The Planning board module (in the SCHEDULING section) is used to schedule production orders across multiple machines over a timeline. For a general overview, refer to the article Planning board.
This article provides guidelines for the different production methods that exist for plastics machines, and how the end time is predicted.
Production methods
In plastics manufacturing, different production methods apply depending on the production type and technology.
The table below helps you determine the correct Unit of Measure for the product and the appropriate Speed Unit for the tool or machine. Setting these values accurately is essential for correctly calculating the planned production time.
| Typical application | Production count (*) | Unit of measure (product) | Speed unit (tool or machine) |
| Low speed injection molding of complex parts like plastic containers | By cycle time, i.e. the time between two shots. | pieces | sec |
| High-speedinjection molding of small parts like bottle caps | By the number of pieces per minute. | pieces | rpm/ppm |
| Extrusion by piece: Extruded profiles cut into equal lengths | By the time to produce a piece of a fixed length. | pieces | sec |
| Extrusion by length: Continuous extrusion of plastic pipes, foils, cables, etc | By length per minute. | meter | rpm/ppm |
(*) Production counting is based on signals received by the Data Unit from connected machines or sensors.
For example, in 'extrusion by piece', a pulse from the saw (triggered when a length is cut) is used as the input signal for counting.
IMPORTANT: Tool and machine compatibility
When planning an order on a machine, ensure that if a tool is selected for the order, the Speed unit of the tool matches the Standard speed (sec or rpm/ppm) of the machine, and the Tool type of the tool matches the Technology of the machine (e.g. both extrusion).
Both Technology and Standard speed of a machine are defined by the Machine type of the selected machine. See Machine types.
Estimated end time
| Production time component | Piece production | Length production |
| Calculated production time | The production time is primarily calculated based on the time required to produce the specified quantity, adjusted for the planned efficiency. | |
| Mount/dismount times | By entering the mount and dismount times for each tool, these times will automatically be included in the planning calculations. | This type of production typically involves infrequent tool changes, so it is not necessary to define tools in the system. Instead, you can add a non-productive period, such as 'Machine unavailable', directly in the Planning board to reserve time for a tool or material change. |
| Load/unload times | If the same tool is used with different materials, product-specific load and unload times can also be defined and will be factored into the planning. | |
Using the Data Unit
To use the Data Unit, refer to the documentation attached to this article (see bottom).