JPH01115555A - Process controller for mixed flow production line - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the efficiency of operation by calling up information about a pallet furnished at this time and a pallet to be furnished at the next time from a data memorizing means on the basis of pallet number information and providing a controller for starting a stage changing operation for the pallet to be furnished at the next time as soon as the operation of the workpiece on the pallet furnished at this time is completed. CONSTITUTION:The pallet number of pallet 2 furnished into respective operation stations S2-S20 on a mixed flow production line 1 is detected by a detecting means 7, and information about the pallet furnished at this time and the pallet to be furnished at the next time is called up from a data memory means 6 on the basis of the number information so that operation on operation stations S2-S20 are commanded on the basis of the information about the pallet furnished at this time by a operation control means of a controller 9. At the same time as these operations are completed, stage changing operations on the respective operation stations are started on the basis of the information about the pallet to be furnished at the next time according to a command from a stage changing means. As a result, the efficiency of operation on the production line can be remarkably improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a process control device for a mixed flow production line.

(Prior art) Generally, in order to improve work efficiency on a line that assembles automobile differential devices, for example, so-called mixed flow production is used, in which different parts (hereinafter referred to as "work") for each vehicle type are mixed together and flowed through the line. It is being done.

Conventionally, in such a mixed production line, a large number of pallets loaded with workpieces of different car models are transported to a predetermined work station by a transport means, and work is performed at each work station according to the type of workpiece. It has become. However, if the types of workpieces placed on pallets and transported are different, the types of work performed at each work station are also different. A method has already been proposed in which information corresponding to the pallet number is called from a data storage means and work is performed according to the information (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-24
(See Publication No. 9251).

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) As in the above-mentioned known example, the pallet number of the pallet brought into each work station is detected, information corresponding to the pallet number is called, and work is performed according to the information. In this case, it is necessary to change the work means at each work station every time the type of workpiece placed on the pallet brought into each work station changes, so it is necessary to wait for the change work to be completed. For example, it is not possible to start work at a work station, which is a bottleneck in improving the operating efficiency of the production line.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and uses pallet number information at each work station in a mixed flow production line to provide information on the work on the pallet that is to be carried in next time as well as work information on the work on the pallet that has been carried in this time. The purpose of this is to call the type of workpiece and change the working means corresponding to the next workpiece to be carried in at the same time as the work for the workpiece carried in this time is completed, thereby improving the operating efficiency of the production line. This is the case of Party B.

(Means for solving the problems) In the present invention, as means for solving the above problems,
In a mixed flow production line configured so that a large number of pallets on which different types of workpieces are placed are transported to a predetermined work station by a transport means, and work is performed at each work station according to the type of workpieces, and the pallet number on which each work is placed; a pallet number detection means for detecting the pallet number of the pallet brought in at each work station; and the pallet number detection means. calling means for calling information on the pallet brought in this time and the pallet to be brought in next time from the data storage means based on the detected pallet number information; a control device having a work control means for instructing the work at the work station; and a change command means for instructing the start of the change work at each work station based on information regarding the next loading pallet called up by the calling means; It is attached.

(Function) In the present invention, the following effects can be obtained by the above means.

That is, the pallet number of the pallet brought into each work station of the mixed production line is detected, and the pallet number
Based on the O information, information regarding the pallet brought in this time and the pallet to be brought in next time is called from the data storage means, and work is performed at each work station based on the information regarding the pallet brought in this time, and at the same time as the work is completed. Since the changeover work at each work station is started based on the information about the next pallet to be delivered, the changeover work is performed without waiting for the next pallet to be delivered to each work station, and the operation of the production line is delayed. Efficiency will be significantly improved.

(Embodiments) Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The mixed flow production line L of this embodiment is used, for example, to assemble a differential device of an automobile, and has a first work station Sl to a twenty-first work station S2+, as shown in FIG. 5t
-821 is supplied with various workpieces (for example, gear case assemblies or differential carrier assemblies) by a large number of pallets 2゜2... (see Figure 1) that are conveyed by a conveyor l as a conveyance means. It looks like this. That is, in the process in which the workpiece placed on the pallet 2 at the first work station S1 is sequentially conveyed from the second work station S2 to the 20th work station S20, each of the work stations S2 to S
At step 20, assembly work, replenishment of parts to be assembled, measurement of assembly accuracy, etc., are performed depending on the type of workpiece, and at the 21st work station S21, the assembled finished product is delivered to the next production line.

As shown in FIG. 1, each of the pallets 2, 2, . 4a-4d
It consists of flag units 5 configured such that their positions are different. In the case shown in FIG. 3, an example of the identification code provided on pallet 2 of pallet No. 45 is shown using a binary code. Note that flag 4e indicates a reference flag, and flag 4 "~4h" indicates N.
Among the G flags, the NG flags 4f to 4h indicate that the workpiece is a defective product (N
G), it is automatically retracted and the NG condition is detected at the next work station.
This is to instruct not to perform work on the workpiece on the pallet 2 whose pallet number is detected.

On the other hand, in the mixed flow production line L, as shown in FIG.
A data storage means 6 is provided for storing work data corresponding to the type of work at each work station S1 to S21. Further, the data storage means 6 stores information regarding the type of workpiece and the pallet number on which each workpiece is placed in a permuted manner. For example, data regarding the types of workpieces that should be assembled into differential devices for four different models, and pallets 2 lined up on conveyor 1.
, 2... and their palette numbers 2
．． Data regarding the types of workpieces placed on the workpieces 2, . . . are input in advance into the data storage means 6.

Further, each of the work stations 81 to S21 is provided with a pallet number detection means 7 for detecting the pallet number of the pallet 2 being conveyed (ie, the flags 4a to 4d). The pallet NO detection means 7 detects flags 4a to 4a protruding from the flag unit 5.
4d by a proximity sensor (not shown), the pallet number can be detected.

Among the work stations 81 to S21, the work stations S2 to S20, excluding the first and first work stations S1 and S21, are provided with work means 8 corresponding to the work content at each work station, as shown in FIG. (For example, a parts assembly device equipped with a press head that press-fits a component into a workpiece, an assembly measuring device equipped with a measuring jig that measures the dimensions of a workpiece, etc.) is installed, and the working means 8 The operation is controlled by a control device 9 provided at each work station. Note that the first and twenty-first work stations S1 and S21 are workpiece loading and unloading stations.

The control device 9 is composed of a microcomputer, and based on the pallet number information detected by the pallet number detection means 7, the control device 9 reads information regarding the pallet that has been carried in this time and the pallet that is to be carried in next time from the data storage means 6. a calling means for calling, a work control means for instructing the work at each work station 82 to S20 based on information regarding the current delivery pallet called by the calling means, and information regarding the next delivery pallet called by the calling means. and a set change command means for instructing the start of the set change work at each of the work stations S2 to S20 based on the above information.

Next, the operation of the process control device of the illustrated mixed flow production line will be explained below with reference to the flowchart illustrated in FIG.

To explain the operation at the fifth work station S5 as an example, when the pallet 2 is carried into the fifth work stage S5 by the conveyor l, the pallet 2 is moved by the positioning pins (not shown) provided at the work station S5. Positioned at the working position (step S+
), Palette N.

The pallet number is detected by the detection means 7 (step S). The pallet NO information detected by the pallet NO detection means 7 is transferred to the data storage means 6 (
Step S3), from the data storage means 6, the pallet 2 carried in this time (for example, N0
IO pallet) and pallet 2 (for example, N0II pallet) to be carried in next time, that is, N0
The workpiece for the vehicle type is placed on the IO pallet 2, and the N
.

Information that a workpiece for vehicle type B is placed on pallet 2 of No. 11 is input as a current vehicle type signal and a next vehicle type signal (steps S4 and S5). Next, the vehicle type information of the workpiece on the current carry-in pallet 2 detected by the vehicle type confirmation device (not shown) provided at the work station S5 is input as the current vehicle type confirmation signal (step S6).
The current vehicle type signal inputted earlier from the data storage means 6) is compared with the current vehicle type signal (step S7). As a result, if the current vehicle type signal and the current vehicle type confirmation signal do not match, an NG is displayed and the production line L is stopped on the spot (step S). As a result of the vehicle type verification in step S7, if the current vehicle type signal and the current vehicle type confirmation signal match, the work station S5
The work by the work means 8 installed at , that is, the work for the vehicle type work is started (step S, ). Then, when the work on the workpiece for vehicle type A by the work means 8 is completed (step 511), a work completion signal is transferred to the data storage means 6 (step S+*),
Based on the next vehicle type signal inputted in step S5, it is determined whether there is a change in the vehicle type of the workpiece on the next carry-in pallet 2 (step 513), and if there is no change in the vehicle type, the N0IO pallet 2 is unloaded. After that (step S, 4), pallet 2 of N0II is carried in.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S13 that there is a change in vehicle type, the work means 8 (the above-mentioned pressing head or measuring jig, etc.) should be adapted to the workpiece on the delivery pallet 2 next time (i.e., the workpiece for vehicle type B). A stage change is performed (step S, 5), and at the same time, the pallet is carried out and the pallet is carried in.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the pallet number of the pallet 2 carried into each work station S2 to S20 of the mixed flow production line L is detected, and based on the pallet number information, the pallet number of the pallet 2 carried in this time is stored in the data storage means 6. information regarding the pallet that has been delivered and the pallet to be brought in next time, and performs work at each work station S2 to S20 based on the information regarding the pallet to be brought in this time,
Simultaneously with the completion of the work, the changeover work at each work station 82 to S20 is started based on the information regarding the next delivery pallet. Replacement work will be performed, and the operating efficiency of the production line will be significantly improved.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments; it goes without saying that the design can be changed as appropriate without departing from the gist of the invention.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, a large number of pallets on which different types of workpieces are placed are transported to a predetermined work station by a transport means, and each workstation is In a mixed flow production line configured to carry out different operations, the types of workpieces and the pallet N on which each workpiece is placed.

and a pallet number detection means for detecting the pallet number of the pallet brought in at each work station.
is detected by the pallet number detection means, and based on the pallet number information, information regarding the pallet brought in this time and the pallet to be brought in next time is called from the data storage means, and each operation is performed based on the information regarding the pallet brought in this time. While working at the station,
At the same time as the work is completed, the changeover work at each work station is started based on information about the next delivery pallet, so the changeover work can be performed without waiting for the next delivery pallet to be delivered to each work station. This has the excellent effect of significantly improving the operating efficiency of the production line.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a process control device for a mixed flow production line according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a mixed flow production line according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 4, which is a front view of the identification code section provided on each pallet in the illustrated mixed flow production line, is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the process control device for the mixed flow production line according to the embodiment of the present invention. 2...Palette 6...Data storage means 7...Palette 1-NO detection means 9...
...Control device L...Mixed flow production line 5l-S21...Work station

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a mixed flow production line configured so that a large number of pallets on which different types of workpieces are placed are transported to a predetermined work station by a transport means, and work is performed according to the type of workpiece at each workstation, the workpieces are a data storage means for storing information on the type of workpiece and the pallet number on which each work is placed in a permuted manner; a pallet number detection means for detecting the pallet number of a pallet brought in at each work station; and a pallet number detection means for detecting the pallet number. calling means for calling information regarding the pallet brought in this time and the pallet to be brought in next time from the data storage means based on pallet number information detected by the means; based on information about the pallet brought in this time called up by the calling means; a control device having a work control means for instructing the work at each work station, and a change command means for instructing the start of the change work at each work station based on information regarding the next delivery pallet called by the calling means; A process control device for a mixed flow production line, characterized in that it is equipped with.