JP2021068255A - Equipment management system and equipment management method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide equipment management technology that can more easily acquire causes of machine and equipment stoppages and manage an operating status in more detail.SOLUTION: A equipment management system 10 is comprised of: an operating status acquisition unit that acquires an operating status of equipment to be managed from PLC21; ID tags 511-532 with ICs which store identification data associated with causes of equipment stoppage; an identification data acquisition unit that acquires the identification data from the ID tags; a first storage unit 631 that stores the cause of equipment stoppage and identification data in association with each other; a second storage unit 632 that stores the operating state; a third storage unit 633 that associates and stores the acquired identification data with an acquisition time of the identification data; and a management processing unit 61 that controls storage in the first storage unit, storage in the second storage unit, and storage in the third storage unit, and generates a detailed operating state including the cause of equipment stoppage by referring to the stored contents of the first storage unit, the stored contents of the second storage unit, and the stored contents of the third storage unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an equipment management technique for managing an operating state of equipment such as a production site.

Patent Document 1 describes a self-maintenance support method for a processing machine. In Patent Document 1, when an abnormality occurs in a machine, the operator of the machine manually inputs the current or past state information of the machine.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3-280105

However, in the conventional method, since the operator manually inputs, the input work takes time, and during that time, for example, the work such as recovery from an abnormality cannot be performed. Therefore, the work efficiency for returning, that is, restarting is lowered.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an equipment management technique capable of more easily acquiring the cause of a stoppage of a machine or equipment and managing an operating state in more detail.

The equipment management system of the present invention includes an operating state acquisition unit, an ID tag, an identification data acquisition unit, a first storage unit, a second storage unit, a third storage unit, and a management processing unit. The operating status acquisition unit acquires the operating status of the equipment to be managed. The ID tag includes an IC in which identification data associated with the cause of equipment stoppage is stored. The identification data acquisition unit communicates with the ID tag to acquire the identification data. The first storage unit stores the cause of equipment stoppage and the identification data in association with each other. The second storage unit stores the operating state. The third storage unit stores the acquired identification data in association with the acquisition time of the identification data. The management processing unit controls storage in the first storage unit, storage in the second storage unit, and storage in the third storage unit. The management processing unit refers to the stored contents of the first storage unit, the stored contents of the second storage unit, and the stored contents of the third storage unit, and generates a detailed operating state including the cause of equipment stoppage.

In this configuration, the cause of equipment stoppage can be obtained by a simple operation using an ID tag. In addition, since the operating state includes the cause of equipment stoppage, a more detailed operating state can be obtained.

According to the present invention, the cause of equipment stoppage can be more easily obtained, and the operating state can be managed in more detail.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of an equipment management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ID tag. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of ID tag identification data. FIG. 4A is a table showing an example of the stored contents of the first database (first storage unit), and FIG. 4B is an example of the stored contents of the second database (second storage unit). 4 (C) is a table showing an example of the stored contents of the third database (third storage unit), and FIG. 4 (D) is a table showing an example of the stored contents of the third database (third storage unit). ) Is a table showing an example of the stored contents. FIG. 5A is a flowchart showing a method of acquiring and storing an operating state, FIG. 5B is a flowchart showing a method of acquiring and storing identification data, and FIG. 5C is a detailed operation. It is a flowchart which shows the state generation method. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the equipment management system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the equipment management system according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

(First Embodiment)
The electronic component module according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of an equipment management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the equipment management system 10 includes PLC21, PLC22, PLC23, production equipment 31, production equipment 32, production equipment 33, card reader 41, card reader 42, card reader 43, ID tag 511-513, and ID. It includes a tag 521-523, an ID tag 531 and 532, a management device 60, and a communication network 100. Here, PLC is an abbreviation for Programmable Logical Controller, and is a controller that controls the operation and processing of production equipment.

(Structure on the production line side)
PLC21, PLC22, PLC23, production equipment 31, production equipment 32, production equipment 33, card reader 41, card reader 42, card reader 43, ID tag 511-513, ID tag 521-523, and ID tags 531 and 532 , Located on the production line. The production equipment 31, the production equipment 32, and the production equipment 33 are arranged at positions corresponding to individual processes on the production line. More specifically, for example, it has the following configuration.

The PLC 21 and the card reader 41 are arranged at substantially the same positions as the production equipment 31 on the production line. Further, the ID tags 511-513 are placed in the vicinity of the arrangement positions of the PLC 21, the production facility 31, and the card reader 41. The PLC 21 may be arranged at a position away from the production equipment 31.

The PLC 21 and the production equipment 31 are connected via a field network. The PLC 21 and the card reader 41 are connected to the management device 60 via the communication network 100. That is, the card reader 41 connects to the management device 60 without going through the field network of the PLC 21.

The PLC 21 controls the production equipment 31 and monitors the operating state of the production equipment 31. That is, the PLC 21 and the production equipment 31 constitute a control system for the production equipment 31 on the production line. The operating status includes the status for classifying the operating status (operating, stopped, etc.), the equipment ID in which this status occurs, and the time when this status occurs. The time of occurrence is defined by the time of PLC21. Then, the time of the PLC 21 is synchronized with the time of the management device 60 by a known method. The PLC 21 transmits the operating state of the monitored production equipment 31 to the management device 60 via the communication network 100. The time when the management device 60 receives the status may be defined as the time when the status occurs.

The card reader 41 communicates with the ID tag 511-513 when the ID tags 511-513 are placed close to each other by the operator. Then, the card reader 41 reads the identification data (for example, see FIG. 4) stored in the ID tag 511-513 and transmits it to the management device 60 via the communication network 100. Since the card reader 41 does not use the field network of the PLC 21, the card reader 41 can transmit the identification data to the management device 60 without interrupting the control communication using the field network of the PLC 21.

The PLC 22 and the card reader 42 are arranged at substantially the same positions as the production equipment 32 on the production line. Further, the ID tags 521-523 are placed in the vicinity of the arrangement positions of the PLC 22, the production equipment 32, and the card reader 42. The PLC 22 may be arranged at a position away from the production equipment 32.

The PLC 22 and the production equipment 32 are connected via a field network. The PLC 22 and the card reader 42 are connected to the management device 60 via the communication network 100. That is, the card reader 42 connects to the management device 60 without going through the field network of the PLC 22.

The PLC 22 controls the production equipment 32 and monitors the operating state of the production equipment 32. That is, the PLC 22 and the production equipment 32 constitute a control system for the production equipment 32 on the production line. The operating status includes the status for classifying the operating status (operating, stopped, etc.), the equipment ID in which this status occurs, and the time when this status occurs. The time of occurrence is defined by the time of PLC22. Then, the time of the PLC 22 is synchronized with the time of the management device 60 by a known method. The PLC 22 transmits the operating state of the monitored production equipment 32 to the management device 60 via the communication network 100. The time when the management device 60 receives the status may be defined as the time when the status occurs.

The card reader 42 communicates with the ID tag 521-523 when the ID tags 521-523 are placed close to each other by the operator. Then, the card reader 42 reads the identification data stored in the ID tag 521-523 and transmits the identification data to the management device 60 via the communication network 100. Since the card reader 42 does not use the field network of the PLC 22, the card reader 42 can transmit the identification data to the management device 60 without interrupting the control communication using the field network of the PLC 22.

The PLC 23 and the card reader 43 are arranged at substantially the same positions as the production equipment 33 on the production line. Further, the ID tags 531 and 532 are placed in the vicinity of the arrangement positions of the PLC 23, the production equipment 33, and the card reader 43. The PLC 23 may be arranged at a position away from the production equipment 33.

The PLC 23 and the production equipment 33 are connected via a field network. The PLC 23 and the card reader 43 are connected to the management device 60 via the communication network 100. That is, the card reader 43 connects to the management device 60 without going through the field network of the PLC 23.

The PLC 23 controls the production equipment 33 and monitors the operating state of the production equipment 33. That is, the PLC 23 and the production equipment 33 constitute a control system for the production equipment 33 on the production line. The operating status includes the status for classifying the operating status (operating, stopped, etc.), the equipment ID in which this status occurs, and the time when this status occurs. The time of occurrence is defined by the time of PLC23. Then, the time of the PLC 23 is synchronized with the time of the management device 60 by a known method. The PLC 23 transmits the operating state of the monitored production equipment 33 to the management device 60 via the communication network 100. The time when the management device 60 receives the status may be defined as the time when the status occurs.

The card reader 43 communicates with the ID tags 531 and 532 when the ID tags 531 and 532 are placed close to each other by the operator. Then, the card reader 43 reads the identification data stored in the ID tags 531 and 532 and transmits the identification data to the management device 60 via the communication network 100. Since the card reader 43 does not use the field network of the PLC 23, the card reader 43 can transmit the identification data to the management device 60 without interrupting the control communication using the field network of the PLC 23.

The PLC21, PLC22, and PLC23 correspond to the "operating state acquisition unit" of the present invention, and the card reader 41, the card reader 42, and the card reader 43 correspond to the "identification data acquisition unit" of the present invention.

(ID tag configuration)
The physical basic configurations of the ID tag 511-513, the ID tag 521-523, and the ID tags 531 and 532 are all the same. The ID tag 511-513, the ID tag 521-523, and the ID tags 531 and 532 differ in the stored identification data and the specified information (for example, the printed information).

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ID tag. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of ID tag identification data. Note that, in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ID tag 511 is shown as a representative. Then, in the following, the ID tag 511 will be described as a representative.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ID tag 511 includes a main body 500, an IC 501, and an explicit unit 502. The main body 500 is, for example, flat and has a size that can be held by hand. The IC 501 is built in the main body 500. Although not shown, the main body 500 further includes an antenna for communicating with the card reader 41, a transmission / reception circuit, and a power supply / reception circuit.

Identification data is stored in the IC 501. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the identification data TAG001 is stored in the IC 501 of the ID tag 511.

As shown in FIG. 2, for example, the explicit portion 502 is a print made on the surface of the main body 500. In the explicit unit 502, for example, the identification data (ID) that identifies the ID tag 511, the equipment ID (equipment identification information) to which the ID tag 511 is assigned, and the ID tag 511, that is, the stop cause assigned to the identification data Are listed. The explicit part 502 is not essential, but is preferably present. Thereby, for example, when a plurality of different types of ID tags are simultaneously held, the operator can select each ID tag without making a mistake.

(Configuration of management device)
The management device 60 includes a management processing unit 61, a communication control unit 62, a database 631, a database 632, a database 633, and a database 634. The management processing unit 61 connects to the communication control unit 62, the database 631, the database 632, the database 633, and the database 634. The management processing unit 61 includes, for example, an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU, a storage medium for storing various programs executed by the arithmetic processing unit, a memory used when executing various programs, and the storage medium. The communication control unit 62 is realized by an electronic circuit or the like. The management processing unit 61 and the communication control unit 62 can also be realized by a PC (personal computer) or the like. The database 631, the database 632, the database 633, and the database 634 are each realized by a storage medium. The storage media constituting each of the database 631, the database 632, the database 633, and the database 634 may be divided into regions, or may be individual storage media.

The communication control unit 62 connects to the communication network 100. The communication control unit 62 receives the operating state transmitted from the PLC 21, the PLC 22, and the PLC 23, and outputs the operating state to the management processing unit 61. The communication control unit 62 receives the identification data transmitted from the card reader 41, the card reader 42, and the card reader 43, and outputs the identification data to the management processing unit 61.

When the management processing unit 61 acquires the operating state from the communication control unit 62, it stores it in the database 632. When the management processing unit 61 acquires the identification data, it refers to the stored contents of the database 631, the stored contents of the database 632, and the stored contents of the database 633 to generate a detailed operating state. The detailed method of generating the operating state will be described later. The management processing unit 61 stores the detailed operating state in the database 634.

FIG. 4A is a table showing an example of the stored contents of the first database (first storage unit), and FIG. 4B is an example of the stored contents of the second database (second storage unit). 4 (C) is a table showing an example of the stored contents of the third database (third storage unit), and FIG. 4 (D) is a table showing an example of the stored contents of the third database (third storage unit). ) Is a table showing an example of the stored contents.

The database 631 stores the cause of equipment outage and the identification data in association with each other. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4A, the database 631 stores the equipment ID in association with the equipment stop cause and the identification data. The identification data is, for example, identification data (ID) individually assigned to each ID tag as described above. The cause of equipment stoppage stored in the database 631 and the association between the identification data and the equipment ID are performed in advance. The database 631 corresponds to the "first storage unit" of the present invention.

The database 632 stores the operating state acquired by the management processing unit 61. That is, as shown in FIG. 4B, the database 632 stores the status, the equipment ID, and the occurrence time included in the operating state in association with each other. Database 632 corresponds to the "second storage" of the present invention.

The database 633 stores the identification data acquired by the management processing unit 61 in association with the acquisition time of the identification data. The identification data acquisition time may be the time when the card readers 41, 42, and 43 read the identification data, or the time when the identification data is input to the management processing unit 61. In any case, for example, the management device 60 has a timekeeping function, and the acquisition time can be determined using the timed time. At this time, for example, as shown in FIG. 4C, the database 633 associates the identification data with the acquisition time, and the reader IDs of the card readers 41, 42, and 43 that read the identification data (FIG. 4). In the example of (C), the reader ID: R001) of the card reader 41 is stored in association with the identification data and the acquisition time. Database 633 corresponds to the "third storage unit" of the present invention.

Database 634 stores detailed operating status. As shown in FIG. 4C, the detailed operating state is information stored in association with the time (Date), the equipment ID, and the detailed status, and is sorted by the time (Date). The detailed status is a status in which the cause of occurrence is further added to the status stored in the database 632. Database 634 corresponds to the "fourth storage unit" of the present invention.

(Method from acquisition of various information by management processing unit 61 to generation and storage of detailed operating state)
Using the above configuration, the management processing unit 61 of the management device 60 generates and stores detailed operating states as shown below.

FIG. 5A is a flowchart showing a method of acquiring and storing an operating state, FIG. 5B is a flowchart showing a method of acquiring and storing identification data, and FIG. 5C is a detailed operation. It is a flowchart which shows the state generation method.

(How to get the operating status)
As shown in FIG. 5A, the management processing unit 61 acquires the operating state from the PLC21, the PLC22, and the PLC23 (S11). The management processing unit 61 stores the acquired operating state in the second DB (database), that is, the database 632 (S12). The management processing unit 61 may sequentially acquire and store the operating state, but it does so at predetermined time intervals. Alternatively, the management processing unit 61 triggers the occurrence of a predetermined event such as the start of operation or the start of stop. If there is a content already stored in the database 632, the management processing unit 61 updates the operating state stored in the database 632 by adding the content following the content.

(How to get identification data)
As shown in FIG. 5B, the management processing unit 61 acquires the identification data of the card reader 41, the card reader 42, and the ID tag read by the card reader 43 (S21). The management processing unit 61 stores the acquired identification data together with the acquisition time in the third DB, that is, the database 633 (S22). The management processing unit 61 updates the database 633 by adding the identification data and the acquisition time each time the identification data is acquired.

(Detailed operating status generation method)
As shown in FIG. 5C, the management processing unit 61 has a detailed operating state until the database 632 which is the second DB or the database 633 which is the third DB is updated (S311: NO, S312: NO). That is, the record of the database 634 is not newly generated.

When the management processing unit 61 updates the database 632 which is the second DB (S311: YES) or updates the database 633 which is the third DB, that is, when the identification data is newly acquired (S312: YES), the database The identification data of 633 and the acquisition time are extracted (S32). The management processing unit 61 refers to the database 631 which is the first DB, and extracts the stop cause corresponding to the extracted identification data (S33). At this point, the management processing unit 61 extracts the operating state stored in the database 632, which is the second DB (S34).

The management processing unit 61 uses each of the information extracted in steps S32 to S34 to generate a detailed operating state (S35). More specifically, the management processing unit 61 refers to the acquisition time of the identification data and the occurrence time of the status of the operating state based on the stored contents of the database 632 and the stored contents of the database 633, and obtains the identification data. Arrange the status in chronological order. The management processing unit 61 replaces the identification data with a set of the stop status and the stop cause based on the stored contents of the database 631. Here, if the acquisition time of the identification data and the occurrence time of the stop in the operating state match and the equipment IDs match, the management processing unit 61 adds the stop cause associated with the identification data to the stop in the operating state. To do. It should be noted that the match between the acquisition time and the occurrence time here does not have to be an exact match, and the error can be set by, for example, an operator or the like. That is, the management processing unit 61 may determine that the times match if the difference between the acquisition time and the occurrence time is within this error range.

If there is no identification data of the acquisition time that matches the occurrence time of the stop in the operating state, the management processing unit 61 sets the detailed status to stop (cause unknown), for example, as shown in FIG. 4 (D). To do.

In this way, the detailed status is obtained by adding the status based on the identification data to the operating status. As a result, the management processing unit 61 can generate a detailed operating state including a detailed status.

Therefore, the management device 60 can generate a more detailed operating state of each equipment on the production line. Then, by using the ID tag as described above, the operator can input the cause of the stop simply by bringing the ID tag close to the card reader. As a result, the equipment management system 10 can easily acquire the cause of the equipment stop without imposing a load on the operator to input the cause of the stop.

(Second Embodiment)
The electronic component module according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the equipment management system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 6, the equipment management system 10A according to the second embodiment is different in that the client terminal 70 and the general-purpose data communication network 700 are added to the equipment management system 10 according to the first embodiment. .. Other configurations of the equipment management system 10A are the same as those of the equipment management system 10, and the description of the same parts will be omitted.

The client terminal 70 is realized by, for example, a general-purpose PC (personal computer) or the like. The general-purpose data communication network 700 is realized by, for example, the Internet or the like.

The communication control unit 62 of the management device 60 includes an input / output interface to the general-purpose data communication network 700. As a result, the client terminal 70 can perform data communication with the communication control unit 62 of the management device 60 via the general-purpose data communication network 700.

In such a configuration, the client terminal 70 requests the management processing unit 61 of the management device 60 to acquire a detailed operating state. The management processing unit 61 reads the detailed operating state from the database 634 in response to this request. The management processing unit 61 transmits the detailed operating state to the client terminal 70 via the communication control unit 62 and the general-purpose data communication network 700. The client terminal 70 receives a detailed operating state.

As a result, for example, the client terminal 70 located at a location different from the management device 60 can use the detailed operating state. Then, the client terminal 70 can generate various management data by using this detailed operating state. For example, the client terminal 70 can generate management data such as a monthly management report, a Gantt chart, and Andon. Then, the user who uses the client terminal 70 can manage the production line by using these management data.

(Third Embodiment)
The electronic component module according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the equipment management system according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 7, the equipment management system 10B according to the third embodiment has the configuration of the management device 60B, the display device 80, and the data communication path 800 with respect to the equipment management system 10 according to the first embodiment. It differs in that it is added. Other configurations of the equipment management system 10B are the same as those of the equipment management system 10, and the description of the same parts will be omitted.

The management device 60B is different from the management device 60 in that the management image generation unit 63 is added. Further, the communication control unit 62 of the management device 60B is different in that the communication control unit 62 of the management device 60 is provided with an input / output interface to the data communication path 800. Other configurations of the management device 60B are the same as those of the management device 60, and the description of the same parts will be omitted.

The management image generation unit 63 generates a management image such as Andon from the detailed operating state acquired via the management processing unit 61. The management image generation unit 63 outputs the management image to the display device 80 via the communication control unit 62 and the data communication path 800. The data communication path 800 may be wired such as a LAN cable or wireless such as Wifi (registered trademark).

The display device 80 is arranged on the production line, and is realized by, for example, a liquid crystal panel or the like. The display device 80 receives the management image and displays the management image.

With such a configuration, the operator of the production line can easily confirm the detailed operating state on the production line.

In the above description, the number of PLCs, production equipment, and card readers arranged on the production line is an example, and the equipment management system may be configured by other numbers. Further, the number of ID tags arranged in each card reader and production equipment is not limited to the above description, and can be set as appropriate.

Further, in the above description, the mode in which the cause of the stop is acquired by the ID tag and the card reader is shown. However, it is also possible to use a barcode instead of the ID tag and use an image reading device instead of the card reader. However, by using the ID tag, it is less likely to be affected by the environment of the production line (brightness, humidity, etc. of the production line), and the cause of the stoppage can be acquired more reliably.

Further, the explicit part 502 of the ID tag may be a rewritable electronic paper. Thereby, the information associated with the ID tag (corresponding equipment ID and cause of stoppage) can be easily rewritten according to the rewriting of the database 631. Therefore, the ID tag can be reused easily and easily.

10, 10A, 10B: Equipment management system 21, 22, 23: PLC
31, 32, 33: Production equipment 41, 42, 43: Card reader 60, 60B: Management device 61: Management processing unit 62: Communication control unit 63: Management image generation unit 70: Client terminal 80: Display device 100: Communication network 500: Main body 501: IC
502: Explicit part 511, 512, 513, 521, 522, 523, 513, 532: ID tag 631, 632, 633, 634: Database 700: General-purpose data communication network 800: Data communication path

Claims (10)

The operation status acquisition unit that acquires the operation status of the equipment to be managed, and the operation status acquisition unit.
An ID tag including an IC in which identification data associated with the cause of equipment stoppage is stored, and
An identification data acquisition unit that acquires the identification data from the ID tag,
A first storage unit that stores the cause of equipment stoppage and the identification data in association with each other,
A second storage unit that stores the operating state,
A third storage unit that stores the acquired identification data in association with the acquisition time of the identification data, and
Controlling the storage in the first storage unit, the storage in the second storage unit, and the storage in the third storage unit, the storage content of the first storage unit and the storage content of the second storage unit. , And a management processing unit that generates a detailed operating state including the cause of stoppage of the equipment by referring to the stored contents of the third storage unit.
Equipment management system equipped with. A fourth storage unit for storing the detailed operating state is provided.
The equipment management system according to claim 1. The management processing unit
When the identification data is acquired, the detailed operating state is generated.
The equipment management system according to claim 1 or 2. The identification data acquisition unit
The identification data is transmitted to the management processing unit in a communication path different from the control system that controls the equipment.
The equipment management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The ID tag is individually arranged for each of the equipment.
The equipment management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The ID tag clearly indicates the corresponding equipment and the cause of the outage.
The equipment management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. Steps to get the operating status of the equipment and
A step of acquiring the identification data from an ID tag in which the identification data associated with the cause of the equipment stoppage is stored, and
A first storage step of associating and storing the cause of equipment stoppage and the identification data, and
A second storage step for storing the operating state and
A third storage step of associating and storing the acquired identification data with the acquisition time of the identification data, and
With reference to the stored contents in the first storage step, the stored contents in the second storage step, and the stored contents in the third storage step, a detailed operating state including the cause of stoppage of the equipment is generated. Steps and
Has equipment management method. It further comprises a fourth storage step of storing the detailed operating state.
The equipment management method according to claim 7. When the identification data is acquired, the detailed operating state is generated.
The equipment management method according to claim 7 or 8. The identification data is acquired through another communication path without data communication in the control system that controls the equipment.
The equipment management method according to any one of claims 7 to 9.

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