JP2009282914A - Production management system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily change a configuration and a function of a production line and to efficiently and appropriately respond to any order. <P>SOLUTION: Each of production cells 11 in each of production lines 1 is provided with a predetermined number of units having a function for element operation. A line controller 10 of each of the lines 1 registers line management data on many kinds of products and, when it receives transmission of order reception data from an order receiving processor 2, collates line management data necessary for production requested by the order reception data with line management data currently applied to determine a configuration to be changed. Moreover, the line controller 10 calculates a time required for change over or a processing waiting time in cooperation with respective computers in its own line and transmits it to the order reception processor 2. Then, in the production cell 11 receiving a production instruction from the order reception processor 2, processing is performed for displaying information which indicates content of the change over. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a production management system applied to a site where production is performed while changing the type and production quantity of a product to be produced according to an order from the outside.

  In recent domestic production sites, instead of large-scale production lines that mass-produce products of the same standard, in order to produce the required number of various types of products according to customer orders, the cell production method Increasing cases

  In general, a cell production system production line is configured such that one or several workers sequentially perform a plurality of steps while using various machines and tools (see Patent Document 1). In addition, a production line has been proposed in which a plurality of production cells including a unit of work such as a robot are provided and the change of the production type can be easily handled by changing the unit of work or program of each cell (Patent Document 2). reference.).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-135022 JP 2004-182558 A

  Conventional cell production aims to easily cope with changes in products to be produced and production quantities, but the range that can be dealt with is limited to the production of similar or similar products. In addition, when products in various fields having different configurations and purposes of use are produced in response to orders, the frequency of operations for changing the configuration of the line (setup change) increases, and there is a risk that the production efficiency may be reduced.

  This invention pays attention to the above points, and it is easy to change the configuration and functions of the production line according to orders from the outside, and it is an object to be able to respond to any order efficiently and accurately And

  In general, in order to produce one product, a process for producing the component is executed for each of various components (for example, a control board, a casing, a power supply device, etc.) constituting the ordered product, It is necessary to execute a process of assembling components in a predetermined procedure, a process of inspecting whether a finished product operates normally, a process of packing a completed product, and the like.

  Each of the above steps can be broken down into units called “element work” according to the purpose and content of the processing. The specific contents of each element work vary depending on the product to be produced. For example, it should be expressed using terms of concepts common to the production of various products, such as "soldering", "screw fastening", and "packaging". Is possible.

  In this invention, paying attention to the above points, a plurality of productions including a production management system that is configured to execute a series of processes related to product production in a plurality of production cells and that can be operated independently. An order processing system for determining a production line for executing production according to the order data by cooperating with the line management system of each production line after receiving the order data from the outside, Configure the production management system.

  In the above system, each production cell is selected as having a function of executing an element work included in a process shared by the cell from a plurality of types of processing apparatuses that execute the element work of a predetermined concept. Any number of processing devices can be freely deployed.

The order processing system sends the order data received from the outside to the line management system of each production line, receives a reply from each line management system for this transmission, and then assigns the order data based on these replies And the line management system of the determined production line is notified of the determination.
Further, the line management system for each production line includes the following storage means, change point determination means, reply means, and change point notification means.

  In the storage unit, line design data representing a line configuration corresponding to a process necessary for production of each product and an element work included in each process is registered for a plurality of types of products. When receiving the order data from the order processing system, the change point discriminating unit reads the line design data of the product corresponding to the order data from the storage unit, and stores the read line design data and the current own line. By comparing with the applied line design data, the configuration to be changed in order to execute production according to the order data is determined.

  The reply means derives information indicating the degree of advantage when order data is assigned to the own line based on at least one of the determination result by the change point determination means and the operating state of the own line, and this information is used as a reply to the order data. Send to order processing system.

  When the change notification means receives a decision notification from the order processing system after the above reply, the change notification means notifies the operator of the change in the line configuration necessary for receiving the order data based on the determination result by the change determination means. To do.

  According to the above system, each production line is provided with a production cell for each of a series of steps for executing assigned production, and each cell is arranged by an arbitrary number of processing devices arranged in each cell. The shared element work is executed. Here, since each processing apparatus is arrange | positioned so that recombination is possible with respect to a cell, the structure and function in a cell unit can be changed by performing replacement | exchange, removal, and expansion of a processing apparatus. In addition, by executing these processes for all the processing apparatuses in the cell, replacement, removal, and expansion can be performed in units of cells.

  The line design data registered in the storage means of the line management system includes, for example, the number of production cells, the types of processing devices to be arranged in each production cell, and the functions to be provided to each processing device. Therefore, it is possible to easily determine the configuration to be changed according to the order from the line design data registered for each product, so the line configuration can be changed by rearranging the organization of the processing devices according to the determination result. It can be easily changed to the one corresponding to the order.

  For example, even if a product with a specification different from the product currently in production is ordered, if the element work to be performed in each production cell is the same concept, some functions of the processing device may be changed. Can respond. On the other hand, when it is necessary to execute a conceptual element work that was not executed before the change, a processing apparatus having a function of executing the element work is added or the processing apparatus is replaced. When a part of the element work executed before the change becomes unnecessary, the processing apparatus having a function for executing the element work is removed. Furthermore, when it is necessary to significantly change the contents of the element work, the entire production cell is replaced, removed, or added.

  Furthermore, in the above production management system, when order data from the outside is received, information indicating the degree of advantage when the order data is allocated to the own line is transmitted from each line to the order processing system. Based on the information, the order processing system determines a line to which the order data is assigned. Therefore, select the production line that is advantageous in executing production according to the order, such as the production line that can perform setup change the earliest or the production line that can start production the earliest, and perform production on that line. It becomes possible to make it.

  In a preferred aspect of the production management system described above, the functions of the plurality of types of processing apparatuses can be changed depending on the mounting state of a plurality of detachable jigs. Further, the change point notifying means of each line management system receives the order processing after the change point determining means determines that it is necessary to change the mounting state of the jig with a predetermined processing device in order to perform production according to the order data. When a notification of determination is received from the system, information related to the change of the jig mounting state is displayed according to the previous determination result.

  In another preferred embodiment, the change point notification means receives a determination notification from the order processing system after the change point determination means determines that the configuration of the production cell needs to be changed in order to correspond to the order data. Based on the result of the previous determination, information related to the configuration change is displayed.

  According to the above two aspects, when it is necessary to change the configuration of the processing device or the production cell in order to execute production according to the order data, when the order data is actually assigned to the own line Since the display related to the configuration to be changed is performed, there is no waste, and the worker can quickly and accurately perform the necessary work.

  In still another preferred aspect, the return means of each line management system is the time required for the change processing (setup change time) required for executing the production according to the order data in the own line or the production according to the order data. Is calculated as the degree of advantage and sent to the order processing system. The order processing system determines a line that has transmitted the shortest time as information indicating the degree of advantage among the production lines as a line to which order data is assigned.

  According to the above aspect, since order data can be assigned to the production line with the shortest setup change time and processing waiting time, it becomes possible to improve processing efficiency and respond quickly to orders. .

  According to the above production management system, production suitable for executing production according to orders from customers out of multiple production lines whose configurations and functions can be easily rearranged according to the products to be produced. Lines can be automatically identified and orders can be received on the determined production lines. Therefore, even when various products having different configurations and uses are targeted, it is possible to respond to each order efficiently and accurately, improving productivity and improving customer service.

FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a production management system.
The production management system of this embodiment is for order-made production for a plurality of types of products having different usages and functions, and includes a plurality of production lines 1 capable of autonomous operation, an order processing device 2, and production. The system includes an execution system 3 and an order / shipment management system 4.

  The order processing apparatus 2 is configured by a server type computer. In each production line 1 (hereinafter abbreviated as “line 1”), a plurality of production cells 11 (hereinafter also abbreviated as “cell 11”) are arranged in the order of processing. A control device 10 is provided. The line control device 10 is a personal computer into which a dedicated program is introduced, and is connected to the order processing device 2 and a control device (cell control device 12 described later) in each production cell 11 via a communication line. . Further, the order processing apparatus 2 is connected to a production execution system 3, and the production execution system 3 is connected to an order reception / shipment management system 4.

  The order / shipment management system 4 executes processing for accepting orders from customers via a computer network system (for example, the Internet) outside the system, and information processing related to shipment management of products according to orders. The production execution system 3 (generally called “MES” (abbreviation of Manufacturing Execution System)) grasps the operations of the order processing device 2 and each line 1, and integrates and manages various pieces of information related to production.

  In the order / shipment management system 4, information such as the orderer's name, order date, information indicating the product to be produced (product type code, model name, model number, etc.), production quantity, delivery date, etc. Accepts input and creates order data including these. The order data is stored in a database in the order / shipment management system 4, transferred to the production execution system 3, and further transferred from the production execution system 3 to the order processing device 2.

  Each line 1 of this embodiment is designed so that the number and configuration of each production cell 11 can be easily changed in order to cope with production of various products having different configurations and functions. In FIG. 1, for convenience, it is assumed that four production cells 11 are arranged on any line 1, but in reality, the number of cells 11, the configuration of each cell 11, and the work contents shared by each cell 11. The combination of fluctuates according to the products produced in each line 1.

  Further, in this production management system, when a new order is received while each line 1 is operating, the order processing device 2 and the line management system for each line 1 (a system by all computers included in the line 1). ) To determine the line 1 to which the order is assigned. In line 1 to which an order is assigned, after the production currently being executed is completed, the contents of the setup change for the next production are notified to the worker, and when the setup change is completed, new production is started.

Hereinafter, the configuration of each line 1 will be described in detail.
FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the relationship between the various operations executed on the line 1 for producing a certain product X and the configuration of each production cell 11. In the following description, each production cell 11 is identified and shown as production cells I, II, III... Using Roman numerals.

  According to FIG. 2, the production of the product X is realized by executing a plurality of steps (1), (2), (3),... Having different contents in a predetermined order. Furthermore, by combining the various operations included in these steps (1), (2), (3),... For each operation for obtaining a predetermined result, each step (1), (2), (3) is performed. It can be divided into a predetermined number of work groups a, b, c. In the following, a, b, c... Of each work group is referred to as “element work”.

  Here, assuming that production cells I, II, III,... Are provided for each of the steps (1), (2), (3),..., Each production cell I, II, III has a shared process. It is necessary to provide equipment for executing the work for each element work included in. In view of this point, in this embodiment, a plurality of independent processing apparatuses called “functional units” or “units” for short are prepared and included in each step (1) (2) (3). For each of the element operations a, b, c,..., A specific configuration of each production cell I, II, III is selected by selecting units A, B, C,. It is determined.

  Some of the above-described units A, B, C,... Are those that perform the corresponding element work fully automatically, while others require work by workers. In principle, one unit is provided for each element work. However, a plurality of units may be provided for an element work whose processing speed is slower than others or an element work whose processing contents are more complex than others.

  In order to build the relationship between the various element operations and each production cell as shown in FIG. 2, the target product group and the production line, production cell, and functional unit structure for producing them are hierarchically arranged in advance. It is important to decide on

Here, the processed and assembled type product is generally composed of a combination of components, and the component is composed of a combination of a plurality of parts. In order to create a component by combining parts, operations such as processing, joining, and assembly are performed. If these operations are production factors, the necessary production factors can be determined for each component.
On the other hand, the production line is composed of a plurality of production cells as described above, and the production cell is composed of a plurality of functional units. At this time, by determining the functional unit required for each production element, it is possible to determine the structure in which the product configuration and the production line configuration are matched.

  In order to disassemble the product into optimal components, for example, the following procedure can be considered.

1) Define the target product group. At this time, it is important to identify customer customization needs.
2) Next, the product functions required in the defined product group will be developed into a functional system diagram using techniques such as Quality Function Deployment (QFD). The quality function development is generally known, but is described in, for example, Patent Document 3 below.

  3) In anticipation of changes in required specifications due to the addition of customer customization needs expected in the future, the optimum components and parts are defined with a viewpoint suitable for efficient high-mix low-volume production. Specifically, for example, the concept and method of Group Technology (GT) described in the following non-patent literature are useful.

JP 2004-362480 A Group Technology-Applications to production management, Kluerw-Nijhoff Publishing, I. Ham, K. Hitomi, T. Yoshida (1985).

  FIG. 3 shows a structural concept in which products and production line configurations are hierarchized and each component is matched. As shown in FIG. 3, a production line corresponds to a product, a production cell corresponds to a product component, and a functional unit that is a component of the production cell corresponds to a production element for producing a product component.

  FIG. 4 specifically shows the configuration of a line determined according to each process and element work, taking as an example the case of producing a processed and assembled type product (specifically, a PLC (programmable logic controller)). .

  According to FIG. 4, the production of PLC requires a plurality of types of processes including “substrate production”, “terminal block connection”, “final inspection”, and “packaging”. Production cells having names such as “mounting cell”, “retromounting cell”, “inspection cell”, and “packaging cell” are provided.

  The specific configuration of each production cell is determined by the element work included in the shared process. Explaining in the range shown in the figure, the mounting cell that executes the board manufacturing process is equipped with four types of units to execute each element work of “solder application”, “part placement”, “soldering”, and “inspection”. Is done. In addition, three types of units are provided in the retrofitting mounting cell for executing the terminal block connection process in order to execute the respective component operations of “component assembly”, “screw tightening”, and “inspection”.

  On the other hand, since the element work included in the final inspection process is only “inspection”, only one type of unit is provided in the inspection cell that executes this process. Two types of units are provided in the packing cell for executing the packing process in order to execute each element work of “labeling” and “packing / printing”.

  In this embodiment, the same analysis as in FIG. 4 is performed on the production of various products in advance to identify processes and element operations included in a series of processes related to production, and line design data is created based on these. The line design data includes information regarding the specific hardware configuration of the line 1, such as the number of production cells, identification codes of units arranged in the respective production cells, and identification codes of jigs provided in the respective units. The created line design data is made into a database and registered in the line management apparatus 10 for each line.

  Further, in this embodiment, various element operations are grouped into those having the same or similar concept, and a plurality of element operations belonging to the group can be selected and executed for each group. Preparing the unit. Further, by configuring these units so that they can be easily attached to and detached from the cell, even if the product to be produced is changed, the changeover according to the change can be executed in a short time.

Here, a test cell will be described as a specific example of a cell having a multi-functional unit.
FIG. 5 schematically shows the appearance of the inspection cell. The inspection cell 100 is configured such that up to two inspection units 102 can be arranged on the upper surface of a support base 101 with casters. Each inspection unit 102 has a structure in which four inspection jigs P, Q, R, and S are incorporated in a housing 103 having a uniform size and form, and includes a power supply line and a unit router 16 (FIG. 8). Can be introduced into the inspection cell 100. On the contrary, if the connection of the inspection unit 102 by the power supply line and the unit router 16 is released, the inspection unit 102 can be removed from the configuration of the inspection cell 100 and moved from the support base 101.

  Among the inspection jigs, the jig P can be attached and detached independently. The jigs Q, R, and S are integrated, but the jig Q is detachably attached to the jig R, and the jig R is detachably attached to the jig S.

  In this embodiment, a plurality of types of inspection jigs P, Q, R, and S are manufactured in order to cope with the element work of “inspection” of a plurality of products having different configurations. A corresponding type is selected and incorporated in the housing 103. In addition, the inspection unit 102 is provided with a control unit 17 (shown in FIG. 8) which will be described later, and in this control unit, a program related to inspection of various products that can be handled (including parameter information used for the inspection). Is registered.

  Furthermore, the inspection cell 100 of this embodiment is provided with a monitor 14. This monitor 14 is normally used to display an image of a workpiece to be inspected and an inspection result. However, when it is necessary to perform setup change in accordance with a change in a product to be produced, a specific setup change is performed. Information indicating the contents is displayed on the monitor 14. Based on this display, the worker performs the replacement work of the inspection jigs P to S and the inspection unit 103.

  Although not shown here, an RFID tag storing its own identification code is provided on the end face of each jig P to S, and each jig P is also mounted in the housing 103. RFID antenna portions are provided at the positions where the jigs Q, R, and S are mounted. These antenna units are used to read the identification code from the RFID tag in the line configuration confirmation process described later. If it is determined from the read identification code that the jigs P to S are not appropriate, a message to that effect is displayed on the monitor 14.

  FIG. 6 shows the contents of the setup change that can be performed in the inspection cell 100 having the above-mentioned configuration, classified into levels according to the size of the range to be changed.

  In the figure, level 0 changes only the program and is automatically performed in the control unit 17. Other setup changes require changing the program and replacing the inspection jig. Specifically, at level 1, only the jig P is exchanged, at level 2, the jigs P and Q are exchanged, and at level 3, the jigs P, Q, and R are exchanged. Further, at level 4, all jigs P, Q, R, and S are exchanged.

  Any of the level change of level 0 to 4 changes the function by exchanging the jig without moving the main body of the inspection unit 100 (including the housing 103 and the control unit). As the level number increases, the function change range is expanded. However, in the level 3 setup change, the jigs Q and R can be exchanged at once. In the level 4 setup change, the jigs Q, R, and Since the replacement of P can be executed at once, the work load does not increase so much.

  Next, at level 5, the entire inspection unit 103 is changed to a unit having another configuration. Furthermore, at level 6, the configuration of the entire cell is changed by changing the two inspection units to those of different configurations. However, even when level 6 is executed, the support base 100 and the cell control device 12 can be used as they are without replacement.

  With respect to the above-described level change, the same level change may be performed for two inspection units 102. However, only one of the inspection units 102 may be changed. There may be a case where different contents are changed to 102 respectively. It is also possible to perform setup change such as removing one inspection unit 102 or adding another inspection unit 102.

  In the above embodiment, the function of the inspection unit 100 is changed by a method of replacing each jig. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to add functions by removing a part or adding a new jig.

  As for the units to be introduced into cells other than the inspection cell, a unit capable of performing elemental work on a plurality of types of products is produced by changing programs and jigs as in the above example. By using the unit having such a configuration, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated facility for each product, and the cost can be reduced. In addition, the load of setup change can be greatly reduced.

  Next, FIG. 7 shows an example in which the hardware configuration of the line is changed in accordance with the change of the product to be produced, taking the production line (shown in the upper stage) by the production cells I, II, and III shown in FIG. 2 as an example. Indicates. In the figure, each production cell and the unit included in the cell are indicated by a rectangular frame, and the part where the setup change has been performed is indicated by a thick line frame.

  In the figure, “Case 1” to “Case 4” are for changing a partial configuration in one cell. First, in “Case 1”, unit E is changed to unit E ′ by changing the function of unit E of two units D and E of production cell II by changing the jig. ing.

  Next, in “Case 2”, another unit E is added to the production cell II. On the other hand, in “Case 3”, the unit H of the three units F, G, H of the production cell III is removed. In “Case 4”, the unit C of the production cell I is replaced with a unit I having another configuration.

  For example, “Case 1”, “Case 2”, and “Case 3” can be replaced by, for example, producing products that belong to the same category as before the change but have different specifications, or the same product as before the change. This is applied when the number of production increases or when it is necessary to increase the processing capacity due to the short delivery time. In the case change of “Case 4”, the combination of basic processes does not change, but when the content of a certain element work is changed drastically or when it is necessary to introduce an element work of a completely different concept Done.

  Next, “Case 5” to “Case 7” show examples of setup change in cell units. In “Case 5”, the production cells I, II, and III are maintained as they are, and another production cell III is added. In “Case 6”, the configuration of the production cells I and III is maintained, but the production cell II is removed. In “Case 7”, the production cell III is removed, and the production cell IV having a completely different configuration is introduced.

  “Case 5” is applied when the product to be produced does not change, but it is necessary to increase the processing capacity in units of cells according to the number of production and the delivery date. On the other hand, when producing a product having a different configuration from that before the change, a setup change such as “Case 6” or “Case 7” is performed.

  In FIG. 7, the change place is limited to one place in order to show the concept of the setup change, but in reality, various levels of setup change may be performed in a plurality of cells. In addition, when the product to be produced is changed, it is necessary to change the program to be executed in all the cells including the cell whose configuration has not been changed.

  FIG. 8 shows an electrical configuration in the production line 1. In this figure as well, the configuration of the production cells I and II shown in FIG. 2 is assumed, but in order to avoid complicated reference, the production cells I and II are collectively referred to by the same reference numeral 11 as in FIG. The production units A, B, C, D, and E are also collectively referred to by reference numeral 13 for the same reason.

  Each production cell 11 is provided with a cell control device 12. Similar to the line control device 10, these cell control devices 12 are constituted by a personal computer in which a dedicated program is stored, and are connected to the line control device 10 via the line router 15.

  The unit 13 of each production cell 11 is connected to the cell control device 12 in its own cell via the unit router 16. Each cell control device 12 is connected to the monitor 14 described above. Each unit 13 is also provided with a control unit 17 by a microcomputer. Both the line router 15 and the unit router 16 are configured so that an arbitrary number of devices can be connected up to a predetermined number.

  In the line control device 10, the line design data described above is registered for all products that can be ordered. Note that the line design data for each product includes data indicating a standard line configuration applied when producing up to a certain amount of product, as well as a configuration applied when production capacity needs to be increased (for example, FIG. 7). Data indicating cases 1, 2, 4, and 5) are included.

  The cell control device 12 and the control unit 17 of the unit 13 are provided with a function of transmitting the identification code and attributes of the own device. Further, a program for executing the corresponding element work is registered in the control unit 17 of the unit 13 for each of the products that can be handled by the own device, and a program execution command to be described later from the cell control device 12 is registered. Is set to select and execute a program according to the command.

  In this embodiment, when order data is generated by a new order, the time required for the setup change (hereinafter referred to as “setup change time”) or the time until the start of the production (hereinafter referred to as “the setup change time”). , “Processing waiting time”) is determined and order data is assigned to the production line (which time is calculated is determined in advance by the user's setting work, It is assumed that they are unified.) In the assigned line, when the production in progress is completed, necessary setup change is executed and production is started.

  Hereinafter, details of the process for determining the line to which the order data is assigned will be described separately for the process of the order processing apparatus 2 and the process of the line 1 side.

  FIG. 9 shows the flow of processing executed when the order receiving processing device 2 receives transmission of order data from the production execution system 3. Referring to the reference numerals of each step in the figure, when order data is transmitted, the order data is first transmitted to each line 1 (ST11), and a reply is received from each line 1 (ST12).

In the line 1 that has received the transmission of the order data, the steps from ST101 to ST105 in FIG. 10 are executed, and the setup change time or processing waiting time is returned to the order receiving processing device 2. In the reception processing device 2, the line that has returned the shortest time among each line 1 is determined as a line to which order data is assigned, and a production instruction is transmitted to this line (ST13, 14).
Note that the substantial communication partner in the above processing is the line control device 10.

  Next, FIG. 10 shows the flow of processing on the line side. Up to ST103 of this series of processing is executed by the line control device 10, but in the processing of ST104, in addition to the line control device 10, the cell control device 12 of each cell 11 and the control unit 17 of each unit 13 are provided. Get involved and run.

  First, when order data transmission is received from the order processing device 2, line design data corresponding to the order is read according to the product, delivery date, production quantity, etc. indicated by the order data (ST101).

  Next, by comparing the read line design data (hereinafter referred to as “new line design data”) with the currently applied line design data, the setup change data indicating the location where the hardware configuration needs to be changed. Is created (ST102). For example, when there is a cell 11 that requires a configuration change, a portion corresponding to the changed portion is cut out from the new line design data, and this is used as setup change data. Further, when there is a cell 11 to be removed, the identification information of the cell 11 added with a flag indicating removal is used as setup change data. In addition, when it is necessary to add the cell 11, a portion corresponding to the cell 11 to be added is cut out from the new line design data, and data indicating the position where this cell is inserted is created. These two types of data Create setup change data including.

  When the setup change data is created as described above, the new line design data and setup change data are stored in the memory in the line control apparatus 10 (ST103).

Next, the setup change time or processing wait time is calculated (ST104).
In this step, first, each cell 11 performs time calculation for each cell, and based on these, the line control device 10 determines the time of the entire line. For example, when calculating the setup change time, setup change data is supplied from the line control device 10 to the cell control device 12 of each cell 11, and based on the setup change data, the cell control device 12 causes the unit in its own cell. 13 is caused to calculate the setup change time, and the maximum value is determined as the setup change time for each cell. The line control device 10 receives transmission of the setup change time from each cell control device 12, and selects the maximum value among these as the setup change time in line units.

  Further, when calculating the processing waiting time, the setup time for each line is calculated in the same manner as described above, and the time required for the currently executing process to be completed in each cell 11 is predicted. . For example, while reflecting the prediction result of the upstream cell 11 in the prediction process of the downstream cell 11, the process end time is predicted in order from the upstream cell 11, and the end time predicted in the last cell 11 is scheduled to end the process. It transmits to the line control apparatus 10 as time. In the line control device 10, the total of the time until the scheduled time and the setup change time is set as the processing wait time. In addition, the process which estimates process end time in each cell 11 is also performed by the cooperation operation | work of the cell control apparatus 12 and the control part 17 of each unit 13. FIG.

  When the setup change time or the processing waiting time is calculated in this way, the calculated time is transmitted to the order receiving processing apparatus 2 (ST105). Thereafter, when a production instruction is transmitted from the reception processing apparatus 2 that has executed the processes of ST13 and ST14 (when ST106 is “YES”), the steps are changed by executing the steps of ST107 to ST112. To do. On the other hand, if the production instruction is not transmitted even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the execution of step ST105 (when ST106 is “NO”), the line design data and setup change data stored in ST103 are cleared. (ST113), and the process ends.

Next, a case where the setup change is executed will be described.
First, when it is not necessary to change the hardware, ST107 is “YES” and ST108 is “NO”, and the process proceeds to ST112, and all the units 13 in the line 1 are made new products to be produced. Set the corresponding program to execute. Specifically, an instruction to execute a program corresponding to a new product to be produced is transmitted from the line control device 10 to each unit 13 via the cell control device 12, and the control unit 17 of each unit 13 Load the appropriate program. However, if the product to be produced is the same as the current product, the program execution instruction is stopped by the cell control device 12, and the program is not changed in each unit 13.

  Next, when the hardware needs to be changed (when ST108 is “YES”), information indicating the changed configuration is displayed on the monitor 14 of the cell 11 to be changed (ST109). Specifically, the corresponding line change data is transmitted from the line control device 10 to the cell control device 12 of the cell to be changed, and the cell control device 12 transmits information to be displayed on the monitor 14. The operator can execute the setup change work with reference to this display.

Next, when the setup change work is completed, it is confirmed whether the work is appropriate.
In this confirmation work, the configuration of the entire line is checked against new line design data (stored in ST103).

  A specific confirmation process will be described. First, each unit 13 reads the identification code from the RFID tag attached to the jig, and transmits the read identification code to the cell control device 12 together with the identification code of the apparatus main body. In the cell control device 12, the identification code of the own device is further attached to these pieces of information and transmitted to the line control device 10.

  The line control device 10 determines whether or not the correct unit 13 or jig is installed in each cell 11 by comparing the information transmitted from each cell control device 12 with the stored line design data. Here, when it is determined that the configuration of all the cells 11 is appropriate (when ST110 is “YES”), each unit 13 is instructed to execute a program corresponding to a new product to be produced. Thereby, ST112 is performed and new production can be started.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that there is an error in the configuration of any of the cells 11 (when ST 110 is “NO”), the determination result is notified to the cell controller 12 of that cell 11. In response to this notification, the cell control device 12 displays an error indicating the content of the notified information on the attached monitor 14 (ST111). Therefore, when an erroneous setup change is performed, the operator is notified of the error, and the notification is continued until the error is corrected. Further, the above confirmation processing is repeatedly executed until the configuration of the line becomes appropriate, and during that time, the execution instruction of the program to each unit 13 is not issued, so the line 1 remains stopped. Therefore, it is possible to prevent production with an incorrect line configuration from being executed.

  Furthermore, in the above processing, since the suitability of the configuration is confirmed not only for the unit 13 and the cell 11 to be changed, but also for all the units 13 and the cells 11, Even when the operation is performed by mistake, it is possible to prevent the production with an incorrect line configuration from being executed.

  In the above embodiment, the line control device 10 is arranged on each line 1 and the processing of FIG. 10 is executed with the line control device 10 as the center. One of the cell control devices 12 of the cell 11 may have the function of the line control device 10.

  Further, the order processing apparatus 2 is not limited to a single computer, and may be constituted by a plurality of computers. Further, the function of the order processing device 2 may be included in the production execution system 3.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of a production management system. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the operation | work performed for production of a product, and the structure of a production cell. It is a conceptual diagram of a product and a production line structure. It is explanatory drawing which actualized the relationship of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structural example of an inspection cell. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of the setup change that can be performed in the inspection cell of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example which changes the hardware constitutions of a production line. It is a block diagram which shows the detailed electric structure of a production line. It is a flowchart of the process performed with an order processing apparatus. It is a flowchart of the process performed in a production line.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Production line 2 Order processing apparatus 10 Line control apparatus 11 Production cell (I, II, III ...)
12 cell control device 13 unit (A, B, C, D, E...)
14 Monitor 17 Control unit

Claims (4)

A series of processes related to product production are configured to be shared and executed by multiple production cells, and multiple production lines including an independently operable line management system and order data from outside are accepted. And an order processing system for determining a production line for performing production in accordance with the order data by cooperating with the line management system of each production line.
Each production cell has an arbitrary number of processes selected as having a function of executing an element work included in a process shared by the cell from a plurality of types of processing apparatuses that execute an element work of a predetermined concept. The device is arranged freely for recombination,
The order processing system transmits order data received from the outside to the line management system of each production line, and after receiving a reply from each line management system in response to the transmission, the order data is allocated based on these replies. Decide the production line, notify the line management system of the decided production line,
The line management system for each production line
For a plurality of types of products, a storage means in which line design data indicating a process necessary for production of each product and a line configuration corresponding to an element work included in each process is registered;
When the order data is received from the order processing system, the product line design data corresponding to the order data is read from the storage means and applied to the read line design data and the current own line. Change point discriminating means for discriminating a configuration to be changed in order to execute production according to the order data by collating with existing line design data;
Based on at least one of the determination result by the change point determination means and the operating state of the own line, information indicating the degree of advantage when the order data is assigned to the own line is derived, and this information is received as a reply to the order data. A reply means to send to the processing system;
Change point notification for notifying the operator of changes in the line configuration necessary to accept the order data based on the determination result by the change point determination means when receiving a determination notification from the order processing system after the reply Means.
Production management system characterized by that. The plurality of types of processing devices are configured such that the function can be changed depending on the mounting state of a plurality of jigs that can be freely attached and detached,
The change point notifying means of each line management system has determined that the change point determining means needs to change the mounting state of the jig with a predetermined processing device in order to perform production according to the order data. 2. The production management system according to claim 1, wherein when a determination notification is received from the order processing system later, information relating to a change in the mounting state of the jig is displayed according to the previous determination result.   The change point notifying means of each line management system provides a notification of determination from the order processing system after it is determined that the change point determining means needs to change the configuration of the production cell in order to correspond to the order data. The production management system according to claim 1, wherein when received, information on a change in configuration is displayed based on a previous determination result. The reply means of each line management system determines the time required for the change processing necessary for executing production according to the order data or the length of time required to start production according to the order data in the own line. Calculate as the degree of advantage and send it to the order processing system,
2. The production management system according to claim 1, wherein the order processing system determines a line that has transmitted the shortest time as information indicating the degree of advantage among the production lines as a line to which the order data is allocated.

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