Effective utilization (Ue) - a breakthrough performance indicator for machine efficiency improvement

In today´s high stakes semiconductor industry, cost accounting demands high machine utilization and world class throughput time. The greater the utilization of capital equipment, the greater the return on investment [W. Hopp et al., 1996]. One of the major challenges facing most manufacturing facilities has been the inability to sustain world class equipment utilization and factory throughput time [J. Black et al., 2002]. This paper details how, through a breakthrough system called effective utilization (Ue), major advances in achieving higher predictable utilization and increased WIP velocity were made in both 200 mm and 300 mm Intel manufacturing facilities