Advanced Planning and Scheduling for Color Filter Fabrication Plants

Abstract

This research proposed Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) system to effectively and efficiently balance machine loading for color filter fabrication plants in Thin Film Transistor - Liquid Crystal Display industry. APS uses six modules to estimate future equipment loading and calculate order due dates according to capacity limits by taking into account the due date and size of orders, as well as the capacity, loading, and yield of fabrication plants. These six modules include: Order Priority Module, WIP-Pulling Module, Order Release Module, Material Management Module, Workload Accumulation Module, and Workload Balance Module. A lot’s start processing time at each production step is selected leading to the best workload balance. Simulation and experimental design are used to evaluate the performance of APS. Production manager can use APS to improve color filter fabrication plants’ productivity and competitiveness.