FR2626080A1 - Semi-automatic data acquisition method for the management of periods and causes of stoppage in operational units involved in industrial processes - Google Patents

Abstract

a) The method is intended for the automatic acquisition of data for the management of periods and causes of stoppage in operational units. b) Operational units (machines) A, B, C, D, etc, sub-units (engines, mechanisms) SA1, ..., SB1, ..., SC1, ..., etc, and causes CA1, ..., CB1, ..., CC1, ..., etc, are all defined; the units, sub-units and causes are encoded by bar codes so that they can be identified; also encoded are the states A10 - A13, ..., B10 - B13, ..., C10 - C13, ..., etc, corresponding to the beginning and end of the stoppage and the beginning and end of the action taken to deal with the stoppage; and a read-out is obtained of the code of the unit (sub-unit) and of the cause of the stoppage, together with the code of the beginning and end of the stoppage and any remedial action taken. c) Application to monitoring operational units.

Description

semi-automatic process for entering information for time management and causes of stoppage of functional units involved in industrial processes "
The present invention relates to a semi-automatic method for entering information for the management of times and causes of stoppage of functional assemblies involved in industrial processes.

 The invention relates in particular to a means of analysis and time management and causes of equipment downtime, in particular downtime caused by breakdowns, by human intervention, lack of supply of parts, absence of staff, machines that form a bottleneck, or tool changes, etc.

 Currently, the times and causes of downtime, interventions on equipment or on functional assemblies involved in industrial processes, are managed either by maintenance software or by electronic cards for automatic data acquisition and diagnosis.

 The technique which uses a maintenance process consists in establishing intervention sheets on which the times and causes of machine downtime are noted. These files are centralized and are entered into a computer system to be used with the help of maintenance software. The latter analyzes this information and provides usable information for management.

 The. process using electronic data acquisition and diagnostic cards consists in establishing a system with data acquisition and input / output diagnostic cards connected to the machines or more generally the assemblies to be checked. Any stop, even a short one, is taken into account whereas such a stop is not taken into account by the maintenance software using intervention sheets since the time for entering the intervention sheets would be disproportionate with the short downtime.

 These two solutions have the drawback of requiring a long and relatively complex installation.

 These two solutions are also difficult to exploit by people foreign to the system or the controlled process since they require the education of these people before they can analyze the equipment or the set monitored or more generally of the controlled process.

 The object of the present invention is to create a process for the semi-automatic capture of information relating to operating incidents of functional assemblies or sub-assemblies involved in an industrial process without having to use either the maintenance software or the cards. of data acquisition and diagnosis which can possibly equip the installation to be controlled, and which is a simple means of an easy installation, ergonomic requiring no special education of the users examining the controlled process and applying as much to the problem of time management and causes of stoppage of a set of machines in a production line as to that of a particular machine or to the start of a new process on an existing machine or of a prototype.

To this end, the invention relates to a method for automatically entering information for the management of times and causes of stoppages of functional assemblies involved in industrial manufacturing processes, characterized in that
- we define the functional units (machines) involved in the industrial process,
- we define in each set the sub-sets likely to constitute a source of incidents (engines, mechanisms, transmissions, tools ...), prohibiting the further implementation of the process,
- we define causes likely to cause inhibition of a set or a sub-set,
- each of the sets, sub-sets and each of the causes is coded by bar code to allow their identification,
- we define the start and end of the stop as well as the start and end of the intervention to remedy & stop,
- these four states are codified,
- the code for the assembly (sub-assembly) and the cause of stops is read, as well as the code for the start, the end of the stop and any intervention,
- we use the information.

 The present invention will be described in more detail using the appended drawing which is a diagram serving to explain the process according to the invention.

According to the single figure, the semi-automatic method of entering information for the management of the times and causes of stoppage of functional assemblies intervening in industrial processes, is applied to the maintenance of industrial assemblies A, B, C. each consisting of SAl ... SA2 sub-assemblies
SB1 ... SB2 ..., SC1, SC2, SC3 ... and each controlled by an operator OA, OB, OC ...

 According to the method of the invention, the sets A, B, C are defined which are, for example, the machines of a production line or handling machines involved in the industrial process thus monitored. In each set A, B, C we define the subsets SA1 ... SB1 ... SC1 likely to constitute sources of stops preventing the continuation of the process. These sources of stops can be motors, mechanisms, etc. or any mechanical electronic, electrical equipment, etc. of which an operating incident blocks the continuation of the operation of the assembly and consequently of the entire process. industrial.

 The causes CA1, CA2 are also determined.

CB1, CB2 ..., CC1, CC2 ... likely to cause the inhibition of a set or a sub-set. These causes are, for example, the replacement of an SAi sub-assembly (engine), a repair of a sub-assembly, a lack of parts supply at the assembly level, a bottleneck constituted by an upstream machine or downstream, a tool change, etc.
Each of the sets A is coded by bar code,
B, C, the subsets SA1, SA2 ..., SB1, SB2
SC1, SC2 ... and the causes CA1, CA2 ..., CB1, CB2 CC1, CC2 ... to allow their identification.

We define the states A10 - A13, B10 - B13, C10
C13 ..., corresponding respectively to the start and the end of the stop prohibiting the assembly or the subassembly as well as if necessary the start and the end of the intervention intended to remedy this stop.

 These states are also codified.

 According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the method is applied to the control of a set of machines involved in a production line or a manufacturing process. Each machine or at least each sub-assembly of the machine is essential for the operation of the entire chain of the manufacturing process. If one of the assemblies fails, the entire chain is stopped or at least delayed.

The subsets of each functional set
A, B, C ... are constituted for example by the various engines, the transmission members, the connections, the tools and any member or functional element whose failure causes the provisional decommissioning of the corresponding sub-assembly and, by following, of the assembly to which it belongs and the case drying the stopping of the entire chain.

 According to the invention, each subset SA1, SA2, .. ,, su1, SB2 ..., SC1, SC2 ... is defined after functional analysis of each of the sets A, B, C according to the files, plans and diagrams of these sets A, B, C.

We also identify the causes CA1, CA2 Cob1, CB2 ..., CC1, CC2 ... incidents that can affect the operation of each assembly A, B, C
Finally, the states corresponding to the start and end of the stop as well as the start and end of the intervention intended to remedy the stop are defined.

These states are associated with each set A, B, C and bear the references A10 - A13, B10 - B13, C10 - C13
According to the invention, the subsets SA1 SBl ..., SC1 ..., the incident causes CA1 ... CB1 ..., CC1 ... and the states A10 - A13, B10 - B13 and C10 - C13 are coded according to a bar code capable of being read by an automatic means.

 For each functional unit, a file is drawn up carrying the information defining the unit, the sub-units, sources of shutdowns and the causes as well as the events specific to this unit. These FA, FB, FC files are also provided with the code for each of the information A10 - A13, SAl ..., -CAl. .

B10 - B13 etc ...

Finally, there is provided a PA, PB, PC code reader associated with each set or with a group of sets.
A, B, C.

In the figure, there is shown a reader PA, PB,
PC ... associated with each of the sets A, B, C. As, however, the codes identifying the different in mations of the file FA, FB, FC associated with each seems A, B, C contain the indication of their respective belonging to one of the sets A, B, C, it is possible to use the same reader to carry out the different readings as will be described below.

 Indeed, in the event of incidents, for example on assembly A, the operator switches his PA reader to code A10 to automatically note, using the clock integrated in the PA reader, the instant of in the stop. Then, if possible, it searches for the source BAi of the stop and the cause CAj for the stop and introduces these two pieces of information into its reader PA by passing the reader PA over the code associated with each of the pieces of information SAi and CAj .

 If it is not possible for him to define these two pieces of information SAi, CAj, he reaches for example the maintenance service and he introduces in his read the start of the intervention for example of the service we maintenance by passing his reader PA on the All status code. The PA reader automatically writes to his memory the instant the Ali intervention begins.

 If at this time the maintenance service locates the source of the incident and its cause, it can switch the PA reader to the code associated with the SAi and CA information; to write this information to the PA reader memory.

Finally, at the end of the maintenance intervention, it switches its reader PA to the code associated with the definition of the state of end of intervention A12 then, when the machine resumes operation, it switches the reader to the indication A12. it follows that the instant of the end of the intervention is written in the reader PA. Similarly, when the functional unit
Once again to function, the operator OA switches the reader PA to the status code A13 so as to write the time corresponding to this event in the memory of the reader PA.

 Interventions on the other sets B and C ... unfold in the same way.

 The information lA, IB, IC supplied by the readers PA, PB, PC are transmitted to the central station PC of the system which uses this information according to the appropriate method. Since this method is not the subject of the present invention, it will not be described.

Although the above description is applied to several functional assemblies which are generally associated in a production line or in a "manufacturing process, the process according to the invention can also be applied to control or management causes of shutdown of the same machine, the assemblies
A, B, C ... then being assemblies of this machine and the sub-assemblies SA ... of parts of these assemblies.

 Finally, the method according to the invention can also be applied to the adaptation or the implementation of a method, machine, prototype or of a new machining or work or the installation of a new machine. In general, the change of task requires transformations or at least adaptations of the machine to move from old work or work cycles to new work or work cycles.

 However, experience shows that, whatever the precautions taken in studying this adaptation, there are often incidents. However, the method according to the invention makes it possible to control and manage these incidents in an attempt to eliminate them or at least to minimize them.

Claims (3)

CLAIMS - we exploit the information. - the code of the assembly (subset) and the cause of stops is read, as well as the code for the start, the end of the stop and any intervention, - the states are coded, - we define states (A10 - A13 ..., B10 - B13 'ClO C10 - C13 ...) corresponding to the start and end of the stop as well as the start and end of the intervention for remedy the shutdown, CB, CB1 ..., CC, CC1 ...) to allow their identification, - each of the sets (A, 8, C ...), subsets (SA) is coded by bar code , SA1 ..., SB, SB1 ..., 8C, SC1 ...) and each of the causes (CA, CA1 - we define causes (CA1 ..., CB1 ..., CC1 ...) likely to cause the inhibition of a set or a sub-set, - we define in each set the sub-sets (SA1 ..., SB1 ..., SC1 ...) likely to constitute a source of stops (motors, mechanisms, transmissions, tools ...), prohibiting the further implementation of the process, - we define the sets (A, B, C, D ..) (m functional machines involved in the industrial process,  1 ') Process for automatically entering information for the management of time and causes of stoppages of functional units involved in industrial manufacturing processes, process characterized in that  2 ') Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the code is a bar code.  3 ') Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the information in plain language and in code is recorded on a respective sheet associated with each set and made available to the user (OA, OB, OC) of the corresponding set (A, B, C).