Glossary · System coordination, integration and orchestration
Line coordination
Also known as: line synchronization, line pacing
German: Linienkoordination
In production line control, line coordination is the run-time coordination of the machines of a line, including start and stop sequences, speed adjustment, product handover, format changes and reaction to faults, so that the line works as one system.
- System integration
In one sentence
Line coordination makes the machines of a line work as one system: start and stop sequences, speeds, handovers, format changes and faults.
Example
When the buffer before the case packer reaches 80 percent, line coordination slows the labeler and filler; when it drops to 30 percent, it speeds them up again.
How it applies
- Engineering: Line coordination covers normal production and transitions: start-up, run-out, format change and recovery after stops. Define each as a sequence with clear responsibilities for the line controller and the machines.
- Safety: Machines in a line can be an integrated system with interaction hazards across machine boundaries. Line coordination supports orderly operation; hazards across machines need protective measures in the line's risk assessment.
- Documentation: Line operating instructions should explain line-level modes and sequences, the meaning of line status signals and what each operator does during transitions.
Line coordination vs. cell coordination
Cell coordination deals with tightly coupled devices in one cell, often sharing one workspace. Line coordination deals with a chain of machines connected by material flow and buffers.