Same resource from resource pool for subsequent process

Question

There is a process, box enters station (i) and operator and machine are used for SETUP, then box moves to (ii) where only machine is used.

there is 1 - operator, but 2- machines. there are 2 conveyer systems.

How to ensure that box uses same Machine resource in station (ii) as station (i) ** Or Ensure the Machine is continually seized from station (i) to (ii)

Answer 1

To re-seize the same resource - When the box seizes a resource, set a variable equal to the resource that was seized. In the resource pool, you can see "on seize" and there is self, unit, agent. Agent is the one doing the seizing and unit is the one that got seized. For the second station, in the resources section, check "customize resource condition". Try something like agent.unitSeized == unit; where unitSeized is the variable you set up. See the help menu for this. You might have to play around a little on where this occurs, exact syntax.

To keep the resource seized, I would not use a station. There is no option to seize a resource with the built in station resource & release it later. I would use a position on conveyor and just handle everything manually. That is, convey to that POC, and then next block in your flowchart can be a seize. You can then delay for processing, add a convey for getting to the next POC on conveyor 2, delay for processing, release resource. This approach would work for your first case too. You can have much more control if you route to various positions, and then send to delays or other regular process blocks to get the behavior you want. If you take this approach, you could add decide blocks, so that it covers both of your cases via an input parameter.