How to Split a Job Across Two Machines in EDGEBIC

To split a job across two machines in EDGEBIC by User Solutions, set the routing step's work center type to Independent Parallel and add the second machine in the step's Alternative Work Centers grid. The control lives on the routing (Bill of Routing) for the product, on the step you want to run on two machines at once. When you run the schedule, EDGEBIC finds the earliest window where both machines are free at the same time, divides the required hours between them, and writes one schedule row per machine. The job finishes in roughly half the calendar time instead of running the whole load on one machine.

This is a single, specific task. For the wider picture of how parallel and alternate machines work together, read EDGEBIC parallel work centers explained and the broader setup guide, how to configure parallel and alternate work centers.

Before You Start

You need three things in place:

• Two work centers that can both perform this operation, each with shifts assigned. At least one shift must be common to both machines on the days you expect the job to run.
• The routing (Bill of Routing) for the product open, with the step you want to parallelize identified.
• A rough idea of whether the second machine runs at the same speed as the first. Same speed means a factor of 1.0; a slower or faster machine takes a different factor.

Step by Step

1. Open the routing for the product and select the step you want to run on two machines.
2. Set the step's Work Center Type to Independent Parallel. This tells EDGEBIC the step may run on more than one machine at the same time.
3. In the Alternative Work Centers grid for that step, click Add.
4. Choose the second machine from the alternative work center list.
5. Set Factor to 1.0 if the second machine processes at the same rate as the primary. Use a different value only if it is genuinely slower or faster.
6. Leave Type as Independent. This is what keeps the two machines from being forced to start and stop together.
7. Set the alternative's category to Parallel, which means "run alongside the primary," not "replace it."
8. Set the row active, keep finite capacity on, and set its priority to 1.
9. Save the routing.
10. Run Generate Schedule (Incremental New or Full Reschedule).

What Changes When You Save

Nothing moves until you run the schedule. On the next run, EDGEBIC treats the step as a parallel group. It searches for the earliest shift window where both machines have capacity at the same moment, then splits the required hours across them. With load balancing on, whichever machine has more free capacity in a shift takes more of the hours. The engine writes two schedule rows for the step, one per machine, sharing the same logical start. The step's end date is set by whichever machine finishes last, so downstream steps wait for the slower machine.

On the Gantt you see two bars, one on each machine, overlapping in time. That overlap is the whole point: the calendar time for the step drops toward half of the single-machine duration.

How to Check It Worked

Open the Job View and filter to the job. Expand the job row so you can see the per-machine schedule lines, then confirm two rows exist for the step, each naming a different machine. To verify the split rather than a doubled load, add up the step's total hours (run hours times quantity, plus setup) and check that each machine's assigned hours come to roughly half of that total. An exact half only happens when both machines have identical capacity and shifts; a rough half is normal and correct.

Common Mistakes

• No common shift. If the two machines never share a shift on the target days, EDGEBIC cannot find a simultaneous window and schedules only the primary, or slides the group forward up to 30 days. Give both machines a shared shift before you rely on the split.
• Choosing Dependent instead of Independent. Dependent mirrors the machines so they must start and end together, which is for synchronized fixtures, not for finishing faster. For a speed split, the second machine's type must be Independent. See how to set up synchronized machines if mirroring is what you actually want.
• Turning off finite capacity to force a result. With finite capacity on, EDGEBIC respects the second machine's real load and defers the group when it is full. Turning it off bypasses capacity limits and produces a schedule the shop cannot run. Leave finite capacity on.
• Confusing this with splitting two different operations. This task runs one operation on two machines. Running two different operations at the same time is a separate setup; see how to make two operations run in parallel.

Where to Go Next

Once a split job schedules cleanly, the natural next steps are synchronized machines and capacity-aware fallback routing. Start with how to set up synchronized machines, then see the full platform picture on EDGEBIC or browse the EDGEBIC How-To Library for related recipes.