Defining Shift Schedules

You can add, edit, and delete shift models, and individual shifts inside these models.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: In the Programming section of the action bar, select Define Shift Schedule . The Shift Models panel displays with the following columns: Name, Simulation Start Time, Simulation End Time, and Activation.

Create a Shift Model

  1. In the Shift Models panel, click . A calendar view displays. In this view, each day node corresponds to a day starting at 00:00 and ending at 23:59:59.

  2. Define the following parameters:

    • Set the shift model's Name
    • Select or clear the Activate Shift Model for Simulation option to activate or deactivate the shift model
    • Set the shift's duration in Simulation start time and Simulation end time. As a result, the Simulation days's counter is updated.

  3. Optional: You can define holidays, on which nodes there can be no shifts: click a day node, then click Set or Unset Holiday. Press Ctrl to select multiple day nodes.
    The holiday nodes display in color.
    Notes:
    • To unset a holiday, repeat the operation.
    • To change the holiday nodes' color, use the Holiday cell color option in Me > Preferences > App Preferences > Simulation Virtual Factory > Factory Flow Simulation > Shift Model.
  4. Click OK to save the shift model.
    The created shift model displays in the Shift Models panel.

    To edit the shift model, double-click it, or click it then click . To delete it, click it then click . To activate/deactivate a shift model, right-click it and click Activate/Deactivate.

Edit a Shift

You can edit individual shifts inside a shift model.

Before you begin: In the Shift Models panel, double-click a shift model, or click a shift model then click .
  1. In the calendar view, double-click a day node, or click a day node then click Edit Day Shifts.
    A dialog displays with the following columns: Shift Name, Resources, Resource Zones, Start Time, End Time.
    Note: A shift may overlap to the next day. In this case, an additional shift is created.
  2. Click to create a new shift on the date.
  3. Set the shift's Name, Start Time, and Duration.

    Note: To display the End Time instead of the Duration, activate the Input End Time instead of Duration option in Me > Preferences > App Preferences > Simulation Virtual Factory > Factory Flow Simulation > Shift Model.

  4. Set Shift End Behavior to either:

    • Pause Operation
      Note: In the Resource Selection part of the panel, select either Available Resource or Same Resource.
    • Continue Till Operation End
    • Abort Operation.

  5. To assign one or several resource zones to the end of the shift, click Assign in the Resource Zones at End of Shift section of the panel and select them in the Select Resource Zones dialog that displays or in the 3D view. Click OK.
    The assigned resource zones display in the Resource Zones at End of Shift section of the panel. To to unassign a resource zone, click it then click Unassign.
  6. To associate one or several resources (workers and machines) to the shift, click Add and select them in the Select Resource dialog that displays or in the 3D view. Click OK to validate the selection.

    Note: If the Assign all valid Resources to Shift when created option is selected in Me > Preferences > App Preferences > Simulation Virtual Factory > Factory Flow Simulation > Shift Model, all eligible resources are automatically assigned to the shift when a new shift is created.

    The associated resources display.

    To activate or deactivate a resource, click it then click Activate/Deactivate (deactivating does not remove the association of the resource to the shift). To remove a resource, click it then click Remove.

    Note: You can unassign all children resources from the shift by clicking Remove then clicking the parent resource in the PPR tree or in the 3D view.
  7. Click OK.
    The shift displays in the dialog.

  8. Optional: If several shifts are created for the day, you can click to display them all then select them according to requirement.
  9. Click OK.
    The shifts display in the day node in the calendar view. Hovering the mouse on the day node displays the shifts's detail: start time, end time, and breaks if applicable.

  10. Optional: You can repeat shifts: click a day node on which at least a shift is defined, then click Repeat Day Shift.

    In the dialog that displays, define the Start Date, End Date, which shifts to repeat, and the Days on which to repeat them.

    Note: Click Reset Days Shift to remove existing shifts from the day nodes and replace them with the repeated shifts.

    Click OK.

    The shifts defined on the day node are repeated on the specified days nodes.

Create Breaks in a Shift

You can create breaks in a shift.

Before you begin: In the Shift Models panel, click to create a new shift, or to edit an existing shift.
  1. Click Add in the Breaks section of the panel.
  2. Set the break's Name, Start Time, and Duration.

    Notes:
    • A break may overlap to the next day. In this case, an additional break is created.
    • To display the End Time instead of the Duration, activate the Input End Time instead of Duration option in Me > Preferences > App Preferences > Simulation Virtual Factory > Factory Flow Simulation > Shift Model.

  3. Set Break Start Behavior to either:

    • Pause Operation: the activity pauses when a shift ends, or the break resumes when a shift starts or a break ends.
      Note: In the Resource Selection part of the panel, select either Available Resource or Same Resource.
    • Continue Till Operation End: the activity continues, irrespective of shifts ending or breaks starting, until the activity is completed.
    • Abort Operation: the activity stops when either a shift ending or a break starting is encountered.

  4. To associate one or several resource zones to the break, in the Resource Zones part of the panel, click Assign and select them in the Select Resource Zones dialog that displays.
  5. To assign one or several resources to the break, click Add and select them in the Select Resource dialog that displays or in the 3D view. Click OK to validate the selection.

    The assigned resources display. To remove a resource, click it then click Remove.
    Note: When a new break is created on a shift with preassigned resources, these resources are automatically assigned to the created break.
  6. Click OK to save the break.
    The break displays in the Breaks section of the panel.

    To edit it, click it then click Edit. To assign it, click it then click Assign. To unassign it, click it then click UnAssign.