What is the Lines Model?

The Lines Model enables material traceability across your production system by linking process steps and tracking material flow. This is critical for system-level production analysis—for example, understanding how increasing water usage upstream impacts downstream drying processes (temperature, time, etc.).

By configuring the Lines Model, you can analyze how one process affects another and drive productivity improvements across your entire production line.

Two Types of Lines Model Configuration

The Lines Model supports two configuration approaches based on your manufacturing process:

1. Offsets - For linear manufacturing lines where material flow is deterministic

2. Global Key Identifier - For non-linear manufacturing lines where material flow is variable

When to Use Offsets

Use Offsets when your production process follows a fixed, predictable path where every step occurs in the same sequence through the same machines.

Example: A bottling line where material always flows through the same machines in order: filler → case conveyor → packer → palletizer.

When to Use Global Key Identifier

Use Global Key Identifier when material can flow through different paths or equipment based on availability or process conditions, and there’s a unique identifier allowing it to be traced.

Example: A casting metal line where molten metal can be directed to any available furnace oven, making the flow non-deterministic.

Configuring Offsets for Linear Lines

Step 1: Navigate to the Environment Builder object in your workspace.

Step 2: If managing multiple facilities, select the specific facility you want to configure.

Step 3: Navigate to the machine offset configuration from the facility overview.

Understanding Offsets

Offsets represent the total time material takes to move between equipment, consisting of two components:

• Processing Time = Time required to process material in a piece of equipment

• Transit Time = Time for material to move from one equipment to another

• Total Offset = Processing Time + Transit Time

How to Determine Offset Values?

These values cannot be inferred from the data foundation. A process engineer or operator must estimate them based on:

• Knowledge of the line from hundreds of production runs

• Average time for material to move from one machine to another

• Machine specifications (for processing time)

Example: For a washer-dryer sequence:

• Processing time = time to wash clothes (from washer specs or historical data)

• Transit time = time to transfer clothes from washer to dryer (based on observations)

Offsets represent the total time material takes to move between equipment, consisting of two components:

Technical Requirements for Offsets

• Truncated Endtime: The system uses a "truncated endtime" field to align machine events. This is done to ensure timestamps can be aligned when they are not a perfect much down to the millisecond.

• Offset Multiples: Offsets must be configured in multiples of the truncated endtime interval. For example, if truncated endtime is 1 minute, use offsets of 1min, 2min, 3min, etc.

• Minimum Offset: The current UI enforces a minimum offset of 1 minute.

Configuring Offset Values

Step 1: Select the connection point between two machines.

Step 2: The default offset type is "Time." Enter the processing and transit times for this connection.

Step 3: Repeat for each connection in your line. Alternatively, you can apply the same offset to all connections. The system will automatically calculate the total offset (processing + transit).

Step 4: Save your configuration.

Concrete Example: Bottling Line

For a bottling line with cycle length of 30 seconds and typical equipment:

Line Flow: Filler → Warmer → Can Conveyor → Blender → Case Conveyor → Packer → Wrapper → Palletizer

Sample Offset Configuration:

Note: These times are determined by the process engineer based on:

• Historical run data showing average processing times

• Machine specifications (e.g., warmer spec says 2-minute heat cycle)

• Observed material transfer times between conveyors

Configuring Global Key Identifier for Non-Linear Lines

When Material Flow is Variable

For manufacturing processes where material can take different paths or where processing is batched with varying durations, use a Global Key Identifier to track material flow dynamically.

Understanding Global Key Identifier

Instead of time-based offsets, the system uses a common identifier (like a batch ID or heat number) that exists on every piece of equipment. This identifier links material across machines regardless of the path taken.

Critical Requirement: The chosen identifier must be present on every machine in the line for traceability to work.

Configuring Global Key Identifier

Step 1: From the machine offset configuration, change the offset type to "Global Key Identifier."

⚠️ Warning: This action will remove any existing time offset configuration and apply globally.

Step 2: Review the warning and click "Proceed" if you're ready to continue.

Step 3: Select the key identifier that exists on each piece of equipment. This identifier will be used to track material flow across all machines.

Step 4: Save your changes. The system will now use this identifier globally for all connection points.

Concrete Example: Casting Metal Line

For a metal casting facility where molten metal can be directed to any available furnace:

Line Flow (Variable): Melting → Furnace Oven A/B/C (any available) → Casting → Cooling → Finishing

Configuration:

• Global Key Identifier: batch_id

• Equipment Coverage:

  • Melting station (assigns heat_number)

  • Furnace Oven A (records heat_number)

  • Furnace Oven B (records heat_number)

  • Furnace Oven C (records heat_number)

  • Casting station (reads heat_number)

  • Cooling station (reads heat_number)

  • Finishing station (reads heat_number)

• How It Works:

When Batch-2024-1001 is created at the melting station, the system tracks this identifier through whichever furnace oven becomes available (A, B, or C), then follows it through casting, cooling, and finishing—regardless of the path or timing variations.

Switching Between Configuration Types

You can switch from Global Key Identifier back to Time Offsets at any time. However, be aware that switching to Global Key Identifier will overwrite existing time offset configurations. Plan your configuration approach carefully before implementation.

For additional support or questions about Lines Model configuration, contact your Sight Machine representative.