JP2000084802A - Recipe preparing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate the change of a plant and to easily change the plant even from an intermediate stage of manufacture by converting a global recipe into a local recipe with a description of specific machining procedure while referring to local recipe data with the features of machining conditions made into data. SOLUTION: A storage means 1 holds a global recipe G with a description of standard machining procedure in a general form not depending on the conditions and the like of a specific plant, and a storage means 2 stores local recipe data D with data of features, conditions, and the like plant by plant in the case of machining in a specific plant so as to show what sort of work instruction one work instruction described in the global recipe G is to be converted into. In the case of machining in a certain plant, the global recipe G is converted into a local recipe L by a recipe preprocessor 3, taking account of the type of a machine tool, constitution of a machining line, and the like for efficient machining in this plant while referring to the local recipe data D.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recipe creating apparatus which describes a processing procedure for making a product and creates a recipe used in a production system.

[0002]

[Prior art]

In a production system, a processing instruction is issued to a machine tool in accordance with a processing procedure described in a recipe to produce a desired product. In the conventional recipe, the description method of the processing procedure is a description method assumed to be produced at a specific factory, and is not assumed to be processed at another factory. Therefore, changing a recipe used in the production of a certain factory to a recipe used in the production of another factory requires a very large number of man-hours, and in many cases requires manual work.

[0004] This will be specifically described. In the conventional recipe, the description of the recipe for processing the product X is a description only for processing at the specific factory A. Therefore, product X
In order to manufacture the product X in another factory B other than A, or to process the product X made in the factory A halfway in the factory B, the processing procedure for the factory B must be performed from the beginning or from the middle
A lot of man-hours and manpower needed to be rebuilt.

[0005]

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. A global recipe describing a standard processing procedure is prepared, and specific conditions are given to the global recipe according to the processing conditions. It is an object of the present invention to realize a recipe creating apparatus that can easily change a factory where a product is made by converting the product into a local recipe, and can easily change a factory where a product is made from a stage in the middle of manufacturing.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a recipe creating apparatus having the following configuration.

(1) In a recipe creating apparatus for creating a recipe used in a production system in which a processing procedure for manufacturing a product is described, a global recipe describing a standard processing procedure independent of specific processing conditions is described. A first storage unit for holding, a second storage unit for storing local recipe data in which characteristics of the processing conditions are converted into data, and a processing in which the global recipe is referred to by referring to the local recipe data in consideration of a specific processing condition. A recipe preprocessor for converting the recipe into a local recipe described in a procedure.

(2) The recipe creating apparatus according to (1), wherein the specific processing condition is a condition in a specific factory.

(3) The production system is characterized in that the product agent is a production system in which a product agent moves on a production line together with a product to produce a desired product.
The described recipe creation device.

(4) The product agent according to (3), wherein the product agent receives the created local recipe, and issues a processing instruction to a machine tool in the production system in accordance with the processing procedure described in the local recipe. Creating device.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the storage unit 1 holds a global recipe G describing a standard processing procedure that does not depend on a specific processing condition. The specific processing condition here is, for example, a condition of a specific factory. The global recipe G is described in a general format that does not depend on the conditions of a specific factory or the like.
That is, it follows a standard recipe description method.

The storage means 2 stores local recipe data D obtained by converting processing conditions into data. The local recipe data D is data obtained by converting characteristics, circumstances, and the like of each factory. For example, it is data indicating how one work instruction written in the global recipe G is converted into a work instruction when processing is performed at a specific factory.

The recipe preprocessor 3 converts a global recipe G into a local recipe L while referring to local recipe data. That is, when processing is performed at a certain factory, the recipe preprocessor 3 converts the global recipe into a local recipe for efficiently processing at the factory while referring to the local recipe data D.

The local recipe is a recipe showing a processing procedure of a product, and is described in a processing procedure in consideration of a specific processing condition. That is, the local recipe is described in a processing procedure that takes into account the conditions of a specific factory, for example, the type of machine tool and the configuration of the processing line.

The storage means 4 stores the local recipe created by the recipe preprocessor 3.

The product agent 5 receives the local recipe and issues a processing instruction to a machine tool in the production system in accordance with the processing procedure described in the local recipe. The product agent moves along the production line with the product and builds up the desired product.

The operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described. A global recipe G describing a processing procedure for producing a certain product is created. Global recipe G as recipe preprocessor 3
Is converted into a local recipe L. When performing the conversion, the recipe preprocessor 3 performs the conversion while referring to the local data D. Specifically, one work instruction written in the global recipe is converted into a work instruction that can be used when actually processing at the factory. In that case, not only the procedure but also how to perform the processing efficiently is considered.

The product agent 5 uses the local recipe, which is the result of conversion by the recipe preprocessor 3, to issue an actual work instruction to the machine tool to perform processing, thereby completing the product.

An example of a production system using a recipe created by the apparatus according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the production system. This production system is a production system in which an agent is introduced. In FIG. 2, a production management computer 11 and control computers 12A to 12C are connected on an information network 10. The production management computer 11 manages the types of products manufactured on the production line, the number of manufactured products of each type, and the like.
The information is transmitted to the control computers 12A to 12C.

The configuration will be described by taking the control computer 12B as an example. In the control computer 12B, the storage means 12
Reference numeral 1 is provided in each control computer and provides an area where the product agent 40 and the device agent 60 exist. The control unit 122 controls a control function of the control computer 12B.

The product agent 40 is provided in one-to-one correspondence with the product, and has a local recipe 50. The product agent 40 corresponds to the product agent 5 in FIG. The local recipe 50 is a recipe created by the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 and described in a processing procedure in consideration of the processing conditions of the production system shown in FIG. The product agent 40 follows the procedure described in the local recipe 50
Walk around the control computer autonomously. In the illustrated example, the product agent 40 exists in the control computer 12B.

The other control computers 12A and 12C have the same configuration. The control computer may be provided in addition to three.

The control network 13 is connected to control computers 12A to 12C and control devices 14A to 14C. The control computers 12A to 12C control the control devices 14A to 14C. Each of the control devices 14A to 14C has a function corresponding to a PLC (programmable controller), and issues a specific operation command to a responsible machine tool 15A to 15C in accordance with a description in a ladder program or the like. The machine tools 15A to 15C are, for example,
Press machine, lathe, grinding machine, etc.

The control units 141A to 14C include a control unit 141.
Controls the control functions of the control devices 14A to 14C. The device agents 60A to 60C are machine tools 15A to 15C.
Are provided one by one, and have function lists 70A to 70C indicating the functions that the corresponding machine tools can take charge of. The device agents 60A to 60C act on the control unit 141 of the corresponding control device to execute the control function. For example, the device agents 60A, 60B, and 60C act on the control units of the control devices 14A, 14B, and 14C to execute the control functions.

The function list is a list showing operations that can be performed by the machine tool corresponding to the device agent. The product 16 is processed according to the manufacturing procedure.

The operation of the production system shown in FIG. 2 will be described. The product agent interprets the description of the recipe and broadcasts a processing request to the device agent. The device agent returns a reply when it can accept the processing request based on the contents of the request sent and its own function list.
The product agent determines a machine tool to request processing based on a reply from the equipment agent. Processing is performed by the determined machine tool. The same process is repeated according to the processing procedure described in the recipe, and a final product is completed.

[0028]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, a global recipe in which a standard processing procedure is described is prepared, and a specific condition is given to the global recipe according to the processing condition to convert the global recipe into a local recipe. Therefore, the following effects can be obtained. In order to provide a product processing procedure, only a processing procedure that does not depend on a specific factory needs to be determined, and it is not necessary to consider local circumstances of each factory. Since the processing procedure can be created in consideration of the circumstances of each factory, the processing procedure can be optimized according to the situation of each factory. For example, it is possible to cope with a case where machining is performed by combining a single-function machine tool, and a case where machining is performed using only a machine tool having a composite function. When changing the factory where a product is made, it is only necessary to create a local recipe in consideration of the circumstances of each factory from a global recipe that does not depend on a specific factory, so that the place where the product is made can be easily changed. For example, if production is suddenly performed at an overseas base in response to a change in exchange rate, it is possible to easily perform local production by sending only a global recipe to an overseas factory. Even in the middle of manufacturing, the factory where the product is made can be easily changed.

According to the second and third aspects of the present invention, when a product is produced by a production system in which an agent is introduced, the production system for producing the product can be easily changed. Further, it is possible to easily cope with a case where a product agent is transferred from a stage in the course of manufacturing to a different production system to continue production.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a recipe creating apparatus that can easily change a factory where a product is manufactured and can easily change a factory where a product is manufactured from a stage in the course of manufacturing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a production system using a recipe created by the apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,2,4 Storage means 3 Recipe preprocessor 5,50 Product agent G Global sirepé L Local recipe

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A recipe creation apparatus for creating a recipe used in a production system in which a processing procedure for manufacturing a product is described, and holds a global recipe describing a standard processing procedure independent of a specific processing condition. A first storage means, a second storage means for storing local recipe data obtained by converting characteristics of the processing conditions into data, and a processing procedure in which the local recipe data is referred to and the global recipe is taken into consideration in a specific processing condition. A recipe preprocessor for converting the recipe into a local recipe described in (1). 2. The recipe creating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specific processing condition is a condition in a specific factory. 3. The recipe creating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said production system is a production system in which a product agent moves on a production line together with a product to produce a desired product. 4. The recipe creation method according to claim 3, wherein the product agent receives the created local recipe, and issues a processing instruction to a machine tool in the production system according to a processing procedure described in the local recipe. apparatus.