JP3106515B2 - Production line management device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is directed to a specific process (often an initial process) of a production line, such as a vehicle assembly line, in order to level the workload in each process. The present invention relates to a production line management device for determining a work input sequence.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 4 and 5 show a conventional production line management apparatus for a vehicle assembly line. here,
For example, a total of five types of vehicles Wa to We of different vehicle types A to E having different specifications as work are stored in the five lanes 3a to 3e of the storage 3 with different lanes, and any one of the lanes 3a to 3e is stored. selectively vehicle to the initial step 2 ₁ assembly line 1 are sequentially turned on any of the vehicle Wa～We, the parts assembly step 2 ₁ of the vehicle assembly line 1, 2 ₂ from, ... 2 _n- Vehicles Wa to We at ₁ and 2 _n
An example of a case where any necessary parts (for example, a wire harness, a wiper, or the like) are assembled using any one of them as a base. Parts to be assembled to the vehicles Wa to We also have a plurality of grades, and the base vehicles Wa to W
A grade according to the specification e is selected and assembled.

A time element determined by parameters such as a line speed and an inter-process distance designed when the vehicle assembly line 1 is started up is used as a human operation form based on a standard operation in the process. A master table (Master Tabl) in which basic operation patterns such as ", put," and "walk" are specified in units of 5/1000 seconds.
e) taking into account the time element calculated in step e) and further calculating the standard operation time 6 for each process in consideration of the target operation time for each component grade, and storing any one of the vehicles Wa to We. during the population from 3 to the initial step 2 ₁ of the vehicle assembly line 1, the processing unit 5 constituted by a microcomputer, and a workpiece presence information 7 and the process steps of the standard work time 6 from the storage controller 4 Based on the above, the order of loading the vehicles Wa to We is calculated so that the work of each of the parts assembling processes 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ ,..., 2 _n−1 , 2 _n is leveled. The storage controller 4 outputs any of the vehicles Wa to We located at the head of any of the lanes 3a to 3e in response to the input instruction 9 from the storage controller 4 in the initial process 2 of the vehicle assembly line 1. It is designed to be put into ₁ .

Here, the storage controller 4
Always knows the presence status of the vehicles Wa to We in the storage 3 composed of a plurality of lanes 3a to 3e, and outputs the work presence information 7 when a request from the arithmetic processing unit 5 is received.

[0005]

In the above-described production line management apparatus, each of the parts assembling processes 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ ... 2 _n-1 , 2 _n is performed based on the standard operation time 6 for each process. The loading order 8 of the vehicles Wa to We is determined so that the workload is leveled. Therefore, every time there is a change in the line layout, the number of workers in charge, etc., the standard work time 6 must be recalculated each time, and the standard work time 6 itself is changed according to the basic human motion pattern. Is calculated using a master table defined by time, and the standard work time 6 sufficiently reflects variations in work time based on differences in worker proficiency levels, differences in physical strength among individual workers, and the like. Not. Therefore, in each of the parts assembling processes 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ ... 2 _n−1 , 2 _n , a difference is generated between the standard work time (standard capacity) 6 and the work time actually required (actual capacity). There is a problem that the workload is not leveled in the true sense.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention is to provide a production line management device which solves such a problem.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of selecting one of a plurality of works having a plurality of specifications and presenting the selected work to a specific process of a production line including a plurality of processes. A storage controller that stores work presence information of all the works in the storage, and outputs a selective input instruction of the work to the storage, and a capability of each step after the specific step in the production line. A performance measuring device that measures the actual working time for each cycle, and a storage device that stores and updates the actual working time and the work specification obtained by the performance measuring device each time and stores the actual performance data that defines the relationship between the two. And the actual performance data from the storage device, the latest actual work time obtained by the performance measurement device, and the work presence information from the storage controller. , The load in each process calculates the supply sequence of the best work for leveling, a processing unit for outputting the calculation result to the storage controller,
It has. The process of loading the work from the storage is an initial process of the production line in many cases, but may be an intermediate process of the production line instead of the initial process.

[0008]

The performance measuring device measures the actual work time and outputs it to the storage device and the arithmetic processing device, and the storage device updates the actual work time in the actual performance data. In parallel with this, the arithmetic processing unit fetches the work presence information from the storage controller and the past actual performance data from the storage device, and based on the information, the work load (actual working time) having the largest work load in the past. In addition to specifying a process, a work specification with the shortest actual work time in the process is specified. That is, as the work to be put into the production line next, the work load in the process having the largest work load can be reduced, and as a result, the optimal work input sequence for leveling the work load in each process is determined. The calculation is performed, and as a result of the calculation, the work specification having the shortest actual working time is output to the storage controller. In response to this, a work having a work specification suitable for leveling is input from the storage to, for example, an initial process of a production line.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with the same reference numerals being given to the same parts as those of the above-mentioned conventional example.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the production line loosely, having a plurality of the parts assembly step 2 _1, 2 _2, a ... 2 _n-1, 2 _n different in work Vehicle assembly line 1, and vehicles Wa to We (see FIG. 5) of a plurality of types of workpieces A to E having different specifications from each other are always seated in each of the lanes 3 a to 3 e. A storage 3 for sequentially putting the _first vehicle in any lane from among the vehicles Wa to We of the occupied vehicles A to E into the initial process 21 of the vehicle assembly line 1, and each lane of the storage 3 All vehicles Wa-at the seats 3a-3e
A storage controller 4 that stores work presence information 7 of We and outputs an input instruction 9 to the storage 3; and a part assembling process 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ ... 2 of the vehicle assembly line 1
_n-1 and _2n, the capability measuring devices 10 ₁ and 1 arranged respectively.
0 ₂ ... and 10 _n-1, 10 n, a storage device 11 for storing data, and an arithmetic processing unit 12 constructed by a microcomputer.

The above-mentioned parts assembling steps 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ ...
2 _n-1 and 2 _n are assumed to be operations in which an operator must directly participate in assembling parts, for example, an assembling process of assembling a wire harness or a wiper.

Here, the performance measuring devices 10 ₁ , 10 ₂ ... 10
Each of _n-1 and _10n is a part assembling process 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ ... 2
The actual capacity at _n-1 and _2n is measured for each cycle as the actual work time (the time required until the end of the actual work). Specifically, each part assembling process 2 ₁ , 2 _n 2 ₂ …
When the worker is notified of the completion of the work at 2 _n−1 and 2 _n by a switch operation or the like, the time counted from the previous work completion time to the current work completion time is set as the actual work time 15, and
The actual work time 15 and the assembling processes 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ belonging to each
... The process number 16 of 2 _n−1 and 2 _n and the vehicle type information as the work specification 17 are mutually associated and output as actual performance data 18.

The storage device 11 stores actual performance data 1 for the past.
8 is stored. The actual performance data 18 shows the relationship between the past actual work time 15 obtained by each of the performance measuring devices 10 ₁ , 10 ₂ ... 10 _{n -1} and 10 _n and the process number 16 and the vehicle type information as the work specification 17. It is specified. The actual work time 15 in the actual ability data 18 is constantly updated to the latest one. That is, the actual work time 15 in the actual ability data 18 is updated in place of the already stored actual work time after being associated with the process numbers 16 and the vehicle type information as the work specifications 17. At the same time, the latest actual working time 1
Past data other than 5 are also stored separately.

Since the storage device 11 is used as a database of the arithmetic processing unit 12 constituted by a microcomputer, the arithmetic processing unit 12
Each time the actual work time 15 is sent from each of the capability measuring devices 10 ₁ , 10 ₂ ... 10 _n−1 , 10 _n , the actual work time 15 is compared with the data of the past actual work time for the same process and the same vehicle model. The update process is executed on condition that the actual working time 15 of this time does not greatly deviate from the past data. This is to eliminate erratic data that greatly deviates when the actual data of the actual working time 15 itself is erroneous due to some kind of abnormality and greatly deviates from the tendency of the accumulated data in the past. is there.

The processing unit 12 stores the actual performance data 18 read from the storage device 11 and the performance measuring devices 10 ₁ and 10 _2.
... 10 by the _n-1, 10 actual operation time obtained in _n 15 and workpiece presence information 7 from the storage controller 4, at the parts assembly step _{2 1, 2 2 ... 2 n} -1, 2 n An optimum loading order 8A of the vehicles Wa to We for calculating the load is calculated, and the calculation result is output to the storage controller 4. Specifically, since the arithmetic processing unit 12 is constituted by a microcomputer, the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 is executed in accordance with a program stored in advance in the memory of the microcomputer as a system base. Thus, signals are exchanged between the storage device 11 and the storage controller 4 to calculate an optimal sequence 8A of loading a vehicle as a work.

The operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

In this operation, the work load of each of the parts assembling processes 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ ... 2 _n−1 , 2 _n of the vehicle assembly line 1 (required in the past in the parts assembling work for each vehicle type in that process) Length of time =
In order to reduce the load of the process with the largest load, it is basically determined which type of vehicle should be put into the vehicle assembly line 1 next. I am thinking. That is, step 10
In step 1, execution of the process is started by starting work of the vehicle assembly line 1, and the process proceeds to step 102.

In step 102, the storage controller 4 transmits the work presence information 7 including the vehicle type information as the work specification 17 of the vehicles Wa to We currently located at the head of each of the lanes 3a to 3e of the storage 3 to all lanes. The minute is read, and the process proceeds to step 103.

In step 103, each of the component assembling processes 2 ₁ ,
Step 2 is to identify and select the process having the largest value from among the workload times for each of 2 ₂ ..., 2 _{n -1} and 2 _n.
Proceed to 4. The term "work load time" here means the past actual work time for each type of vehicle in each of the parts assembling processes 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ ... 2 _n-1 and 2 _n exceeds the standard work time described above. In this case, the excess (difference) is, for example, the time accumulated from the start of the line startup (cumulative time for overload). This work load time is used to determine in what process and in what kind of parts assembling work is overloaded in what process in the past parts assembling work for each vehicle type in the vehicle assembly line 1. This is a convenient parameter above.

In step 104, based on the process number 16 specified as the largest work load time, the past actual work time 15 of the vehicles Wa to We of all the vehicle types A to E in the corresponding process is calculated. The data is read from the actual performance data 18 of the storage device 11, and the process proceeds to step 105. However, the vehicles Wa to We of all the vehicle types A to E referred to here are the same as those in Step 1 described above.
Each lane 3 of storage 3 read at 02
This is a vehicle of a vehicle type actually present at the head of a to 3e. For example, when no vehicle is present in a specific lane, the actual work time 15 of the vehicle of that vehicle type is excluded.

In step 105, the actual working time 1 of the vehicles Wa to We of the respective vehicle types A to E read in step 104
5, the work specification 17 (vehicle type information) of the shortest actual work time 15 is selected, and the work specification 17 (vehicle type information) is set to the loading order 8A and the storage controller 4 is selected.
And the process proceeds to step 106. As a result, the storage controller 4 outputs to the storage 3 an instruction to insert the same vehicle as the vehicle type having the shortest actual working time 15 in the past, and the storage 3 performs the initial process 21 of the vehicle assembly line _1.
In response to this, a vehicle of the vehicle type having the shortest actual working time 15 in the past is introduced.

In step 106, based on the work specification 17 (vehicle type information) for which the actual working time 15 was determined to be the shortest in step 105, all processes 2
₁ , 2 ₂ ... 2 _n−1 , 2 _n , the past actual work times 15 are read, and the routine proceeds to step 107.

In step 107, all the processes 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ ... 2 relating to the vehicle of the specific vehicle type read in step 106
It is checked whether or not the actual working time 15 in the past for _n-1 and _2n exceeds the standard working time in each process, and only when the actual working time 15 exceeds the standard working time in each process is included. Then, the difference between the actual work time 15 and the standard work time is obtained, and the difference is added to the work load time of the corresponding process and accumulated, thereby updating the work load time of the process. The work load time is used in the processing of step 103 described above, that is, when specifying the process having the largest work load time.

[0024] At step 108, the end of 1 cycle for the vehicle is turned to the initial step 2 _1, after Step 1
Execution of the processing of 02 to 107 is repeated.

It should be noted that the present invention may employ a storage of another structure other than the type in which the work at the head of the lane is always loaded. .

Here, the processing procedure will be described in more detail. Each lane 3a to 3e of the storage 3 shown in FIGS.
, Vehicles A to E of different vehicle types for each lane
a~We has been attended and parts assembly step 2 ₁ of FIG. 1
For example, a wire harness assembling process, similarly to the parts assembly step 2 ₂ example wiper assembly process. Then, H01 wiring harness assembled in the wire harness assembling step 2 _1, H02, there are three grades of H03, similarly to the grade of the wiper assembled in the wiper assembly step 2 ₂ W01, 2 of W02 Assuming that there are different types of grades, the relationship between these vehicle types and the grades of the wire harness and the wiper is as shown in Table 1.

[0027]

[Table 1]

[0028] The wire focuses on the harness assembling step 2 _1, for example assuming Star target operation time T ₁ and the relationship between the actual operation time T ₂ have the relationship of Table 2, with further the wire harness assembly a standard operation time of 40 seconds in the step 2 _1, further introduced sequence a vehicle, E, D, B, C,
It is assumed that the vehicle types are A, B, C, D, E... Figure 3 shows the process load under the supply sequence, the dotted line process load based on the target operation time T ₁ (the optimum thought they were step load conventional), the solid line in actual operation time T ₂ The process load is shown below.

[0029]

[Table 2]

Each grade H01, H02, H0
Upon assembly of the 3 wire harnesses, both standard work time at the wire harness assembling step 2 ₁ if it is possible to finish the work into individual target working time T ₁ (40
S) and the process load is as shown by the dotted line. Further, when viewed in actual operation time T ₂ levels, for example first B models Upon assembly of the wire harness grade H01 for vehicle Wb (shown by symbol B-1), the actual operation time (45 seconds) time for task ( Even if it exceeds 40 seconds), since the process load at the time of assembling the D and C models before and after that is low, the assembling work can be completed within the standard working time as a whole (on average). . On the other hand, when viewed for assembling the wire harness to the vehicle Wb of the second B models in actual operation time T ₂ level (indicated by reference numeral B-2), the same for vehicle Wa of the previous A vehicle type since that will assemble the grade of the wire harness, resulting in work requiring actual operation time of the wire harness assembling step 2 about ₁ in 45 seconds it would be two consecutive cars vehicles, also the standard work time as the averaged It will not be possible to finish the assembly work inside.

In such a case, in this embodiment, the second vehicle W of type A (indicated by reference numeral B-2) is not inserted after the vehicle Wa of type A of second vehicle. ,
For example, as shown by an arrow a, the vehicle type B and the work load E are small.
By switching the vehicle type and issuing an insertion instruction, the overall workload is leveled.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, the order of inputting works of a plurality of specifications to a production line is determined based on the actual work time measured in real time in each process. The work load fluctuations based on the differences in the abilities of individual workers, which were not taken into account, are automatically reflected in the determination of the work input sequence. And thus increase productivity.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a workload characteristic.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional production line management device.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing details of the storage in FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle assembly line (production line) 2 ₁ ... Parts assembling process (initial process) 2 ₂ , 2 _n-1 , 2 _n ... Parts assembling process 3 ... Storage 4 ... Storage controller 7 ... Work presence information 8A ... Loading order 9 ... Instruction instruction 10 ... Capacity measuring device 11 ... Storage device 12 ... Calculation processing device 15 ... Actual working time 16 ... Process number 17 ... Work specification (vehicle type information) 18 ... Actual performance data

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A storage for selecting any one of a plurality of works having a plurality of specifications and presenting the work to a specific process of a production line including a plurality of processes, and a work for all the works in the storage. A storage controller for storing presence information and outputting a selective input instruction of the work to the storage; and a capability measuring device for measuring a capability in each process after the specific process in the production line as an actual working time for each cycle. And a storage device for storing and updating the actual work time and the work specification obtained by the performance measuring device each time and storing the real performance data defining the relationship between the two, and the real performance data from the storage device and Based on the latest actual work time obtained by the performance measuring device and the work presence information from the storage controller, it is the best time to level the load in each process. Such calculates the order of feeding the workpiece, the processing unit outputs the calculation result to the storage controller, the production line management apparatus characterized by comprising a.