KR20020026065A - Development of a remote FMS operating system via internet - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method for remotely operating a flexible manufacturing system using the Internet is provided to increase the operation efficiency of a web agent-based FMS(Flexible Manufacturing System) by interworking a software capable of operating the FMS, and by processing information and commands of the FMS through a web agent in a remote distributed environment. CONSTITUTION: A web agent constructs an interface with a setup agent. The setup agent constructs an interface with a setup controller. In addition, the setup agent transmits information inputted from a field worker in a setup station to the web agent. The setup agent transmits videos photographed through a monitoring camera installed in the setup station to the web agent. Therefore, an external manufacturing company and a remote orderer can get technological information from a relevant FMS.

Description

Development of remote operation system for flexible production system using the internet {Development of a remote FMS operating system via internet}

The present invention relates to a method of remotely operating an FMS using the Internet, and more particularly, to a method of operating and controlling an FMS from a remote distributed environment user in parallel with a distributed heterogeneous FMS.

Recently, factory automation has introduced a flexible manufacturing system (FMS), which is a production system capable of immediately accommodating and reflecting various consumer demands and market changes. FMS is a production system for small quantity batch production. Such a production system consists of a function that conveys materials, parts, tools, etc. between production machines, emphasizing flexibility, and operating software for operating them unattended. Existing FMS has been able to extend the module inside the FMS by extending the flexible transfer line. However, such automation and scalability are effective only in the same system, and it is also called 'island of automation' that is isolated inside the system that cannot be produced by combining with the remote distributed heterogeneous environment of FMS.

Referring to Figure 1, it will be described the production form of a company using a general FMS. FMS is limited to producers. Therefore, the orderer sends the drawings to the producer by mail or in person, and detailed consultation on the production is delivered by telephone. Producer operates FMS facility through operation control system according to the order request to produce product and deliver to ordering company. As a result, existing FMS cannot be involved in FMS operations that are limited to producers at orderers.

Accordingly, the present invention intends to provide a reasonable and systematic method that can be jointly operated in a distributed remote location by employing a web agent technique in a locally localized FMS. Through this, it is possible to maximize the operation efficiency of the Web Agent-based FMS for remote multiple users.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for jointly participating in production using a FMS limited to a specific company in a distributed environment by presenting an internet-based sharing structure of a web agent-based FMS for remote multi-user. In order to achieve the above object, an existing FMS operation control system should be equipped with an Internet-based agent system to accommodate remote user access (reading and modifying operation control information). In addition, companies that want to share FMS need to observe the realistic production process in the actual production site, so they need a setup agent system with inspection and monitoring function to share information directly with the workers in the production site. . However, remote orderers should not be able to access the management level of FMS directly.

1 is a view showing a production form of a company using a typical FMS.

2 is a production model according to the Internet-based sharing method of a remote multi-user FMS.

3 is a diagram hierarchically showing a module configuration of a general entry type FMS.

4 shows a schematic general layout of a typical entry type FMS.

5 is a diagram illustrating a wiring system of a general entry type FMS.

6 is a configuration of operational control software of a general entry-level FMS.

7 is a view showing an example of the configuration of the operating software and the monitoring device for showing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

8 illustrates a specific implementation technique of the invention.

In order to achieve the above object, the FMS remote operation system using the Internet according to the present invention comprises the steps of inputting a production request via a web agent providing a web service by a remote user connected to the Internet, and inputting the production request. In the process of delivering to the FMS operation control software, the production of the production plan according to the production requirements in the FMS, the remote user checking the production plan and the production process through the Internet, and the remote user producing Requesting a change of plan, and remotely operating the FMS to reflect the needs of multiple remote users in the production plan.

Other objects and features of the present invention in addition to the above object will be apparent from the description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to Figure 2 will be described a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FMS's operation control system can be operated at the same time by the manufacturer's manager and Web Agent to provide internet-based sharing function. In particular, the Web Agent provides a service that can use the functions of the operation control system by using a web browser to remote multiple users as well as remote manufacturers connected to the Internet.

Referring to FIG. 3, a module configuration of a general popular FMS is shown hierarchically. At the top is a system controller, which controls the production process and production schedule. The controllers (Cell Controller, Setup Controller, AGV Controller) located below control the actual FMS facilities (PLC, MCT, RGV Controller, RGV, AS / RS, Setup Station, AGV) located below. Here, modules drawn in bold border (System Controller, Setup Controller, Setup Station) should be built and improved the interface with the Web Agent for the present invention, will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

4, there is shown a schematic general arrangement of a general entry type FMS. In general, the FMS has a separate operation control room and a factory. In the operation control room, the hierarchical module configuration of FIG. 3 has the highest operating control system (System Controller) and is shown in bold in FIG. 4. In the factory, controllers and FMS production equipment located under the operation control system are arranged. As in FIG. 3, modules drawn with a thick border in FIG. 4 should be improved for the present invention. The arrow of FIG. 4 represents a path in which a work requested by an ordering company is returned to an external FMS, and an on-site worker unloads the work using a crane at a setup station. The unmanned transport trolley (AGV) is transferred to an external FMS setup station by transferring it to a pallet for an AGV. The field worker uses a setup controller to notify the system controller of the machining results and feed information of the workpiece.

Referring to FIG. 4, a setup station and a setup controller, which are transporting points between a top-level system controller and a unit FMS, are installed on the Internet in order to have an Internet-based sharing structure of the FMS. Allow orderers and external producers to access and participate in operations.

5 shows a wiring diagram between modules in the FMS production facility for production information transmission.

Fig. 6 shows the software module configuration and application structure of the FMS operation control system.

Referring to FIG. 7, a configuration example of a web agent, a setup agent, and a surveillance camera for showing a correct operation example of the present invention is shown. The Web Agent establishes the interface indicated by the solid solid bar in FIG. 7 with the System Controller to indirectly operate the System Controller to external manufacturers and remote orderers connected to the Internet. To be accessible. The setup agent establishes an interface with a setup controller and transmits information input by a field worker at a setup station to a web agent. In addition, the setup agent delivers an image of the machining state of the work to the web agent through a camera installed in the setup station. Therefore, external producers and remote orderers can get the technical information and the image information of the workpieces by accessing the machining status of their workpieces from the FMS to the field worker level, so that they can feel the realistic sharing structure. In order to give the processing instruction to the processing machine that constitutes the actual FMS facility, the processing instruction is transmitted to the Programmable Login Controller (PLC) via the Cell Controller in the System Controller. Such a structure prevents the failure of the FMS production facility due to malicious intention and immaturity by preventing external producers or remote orderers from directly processing the FMS production facility in a shared structure via the Internet. The maintenance and security configuration is an example.

Referring to Figure 8, it can be described a specific operating method of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, when looking at the structure of an application, a part corresponding to an existing application is a setup controller, and a communication function uses a service provided by an OS. The setup agent software is installed here to deliver a digital image of the workpiece from the digital camera installed in the setup station to the system controller, which provides the image to remote clients via the Internet. In addition, when a field worker works at a setup station and enters setup information using the setup controller, the setup information is transmitted to the system controller, which provides the setup information to remote clients via the Internet.

As described above, the FMS remote operation system using the Internet according to the present invention has the advantage that the multi-order remote can be used effectively and reasonably shared by a limited physical production facility.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification but should be defined by the claims.

Claims (3)

Requesting a production request to FMS by a remote orderer using the Internet through an internet-based sharing structure of a small and medium sized FMS for a remote multi-order customer; Establishing a production plan as required by the FMS in the model; Performing the production according to the production plan in the FMS in the model, A remote orderer checking the production plan via the Internet in the model; Requesting a production plan from a remote orderer in the model; The method of sharing FMS through the step of sharing the FMS by reflecting the request for multiple remote orderers in the production plan in the model. The method of claim 1, By using the sharing structure, the Internet-based sharing method that a producer can operate in a realistic manner, such as directly managing and operating a production facility not owned by its own factory. According to claim 1 and 2, the Internet-based sharing method that can be operated in a realistic manner, such as an external ordering company directly manages and operates production facilities of production plants or distributed production plants.