In this paper, we propose a dispatching algorithm for constructing a Factory Operating System (FOS) which can operate semiconductor fabrication factories more efficiently and effectively. We first define ten dispatching criteria and propose two method...
In this paper, we propose a dispatching algorithm for constructing a Factory Operating System (FOS) which can operate semiconductor fabrication factories more efficiently and effectively. We first define ten dispatching criteria and propose two methods to apply the defined dispatching criteria sequentially and simultaneously (i.e. fixed dispatching architecture). However the fixed type methods cannot apply the criteria adaptively by considering changes in the semiconductor fabrication factories. To overcome this type of weakness, an adaptive dispatching architecture is proposed for applying the dispatching criteria dynamically based on the factory status. The status can be determined by combining evaluation results from the following three status criteria; target movement, workload balance, and utilization rate. Results from the shop floor in past few periods showed that the proposed methodology gives a good performance with respect to the productivity, workload balance, and machine utilization. We can expect that the proposed adaptive dispatching architecture will be used as a useful tool for operating semiconductor fabrication factories more efficiently and effectively.