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Boost Efficiency by Turning Physical Constraints into Smart APS Rules
APS Systems · Physical Constraints
Management of Physical Constraints in APS Systems
How do you prevent light parts from being assigned to a machine without a conveyor line? In this article, we explain step by step how physical constraint rules are defined in the APS system.
Facility Structure
30PUNCH00 Machine Group
Two physical machines are defined under this group. Although both machines belong to the same group, they differ from each other in terms of physical characteristics.
30PUNCH01
Connected to Conveyor
Machine connected to the conveyor line. Can accept jobs of all weights; both light and heavy parts can be loaded here.
30PUNCH02
Not Connected to Conveyor
Machine without a conveyor line. Only heavy parts (≥ 15 kg) that can be transported by forklift can be sent to this machine.
Physical Constraint: The conveyor line does not reach machine 30PUNCH02. Therefore, sheet metal parts weighing 15 kg and above cannot be physically transported to this machine. Only jobs with a part weight ≥ 15 kg can be assigned to 30PUNCH02.
Implementation in the APS System
Step-by-Step Rule Definition
Step 01
Facility Layout and Constraint Concept
The 30PUNCH00 machine group hosts two different machines within the facility.
Machine 30PUNCH01 is connected to the conveyor line; it can accept jobs of all weights.
Machine 30PUNCH02 is not connected to the conveyor line; therefore, only jobs with a part weight ≥ 15 kg can be loaded onto this machine.
This physical reality is defined as a rule in the APS system to prevent errors.
Step 02
Entity: APSPLJOBR2
Rules Among Jobs
Two criteria are defined on the job list using AND logic:
Inter-Criteria Block Type: AND — Both conditions must be satisfied simultaneously.
1st Criterion (B1): T_WORKSTATION = 30PUNCH00 — The job must belong to this machine group.
2nd Criterion (B1): F_REFNUM01 ≤ 15 — The part weight reference must be 15 or less.
Jobs that satisfy both conditions are included within the constraint scope and resource assignment is carried out in the next phase.
Step 03
Entity: APSPLJOBR3
Rule on the Resource List
The resource to be assigned for jobs within the constraint scope is set as fixed:
Variable in the Resource Table: RESOURCE = 30PUNCH02
Link Type: CONSTANT — The resource value is not calculated dynamically; it is always assigned as 30PUNCH02.
Thanks to this definition, all jobs with a part weight ≥ 15 kg are automatically directed only to machine 30PUNCH02.
Step 04
Assignment Results
After the rules were activated, the APS system automatically performed the following distribution. All assignments were completed with a SUCCESS status.
30PUNCH01 — Light Parts (< 15 kg)
Z_M0000110 kg
Z_M000048 kg
Z_M0000611 kg
30PUNCH02 — Heavy Parts (≥ 15 kg)
Z_M0000725 kg
Z_M0001020 kg
Z_M0001630 kg
Z_M0001715 kg
Advantages Provided to Businesses
5 Key Benefits
01
Physical Error Prevention
The system prevents heavy jobs from being assigned to a machine that the conveyor does not reach.
Risks of work stoppages, confusion, and incorrect loading on the shop floor are eliminated.
Production losses caused by human error are minimized.
02
Automated Decision Making
The planner no longer needs to manually check each job.
The APS system automatically applies the defined rules and performs the assignment.
Planning time is reduced, and human resources can be directed toward more strategic tasks.
03
Capacity Optimization
Light jobs are distributed to 30PUNCH01 and heavy jobs to 30PUNCH02, ensuring both machines are used efficiently.
Machine idle times are reduced, and overall production efficiency increases.
Bottlenecks caused by capacity imbalances are prevented in advance.
04
Scalable Structure
When a new machine is added, only the relevant rule needs to be updated.
No software development or code changes are required.
As the facility expands, the rule structure can easily grow and be replicated.
05
Transparency and Traceability
Which job was assigned to which machine and why can be clearly tracked through the defined rules.
Audit and reporting processes are simplified.
Managers can directly view the assignment logic through the system.
Summary: Thanks to the physical constraint definitions in APS, the system knows which job can go to which machine without asking the shop floor. This both increases operational safety and speeds up the planning process.
APS PlanningPhysical Constraint30PUNCH00APSPLJOBR2APSPLJOBR3Capacity ManagementProduction Optimization
