Manufacturing processes sometimes need operations from multiple production orders to be processed together. Examples include heat-treatment ovens, anodizing baths, paint booths, kilns, multi-part fixtures, or other processes where several jobs can share the same production cycle.

MxAPS supports this scenario using Order Sets. An Order Set tells MxAPS that selected production order routing operations should be scheduled together on the same machine center.

When to use Order Sets

Consider an anodizing operation where several production orders require the same treatment.

Instead of scheduling:

• Production Order A from 8:00 to 9:00
• Production Order B from 9:00 to 10:00
• Production Order C from 10:00 to 11:00

the operations can be assigned to the same Order Set and configured as Simultaneous. MxAPS can then schedule the operations together with the same starting and ending times.

Order Sets can contain operations from different production orders. The Order Set field on a production order routing line identifies which operations belong together.

Configure the routing

Before assigning production orders to an Order Set, configure the applicable routing operation so MxAPS knows how operations in the set relate to one another.

Open the routing and locate the operation that will participate in the shared process.

Configure the following MxAPS fields as required:

• Common Routing Link Code – Identifies corresponding operations that can participate in the same Order Set.
• Common Machine Type – Identifies whether the common capacity is a work center or machine center.
• Common Machine No. – Identifies the common capacity used when scheduling the Order Set.
• Order Set Type – Determines whether the operations are scheduled sequentially or simultaneously.

The Common Routing Link Code and Common Machine information should match for operations that are intended to run together.

For more information about reviewing grouped operations in the generated schedule, see MxAPS Schedule Result.

Choose the Order Set Type

MxAPS provides two Order Set types:

Sequential

Operations in the Order Set use the same machine but process one after another. Each operation has its own starting and ending date and time.

Simultaneous

Operations in the Order Set are processed together and have the same starting and ending date and time.

For processes such as an anodizing bath, heat-treatment cycle, or other shared batch process, Simultaneous is typically the appropriate choice.

Assign production operations to an Order Set

Once production orders have been created, open the Prod. Order Routing page for each production order.

For each operation that should run as part of the same shared cycle:

1. Locate the applicable routing operation.
2. Enter the same value in the Order Set field.

For example:

Production Order	Operation	Order Set
PROD-1001	ANODIZE	LOAD-001
PROD-1002	ANODIZE	LOAD-001
PROD-1003	ANODIZE	LOAD-001

The Order Set value is the code used to identify operations that should be scheduled together.

The same Order Set can therefore span multiple production orders.

Assign an Order Set from the Schedule Result

Order Sets can also be adjusted while reviewing a generated schedule.

On the MxAPS Schedule Result page, update the Order Set No. for the applicable operations, then select Reschedule to regenerate the schedule using the new grouping.

This can be useful when a production planner decides which jobs should be combined after reviewing current demand and machine availability.

Example: shared anodizing cycle

Suppose three production orders all require a clear anodizing treatment:

Production Order	Quantity	Treatment
PROD-1001	20	Clear
PROD-1002	15	Clear
PROD-1003	10	Clear

Configure the anodizing routing operation with:

• a matching Common Routing Link Code
• the appropriate common anodizing machine
• Order Set Type = Simultaneous

Then assign the same Order Set, such as CLEAR-001, to the anodizing operation on all three production orders.

When MxAPS schedules the Order Set, the operations can be placed on the same machine with matching start and finish times, representing one shared processing cycle.

Order Sets versus automatic load building

An Order Set identifies which operations should be processed together. It does not automatically determine the best combination of jobs to fill a rack, fixture, oven, or other shared capacity.

For example, suppose:

• Item A consumes 25% of a rack
• Item B consumes 40%
• Item C consumes 35%

An Order Set can be used to schedule those three operations together as one shared cycle.

However, if the requirement is for MxAPS to automatically evaluate all waiting production orders and decide which combination should be grouped based on percentage of rack capacity, additional process design or customization may be required.

This distinction is important for processes where the scheduler must determine:

• which production orders should share a load,
• how much shared capacity each item consumes,
• when the load is considered full, and
• which combination of jobs produces the best load.

A common approach is to use MxAPS Order Sets for the scheduling relationship while using planner input or an extension to determine which Order Set should be assigned to each operation.

Reviewing the scheduled result

After generating or regenerating the MxAPS schedule, use the MxAPS Schedule Result page to review the scheduled operations.

For a Simultaneous Order Set, verify that the applicable operations:

• are assigned to the same Order Set,
• are scheduled on the required common machine, and
• have the same starting and ending date and time.

For additional information about configuring and generating schedules in MxAPS, see:

• Set Up MxAPS
• Configure MxAPS Manually or for Advanced Functionality
• MxAPS Schedule Result