Operation Block
Operation block is a tool to support the planning, scheduling and reporting of operations suitable to execute together on a work center, typically sharing a common characteristic value.
If the work center is a capacity-constrained (bottleneck) resource, operation block scheduling can be used to achieve a carefully managed schedule that maximizes the throughput without exceeding the capacity of the work center. Prior operations are backward-scheduled, while downstream operations are forward-scheduled. This is known as constraint-oriented finite loading.
Block Planning from Manufacturing Visual Planning
Use the Machine Operations Scheduling chart available with manufacturing visual planning and search for operations related to the relevant work center. You can color the operations by a characteristic code to more easily identify operations suitable to group into a block. (Only discrete characteristics entered on the Work Center/Characteristics tab can be used). Select the segments representing operations suitable to include in a block and use the command to connect them.
Block Planning from Operation Block page
Start by creating a new operation block from the Operation Block page for the relevant work center. If applicable, the work center resource on which the preferred block to be executed can be specified. Use the Available Operations tab to find operations suitable to include in the block. Characteristics entered in the Work Center/Characteristics tab will appear as dynamical columns here to make it easier to determine which operations to include in the block. Characteristic values are primarily fetched from the configuration of the shop order and secondarily from the characteristics connected to the inventory part.
Resource Share
For work centers where the resource is filled with multiple operations executed simultaneously such as ovens, the resource share can be used to determine how many operations that can be included in a block. A block resource share reaching 1 would indicate the resource is full and no more operations should be connected to it. For work centers where operations are executed in sequence, the resource share is normally not relevant.
Operation Block Scheduling
Operations in the operation block can be (re)scheduled to align their
start and finish date/times with the desired operation block start
date/time. To trigger the operation block scheduling, click Schedule Operation
Block from the operation block page, or enable the Schedule option in the
Connect Operations to Operation Block
assistant.
For a work center resource executing multiple operations
simultaneously, select to schedule the operations in parallel, then either manually
enter the start date/time, or select the block that should precede this one
which will set the start date/time same as the finish date/time of the preceding
block. Once executed, all operations in the block will be forward scheduled
from the given start date/time.
For a work center resource executing operations one by one, select to schedule operations in sequence. The start date/time is either entered manually, or by selecting the preceding operation block. Once executed, the operations in the block will be scheduled one by one after each other (sequential). The order of the operation sequence within the block is based on the original operation start date/time. By enabling Schedule with new Setup Time between Operations, all block operations except the first one will be scheduled with the value entered in the New Setup Time field.
Operation Block Report
An operation block can be printed using the operation block report. This report includes both detailed information about each operation connected to the operation block as well as summarized information about the total material and tool requirements. The Operation Block ID is printed as a barcode that can be scanned to populate the operations on the Shop Floor Workbench page.
APB
Operation blocks are loaded to APB and are shown as a collection object in tree navigator.
APB does not consider operation block parameters when scheduling operation block. When scheduling an operation block within APB, the generic finite scheduling rules will apply, i.e. operations are scheduled as per their constraints, EPST and needs dates while adhering to other constraints. The scheduling logic will not use preferred resource or will not specially try to keep operation together due to the reason that they belong to the same block.
Shop Floor Workbench
Operation blocks can simplify the shop floor reporting. By scanning the Operation Block ID barcode available in the Work Instruction - Barcode Version and Operation Block reports in the Barcode ID field, the operations connected to the block will be automatically populated and highlighted. All operations connected to the block can then be started simultaneously using the Start Setup/Start Production. Depending on the Concurrent Operation setting on the Work Center page, either the time share, or the resource share/crew size will be split between the simultaneously started operations.