Configuration of different cycle signal patterns

Cycle signals are used both to capture produced amount, and in cases with shorter cycle times (<60 sec) also to identify uptime/downtime.

This page describes how RS Production can be configured to handle the different types of sequences that a production process can produce units in.

The illustration above shows three different types of cycle time patterns. In the examples the production process is assumed to run 100% optimum speed without any downtime.

The table below explains how to configure Cycle factor, Optimum cycle time and Longest cycle time to get both uptime/downtime, produced amount and OEE correct.

Cycle signal pattern	Description	Cycle factor (used to calculate produced amount from a cycle signal. Can be both < and > then 1).	Optimum cycle time (used to calculate 100% Performance in OEE)	Longest cycle time (used to identify downtime by cycle time signal. Use only if max 60 sec)
Simple	Consequent cycle times. Produced units are coming one at a time in a steady and repeatable way	Set to describe the produced amount per cycle signal.	Easy. Optimum cycle time is the time between cycle n and cycle n+1.	Rule of thumb is to set Longest cycle time to 1,5x Optimum cycle time but never shorter than 10 seconds
Grouped	Sequential consequent cycle times. Produced units are coming two or more at a time in a steady and repeatable way	Set to describe the produced amount per cycle signal.	Optimum cycle time is the average time between cycles seen over a longer period of uptime. In the visual example above, it is the length of a cycle pattern diveded by 4 (as there are four cycles in a cycle pattern).	Never shorter than the longest possible time between two cycle signals.
Scattered	Inconsequent cycle times. Produced units are coming without a given and pattern	Set to describe the produced amount per cycle signal.	Optimum cycle time is the average time between cycles seen over a longer period of time. In the visual example above, it is 60 cycle signals in the 60 minutes. That means 60 seconds optimum cycle time.	Never shorter than the longest possible time between two cycle signals.

Cycle signal pattern

Description

Cycle factor (used to calculate produced amount from a cycle signal. Can be both < and > then 1).

Optimum cycle time (used to calculate 100% Performance in OEE)

Longest cycle time (used to identify downtime by cycle time signal. Use only if max 60 sec)

Simple

Consequent cycle times. Produced units are coming one at a time in a steady and repeatable way

Set to describe the produced amount per cycle signal.

Easy. Optimum cycle time is the time between cycle n and cycle n+1.

Rule of thumb is to set Longest cycle time to 1,5x Optimum cycle time but never shorter than 10 seconds

Grouped

Sequential consequent cycle times. Produced units are coming two or more at a time in a steady and repeatable way

Set to describe the produced amount per cycle signal.

Optimum cycle time is the average time between cycles seen over a longer period of uptime.

In the visual example above, it is the length of a cycle pattern diveded by 4 (as there are four cycles in a cycle pattern).

Never shorter than the longest possible time between two cycle signals.

Scattered

Inconsequent cycle times. Produced units are coming without a given and pattern

Set to describe the produced amount per cycle signal.

Optimum cycle time is the average time between cycles seen over a longer period of time.

In the visual example above, it is 60 cycle signals in the 60 minutes. That means 60 seconds optimum cycle time.

Never shorter than the longest possible time between two cycle signals.