JP2005332211A - Controller and control method of system for executing a plurality of consecutive processes - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance flexibility of an entire control program of a system, as regards automatic control of the system for executing a plurality of consecutive work processes. <P>SOLUTION: A register picture 26 related to a commodity like a curry has a box group 26a for inputting prescribed items, and an input to the box group 26a can be registered by site worker's input of a prescribed item or numerical value using ten keys 27, a step selection button 28, or a pop-up window (not shown in Figure). A control program comprises process sequence programs independently generated for respective work processes such as a material supply process and a material water supply process, and parameters related to each process sequence program are read when the process sequence program is executed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a control apparatus and method for a system that performs a plurality of continuous processes.

  For example, in the industry that mass-produces food, automatic control of cooking machines is performed. That is, according to the control program, a series of work steps of the cooking machine, for example, raw material water input, seasoning input, heating, product discharge, etc. are continuously executed.

  In this type of automatic control, conventionally, a programmer typically creates a single sequence program that covers all of a series of work steps, and controls the cooking machine based on this sequence program. The control was controlled by the programmer.

  When a large amount of food is cooked, a plurality of cooking machines are installed. However, it is a heavy burden for the programmer to rely on the programmer for all the management. Also, if the worker feels that it is better to slightly modify the control program due to differences in the characteristics of each cooker, he / she will ask the programmer to make this modification. For this reason, there is a possibility that the cooking machine will be operated with the control program provided by the programmer without being corrected.

  In addition, companies that develop new products sell new products at a reasonable frequency, but it is necessary to replace the control program of the cooking machine accordingly. It was.

  Also, for an operator, when an abnormality occurs during automatic operation of the cooking machine, the automatic operation is forcibly terminated, but the control program is forced to return to automatic operation after removing the abnormality. Even if the control program starts after it is finished, this control program will start control from the beginning, so in fact, after an abnormality occurred, it had to give up automatic control operation and manually control .

  Such a problem is not a problem peculiar to the food industry, but a problem common to a system that continuously performs a series of work steps.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a control device and a control method that can reduce the burden on a programmer with respect to automatic control of a system that performs a plurality of continuous work processes.

  Another object of the present invention relates to automatic control of a system that performs a plurality of continuous work processes, and is to provide a control device and a control method that can increase the flexibility of the overall control program of the system.

  It is a further object of the present invention to provide a control device and a control method that allow a worker on site to change or modify a work process performed by the system without imposing a burden on the programmer.

  Another object of the present invention relates to an automatic control of a system that performs a plurality of continuous work processes, and a control device and a control method capable of returning to automatic operation after eliminating the abnormality even after an abnormality has occurred. It is to provide.

  A further object of the present invention relates to automatic control of a system that performs a plurality of continuous work processes, and provides a control device and a control method capable of automating work for eliminating an abnormality when an abnormality occurs. There is to do.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the above technical problem is
A control device for a system that performs a plurality of continuous processes by a combination of a plurality of process sequence programs independent of each other,
A monitor connected to the control device;
A registration screen displayed on the monitor;
A memory for storing items input on the registration screen;
In the registration screen, a first input box for associating a process sequence program corresponding to each order of the process order of the system in relation to the process order of the system and the specified process sequence program are executed. And a second input box where you can enter the necessary parameters
In accordance with the input order of the first and second input boxes, a process sequence program related thereto is selected, and the selected process sequence program operates according to parameters stored in the memory. This is achieved by providing a control device characterized in that a plurality of sequential steps of the system are performed.

  That is, according to the present invention, an independent process sequence program is prepared for each process as a control program for a system that performs a plurality of continuous work processes, and each work process of the system is performed using the registration screen of the monitor. In addition to associating the corresponding process sequence program for each order according to the order, register the parameters required for the operation of each process sequence program, and when each process sequence program is selected and operated, Because it was read, it is possible to construct a control program that can carry out multiple continuous work processes of the system simply by inputting the order of the process sequence program and the parameters necessary for the operation of this process sequence program to the registration screen. can do.

  Therefore, regarding the automatic control of a system for performing a plurality of continuous work processes, it can be performed by a worker on site without helping a programmer to construct the work process. Further, by selecting the order and the process sequence program related thereto, the flow of the overall control program of the system can be changed or corrected, and the flexibility of the overall control program can be enhanced.

Moreover, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the above technical problem is
A control method for a system that performs a plurality of continuous steps,
The control method has an automatic operation mode for controlling a plurality of continuous processes of the system,
The automatic operation mode is
Preparing a plurality of independent process sequence programs for each of the plurality of consecutive processes; and
Preparing a control means comprising a memory storing the plurality of process sequence programs;
Providing a monitor associated with the control means;
For each order according to the work order of the system, an operation order registration process for associating a corresponding process sequence program,
A parameter registration step of registering parameters necessary for executing the process sequence program given the order,
The plurality of process sequence programs are achieved by providing a control method that operates according to a registered order.

  The above objects, other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

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

  FIG. 1 shows an overall outline of the cooking system of the embodiment. The illustrated cooking system 1 is used to cook a large amount of food such as curry or soup.

  The cooking system 1 includes cookers 2A and 2B that are not limited in number but open upward from the first and second machines, and are connected to a common paste raw material source 3 and a common raw material water source 4 to a pipe 7. , 8, the paste raw material and raw water are introduced into the first and second cookers 2A, 2B through the openings opened upward of the first and second cookers 2A, 2B, and the pipe 7, 8, open / close valves 7A, 7B, 8A, and 8B are provided, respectively.

  The amounts of paste raw material and raw water supplied to the first and second cookers 2A, 2B are measured by the load cell 9 and the flow rate measuring device 10 arranged upstream of the opening / closing valves 7A, 7B, 8A, 8B, respectively. When a predetermined amount of paste raw material and raw water are supplied to the first and second cookers 2A and 2B, the on-off valves 7A, 7B, 8A and 8B are closed, and the supply of the paste raw material and raw water is stopped. . The supply of the paste material from the paste material source 3 to the first and second cookers 2A, 2B is pumped by a pump (not shown), and this pump is substantially synchronized with the closing signals of the on-off valves 7A, 7B. Is stopped.

  The first and second cookers 2A and 2B include stirrers 11A and 11B, respectively, and these stirrers 11A and 11B are rotationally driven by rotational drive mechanisms 12A and 12B including electric motors. The first and second cookers 2A, 2B are also provided with heating systems (steam jackets) 13A, 13B using high-pressure steam, and the supply and stop of the supply of high-pressure steam to the steam jackets 13A, 13B is performed by an on-off valve 14A. , 14B is opened and closed. The weights of the raw material and raw material water introduced into the first and second cookers 2A and 2B can be measured by the load cells 15A and 15B.

  The food cooked by the first and second cookers 2A and 2B is discharged to the next process through the discharge pipes 16A and 16B, and the discharge pipes 16A and 16B are opened and closed by valves 17A and 17B.

  The cooking system 1 is controlled by a control panel 20 mainly composed of a programmable logic controller. The control panel 20 includes a first operation panel 32 and a second operation panel 32 including a control panel monitor 21 and a first cooker monitor 22. A second operation panel 33 including a cooker monitor 23 is connected. All of these three monitors 21 to 23 have a touch panel (not shown) on the display screen.

  Various control programs (sequence programs) are stored in the built-in memory 25 in the control panel 20, and each work process of the first and second cookers 2A and 2B is controlled according to the control program. The first and second operation panels 32 and 33 have manual switch buttons SW1 to SW3. The first switch button SW1 is a start switch, the second switch button SW2 is a process stop switch, and the third switch button SW3 is a process step switch. The control of the cooker 2A or 2B is activated by turning on the first switch button SW1. By turning on the second switch button SW2, the process in operation can be forcibly stopped. By turning on the third switch button SW3, a step described later can be shifted to the next step. For example, when the worker A who performs daily work finds an abnormality, the operation of the system can be stopped by manually turning on the second switch button SW2. Then, when the worker A removes the cause of the abnormality and performs the corresponding process by himself, the next step is executed under the control of the control panel 20 by turning on the third switch button SW3. Can do.

  The control program includes a process sequence program created independently for each work process of the first and second cookers 2A, 2B. The process sequence program includes various processes necessary to execute cooking, for example, a paste material (seasoning paste) charging process, a raw water charging process, a spice and other powder material charging process, a heating process, and a post-cooking process. It is a program for independently performing various work processes such as product discharge process and cleaning process inside cooker, and this process sequence program is created for each work process such as raw material input process, raw material water input process etc. Yes. FIG. 2 exemplifies the process control relating to the raw water input operation, and such an independent process sequence program is prepared for other processes. For convenience of explanation, the process control illustrated in FIG. 2 will be described later.

  Parameters necessary for the execution of each process sequence program required in the automatic operation mode of the first and second cookers 2A, 2B, for example, the input amount, heating temperature, stirring method, stirring time, and the like are the control panel monitor 21. Are stored in the memory 25 by being input by a field worker A who performs daily normal work using the above-described parameters, and the registered parameters are parameters related to the process sequence program when each process sequence program is executed. Are read from the memory 25.

  The parameter registration by the field worker A is performed while looking at the process charts shown in FIGS. FIG. 3 is a process chart related to the product “curry A”, and FIG. 4 is a process chart related to the product “curry B”. These process charts are created, for example, by the developer of “Curry A”.

  The description items of the process chart illustrated in FIG. 3 will be described. This process chart has four steps of “step”, “process name”, “raw material input”, “stirring pattern”, and “heating pattern” from left to right. Contains items. Looking at the leftmost item “step”, there is a description of steps 1-8. This means that “curry A” includes all eight independent work processes of steps 1 to 8 and represents the process sequence. The next item “process name” is, for example, in step 1, a process sequence program is specified by “process name” as can be seen from a predetermined process name, that is, “paste raw material input”. Thus, the corresponding process sequence program is fetched.

  In the next items “raw material input”, “stirring pattern”, and “heating pattern”, various parameters necessary for executing the process sequence program selected in steps 1 to 8 are described. The leftmost item “stepping condition” means a condition that triggers a transition from the process sequence program of the corresponding step to the process sequence program of the next numbered step.

  The process chart illustrated in FIG. 4 relates to the product “Curry B” as described above. From this process chart, it can be seen that the processing of the product “Curry B” includes 12 independent work processes. Steps 4 to 8 relate to heating, and the process of heating the raw material to 95 ° C. is composed of a heating process that is subdivided into five stages.

  While referring to the process charts illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the field worker A uses the control panel monitor 21 to relate to the work procedure, that is, the step order for the product “Curry A” and the product “Curry B”. Parameters necessary for executing the selected process sequence program can be registered.

  FIG. 5 exemplifies a registration screen 26 related to a product such as curry. The registration screen 26 has a box group 26a for inputting predetermined items. The input to the box group 26a is performed by using predetermined keys or step selection buttons 28 or a pop-up window (not shown). Can be entered.

  FIGS. 6 to 13 are diagrams for explaining input items that have been input at each step using the registration screen 26 illustrated in FIG. 5 regarding the registration of the product “curry A” regarding the automatic operation mode. The input items include items “step number”, “raw material input”, “stirring pattern”, and “stepping condition” in addition to the product number, product name, and the like.

  FIG. 6 explains the input relating to Step 1 of “CURRY A”, and the site worker A uses the registration screen 26 while observing the description of Step 1 in the “CURRY A” process chart of FIG. In the input box “step”, a numerical value “1” representing the first process is input, and parameters of necessary items related to step 1 are input. 7 relates to step 2 of the “curry A” process table of FIG. 3, and FIGS. 8 to 13 correspond to steps 3 to 8 of the “curry A” process table of FIG. . Various parameters input using the registration screen 26 of FIG. 5 are stored in the memory 25 together with the work procedure of “Curry A”.

  Similarly, when setting the process and registering parameters for the product “Curry B”, use the control panel monitor 21 (registration screen 26 in FIG. 5) while referring to the process chart shown in FIG. What is necessary is just to input the parameter of 1-12.

  FIG. 14 shows a screen 30 displayed on the first cooker monitor 22 when the control of the first cooker 2A is in the automatic operation mode, that is, when the first cooker 2A is in automatic operation. For the second cooker 2B, a similar screen is displayed on the second cooker monitor 23 during the automatic operation of the second cooker 2B. Specifically, the automatic operation screen 30 illustrated in FIG. 14 shows display contents during operation of the step 3 process sequence program (raw water injection program). As can be understood from the automatic operation screen 30 shown in the drawing, the parameter of Step 3 currently operated and the indicator lamp during operation are provided in the central area 31 of the screen. The previous work process display, that is, steps 1 and 2 are excluded from the display items, while a list 32 of process contents of the subsequent four steps 4 to 7 is displayed. That is, the display format is set so that only the outline is displayed with the detailed display folded for steps 4 to 7 which are subsequent work processes. By adopting such a display format, it is possible to display information that the field worker A currently wants to know without omission using a limited display area of the monitor 22.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the procedure of the raw water input operation registered as Step 3 which means the third operation step will be described with respect to the control in the automatic operation mode of the above-described product “Curry A”.

  When the field worker A turns on the condition registered as the advance condition in step 2 which is the preceding work process, that is, the manual advance button SW3 (FIG. 1) of the operation panel 32 of the first cooker 2A, After the process sequence program, that is, the powder raw material charging program is completed, the raw material water charging program registered as step 3 is read and parameters related to step 3 are read in S1. Accordingly, the display related to step 2 disappears on the automatic operation screen 30 of the first cooker monitor 22, and the display item of step 3 is displayed in the central region 31.

  In the next S2, a valve opening signal is output from the control panel 20 to the raw water on-off valve 8A, and charging of the raw water into the first cooker 2A is started. In S3, the flow rate measuring device 10 measures the flow rate. Is called. Further, in S4, the operation of the stirrer 11A is started, and the stirrer 11A is continuously stirred at a rotational speed of 15 rpm in accordance with the registered parameters (refer to the item of step 3 in FIG. 3).

  When the measured value of the flow rate measuring device 10 reaches a predetermined amount (accumulated flow rate corresponding to the target value “100.0” Kg according to the registered parameters), the process proceeds from S5 to S6, and the raw water input end signal is for raw water. Output to the opening / closing valve 8A, the raw material water opening / closing valve 8A is closed. In S7, an operation stop signal is output to the stirrer 11A (motor 12A), and the stirrer 11A stops rotating.

  Next, in S8, the measurement value of the load cell 15A is read. The measured value of the load cell 15A is sequentially displayed in the input amount display box 34 of the automatic operation screen 30 in FIG. In the next S9, it is determined whether or not the weight of the raw water charged into the first cooker 2A is within the range of the measurement error (according to the registered parameters, the measurement error “95.0 to 105.0” Kg). , If YES (the feed weight of raw material water is within the range of “95.0 to 105.0” Kg), the automatic feed water program ends normally (automatic feed end).

  In addition, upon receiving the automatic charging end (normal end) in step 3, the control program 20 starts the heating program registered as the subsequent step 4 stored in the memory 25, and the parameters related to step 4 are started. Reading is performed, the display item of step 3 disappears from the central area 31 of the automatic operation screen 30 of the first cooker monitor 22, the display item of step 4 is displayed instead, and the subsequent step list display In the area 32, the display is changed to a display showing an outline of the subsequent four steps 5 to 8. Also in the operations after step 5, individually independent control programs such as a registered powder raw material charging program are executed in the same manner as described in step 3 above.

  Returning to FIG. 2 again, if NO in S9, that is, if the input weight of the raw material water is out of the range of the weighing error “95.0 to 105.0” Kg, the process proceeds to S10 to temporarily stop the control in step 3 and perform automatic operation. The screen 30 is switched to an alarm screen (not shown), and the item “Weighing abnormality” in the alarm screen is blinked. In addition, an alarm buzzer (not shown) is turned on, and the alarm buzzer performs a process of calling attention to the field worker A. The alarm buzzer causes the field worker A to have an abnormality in the first cooker 2A. You will know what you did.

  Along with the alarm buzzer, on the alarm screen of the first cooker monitor 22, the buzzer stop button 35 is displayed blinking together with the item “Weighing abnormality”. The field worker A can confirm that a measurement abnormality has occurred by viewing the blinking display of “measurement abnormality” on the alarm screen.

  The field worker A who has confirmed these matters can press the buzzer stop button 35 to stop the alarm buzzer. And the site worker A switches an alarm screen and calls the automatic operation screen 30 again. In the step weighing value display box 34 of the automatic operation screen 30, the net weight of the raw material charged in the corresponding step is displayed in a state of being counted up every moment. For example, if “70.0” Kg is displayed in the step measurement value display box 34, the site worker A looks at the display of “70.0” Kg in the display box 34 and determines the input amount of raw material water. It can be confirmed that there is a shortage. In such a case, after removing the cause of the weighing abnormality, the field worker A can switch the automatic operation mode to the semi-automatic operation mode, and perform additional supply of raw material water using the semi-automatic operation mode. In this case, the field worker A first leaves a note of the net weights of all raw materials displayed in the total weight value display box 36 of the automatic operation screen 30. Next, the automatic operation screen 30 of the first cooker monitor 22 is switched to the semi-automatic operation screen 40 of FIG.

  FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of a work procedure in the semi-automatic operation mode related to the raw water supply. The work procedure of the additional raw water supply will be described with reference to this flowchart.

  The site worker A inputs parameters using the semi-automatic operation screen 40 of the first cooker monitor 22 (S20). For example, in the above example, since an abnormality has occurred in the raw material water input step, “input raw material water” is input to the input box 41 regarding the raw material input shown in FIG. In addition, if stirring is necessary when the raw water is added, “continuous stirring” is input in the input box 42 regarding the stirring pattern. The “raw water input” and “continuous stirring” can be input using a pop-up window (not shown). It should be noted that the basic items registered in the step of the fully automatic operation immediately before shifting to the semi-automatic operation screen 40, for example, information such as “feeding raw material water” and “continuous stirring” are transferred to the semi-automatic operation screen 40. Thus, it may be automatically poured into the input box 41 of the semi-automatic operation screen 40 to reduce the labor of the worker A's input work.

  In the automatic operation according to the raw material water input program described above, the net raw material water that was actually input with respect to the target value “100.0” Kg was “70.0” Kg. "Enter the numerical value in the input box 43, and regarding the stirring, enter the same" 15 "rpm in the" rotation speed "input box 44 as in the automatic operation. These numerical values can be input using the numeric keypad 45 included in the semi-automatic operation screen 40.

  Next, when the start button 46 shown in FIG. 15 is touched and the start button 46 is turned on (S21), a process sequence program related to the parameters input using the semi-automatic operation screen 40 of FIG. 15 is selected and selected. In accordance with the process sequence program and the parameters input by the worker A, re-feeding of the raw material water is started (S22).

  The amount of this raw water re-injection is measured by the flow meter 10 (FIG. 1). When the amount of the additional raw water reaches a predetermined amount, that is, a flow rate corresponding to “30.0” Kg, the input of the raw water is stopped. (Raw material water opening and closing valve 8A is closed).

  The total weight value display box 47 (FIG. 15) of the cooker semi-automatic operation screen 40 displays the total net weight of all the raw materials that have been charged so far. Accordingly, the field worker A uses the net weight displayed in the display box 47 after the addition of S23 to calculate the net weight of all the raw materials input before starting the semi-automatic operation (the value of the net weight previously left in the memo). ) Is subtracted, it is possible to confirm the input amount of the additional raw material water. That is, when the subtracted value has reached the target value “30.0” Kg, it can be known that the insufficient amount of “30.0” Kg of raw water has been successfully fed by the semi-automatic operation.

  Next, the worker A ends the semi-automatic operation mode, switches the semi-automatic operation screen 40 and calls the first cooker manufacturing forced end screen 50 shown in FIG. 17, touches the “forced step” button 51, When the “forced step” button 51 is turned on, the display related to step 3 disappears on the first cooker manufacturing forced end screen 50, and the display item of step 4 is displayed at this position. As a result, the process sequence program in step 3 can be terminated and the process can proceed to the next step 4. Then, the field worker A can restart the automatic operation mode from step 4 by depressing the first switch button SW1 of the first cooker operation panel 32.

  In this way, when any problem occurs during the operation of each process sequence program, the forced termination screen 50 illustrated in FIG. 17 is called, the “forced step” button 51 is touched, and the “forced step” button is touched. By turning ON 51, the process sequence program of the corresponding step (for example, step 3) can be terminated and the process can be shifted to the next step (for example, step 4).

  Also, depending on the trouble that has occurred, all the process sequence programs can be forcibly terminated by touching the “forced termination” button 52 shown in FIG. 17 and turning on the “forced termination” button 52. In order to forcibly terminate the process sequence program in accordance with the operation of the “forced termination” button 52, a password input may be requested. When the process sequence program is forcibly terminated in accordance with the operation of the “forced termination” button 52, the discharge and cleaning program is started, and the contents of the first or second cooker 2A, 2B are activated by this discharge and cleaning program. You may make it perform a required washing | cleaning while discarding a thing.

  Similarly, for “Curry B” illustrated in FIG. 4, while registering each process of steps 1 to 12 using the registration screen 26 (FIG. 5) while viewing the process chart of FIG. 4, By registering the necessary parameters, it is possible to execute a control program for each process related to “curry B”. For “Curry B”, since the heating process for raising the temperature to 95 ° C. is subdivided and performed in five steps 4 to 8 in which the target value is gradually increased, the first and second cookers There is an advantage that the temperature control of the heat treatment in 2A and 2B becomes easy. That is, it is possible to make the thermal history of the product constant by reducing the influence of the difference in environmental temperature for each season and the individual difference between the first and second cookers 2A and 2B.

  In order to control a plurality of similar systems such as the first and second cookers 2A and 2B described above, it is preferable to add control for compensating for the solid difference between the first and second cookers 2A and 2B.

  Specifically, after closing the on-off valves 7A and 7B, the paste raw material remaining in the pipe 7 extending from the on-off valves 7A and 7B to the first and second cookers 2A and 2B is reliably ensured to be the first and second cookers 2A. The time required for discharging to 2B, that is, the paste raw material charging stabilization time, is often different between the first cooker 2A and the second cooker 2B.

  Further, since water (so-called drain water) is accumulated in the steam jackets 13A and 13B constituting the heating means of the first and second cookers 2A and 2B, a heating step of supplying steam to the steam jackets 13A and 13B It is preferable to drain the drain water before, but it is different between the first cooker 2A and the second cooker 2B for how long it is appropriate to open the drain valve (not shown) (steam blow time). Sometimes.

  Also, in the heating (temperature raising) step, the time from when the raw materials in the first and second cookers 2A and 2B reach the predetermined temperature after the heating for a predetermined time (the temperature stabilization time) until the predetermined temperature is stabilized. It is desirable to provide it.

  In addition, the time required for discharge (discharge stable time) may differ between the first cooker 2A and the second cooker 2B, for example, because raw materials (products) adhere to the first and second cookers 2A, 2B. For this reason, when the opening of the discharge valves 17A and 17B is controlled by a timer, it is difficult to appropriately set the valve opening time. On the other hand, even if the discharge of the product (raw material) is detected using the load cells 15A and 15B for detecting the weight, the load cell 15A is changed depending on the change of the raw material (product) attached to the first and second cookers 2A and 2B and the surrounding environment. , 15B often does not indicate “zero”.

  The paste raw material supplied from the paste raw material source 3 to the first and second cookers 2A, 2B is not suitable for the valve closing timing shift or the paste in the pipe 8 even if the open / close valves 7A, 7B are closed according to the signal from the load cell 9. Not only does the amount of paste raw material supplied to the first cooker 2A and the second cooker 2B differ depending on the raw material, but even if the valves 7A, 7B are closed, the paste raw material remaining downstream of the valves 7A, 7B is the first, first Since the two cookers 2A and 2B continue to be supplied, the paste material may be excessively supplied to the first and second cookers 2A and 2B. The same applies to the raw water.

  As can be understood from the above example, if errors occur due to individual differences or environmental conditions in the first and second cookers 2A and 2B when the same control is used, for example, correction is made during trial operation. It is preferable to add a control to determine the value and eliminate the error by this correction value.

  FIG. 18 shows an initial setting screen related to the first cooker 2 </ b> A, and this initial setting screen is displayed on the first cooker monitor 22. Since it is the same also about the 2nd cooker 2B, the description is abbreviate | omitted. The parameters input to the initial setting screen relating to the first cooker 2 </ b> A in FIG. 18 are stored in the memory 25.

  Referring to FIG. 18, for example, regarding the paste raw material charging stabilization time of the first cooker 2A described above, after the valve 7A is closed, the paste raw material remaining in the pipe 7 extending from the valve 7A to the first cooker 2A If the time until discharging to 1 cooker 2A (paste raw material charging stable time) is 60 seconds, a numerical value “60” (seconds) is entered in the “stable time after liquid meter input” input box 50 in the initial setting screen of FIG. Enter.

  In the automatic operation control of the first cooker 2A, in this case, is the weight of the paste raw material put into the first cooker 2A within the measurement error range (according to the registered parameters, the measurement error range “990.01 to 100.10” Kg)? The determination as to whether or not is made after “60” seconds set as the stabilization time have elapsed after the valve closing signal is output to the valve 7A.

  The “steam blow timer” input box 51 in FIG. 18 is a numerical value “time” for opening a drain valve (not shown) while supplying steam to the steam jacket 13A in order to discharge drain water before the heating step. An example in which “60” (seconds) is input is shown.

  As a result, when the heating process (when the heating process exists a plurality of times as in curry B (steps 4 to 8), when the first heating process (step 4) is started, the steam blow timer set time “60” is set. Seconds are read from the memory 25, and steam is introduced into the steam jacket 13A with the drain valve opened for "60" seconds, thereby draining the drain water in the steam jacket 13A and performing the first heating step. It is possible to quickly increase the heating temperature in the first cooker 2 A. By registering such parameters when the environment changes such as when the first cooker 2 A is installed or when the boiler is replaced, the first cooker 2 A The heating can be appropriately controlled, and this is the same for the second cooker 2B, so the first and second cookers 2 When controlling a plurality of identical machines such as 2B, for example, the optimum steam blow timer set time is measured at the stage of the trial operation of the first and second cookers 2A and 2B. If another worker B who has been registered in advance for each of the first and second cookers 2A and 2B using the initial setting screen, the first and second cookers 2A and 2B having individual differences exist. The optimum heating control can be executed.

  The “attainment temperature stabilization timer” input box 52 in FIG. 18 inputs a numerical value “10” (seconds) as a time for the temperature sensor to continuously detect the final target temperature (95 ° C. in step 4 for curry A). An example is shown.

  Therefore, in the heating process (step 4 in the case of curry A), this state continues for 10 seconds after the temperature sensor detects “95” ° C. according to the set temperature “10” seconds of the “stable temperature stabilization timer”. If it continues, the heating process is terminated. Thereby, the whole raw material in the 1st cooker 2A can be heated uniformly at about 95 degreeC. Therefore, when controlling a plurality of identical machines such as the first and second cookers 2A and 2B, for example, the first and second cookers at the stage of trial operation of the first and second cookers 2A and 2B. By measuring the optimum temperature stabilization time for 2A and 2B, and by registering in advance for each of the first and second cookers 2A and 2B, the worker B who is familiar with this situation uses the initial setting screen. The heating control of the first and second cookers 2A and 2B can be appropriately executed.

  The “near load cell zero” input box 53 in FIG. 18 shows an example in which “15” kg is set as the detected weight of the load cell 15A, and the “discharge stability timer” input box 54 in FIG. An example in which a numerical value “15” (seconds) is set as the time until the raw material (product) is discharged from the first cooker 2A is shown.

  As a result, in the discharging process (step 7 in the case of curry A), after 15 seconds have elapsed after the load cell 15A detects 15 kg, a valve closing signal is output to the discharging valve 17A, and the discharging process ends.

  That is, whether or not the load cell 15A detects “zero” is uncertain depending on the amount of product (raw material) attached to the wall surface of the first cooker 2A, and therefore, the end point of the discharge process of the first cooker 2A is determined. Without depending only on the detection value of the load cell 15A, how much time has passed since the load cell 15 detected a predetermined weight near zero, the discharge of the raw material (product) in the first cooker 2A is completed. The discharge process is completed after a predetermined time (15 seconds in this example) elapses after the load cell 15A detects “15” Kg, which is measured during the trial operation.

  As a result, regarding the discharge management of the material that easily adheres to the wall surface such as the paste raw material, the discharge end management is performed by the combination of the load cell 15 and the timer, so that each of the first and second cookers 2A and 2B can be performed. Can be optimally managed.

  Application of discharge control by a combination of such a load cell (weigh scale) 15 and a timer is not limited to a cooking machine. The present invention is equally applicable to the discharge control of a container containing a material that adheres to a wall surface or the like and whose discharge end timing is difficult to define.

  That is, the above-described cooking machines 2A and 2B are merely examples, and related to a control device that performs control to close the open / close valve after discharging the material that easily adheres to the wall surface from the container through the discharge pipe provided with the open / close valve. A measuring instrument for measuring the weight of the material in the container; and a timer, which is closed with respect to the on-off valve when a predetermined time elapses after the measuring instrument reaches a predetermined value near zero. By providing a control device that outputs a signal, it is possible to accurately execute discharge control of a container that contains a material that adheres to a wall surface or the like and whose discharge end timing is difficult to define.

  And, the operating time of the timer, that is, the above-mentioned predetermined time, for example, in a trial operation, measure how much time has elapsed after the meter has reached a predetermined value near zero, and the discharge is completed, It is preferable to store the measurement value in the memory of the control device and operate the timer by reading the measurement value stored in the memory when performing the discharge control.

  FIG. 18 shows an example in which “5.0” Kg is set as a correction value in the “paste raw material head” input box 55 and the “raw material water head” input box 56. By preparing the parameter input boxes 55 and 56 relating to “head”, it is possible to find an optimum value by trial and error in the trial operation stage, and set the optimum value as a correction value using the input boxes 55 and 56. Therefore, an error in actual operation can be reduced.

  Thus, even if the parameter “1000.0” Kg related to the input amount is given in the paste raw material input step (in the case of curry A, step 1) and the parameter “100.0” Kg related to the input amount is given in the raw material water input step (step 3). In step 1 and step 3, the correction value “5.0” Kg is read and the input amount corresponding to the registered target value (“1000.0” Kg for the paste raw material, “100.0” Kg for the raw water) is obtained. When the load cell 9 and the flow meter 10 measure the weight and flow rate corresponding to “995.0” Kg (in the case of paste raw material) and “95.0” Kg (in the case of raw material water) after correcting with the correction value “5.0” Kg A valve closing signal is output to the valves 7A and 8A.

  As a result, when the field worker A who does not know the circumstances regarding the correction value inputs the paste raw material of, for example, “1000.0” Kg described in the work instruction document, the registration screen 26 (FIG. In 5), the worker may input the numerical value “1000.0” (Kg). If correction control is not performed on the control side by the initial setting registration as described above (FIG. 18), for example, although it is described that the paste raw material of “1000.0” Kg is input in the work instruction sheet. First, eliminate the uncomfortable feeling that workers feel when entering the numerical value of “995.0” (Kg) according to the note “Enter numerical value“ 995.0 ”(Kg) on the registration screen 26” in this work order. In addition, it is possible to prevent an accident in which a numerical value of “1000.0” is entered instead of the numerical value “995.0” due to misunderstanding of the worker. If there is no need to correct the input amount, “0.0” Kg may be entered in the “paste raw material head” input box 55 and the “raw material water head” input box 56. The operation setting of the stirrer 12A can also be performed using the input boxes 57a and 57b in FIG.

  According to the above-described embodiment, as can be understood from the above description by those skilled in the art, for example, when it is desired to change the control program of “curry A”, for example, the heating process registered as step 4 is subdivided into a plurality of stages. If it is better to perform the heating process at step 3, the programmer does not need to rewrite the control program. If the worker divides the heating process into two stages, for example, the registration screen 26 in FIG. 4) Change the target value of 4 and register the heating process as step 5 and re-register the step numbers of the subsequent powder raw material throwing process, preheat stirring process, discharge process, and completion process. The control program can be substantially rewritten.

  As described above, according to the embodiment, the step number is confirmed as the basic program, and the corresponding process sequence program is called and called according to the process name (for example, “paste raw material charging” or “heating process”). After confirming the step condition (for example, “automatic input end”, “process step button”, etc.) that means that the process sequence program has been completed (usually with a flag), the process sequence program for the next step is What is necessary is just to prepare the program which calls and performs the process which repeats this below. And, in order to perform the processing performed by the cooker 2A and / or 2B by automatic control, automatic control over the entire work by selectively combining the process sequence programs that are subdivided for each work process and created independently. A program can be substantially created, and changes can be made by the field worker A.

  In addition, when an abnormality occurs, it is possible to return to automatic operation and operate the process sequence program related to subsequent operations after performing subsequent processing relating to the operation process in which the abnormality has occurred without forcibly canceling automatic operation. it can. In addition, although the input of the worker A is required to complete the process in which the abnormality has occurred, after the cause of the abnormality is removed, the remaining work in the process in which the abnormality has occurred is performed by automatic control (semi-automatic operation in the embodiment). This is effective in the manned management system because the worker A can deal with the occurrence of abnormality in the control of the cookers 2A and 2B adopting the manned management system. In other words, it is not necessary to forcibly cancel the control program in the past when an abnormality occurs, and to manually control all subsequent processing under the control of the worker A. There is no need to skip the program.

  Therefore, according to the embodiment, the on-site worker A does not depend on the programmer for the construction of the overall control program required for the automatic control of the cooker 2A and / or 2B, the change thereof, and the response to the occurrence of the abnormality. You can do it by yourself.

  When automatic control of the cookers 2A and 2B is performed by combining each process sequence program prepared in advance with each other, the cooker 2A, Since the program for the entire manufacturing process of 2B can be substantially created, and the program for the created manufacturing process can be easily modified and changed using the registration screen 26, the programmer can Even if it is the worker A who does not have programming knowledge, it can carry out by himself on the spot without calling and correcting and changing the control program itself.

  For example, when a process of heating from room temperature to 95 ° C. is performed, for example, it is better to subdivide this into a plurality of processes, for example, because of variations in temperature management. However, since the site worker A can increase the number of processes by himself using the registration screen 26, the improvement effort of the site worker A who manages the cookers 2A and 2B on a daily basis can be immediately reflected in the control. Thus, it can be said that the control method of the embodiment is a flexible control system that is particularly convenient for the field worker A.

  Even if an abnormality occurs, the site worker A who knows the occurrence of the abnormality through the alarm buzzer looks at the automatic operation screen 30 (FIG. 14), confirms the cause of the abnormality, removes the cause, and then semi-automatically. By setting the necessary parameters using the operation screen 40 (FIG. 15), it is possible to easily execute the process after the process in which the abnormality has occurred in the semi-automatic operation mode. Moreover, after semi-automatic operation, it can return to automatic operation mode and a subsequent process can be performed under automatic operation mode.

  On the automatic operation screen 30, in addition to displaying the detailed information regarding the step being controlled, only the outline of the subsequent steps is displayed in a list format, so that the field worker A displays the alarm screen and the current and subsequent operations. Can be confirmed immediately by looking at the automatic operation screen 30, and even when the monitor screen is relatively small compared to displaying all the detailed information of each step, the cookers 2A and 2B are in operation. The information required by the field worker A can be displayed without omission.

  Further, in automatic control using the control panel 20 common to a plurality of the same systems such as the first and second cookers 2A and 2B, an error occurs due to the difference in characteristics of the first and second cookers 2A and 2B. 18 using the initial setting parameter registration screen illustrated in FIG. 18, for example, the worker B who is familiar with this situation registers in advance the time measured at the time of the test run, and reads the registered initial setting parameters. Since the operation of the control sequence program is corrected, the first and second cookers 2A and 2B can be operated under substantially the same conditions.

  Drawings after FIG. 19 are diagrams for explaining a modification of the above-described embodiment. FIG. 19 shows a modification of the process chart of FIG. 3 described above. As can be understood by comparing the column of process name in FIG. 19 with the column of process name in FIG. 3, in the process table of FIG. 19, there are four types of “raw material input”, “heating process”, “preheating stirrer”, and “discharge”. Only the process name can be seen. Correspondingly, the cooker sequence program is divided into “raw material input” work, “heating process” work, “stirring” work, “preheating stir” work, “discharge” work, etc. Has a sequence program. FIG. 20 shows an outline of a process sequence program related to the “raw material input” operation. This “raw material input” process sequence program includes raw material input such as a processing program related to raw material input, a processing program related to stirring, and a processing program related to heating. In each processing program, the “liquid meter” pattern a1 controlled by the load cells 9 and 15A, for example, “raw material water” related to the input of raw water The program is created separately for the “input” pattern a2 and the “manual input” pattern a3 by the hand of the operator.

  The cooker sequence program operates according to various parameters registered by the field worker A performing input work using the registration screen 26 (FIG. 5) based on the process chart illustrated in FIG. 19, for example. In this regard, control according to the registration example of FIG. 19 will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

  For example, the control of the first cooker 2A will be described. First, when the operation of the basic program starts, the step number is read in step S31. This reading is in the order of the step numbers. When step S31 is reached for the first time, “step 1” is read, and the basic data registered in relation to this “step 1”, that is, “process name (raw material input)”. “Reading pattern of raw material (liquid meter)”, “stirring pattern (continuous stirring)” and “heating pattern (not described)” are read.

  In the next step S32, the “raw material input” process sequence program corresponding to the registered process name “raw material input” is selected. In the next steps S33 to S35, the “raw material input” process sequence program is selected. From the above, the processing program for the liquid meter pattern a1 is read, and the processing program for the continuous stirring pattern b1 is read. In addition, since there is no registration regarding a heating pattern, the program regarding this heating pattern is not substantially read. In step S36, the step condition “automatic charging end” registered for “step 1” is read.

  In steps S37 to S39, the read processing program is executed, and parameters registered using the registration screen of FIG. 5 are used as parameters necessary for executing the processing program. When each processing program is completed in steps S37 to S39, the process proceeds to step S40 to determine whether or not the step condition is satisfied. If YES, the process sequence program of “Step 1” is terminated. (Step S41), the process returns to Step S31 via Step S42, and the process of the next step is performed. If the step number is the final number in step S42, the process proceeds to step S43, and the automatic operation of the first cooker 2A is terminated.

  As another modification, as shown in FIG. 22, a process sequence covering all work programs a to e such as heating, stirring, raw material charging, and discharging required for controlling the first and second cookers 2A and 2B. A program is created, and the corresponding step is controlled by selecting the corresponding work program a to e from the process sequence program in accordance with the parameters registered using the registration screen 26 (FIG. 5) for each step. May be. For example, when performing raw material charging and stirring in step 1, the control of step 1 is performed by selecting the raw material charging sequence (described in work program b) and the stirring sequence (described in work program d). Also good.

  According to this, only by registering parameters for each step using the registration screen 26 (FIG. 5), a process sequence program for each step is substantially automatically created.

It is a figure which shows the whole control apparatus outline | summary of the Example relevant to the cooker which cooks retort food. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the cooker's raw material water input process sequence program. It is a list which a worker refers at the time of registration work about goods "curry A". It is a list which an operator refers in the case of registration work about goods "curry B". It is a figure which shows an example of the registration screen displayed on a monitor for registration of parameters etc. It is the figure which illustrated the input item of Step 1 of goods "curry A". It is the figure which illustrated the input item of Step 2 of goods "curry A". It is the figure which illustrated the input item of Step 3 of goods "curry A". It is the figure which illustrated the input item of Step 4 of goods "curry A". It is the figure which illustrated the input item of Step 5 of goods "curry A". It is the figure which illustrated the input item of Step 6 of goods "curry A". It is the figure which illustrated the input item of Step 7 of goods "curry A". It is the figure which illustrated the input item of Step 8 of goods "curry A". It is a figure which shows an example of the automatic driving | running | working screen displayed on a monitor during the automatic driving | operation of a cooker. It is a figure which shows an example of the semi-automatic operation screen displayed on a monitor, when it transfers to semi-automatic operation mode from automatic operation mode at the time of abnormality occurrence. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure in semiautomatic operation mode. It is a figure which shows an example of the forced termination | terminus screen displayed on a monitor when forcibly terminating a process sequence program at the time of abnormality occurrence. It is the figure which illustrated the initial setting parameter registration screen. The list corresponding to FIG. 3 is shown regarding a modification. It is a figure for demonstrating the outline | summary of the process sequence program used by the modification. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example of control of a modification. It is a figure for demonstrating the outline | summary of another modification.

Explanation of symbols

2A First cooker 20 Control panel 21 Control panel monitor 22 First cooker monitor 25 Internal memory of control panel 26 Registration screen 26a Registration screen input box group 30 Automatic operation screen 40 Semi-automatic operation screen SW2 Manual switch button (process stop switch )
SW3 Manual switch button (process step switch)

Claims (8)

A control device for a system that performs a plurality of continuous processes by a combination of a plurality of process sequence programs independent of each other,
A monitor connected to the control device;
A registration screen displayed on the monitor;
A memory for storing items input on the registration screen;
In the registration screen, a first input box for associating a process sequence program corresponding to each order of the process order of the system in relation to the process order of the system and the specified process sequence program are executed. And a second input box where you can enter the necessary parameters
In accordance with the input order of the first and second input boxes, a process sequence program related thereto is selected, and the selected process sequence program operates according to parameters stored in the memory. A control apparatus that performs a plurality of continuous steps of the system. It further has a process step button displayed on the monitor,
2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the process step program allows the process sequence program being operated to be terminated and shifted to a subsequent process sequence program when an abnormality occurs in the system. An automatic operation screen displayed on the monitor during execution of the process sequence program;
A semi-automatic operation screen that can be displayed on the monitor instead of the automatic operation screen,
The semi-automatic operation screen displays a third input box in which parameters necessary for executing the process sequence program can be input.
When an abnormality occurs in the system, the process performed by the process sequence program in which the abnormality has occurred can be performed according to a parameter set by inputting into the third input box of the semi-automatic operation screen. Item 3. The control device according to Item 1 or 2. A control method for a system that performs a plurality of continuous steps,
The control method has an automatic operation mode for controlling a plurality of continuous processes of the system,
The automatic operation mode is
Preparing a plurality of independent process sequence programs for each of the plurality of consecutive processes; and
Preparing a control means comprising a memory storing the plurality of process sequence programs;
Providing a monitor associated with the control means;
For each order according to the work order of the system, an operation order registration process for associating a corresponding process sequence program,
A parameter registration step of registering parameters necessary for executing the process sequence program given the order,
The plurality of process sequence programs operate according to a registered order. The control method according to claim 4, wherein the parameter to be registered includes a step condition for ending each process sequence program. The control method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the operation order registration step and the parameter registration step are performed by a registration screen displayed on the monitor. A forced termination step of forcibly terminating the process sequence program in which the abnormality has occurred when an abnormality occurs in the system;
The control method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, further comprising a forced step process of forcibly starting a subsequent process sequence program after the forced termination process. The system further includes a semi-automatic operation mode that temporarily stops the automatic operation mode when an abnormality of the system occurs, and executes a remaining process executed by the process sequence program in which the abnormality has occurred,
The semi-automatic operation mode is
A semi-automatic control parameter input step for inputting parameters necessary for operating the process sequence program in the semi-automatic operation mode;
The control method according to any one of claims 4 to 7, further comprising a semi-automatic control step of operating the process sequence program according to a parameter input in the semi-automatic control parameter input step.

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