How to Mark a Work Center as Continuous Process in EDGEBIC

To mark a work center as continuous process in EDGEBIC by User Solutions, open its configuration and check the Continuous-Process box. That one flag switches the work center's lot-streaming model from piece-count transfer batches to the time-based FlowStep model, which is how paint lines, chemical reactors, and food or pharma processes overlap their routing steps.

This is a physical description of the equipment, not a per-job choice. A reactor is continuous whatever runs through it. This page is the how-to for setting the flag; for what the mode means and why it exists, read continuous process work centers explained.

Before You Start

• The work center already exists (how to add a work center).
• The work center is genuinely continuous: its output is a flow, not countable pieces. Chemical, paint, coating, food, and pharma processes qualify; a mill, press, or assembly cell does not.
• You understand the tradeoff: a continuous-process work center uses FlowStep for overlap and ignores any piece-count transfer batch set on its steps.

Step 1: Open the Work Center for Editing

Open the Workcenter tab. On the Work Center Management grid, click ✏️ Edit on the target work center's row. The Work Center Configuration dialog opens on the Basic Information tab.

Step 2: Check Continuous-Process

On the Basic Information tab, tick the Continuous-Process checkbox. It defaults off, meaning discrete piece-count behavior. Ticking it selects the time-based FlowStep model for routing steps that run on this work center.

Step 3: Save

Click Save. The Continuous-Process column on the grid now reflects the flag for this work center.

Step 4: Set FlowStep on the Routing Steps

The flag enables the FlowStep model, but the amount of overlap is set on each routing step. On a step that runs on this work center, set its FlowStep value in hours. A FlowStep of one hour lets the downstream step start one hour after the upstream step starts. See how to configure lot streaming for the FlowStep and transfer-batch choice in detail.

What Changes When You Save

A worked case: a coating line marked continuous process, with a one-hour FlowStep on the coat step, lets the following operation begin one hour after coating starts instead of waiting for the full batch to finish. The two steps run partly in parallel, compressing the routing.

How to Check It Worked

1. Confirm the Continuous-Process value on the work center's grid row.
2. Set a FlowStep on a routing step for this work center and run Drive Schedule.
3. On the Gantt, check that the downstream step now starts partway into the upstream step, by the FlowStep hours, rather than after it ends.
4. Confirm the scheduler is not using a transfer batch on this work center. On a continuous-process line, any transfer batch size is ignored.

Common Mistakes

Flagging a discrete machine. A mill or press produces countable pieces and should stay off. Marking it continuous process disables its piece-count transfer batches and forces a FlowStep model that does not fit discrete output.

Setting a transfer batch size on a continuous-process work center. The scheduler ignores it and falls back to FlowStep. It has no effect and confuses the next planner. EDGEBIC's data checks flag the combination. Drive overlap with FlowStep here and leave transfer batch size at zero.

Expecting the flag alone to create overlap. Continuous-Process selects the model; FlowStep on the routing step sets the amount. With FlowStep at zero, consecutive steps still run back to back even with the flag on.

Forgetting to rerun. The flag changes how overlap is computed at the next scheduling run. Existing bars do not move until you run Drive Schedule.

Next

The Continuous-Process flag tells EDGEBIC that a machine's output flows rather than counts, so the scheduler overlaps its steps by time instead of pieces. Set FlowStep on the routing steps to control the overlap, and keep transfer batches on discrete work centers only. More single-task recipes are in the EDGEBIC how-to hub, and the platform overview is at /edgebic.