Order management with artificial neural networks for semiconductor manufacturing

Turbulent markets require new manufacturing concepts and planning approaches. The new PPC model presented in the first part of this paper counts among these new planning concepts and is based on the general PPC task of allocating orders to resources. The second part deals with a planning problem specific to the semiconductor industry. The conventional planning procedure with constant lead times for given planning periods presents a real dilemma for semiconductor manufacturers. This article describes a procedure based on an iterative planning concept. It uses artificial neural networks to make a calculation based on variable lead times possible.