EP3966644A1

EP3966644A1 - Production system and production control method with locating-system-based simulation of production sequences

Info

Publication number: EP3966644A1
Application number: EP20727901.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Carina Mieth; Jens Ottnad
Original assignee: Trumpf Werkzeugmaschinen SE and Co KG
Current assignee: Trumpf Werkzeugmaschinen SE and Co KG
Priority date: 2019-05-10
Filing date: 2020-05-05
Publication date: 2022-03-16
Also published as: WO2020229234A1; US20220057787A1; DE102019206756A1; JP2022532580A; CN113811827A; JP7315710B2

Abstract

The invention relates to a digital model (30) of a production installation (12). The digital model (30) is designed to produce a simulation of a production sequence of the production installation (12). A controller (20) can access the simulation in order to operate the production installation (12) in optimum fashion. The digital model (30) is designed to use data from a locating system (22) to produce the simulation. The locating system (22) monitors carriers (18) for transporting components (16). The controller (20) may be designed to compare parameters of the simulation results with corresponding parameters of earlier simulation results and/or actually attained parameters of earlier production sequences. These parameters of earlier simulation sequences and/or parameters actually attained in the production process may be stored in a model library (32). The controller (20) is capable of controlling the production installation (12) very effectively as a result of the invention. The invention also relates to a production control method performed in a corresponding manner.

Description

Production system and production control process with location system-based simulation of production processes

Background of the invention

The invention relates to a production system and a production control method.

It is known to provide optimized production systems with a production plant, in particular in metal processing, preferably sheet metal processing, for the produc- tion of components, the production plant comprising several produc- tion tools. The transport of material or components between the production tools is carried out by mobile carriers. Due to the different processing times of the production tools and the varying transport routes of the carriers, it often happens that the production tools and / or the carriers are not fully utilized. The production system then works ineffectively.

It is also known to create simulations of production processes. The creation of such simulations is, however, associated with great effort. It can take months for a simulation to be useful and answer relevant questions.

Object of the invention

It is the object of the invention to provide an effective production system or production control method. Description of the invention

This object is achieved according to the invention by a production system according to claim 1 and a production control method according to claim 9. The dependent claims reproduce preferred developments.

The object according to the invention is thus achieved by a production system with the following features:

a) A production facility with production tools for manufacturing components. The production plant has carriers and / or transport aids for transporting the components between the production tools. The carriers can be designed, for example, in the form of autonomous or self-propelled and / or remote-controlled cars.

b) a controller that controls the production plant based on production data;

c) a location system that is designed to locate the carrier, transport aids, production tools and / or components. The location system is designed to

i) to determine the position of a mobile unit and / or ii) acquire identification information stored on the mobile unit

and to transmit the position data of the carriers, transport aids, production tools and / or components determined in this way to the controller; d) a digital model of the production plant to simulate production processes. The simulation is based on the data from the location system. This should mean that the simulation actively uses the data from the positioning system to create the digital model. Production data means, for example, data that determine the production process of components, for example in the following form: Component A consists of a material (ST), has the dimensions (x, y, z), is used on a laser cutting machine of the LS type cut to a desired contour, then bent on a bending machine of the type TP according to plan MP, etc.

The control that controls the production plant is designed to use this production data to control the production of the components. The sequence of the production steps, the transport between the production tools, any necessary interim storage, re-sorting and much more can be provided in the control. Individual production steps can be carried out fully automatically by the corresponding production tools. The control can then be designed to make the corresponding data available to the corresponding machine tools, possibly processed. Correspondingly equipped production tools can, if necessary, report the status and success of the production steps they have carried out to the control system. For other, less automated production tools and work steps, actions of a worker are necessary (e.g. sorting, clamping, feeding in material or with many bending processes). Here there is often manual feedback about the status and, if necessary, the success of the production steps. In particular in production systems that have production tools of this type, the advantages of the invention become apparent because over the positioning system, the position data of carriers and / or components, information about dwell times, status, success and work steps can be traced (tracked). Several components can also be combined to form a component assembly. A component group means a collection of components that are organizationally connected with each other, for example, belong to a common production order, or go through several production steps together. It can be advantageous to use the positioning system to determine the position data of a component assembly and to make this data available to the digital model.

The components or component assemblies can be arranged on or in one or more transport aids. A transport aid can e.g. be a pallet (transport pallet) or a collection container (transport box, box, can). The transport aids can be transported with the carriers. Several components and / or component assemblies can be arranged on a transport aid for transport. Each transport aid can additionally or alternatively be assigned a mobile unit for location. It can be advantageous to use the positioning system to determine the position data of a transport aid and to make this data available to the digital model.

Each carrier can additionally or alternatively be assigned a mobile unit for locating. It can be advantageous to use the positioning system to determine the position data of the carriers and to make these data available to the digital model.

In many production plants, mobile tools such as hand-held tools (e.g. drilling machines, deburrers, hand saws, flex machines, movable machines such as punching, welding or induction heating units, etc.) are used. It can be advantageous to use the positioning system to determine the position data of the mobile tools and to make this data available to the digital model. For this purpose, a mobile unit can also be assigned to the mobile tools and, in particular, be firmly attached to it. A mobile unit can be assigned to a carrier, a transport aid, a component and / or a component assembly and, in particular, also a mobile tool. That is supposed to mean the mobile unit

a) is arranged in the vicinity of the tool, carrier, transport aid, component and / o the component assembly and

b) this tool, carrier, transport aid, component and / or component assembly is also assigned in terms of data technology, e.g. the production data of the control and / or the digital model for simulation.

A mobile unit can be designed as transceiver units which are designed to receive and transmit electromagnetic signals. The runtime of these signals can be determined by the location system and the current position in the production facility can be determined. A location with an accuracy of 1 m or less, in particular 30 cm or less, can be achieved in this way. The location of the units can be recorded several times per minute, in particular several times per second, preferably several times per 1/10 s. During the development of the present invention, it has been shown that it is advantageous to obtain relevant input data for generating and parameterizing the simulation. These can be obtained through a location system that is being introduced in many production plants with increasing digitalization. The position data of carriers, transport aids, components and / or component assemblies determined in this way can be used to continuously improve the digital model for simulation. The above-mentioned accuracy of the location determination is particularly suitable for making the digital model suitable for a simulation. The production system according to the invention thus comprises a digital model of the production plant that is able to simulate the processes in the production plant. The data of the wearers and their movement patterns are stored in the digital model. In addition, the digital model can be designed to Consider the work processes of the production tools. As a result, the digital model can generate suggestions for particularly effective production processes that combine the movements of the carriers, transport aids, components and / or components and possibly also take tools into account. It has been shown that taking into account the data from the positioning system in the simulation of the production processes leads to surprisingly effective production processes.

The simulation is preferably stored in the form of a material flow simulation. This means that the change in position of the components over time (the flow) is stored in the form of a simulation.

At least one production tool is preferably designed in the form of a metal working tool, in particular a sheet metal working tool, in particular a punching machine and / or a laser cutting machine. At least one component or workpiece can be designed in the form of a sheet metal part.

The control of the production system is preferably designed to control the production plant on the basis of the simulation. This enables automated optimization of the production plant to be achieved.

Control is based on production data from the production plant. As previously stated, these production data include at least the data from the carrier's positioning system. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the production data furthermore comprise the aforementioned work processes of the production tools, the arrangement of the production tools, key figures of the production tools and / or component data. Key figures of the production tools can be, for example: laser beam intensity, laser beam focus, bending tool used, throughput speed, feed speed, pulse ratio in pulsed operation, power, energy, etc., all particularly related to the respective work step. Key figures of the component data can be, for example: material, contour, dimensions, deformations, thickness, etc. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the production system has a model library with simulated and / or actually performed production processes. In this case, the control can be designed to compare the production process simulated in the digital model with the production processes in the model library. The control can then decide or give a user the freedom to use the newly simulated production process or to fall back on a production process stored in the model library. The simulation, the digital model and / or the model library is / are also configured to be cloud-based. This enables recourse to actual and / or simulated production processes of several production systems and, as a result, very effective optimization options for the production system described above. The term cloud here means a, in particular locally remote, preferably anonymized, data processing device, in particular a storage device. Data from more than one, advantageously from several hundred or several thousand different users can be stored in this. In this way, various simulations or models can contribute to the optimization of the process regardless of the manufacturing location. It was recognized that the described methods can be significantly improved if several hundred, in particular several thousand, simulations have been read out. Such a volume of data is often not achievable in a year for a single production facility. The location system can be designed as an ultra-broadband system (Ultra Wideband, UWB) in order to enable high accuracy of the location. Such a system is described, for example, in DE 10 2017 120 378 A1 or the application PCT / FR2019 / 000057 not yet published on the filing date with the title: "Ultra-Wideband Location Systems and Methods" as an indoor location system. As described there, such a The system can be integrated into a production facility that is not yet digitally networked and thus help to advance digital networking without too much investment Time to be recorded. In this way, data for the simulation of production processes can be obtained without further investment in hardware. The content of DE 10 2017 120 378 A1 and PCT / FR2019 / 000057 are fully incorporated by referencing.

The positioning system is particularly preferably designed to detect the position of the mobile units, carriers, transport aids, components and / or component assemblies and possibly also tools with an accuracy of 1 m or less than 1 m, preferably less than 0.3 m. This creates further increased possibilities for optimizing the production plant. The positioning system can also be designed to detect the position three-dimensionally. Then not only position data in the area of the production plant, but also in height can be recorded and fed into the simulation. The digital model can include a map of part of the production plant or the entire production plant. The map can have information about the production tools and / or components, and in particular their position and orientation. The carriers can have image acquisition modules, in particular in each case a laser scanner and / or a camera, in order to record their surroundings, in particular to update the map.

The carriers and / or transport aids can have at least one further sensor. In particular, the carriers can have an inertial measurement unit (“IMU”), in particular with a combination of several inertial sensors such as acceleration sensors and yaw rate sensors.

The carriers and / or transport aids can have a transmitter-receiver system for the automatic and contactless identification and localization of the carriers, for example based on RFID (radio-frequency identification). The controller can have an interface in order to process log files of the production tools.

In one embodiment of the invention, at least one production tool can have a loading zone for loading and unloading a carrier. In this case, the production system can have an image recording unit which is designed to record image information in the loading zone. The positioning system can furthermore have an image evaluation unit which is designed to determine the position and / or a state of a carrier, in particular its load, using the image information. The image recording units can be expanded using VR (virtual reality) systems or AR (augmented reality) systems.

The object according to the invention is also achieved by a production control method of a production system, in particular of the production system described here, the production control method having at least the following steps:

A) Reading in the position and / or identification information of a carrier, transport aid, production tool and / or component, the reading being carried out by a location system;

B) simulating a production process, the simulation being based on data from the location system;

D) Controlling a production plant. The control is preferably carried out on the basis of the simulation of the production process according to step B).

The production control method preferably has between the steps

B) and D) following step:

C) Comparing the simulated production process with previously simulated and / or actually carried out production processes stored in a model library.

The production control method described here can be optimized particularly effectively as a result. In order to obtain the most extensive model library possible, the simulated production process is preferably saved in any case - regardless of whether the production process is actually carried out with this simulated production process or with a previously stored one

Further advantages of the invention emerge from the description and the drawing voltage. The features mentioned above and below can also be used according to the invention individually or collectively in any combination. The embodiments shown and described are not to be understood as an exhaustive list, but rather have an exemplary character for describing the invention.

The simulation can make its results available to another VR (virtual reality) system or AR (augmented reality) system for production planning. The simulation can use data from this additional VR (virtual reality) system or AR (augmented reality) system for production planning.

The object according to the invention is also achieved by utilizing and / or using data, in particular position data, of a location system described here in a previously described production control method and / or production system. The position data are in particular position data of carriers and / or components and / or transport aids and / or tools that are recorded during operation of the production plant in order to track the components or workpieces.

Detailed description of the invention and drawing

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a production system according to the invention or a production control method according to the invention. FIG. 1 shows a production system 10 with a production plant 12 which includes several production tools 14. The production tools 14 are used to manufacture components 16. At least one production plant is preferably tool 14 in the form of a metal or sheet metal working tool, in particular a punching machine and / or a laser cutting machine. At least one component 16 can be designed in the form of a sheet metal part. At least one component 16, in particular several components 16, in particular several components 16 combined to form a component assembly, is / are transported between production tools 14 by carriers 18. The carriers 18 are controlled by a controller 20 and followed (tracked) or monitored by a location system 22. The positioning system 22 can have a plurality of transceiver units in order to determine the position of the supports 18 in the production plant 12 by calculating the signal transit times between the transmitters and the carriers 18. The transceiver units can be designed to receive and send electromagnetic signals. The transit time of these signals can be determined by the positioning system 22 and the current position in the production system 12 can be determined. Several of the transceiver units can be permanently installed units, the position of which is known to the positioning system 22. The carriers 18 are identified in the location system 22 by means of mobile units 24 which are each arranged or formed directly or indirectly on the carriers 18. As an alternative or in addition, further mobile units can be assigned to a transport aid, component and / or component assembly and possibly also to tools. In this way, the positions of these units can also be tracked.

The mobile units 24 can themselves be designed as transceiver units that are designed to receive and send electromagnetic signals (indicated by dashed lines 17). The transit time of these signals can be determined by the positioning system 22 and the current position in the production plant 12 can be determined. A location with an accuracy of 1 m or less, in particular 30 cm or less, can be achieved in this way. The mobile units 24 can be assigned to the carriers 18, transport aids 19 and / or individual components 16 and / or component assemblies and tools 23. The data of the positioning system 22 can then be assigned to the orders of the production control.

The unloading and loading of the carriers 18 can be carried out - in particular by an imaging unit 26, e.g. a camera, monitored - done in a loading zone 28 of the production tool 14. In order to optimize the production system 12, the controller 20 can be designed to access the data of the image recording unit 26. Such a system is described, for example, in DE 10 2016 120 131 A1. The content of DE 10 2016 120 131 A1 is fully incorporated by referencing.

The control 20 accesses a digital model 30 of the production plant 12. A simulation of the production processes of the production plant 12 can be carried out in the digital model 30. This simulation is based on the data from the positioning system 22. This makes the simulation particularly precise.

The data from the positioning system 22 can be processed in a data processing and analysis unit 21 before they are fed to the controller 20. Data processing and analysis unit 21 can prepare the position data, e.g. in connection with the production tools, assign data to a specific work step, e.g. Transport A-B, production step on machine C, production on machine D, sorting and storage on transport aid E, transport with carrier F to bending machine G etc.

Additionally or alternatively, the data of the positioning system 22 can also be fed directly to the controller 20. The controller 20 can then improve the simulation during ongoing production, ie during production operation, and update the digital model 30.

Additionally or alternatively, the data of the positioning system 22 can also be fed directly to the digital model 30. Then the digital model 30 Improve the simulation even faster during the ongoing production and update the digital model 30.

Additionally or alternatively, the data from the positioning system 22 can be processed by the data processing and analysis unit 21 before they are fed to the digital model 30.

In addition to the data from the positioning system 22, the data from the production tools 14 and / or the image recording unit 26 can be incorporated into the simulation.

The simulation, i.e. the simulation results are made available to the controller 20. Furthermore, the controller 20 can be designed to access a model library 32 with a plurality of simulations or simulation results. The controller 20 can be designed to automatically, and / or on the instruction of a user, carry out the control of the production system 12 either with the parameters used in the simulation or with parameters from the model library 32. Additionally or alternatively, the digital model 30 can be designed to access the model library 32 with multiple simulations or simulation results. The digital model 30 can be designed to use the parameters used for the simulation or the parameters from the model library 32 automatically and / or on the instruction of a user.

The digital model 30 and / or the model library 32 can be embodied in a cloud in order to enable several users to access a large data set. Taking all the figures of the drawing together, the invention relates in summary to a digital model 30 of a production plant 12. The digital model 30 is designed to generate a simulation of a production sequence of the production plant 12. A controller 20 can access the simulation in order to optimally operate the production plant 12. The digital model 30 is designed to use data from a location system 22 to create the simulation. The location system 22 monitors, in particular, carriers 18 for transporting components 16. The controller 20 can be designed to compare parameters of the simulation results with corresponding parameters of earlier simulation results and / or actually achieved parameters of earlier production processes. These parameters of earlier simulation results and / or actually achieved parameters can be stored in a model library 32. As a result of the invention, the controller 20 is able to control the production plant 12 very effectively. The invention also relates to a production control method carried out accordingly.

Reference list

10 production system

12 production plant

14 Production tool

16 component

17 electromagnetic signals

18 carriers

19 Transport aids

20 Control

21 Data processing and analysis unit

22 Positioning System

23 tools

24 mobile unit

26 Image capture unit

28 Loading zone

30 Digital model of the production facility

32 Model Library

Claims

1. Production system (10), wherein the production system (10) has the following:

a) A production plant (12) with

i) production tools (14) for manufacturing components (16) and

ii) carriers (18) and / or transport aids (19) for transporting the components (16) between the production tools (14); b) a controller (20) for controlling the production plant (12) on the basis of production data;

c) a locating system (22) for locating a mobile unit (24) arranged or formed on the carrier (18), component (16), production tool (14) or transport aid (19), the locating system (22) being set up,

i) to determine the position of the mobile unit (24) and / or ii) to record identification information stored on the mobile unit (24)

and to transmit the position data of the carriers (18), components (16), production tools (14) and / or transport aids (19) determined in this way to the controller (20);

d) a digital model (30) of the production plant (12) for simulating production processes, the simulation being based at least on the data from the positioning system (22).

2. Production system according to claim 1, in which the controller (20) is formed to control the production plant (12) based on the results of the simulation.

3. Production system according to claim 1 or 2, in which the production data has production processes, arrangement of the production tools (14), Kennzah len of the production tools (14) and / or component data.

4. Production system according to claim 3, wherein the key figures of the produc onswerkzeuge (4) are at least one of the following: laser beam intensity, laser beam focus, bending tool used, throughput speed, feed speed, pulse ratio in pulsed operation, power, energy.

5. Production system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the key figures of the construction part data are at least one of the following: material, contour, dimensions, deformations, thickness.

6. Production system according to one of the preceding claims, in which the carriers (18) and / or transport aids (19) have at least one further sensor.

7. Production system according to one of the preceding claims, in which the production system (10) has a model library (32) with simulated and / or actually carried out production processes, the control (20) being designed to simulate the digital model (30) Compare the production process with the production processes in the model library (32).

8. Production system according to claim 7, in which the simulation and / or the model library is cloud-based.

9. Production system according to one of the preceding claims, in which the positioning system (22) is designed as an ultra-broadband system.

10. Production system according to one of the preceding claims, in which the positioning system (22) is set up to detect the position of the carriers (18) with an accuracy of less than 1 m, preferably less than 0.3 m.

11. Production system according to one of the preceding claims, in which at least one production tool (14) has a loading zone (28) for loading and unloading a carrier (18), the production system (10) having an image recording unit (26) which is set up is to capture image information in the loading zone (28) and wherein the positioning system (22) has an image evaluation unit which is set up to determine the position and / or a state of a carrier (18) using the image information.

12. Production control method of a production system (10), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps:

A) Detection of the position and / or identification information of a carrier (18), transport aid (19), production tool (14) and / or component (16) by means of a location system (22);

B) simulating a production process, the simulation being based at least on the data recorded by the positioning system (22);

D) controlling a production plant (12) by a controller (20), where the control takes place in particular on the basis of the results of the simulation, in particular by means of a digital model (30) of the production plant (12).

13. Production control method according to claim 12, comprising the step of:

C) comparing the simulated production process with simulated and / or actually performed production processes stored in a model library (32).

14. Production system or production control method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the simulation is stored in the form of a material flow simulation.

15. Production system or production control method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one production tool is in the form of a metalworking tool, in particular a sheet metal working tool, in particular a punching machine and / or a laser cutting machine.

16. Production system or production control method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one component or workpiece is designed in the form of a sheet metal part.

17. Production system or production control method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the digital model (30) has a map of a part of the production plant (12) or the complete production plant (12), and in particular the map has information on the production tools and / or components , and in particular their posi tion and alignment.