Line Design (SAP Library

Line Design

Purpose

With this component you define the basic data for the repetitive manufacturing planning tools, the planning table and Sequencing. With Line Design you can control the takt-based scheduling of Sequencing. In Line Design you can also create basic data, if you work with lead time scheduling and if you use the planning table with the graphic planning board.

The following examples include further information on the uses of Line Design.

Example 1: Rate-Based Make-to-Stock Repetitive Manufacturing

Example 2: Takt-Based Make-to-Stock Repetitive Manufacturing (model mix)

Example 3: Make-to-Stock Repetitive Manufacturing (with lead time scheduling and capacity planning)

Example: Make-to-Order Repetitive Manufacturing (model mix).

Implementation Considerations

You can implement Line Design as follows, depending on the type of production you use:

Takt-based production of a model mix.

This process can be used if you manufacture several similar materials or several variants of a material on one production line at one time (model mix production). You can use the process with make-to-order repetitive manufacturing and make-to-stock repetitive manufacturing if you work with takt-based scheduling. To do so you create a rate routing and a line hierarchy and periodically carry out a line balance. You can adjust the capacity of the production line per period for a specific model-mix.

Production based on production rates

This process is, above all, relevant for make-to-stock repetitive manufacturing. It is used if you always produce only one material on a production line at the same time. Here, you can work with lead time scheduling or with takt-based scheduling. If you work with takt-based scheduling, you only require one line hierarchy. A rate routing is optional. For mid to short term production planning, manually enter a planned rate per period. In addition, you can also enter material-dependent rates if the rates of the materials vary.

Integration

Line Design is assigned to the master data of the component Production Planning and Control (PP).

The production rates and takt times and the number of takts on the production line are used in Sequencing to schedule planned orders. You can also implement Sequencing in conjunction with the planning table. You can use the planning table to create planned orders and assign them to production lines. The planned orders are then dispatched and scheduled in Sequencing. You can access Sequencing from the planning table to display planning results in a graphic.

Features

You can reproduce production processes by creating a rate routing. A rate routing is a routing, which deals with the special functions in repetitive manufacturing. You can define a main production line and several parallel feeder production lines.

You can reproduce the processing stations of a production line structured in the system, by creating a line hierarchy. In the line hierarchy you can insert as many work centers and line segments in as many hierarchy levels as you wish. You can divide the line segments into takts, which represent the actual processing stations of the production line.

You can carefully control takt-based scheduling in Sequencing by using several Rates and Takt Times

In the line hierarchy you can insert sort buffers between line segments, in order to divide the production line. So, in Sequencing you can change the sequence of the planned orders in a sort buffer. In addition, you can specify various operating times for the buffered sections.

You can create a line hierarchy with line balancing. In line balancing, you can define the following master data for planning purposes:

you plan the materials to be produced and the corresponding production quantities for the period (model mix)
in the line balancing graphic, you can analyze the capacity load utilization on the takts and move operations to other takts, if necessary
you can close takts or work centers or change the individual capacity of a takt.

If you have created a line hierarchy without line balancing, you can also enter material-dependent rates.

Constraints

The rates of a production line are valid for all line hierarchies. You cannot assign differing rates to line segments.

If you use rate routings that refer to reference rate routings or standard routings, you cannot move the corresponding operations in the line balancing graphic.