For the implementation of MES Software, you are dealing with 2 parts:
- The configuration of the system, to mirror the design of your actual manufacturing processes
- The actual use of the system to start tracking the production (The Execution part)
Configuration of a Manufacturing Process
The basic assumption of EZ-MES is that any manufacturing process can be seen as a sequence of manufacturing operations.
In EZ-MES the design of a manufacturing process is implemented in a Flow Definition. The manufacturing operations are configured in Step Definitions. The following figure gives a schematic representation of the configuration of a manufacturing process in EZ-MES.
Note the following:
- Flow Definition
The configuration of a 'Flow' or a 'Manufacturing Process' is known in EZ-MES as a Flow Definition. A Flow Definition is a Sequence of Step Definitions and or other Flow Definitions
- Step Definition
The configuration of a 'Step' or 'Manufacturing Operation' is known in EZ-MES as a Step Definition. A Step Definition can transform one Part Definition into an other Part Definition and can be configured to:
- Collect Data Entries and use to verify Specs or Calculate values
- Consume Material
- Split Parts into Different Flow Definitions
- Part Definition
The Part Definition can be seen as the blue print for the parts that are used and created by the flow.
- Configurable Data Entries
Each of the steps in the flow can have configurable data entries. These date entries are modeled with Name Values in EZ-MES
Using the Configuration to Track Actual Parts
The Flow Definitions are a template for Travelers that are used to move actual parts represented by Part Records through the different operations.
The following figure shows how the previous configuration results in actual tracking of parts
NOTE: EZ-MES is is using blue colored forms for elements that define objects that are needed for the configuration of the system. Green colored forms are used for actual parts (E.g. the Part Records that represent real live parts are represented in green forms, while the Part Definition on which these Part Records are based are shown in blue forms.)
Useful Links
Click one of the following links to learn more about the implementation of EZ-MES