Job-shop flexibility, scheduled with precision
Lathes, mills, grinders — every machine is different and every part can take more than one route. Convect models your machine capabilities and tooling, and its agents keep the schedule feasible when a spindle goes down or a rush job comes in.
The challenge
What makes machining planning hard
Flexible routings
The same part can take several routings across machines with different capabilities — picking the best one is a puzzle.
Versatile machines, costly setups
A machine can run many parts, but switching means new tools and fixtures — setup time has to be planned.
Outside processing
Heat treat, plating and other subcontracted steps have to dovetail with in-house operations.
Tooling and fixture limits
Specific parts need specific tools and fixtures; wear and availability directly constrain the schedule.
Agents at work
What your planning agents handle in machining
Real situations your planners deal with every week — picked up, analyzed and turned into an explained recommendation without anyone having to notice them first.
A 5-axis mill goes down for two days
Disruption Response Agent
Moves qualified jobs to alternate machines and routings, and flags the few that truly can’t move.
A fixture is found worn at inspection
Coordination Agent
Re-sequences jobs that need it, and checks whether a second fixture or an alternate routing keeps due dates.
Heat-treat vendor pushes a lot by a week
Root-Cause Agent
Shows exactly which orders slip and why, with options to expedite or resequence downstream operations.
Industry ontology
An ontology built for machining
On top of the core model of products, lines, materials and orders, Convect adds the entities and constraints specific to machining — so agents understand your business from day one.
What this means for you
Routing graph + capability matrix — once these relationships are in the model, the impact of any change (a rush order, a shortage, a breakdown) is traced automatically and handed to the optimizer as constraints.
Routing graph
Alternative paths, mandatory and optional operations for each part
Machine capability matrix
Which parts each machine can run, tolerance ranges and speeds
Tooling & fixtures
Part–tool–fixture pairings with availability checks
Outside processing network
Subcontractor capacity, lead times and quality history
The decisions we optimize
From process planning to the hour-by-hour schedule: five decisions
From long-range planning to the shop floor, each layer’s output becomes the next layer’s constraint.
Routing selection
Decision
Choose the best routing for each part based on machine capability
Output
The most efficient routing per part
Machine load allocation
Decision
Spread work across machines to avoid bottlenecks
Output
Balanced load, bottlenecks removed
Tooling & fixture kitting
Decision
Verify part–tool–fixture pairings and wear before release
Output
Jobs released only when tooling is ready
Outside processing
Decision
Coordinate subcontractor capacity, lead time and quality with in-house steps
Output
Higher on-time rate for subcontracted operations
Shop schedule
Decision
Hour-level machine schedule; fast replanning for rush jobs
Output
Machine-level schedule to the hour
Upstream decisions constrain downstream ones. When execution drifts, agents trace back up the chain and assess the impact automatically.
Capabilities
Planning capabilities built for machining
Dynamic routing optimization
Best routing picked automatically for every part
Machine load balancing
Work spread across machines to relieve bottlenecks
In-house + outside processing
Internal and subcontracted operations timed to fit
Tooling & fixture checks
Tool and fixture availability verified before release
| Production type | Key constraints | Planning granularity | BOM complexity | Rush-order frequency | Ontology highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discrete job shop | Flexible routings, tooling | Day / hour | Shallow (operation-driven) | High | Routing graph + capability matrix |
See also: Production planning & scheduling · How the platform works
Customer results
Results from the industry
Precision machining company
Routings matched to machine capabilities dynamically, similar parts grouped to cut setups, and outside processing synchronized automatically.
+12%
Machine utilization
−25%
Setup time
+18%
On-time delivery
Standards
Configured for machining requirements
During implementation, we configure the model around the quality systems and standards you operate under:
ISO 9001
Quality management
AS9100
Aerospace (where applicable)
IATF 16949
Automotive parts (where applicable)
Put planning agents to work in machining
Get the Precision Machining Planning Playbook, or talk to a specialist who knows machining planning.