Stack Planning

Last modified by Dennis Knudsen on 2023/02/28 09:47

Stack Planning

The basic idea behind the stack module is to enable the user to stack their elements so that these stacks can be prepared to be loaded onto a truck.

The Stack Planning module enables the user to define how the elements are to be stacked. The elements may be stacked either on a:

Stack

A free stack that needs no previous settings

Predefined Stack, referred to as a Stack Template (recommended)

A stack that is set up in the Resource Manager settings

Before this article dives into how the elements get placed on the stacks do, we first need to set up the needed stack templates – All the settings for the stacks are done it the Resource manager. It should also be decided if the stack and transport module should be shown with a 3D view or not and how the default settings for the stack status should be:

Stack Settings

Stack Template Settings

Stack in Project Manager

Before the stack module can be used is it necessary to activate the module in Project manager. This is done under the tab “Modules”.

After activation of the module will the stack planning window be active. This window is divided into 2 or 3 areas (3 if “Use visual stack” is set to “Yes”):

General stack information (1)
Stack element information (2)
3D Model of the stack (3)

General stack information

The General stack information contains the list of all the created stacks in the specific project. Besides showing all the general information about the stacks is it also possible to set up different filters, settings for the 3D view, and even create stacks and add the stacks on transport in this part of the stack module.

The following information columns for the stacks can be shown in the grid:

Project – The project name.

Transport No. – Transport number of the transport the stack is placed on.

Stack No. – The stack number and color (The elements on the stack can be shown in the model view with the specific color - For more information about this, click on this link).

Type – Shows the stack type – There are 4 different stack types.

Horizontal – The stack size is based on the largest element (length/width) and the number of elements (Element height + Tolerance between the elements).
Vertical - The stack size is based on the largest element (length/height) and the number of elements (Element width + Tolerance between the elements).
Rack
Undefined

Rack Type (Only used for Visual) – Shows the stack type – There are 5 different rack types (Click on the rack type for a more detailed description on how the settings effects the specific rack type).

Stack Id – Unique id of the stack.

Load Date – The date the elements should be loaded.

Delivery Date – The date the stack should be delivered.

Description – A description of the stack.

Status – Stack status – There are 3 statues.

Preliminary
Planned
Ready for delivery

Count – Shows how many elements there are on the stack and what the count limit is for the stack.

Length – The length of the stack - With the maximum element length in ().

Width – The width of the stack - With the maximum element width in ().

Height – The height of the stack - With the maximum element heigh tin ().

Max Mass – The maximum mass of the elements that can be placed on the stack.

Factory – Shows what factory the stack is attached to.

Centroid X – The calculated center of gravity in the X-direction for the stack

Centroid Y – The calculated center of gravity in the Y-direction for the stack

Centroid Z – The calculated center of gravity in the Z-direction for the stack

Tolerance X (Only used for Visual) – Tolerance between elements in the X-direction.

Tolerance Y (Only used for Visual) – Tolerance between elements in the Y-direction.

Tolerance Z (Only used for Visual) – Tolerance between elements in the Z-direction.

Rack Length (Only used for Visual) – The length of the rack

Rack Width (Only used for Visual) – The width of the rack

Rack Height (Only used for Visual) – The height of the rack

Rack Top Width (Only used for Visual) – The top width of a rack

Rack Angle (Only used for Visual) – The angle of the rack for the side where the elements are placed, in degrees

Loading Direction (Only used for Visual) – Which side is the elements loaded from.

Left - Loading starts from the left side
Right - Loading starts from the right side
Center - loading starts in the center of the stack and then is the elements placed on the right, left, right … side

Own Mass – The own mass of the rack

Stack Centroid X (Only used for Visual) – The center of gravity in X-direction for the rack itself

Stack Centroid Y (Only used for Visual) – The center of gravity in Y-direction for the rack itself

Stack Centroid Z (Only used for Visual) – The center of gravity in Z-direction for the rack itself

Created By – The user name of the user that created the stack

Created Date – Creation date of the stack.

Changed By – The latest user that have change the stack.

Changed Date – Change date it there is done a change on the stack.

It’s possible to customize the layout of the columns and any column can be shown or hidden by right-clicking on the column header. In the right-click menu is it also possible to freeze the column layout, use “Freeze/unfreeze columns” to freeze/unfreeze all the columns to the left from the selected column. The frozen columns will be fixated when scrolling in the grid.

At the top of the general stack information are the following icons:

Refresh Data (1)

Refreshes the cells in the grid

Filter (2)

Allows the user to set a filter for the grid

Under the "Others" title you can select if you additionally to viewing the stacks also see the stacks that are placed on a transport. The Transport status under this is an additional filter to the first one. If you have ticked "Show Stacks on Transports" then you can also decide to only view for example "Call off" stacks that are on a transport.

In the example below, both the transport and stack filters are filtering one project, FSTEST, and the stack filter is only filtering the call off ones.

The 3 transports below, 5, 46 & 48 have the status "Call-Off"

Therefore are these also shown in the stack planning module.

Factory (3)

Set a filter for the selected factory – New stacks will be attached to the selected factory.

Auto stack (4)

Allows the user to plan multiple stacks at the same time – The following settings should be set when using auto stack.

Status – Sets the status for the planned stacks.
Load Order – Defines the loading order on the stacks.
Load Date – Sets the loading date.
Delivery Date – Sets the delivery date for the stack.
Reuse templates – Allows the IMPACT to reuse the selected templates if needed.
Stack templates – Select the templates the element should be placed on.

New stack (5)

It creates a new undefined stack with most of the cells empty.

New stack from template (6)

Creates a new stack based on a stack template.

Auto transport (7)

Allows the user to create transports with the selected stacks. For a detailed description of "Transport Details" - Click here.

Insert selected elements (8)

Inserts the selected elements on the stack

Pasted selected elements (9)

Paste the cut elements into the selected stack (The element is cut at the stack element information area)

Cut selected stacks (10)

Allow the user to cut a stack onto a transport.

Save stack (11)

Delete selected stack (12)

Deletes the selected stack

Drag and drop selected elements (13)

Show the user how many elements its possible to place on a stack – Elements that are already on a stack with now be counted in the selection. Use the square to drag and place the elements on a stack.

Detailed view settings (14)

Allows the user to set different settings for the 3D stack view.

Stack element information

The stack element information area shows all the elements on the selected stack. Within this area is it possible to modify the placement (stack layer / Placement No X) of the elements no matter if “Use visual stack” is “Yes” or “No”.

The following information columns for the stacks can be shown in the grid:

Stack Layer No – Shows the layer placement of the element – Each stack/rack type have its own layer definition (See the different stack/rack type for more information about layer placement)

Stack Sequence No – The sequence of the elements should be placed on the stack.

Placement NO X – The placement of elements in the same layer.

Element Mark – Element mark of the elements on the stack.

Element ID – Element ID of the elements on the stack.

Erection Sequence No – The element erection sequence.

Length – Element Length.

Width – Element Width.

Height – Element Height.

Mass – Element Mass.

Storage Location – The storage location for the element.

Status – Element status.

Disorder Count – Shows the numbers of disorders for the elements.

Planned Production Date – Shows the planned production date for the elements.

Remark – Shows the remark for the elements.

Note - Shows the note for the elements.

Just like the General stack information columns is it possible to customize the layout of the grid.

The icons at the top allow the user to modify the elements on the stack:

Merge stack layers (1)

Merges the stack layers of the selected elements.

Grid/3D View - Before the merge layers.

Grid/3D View - After the merge layers:

Split stack layers (2)

Split the stack layer of the selected elements.

Grid/3D View - Before the split layers:

Grid/3D View - After the split layers:

Move selected element one layer up (3)

Increasing the stack layer, no by 1 on the selected element

Grid/3D View - Before moving the element one layer op:

Grid/3D View - After moving the element one layer op:

Move selected element one layer down (4)

Decreasing the stack layer, no by 1 on the selected element

Grid/3D View - Before moving the element one layer down:

Grid/3D View - After moving the element one layer down:

Recalculate element placement (5)

Recalculates the placement of the elements in the 3D view. The recalculated placement is based on the X, Y, Z tolerances for the stack. This icon is only used if “Use visual stack” is “Yes”.

Before recalculation:

After recalculation:

Insert elements (6)

Inserts the selected elements into the stack.

Move selected elements up (7)

Increasing the stack layer- AND Stack sequence no by 1 on the selected element

Grid/3D - Before moving the element one layer up:

Grid/3D View - After moving the element one layer up:

Move selected elements down (8)

Decreasing the stack layer- AND Stack sequence no by 1 on the selected element

Grid/3D - Before moving the element one layer down:

Grid/3D - After moving the element one layer down:

Cut selected elements (9)

Allow the user to cut the selected elements between stacks.

Delete selected elements (10)

Deletes the selected elements from the stack.

3D Model of the stack

This area shows a 3D model of the stack and the elements on the selected stack. In the 3D view is it possible to move the elements manually by drag and drop – This makes it possible to find tune the placement of the elements.

If the moving element is placed outside the stack will the element be shown as red – This is a warning to show the user that the element is outside the stack.

A clash between two elements will be shown as pink to warn the user about the clashing elements.

The bounding box of the elements in the 3D view is based on the total element measures (Total Length, Total Width, and Total Height – For more information about this, click on this link) and the fine-tuning of the element placement could, therefore, result in some pink elements. The picture below shows a good example of when 2 elements are shown as clashing but isn’t. It’s therefore important to use common sense together with the warning system.

When moving the elements manually in the 3D view is it also possible to merge the elements into the same Stack layer.

Before moving the elements into the same layer in the 3D view:

After moving the element in the 3D view:

Besides moving the elements in the 3D view is it also possible to remove the elements from the stack by right-clicking and selecting “Remove marked elements”.

After the warning will the element be removed from the stack.

It’s also possible to change the stack Sequence No of the elements in the 3D view. This is done by selecting the elements in the stack sequence order and selecting “Set stack sequence no” in the right click menu.