Eliminate Wasteful Moves
The Flow Planner is a factory wide product flow analysis tool that combines simple text file routings with an AutoCAD facility layout drawing to create product, part and material handling flow diagrams for quick, easy, and accurate documentation and evaluation. Flow paths can be diagrammed using Euclidian (point-to-point) flow lines or they can be automatically routed throughout the aisles.
Flow Planner can aggregate flow paths by product, part, material handling method or combination of two and display the result. The program will also calculate aisle congestion and color-code material handling intensity levels so you can see the high traffic areas in the facility. |
Aisle based flow shows material
handling traffic.
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The Flow Planner allows the user to save a plethora of output to report, MS Excel, and drawing files. All data within the program can be input or exported via cut, copy, and pasting to and from the program. Full versions will enjoy unlimited routing and location input abilities. Along with the full version comes product updates, phone and email support, training, and an available AutoCAD engine to substitute if a full version of AutoCAD is not at the customer's disposal.
AutoCAD Engine: For users who do not have their own copy of AutoCAD 2002 or higher, Proplanner offers a version of the program with a build in AutoCAD 2005 Engine for a small additional fee. The engine itself supports all 2D authoring tools with only a few peripheral functionalities disabled.
Interface Combines Layout with Routings
Creating material flow routings can be done in just a few minutes. The Flow Planner reads routings from simple text files created within Microsoft Excel, or from within the built-in routing editor. The routing file contains data for production quantities, parts per container, from and to locations, as well as information on material handling devices.
Within Excel or the Flow Planner users can quickly create and modify the routing information to "see" and "evaluate" the impacts of routing changes on the flow diagram. |
Create routings quickly within FP or import larger
sets of flow information from Excel.
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Via Location Support: Via locations are off-line storage locations in the plant where material is sent from the receiving docks and then dispatched to the workplace. Often material moves to the Via location in bulk quantities and then is dispatched to the workplace in smaller lots. The FP application lets users specify Via locations and then select if they are to be included, or ignored, in the analysis. This makes the evaluation of the material handling costs, and aisle congestion issues, of off-line storage; quick and easy to do.
Spreadsheet Interface: The most effective utility to the ease of the calculation is the spreadsheet like interface where information can be copied or imported directly from Excel or any pre-existing spreadsheet. Every list of information within the Flow Planner can also be copied out to Excel for further evaluation and customization.
Output Presentation: When the analysis is complete, output is examined with the use of the reports and outputs defined below as well as visually. Automatically generated direction arrows, thickness representing frequency, and an aggregate specific legend make taking a picture of the drawing a useful piece of any final reports. Any viewer can see where most traffic is taking place as well as what product or part is adding to the congestion.
Flow Results
The Flow Planner generates a path file that summarizes data about routings, travel distances, material handling cost and more.
Utilization: The program will also display utilization graphs. These graphs present the percent of travel time versus material handling device loading and unloading times. Users can see these graphs by product, part, material handling device, or other method. These diagrams help improve the evaluation, understanding, and communication of the plant-wide product flows for managers and line personnel throughout the organization. |
Evaluate method efficiency and utilization in easy
to read bar charts.
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Flow Planner Reports: The simple flow path report organizes all time, distance, frequency, cost, and total information into one comprehensive report that can be seen in Internet Explorer and saved for future reference.
Additionally it can be exported directly to Excel and maintain it's formatting to be further scrutinized numerically. This step can be achieved by simply right clicking and choosing "Export to Excel". |
View all path information layed out in this easy-to-read pre-formatted report that exports directly to Excel.
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Material Handling Reports: These reports outline the utilization percentage, travel, load/unload times, and availability of each material handling device or type.
This report can also be exported directly to Excel and maintain it's formatting to be further scrutinized numerically. This step can be achieved by simply right clicking and choosing "Export to Excel". |
 All Material Handling Device information can be shown in this report that exports directly to Excel.
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Aisle Congestion Diagram: This view within the AutoCAD drawing highlights the movements between every node on aisle paths around the plant. Observing how many trips are made over these paths identifies areas of highest traffic which are then displayed by different colored lines. The user can easily see that the dangerous areas need controlled. To be more specific than using percentages, the user can also identify exact numeric values to assign specific line colors to. this can point out, for example, any part of an aisle network with travel exceeding 10 trips instead of finding the top 5%.
Advanced Flow Analysis
There are many advanced flow utilities in the Flow Planner to help users improve flow analyses.
Calculation Methods: The FP application allows users to aggregate (combine) their flow lines and output reports according to several different aggregation methods. For example, if the user wishes to aggregate by container type, then AutoCAD-based flow lines are color coded by container type (i.e. pallets in red, boxes in blue, tubs in green, etc.) and the frequencies of movement between any two locations are combined to represent the total frequency of flow between those locations for that container type and then the flow path line width will be increased accordingly. The FP application supports aggregation by Product name, Part name, Parts in Products, Containers, From-To locations, From-To groups, Material Handling Method Class, and Material Handling Method Instance. |
 Monitor lift safety in this ergonomics bar chart
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Groups: For example, users can group together individual locations. This allows them to analyze flow between workcells or departments.
Filter: Users can select flow lines and flow result statistics by selecting specific aggregate names, From Locations/Groups, AND/OR To Locations/Groups. With the Flow Path Filter it is quick and easy to see and quantify the impacts of moving docks, storage locations and work centers.
Processing and Load/Unload times: Users can also define material handling processes using set times or process codes from a predetermined work measurement system such as MTM or Modapts. This can be taken to another level by defining load/unload times by each individual route if the times differ from the established standard.
Aisle Path Assignment: The aisle paths defined within the Flow Planner can be either bi-directional or one way aisles. They can also set up to be one or two way dependant on which transportation method is used. This is done by assigning different methods to different aisle path layers in the drawing.
Query Path tool: Users can select one or multiple flow paths from the drawing and get a complete listing of path From and To locations, distances, costs and material handling methods (show an example screenshot). This listing of path flow statistics can then be easily copied to other applications, such as MS Excel.
Tugger Add-on: For plants where tuggers and carts are used to deliver different amounts of different parts to multiple locations, this additional module will calculate the product mix percentage for each trip and then generate the proper Flow Planner routing lines and frequencies. Output for this module includes the standard utilization charts and reports plus tugger specific time and volume utilization charting.
Features
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Analyze an unlimited number of flow paths and material handling methods
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Include user-defined pick-up and set-down times linked to material handling methods, container types or locations
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Determine the utilization of parts
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Diagram flow paths with unique colors per primary field, secondary field or material handling method
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Set path segment thickness according to flow intensity
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Import and export using simple text files
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Filter flow paths by product, part, material handling device or combination of two.
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Automatically create variable-sized arrows at the ends and optionally at path vertices
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Automatically create straight-line flow paths, aisle-based flow paths and manually create user-defined paths
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Aggregate flows from different primary and secondary sort fields to evaluate "total flow" and congestion along routes and aisles
- Automatically import and export activity locations
- Automatically label flow paths with segment and total distances
Benefits
- Optimization of workpath setup within the facility adds to the safety and cuts time and damage costs.
- Euclidian (point-to-point) path generation can be automatically generated through given aisles. This ability makes path generation much easier than the manual method.
- Flow paths can be separated and sorted by a number of fields, making diagnostics and evaluations much more understandable and effective, by reducing clutter.
- Automatically generates flow reports and diagrams that are easy to understand.
- By combining with routings, material flow studies are done in a fraction of the time it takes to do by hand.
Contact us:
For more information, please phone us at 313.441.4460 x1180.
Or send us an email by clicking here:
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