When several machines can perform the same manufacturing operation, MxAPS can select the appropriate equipment when generating the production schedule.

The simplest configuration is to group interchangeable Machine Centers beneath a common Work Center. When the available machines are not completely interchangeable, MxAPS Alternate Groups can be used to define the additional Work Centers or Machine Centers that are valid for an operation.

Use a Work Center for interchangeable machines

If the Machine Centers are effectively interchangeable:

1. Create the individual Machine Centers in Business Central.
2. Assign them to the appropriate Work Center.
3. Configure the production routing to use the Work Center rather than a specific Machine Center.
4. Generate the MxAPS schedule.

This allows the routing to identify the type of equipment required without prescribing a specific individual machine.

Example

A machining department has four CNC machines that can all perform the same operation.

Instead of maintaining separate routings for CNC-01, CNC-02, CNC-03, and CNC-04, configure the routing for the CNC Work Center. MxAPS can then use the available Machine Centers within that Work Center when scheduling the operation.

This is generally the simplest configuration when the machines are genuinely interchangeable.

Use Alternate Groups when machines are not completely interchangeable

Some operations may be able to run on several machines without being able to run on every machine in the Work Center.

For example:

• CNC-01 and CNC-02 may perform both small and large parts.
• CNC-03 may only perform small parts.
• Another machine in the same department may not be capable of performing the operation at all.

In these cases, use an MxAPS Alternate Group to explicitly define which Work Centers or Machine Centers are valid choices for the operation.

An Alternate Group can contain one or more Work Centers and Machine Centers.

Configure an Alternate Group

Search for Alternate Group List in Business Central and create a new Alternate Group.

Give the group a No. and Name, then add the available equipment under Alternate Machines.

For each alternate, specify:

• Type: Work Center or Machine Center.
• No.: the Work Center or Machine Center that may perform the operation.
• Active Machine Alternate: controls whether MxAPS considers the alternate.
• Preference: optionally gives an alternate preference over the other valid choices. Larger values indicate a greater preference.
• Minimum Order Quantity and Maximum Order Quantity: optionally restrict the alternate based on the production order quantity.
• Setup Multiplier: adjusts the routing setup time when this alternate is used.
• Run Multiplier: adjusts the routing run time when this alternate is used.

The source code confirms that Type determines whether No. refers to a Work Center or Machine Center, and that the quantity limits, preference, setup multiplier, and run multiplier are properties of each alternate.

For a basic alternate-machine configuration, the optional preference, quantity, and multiplier fields can normally be left at their defaults unless the machines have different scheduling characteristics.

Assign the Alternate Group to the routing

Open the appropriate Routing and select the operation that requires the alternate equipment.

Set Alternate Group No. to the Alternate Group created above.

The MxAPS field is specifically defined as the alternate group containing additional Work Centers and/or Machine Centers that can process the operation.

When MxAPS generates the schedule, the machines defined by the operation and its Alternate Group provide the valid equipment choices for that operation.

Example

Suppose operation 20 normally runs on Machine Center CNC-01, but CNC-02 and CNC-04 are also capable of performing it.

Create an Alternate Group such as CNC-LARGE and add the applicable Machine Centers to the group. Then select CNC-LARGE in Alternate Group No. on the routing operation.

MxAPS can then use those valid alternatives when determining where to schedule the operation.

Different machines with different processing times

Alternate Groups can also represent machines that are capable of doing the same work but do not perform it at the same speed.

For example, if one alternate takes longer to process an operation, its Run Multiplier can adjust the routing run time when that machine is selected. A Setup Multiplier provides the equivalent adjustment for setup time.

This allows the scheduler to account for differences between the available equipment rather than requiring separate routings solely because one machine runs faster or slower.

Machine-specific tooling or labor constraints

Alternate Groups determine where an operation can run.

If selecting a particular alternate also changes the tooling, labor, or other secondary resources required, use Machine Alternate Constraints in addition to the Alternate Group.

Machine Alternate Constraints can define secondary constraints that apply when an operation is scheduled on a specific Work Center or Machine Center. This is intended for cases such as machine-specific tooling or specialized operators.

These constraints are separate from defining the alternate machines themselves.

Choosing an approach

Use a Work Center on the routing when all of its Machine Centers can be treated as interchangeable.

Use a specific Machine Center when the operation must run on that machine.

Use an Alternate Group when the operation has a defined set of valid Work Centers or Machine Centers that cannot conveniently be represented as one interchangeable Work Center.

Use Machine Alternate Constraints when choosing one of those alternatives also changes the secondary resources required.

Related MxAPS documentation

For the complete field definitions, see:

• Alternate Group List
  https://kb.dmsiworks.com/knowledge-base/iwxmxapsalternategrouplist-page-al/
• Alternate Group Card
  https://kb.dmsiworks.com/knowledge-base/iwxmxapsalternategroupcard-page-al/
• Machine Alternate Constraints
  https://kb.dmsiworks.com/knowledge-base/iwxmxmcnaltconstraints-page-al/