Understand line layouts
- Last UpdatedApr 11, 2025
- 3 minute read
A physical line can be modeled using the line layout tools available in MES Web Portal. See Configure a line layout.
When configuring a line layout, it is important to understand several layout-related concepts:
Serial and parallel entities
A line consists of a combination of serial and, optionally, parallel entities.
Parallel entities refer to a set of two or more entities that are at the same position in a production line. Each parallel entity can receive material from the same set of entities immediately before it in the production line or line segment, and can send material to the same set of entities immediately after it in the production line or line segment.
Serial entities do not have any other entities at the same position in the production line or line segment.
Line segments
A line segment is a subset of the entities in a line that acts as a line unto itself.
Line segments can consist of a combination of serial and parallel entities.
Line segments that are parallel with each other must contain the same number of entities. The corresponding entities in the parallel segments use the same line positions.
Line positions
Parallel entities or entities that are at the same position in parallel line segments are said to be at the same line position within the line. Which entities are at a particular line position is considered when determining the line’s production rate and bottleneck entity. For example, if an entity is designated as the bottleneck, all entities at the same line position are considered bottleneck entities.
The following diagram indicates the line positions for an example line.
Entity and line guidelines
There are also some important guidelines about entities and lines that you should be aware of:
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An entity can be the parent entity of more than one line.
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An entity can be placed in a given line only once, not at multiple positions.
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The same entity cannot be both a member of a line and a parent of a line.
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An entity cannot be the member of more than one line.
Video Tutorial: Open a line layout in the MES Web Portal
To access the line layout view open the line collection page by selecting the Lines tile on the MES Web Portal home page.
Alternatively, you can select the Lines menu item from the home page's main menu.
On the line collection page select the line you are interested in.
The selected line's Configuration settings page will open.
Select the Layout sub-tab to open the Line Layout view.
In the example shown, the line layout displays an ordered set of entities representing the line's current layout.
You can update the line layout using the tools available on the page.