structured language uses as input a term of a high level graphically expressed language having a number of graphical elements related logically to each other and analyzes its content and/or structure in order to translate this content and/or structure into a structured set of instructions. The graphical workflow of activities is simulated to arrive at a first set of activity results. Each instruction is translated into a generic language in order to trace the execution of such instruction to arrive at a second set of results from the translated instructions. The first set of activity results is compared with the second set of results, and the translation is validated in case of a match among the first set of activity results and the second set of results.