JP7199766B1 - SYSTEM, PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR SUPPORTING PARTS REPLACEMENT WORK IN PRODUCTION FACILITY - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to support part replacement work when changing the type of product to be produced. A work support system supports replacement work of parts attached to production equipment capable of producing a plurality of types of articles by changing the combination of parts. Each part is attached with an RFID tag or a one-dimensional or two-dimensional code on which an identifier is recorded. The processing unit of the system refers to the data indicating the correspondence relationship between the type of product to be produced and the combination of parts attached to the production equipment to produce the product, and determines the most recently produced product. A difference between a combination of parts corresponding to the type and a combination of parts corresponding to the type of article to be produced next is determined, and a difference parts list indicating the difference is generated. The processing device determines whether or not the part is included in the differential parts list each time the reader reads the identifier of the part, and causes the display device to display the determination result. [Selection drawing] Fig. 6

Description

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Law Publication date: July 12, 2021 Place of publication: Shionogi Pharma Co., Ltd. Settsu Factory and Amagasaki Office (2-5-1 Mishima, Settsu City, Osaka 566-0022 and 2-1-3 Kuiseterajima, Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture 660-0813) Release date: August 24, 2021 Location of release: Maruho Co., Ltd. Hikone Factory (2763 Takamiyacho, Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture 522-0201) Release date : September 3, 2021 Place of disclosure: Daiichi Sankyo Propharma Co., Ltd. and Mitsubishi Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. (1-12-1 Shinomiya, Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture 254-0014) Date of disclosure: 2021 October 14 Location of disclosure: Zensei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (380 Mitamachi, Kishiwada City, Osaka 596-0808) Date of disclosure: March 29, 2022 Location of disclosure: GlaxoSmithKline K.K. Imaichi Factory (1506 Tsuchizawa, Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture 321-1274) Release date: May 20, 2020 Place of release: Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (4720 Takeda, Oaza Mitsui, Hikari City, Yamaguchi Prefecture 743-8502) Release date : May 24, 2020 Place published: Daido Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (214-1 Shinmura, Katsuragi City, Nara Prefecture 639-2121)

The present invention relates to a system, a processing device, and a method for supporting parts replacement work in production equipment.

Production facilities are known that are capable of producing a plurality of types of products by changing the combination of parts. Examples of such production equipment include packaging machines in packaging lines for pharmaceuticals (such as tablets or capsules). In the packaging line, it is rare to manufacture a single product type, and it is common to produce multiple product types with the same equipment, and the parts of the equipment are often different for each product type.

On the other hand, in product production lines, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) or bar codes are generally used for progress control or quality control. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a production management system that uses RFID and barcodes to manage product progress and quality.

JP 2011-90595 A

In a production facility capable of producing multiple types of products by changing the combination of parts, it is necessary to check the parts to be removed and the parts to be newly attached when switching the type. In addition, there are cases in which work is performed to check whether the parts are attached at proper positions using a measuring device such as a machine scale or a digital position indicator. Relying on the operator's visual inspection or manual work for these operations may result in human error such as attaching the wrong part or attaching the part in an inappropriate position. As a result, there is a possibility that troubles such as part breakage or product abnormality may occur.

The present disclosure provides a novel system and method for assisting part replacement operations when changing product types.

A work support system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a system that supports replacement work of a plurality of parts attached to production equipment capable of producing a plurality of types of articles by changing the combination of parts. Each part is attached with an RFID tag or a one-dimensional or two-dimensional code in which the identifier of the part is recorded. The system comprises a storage device, a processing device and a reader. The storage device stores data indicating a correspondence relationship between a type of article to be produced and a combination of parts attached to the production equipment to produce the article. The processing device refers to the data, determines a difference between a combination of parts corresponding to the type of the most recently produced article and a combination of parts corresponding to the type of article to be produced next, and A difference parts list showing differences is displayed on the display device. The reader reads the identifier of the part recorded in the RFID tag or code attached to each part. The processing device determines whether or not the part is included in the difference parts list each time the identifier of the part is read by the reader, and causes the display device to display the determination result.

A general or specific aspect of the invention can be implemented by an apparatus, system, integrated circuit, computer program, recording medium, or any combination thereof.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it becomes easy to appropriately replace parts of production equipment when switching product types.

It is a diagram showing an example of production equipment capable of producing a plurality of types of articles by changing the combination of parts. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of replacement parts; It is a figure which shows the outline|summary of a work assistance system. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a work support system; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of data indicating a correspondence relationship between a product type and a combination of parts; 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by a processing device; It is a figure which shows an example of an installation parts list. It is a figure which shows an example of a removal parts list. FIG. 10 is a first diagram for explaining the work of reading part identifiers; FIG. 10 is a second diagram for explaining the work of reading the part identifier; FIG. 11 is a third diagram for explaining the work of reading the part identifier; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the attachment parts list; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a removal parts list; It is a figure which shows the example of the production equipment with which the scale and the indicator were attached. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of scales; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an indicator; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of recognizing numerical values of indicators by OCR; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of recognizing scale values by OCR; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a method of determining whether or not a part mounting position is appropriate using position information of a marker; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of data recording proper positions of parts for each product type; 4 is a flow chart showing an example of processing for determining whether or not a part mounting position is appropriate based on image data generated by a camera; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display example of detailed information on parts;

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. However, more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters and redundant descriptions of substantially the same configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary verbosity in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. It is noted that the inventors provide the accompanying drawings and the following description for a full understanding of the present disclosure by those skilled in the art and are not intended to limit the claimed subject matter thereby. Absent. Identical or similar components are provided with the same reference numerals throughout the specification.

FIG. 1 shows an example of production equipment capable of producing multiple types of articles by changing the combination of parts. A production facility 500 shown in FIG. 1 is a packaging machine used in a packaging line for pharmaceuticals (for example, tablets, capsules, etc.). The production equipment 500 supports about 10 to 20 product types, and about 100 parts are attached. The combination of parts differs depending on the type of product to be produced. When changing the product to be produced, some of the parts are exchanged. For example, out of about 100 parts, anywhere from 3 to 15 can be replaced. In the following description, the replacement of some parts due to the change in the type of product to be produced may be referred to as "model change".

Prior to the work of replacing parts, preparations for the newly installed parts are carried out. For example, a new part to be installed is removed from a parts storage, placed on a tray, and transported to the site where the installation operation is to be performed. FIG. 2 shows an example of parts placed on tray 600 . These parts are replaced with some parts in the production facility 500 .

In such a model change operation, it is necessary to accurately perform the replacement operation without mistaking the parts to be removed from the production facility 500 for the parts to be newly attached. Therefore, in this embodiment, each part is attached with an RFID tag in which an identifier of the part is recorded, or a one-dimensional or two-dimensional code, and these are used to manage part replacement. A barcode is an example of a one-dimensional code. Examples of two-dimensional codes include QR codes (registered trademark) or DataMatrix (registered trademark). Attached to each part is an RFID tag and/or code. During the model change operation, a reader is used to read the part identifiers recorded in the RFID tags or codes attached to the parts to be removed and the parts to be newly attached. Based on the information read by the reader, it is checked whether the part to be replaced is correct.

Depending on the part, the mounting position may differ depending on the product type. Whether or not the mounting position of the part is correct is confirmed using a measuring device such as a machine scale or a digital position indicator. Conventionally, whether or not the mounting position of a part is correct has been visually checked by an operator. However, relying on visual inspection by workers may result in parts being installed in incorrect positions due to human error.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, a system is introduced in which a camera captures a state in which parts are attached and automatically determines whether or not the attachment position of the parts is appropriate based on the captured image. By introducing such a system, it is possible to prevent products from being produced with parts attached in inappropriate positions, thereby preventing troubles such as part breakage or product abnormalities.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an overview of the work support system according to this embodiment. Each of a plurality of parts in production equipment 500 shown in FIG. 3 is attached with an RFID tag or a QR code. This work support system includes one or more readers 100 that read part identifiers recorded on RFID tags or QR codes, one or more smart glasses 200 , and a host computer 300 . Each of reader 100 and smart glasses 200 can wirelessly communicate with host computer 300 via a communication device such as an access point.

The reader 100 is, for example, a reading device such as an RFID handy scanner, a QR code reader, or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). The reader 100 reads the identifier of the part recorded in the RFID tag or QR code attached to the part and transmits the identifier to the host computer 300 . In this example, QR codes are used, but other types of codes such as barcodes may be used. Moreover, although both the RFID tag and the code are used in this example, only one of the RFID tag and the code may be used.

The smart glasses 200 are glasses-type information equipment that incorporate a camera and a display. The smart glasses 200 are worn by the worker and transmit captured images to the host computer 300 during parts replacement work. The smart glasses 200 can also display various information to assist in parts replacement. For example, images transmitted from the host computer 300 can be displayed on the smart glasses 200 . The displayed information may include, for example, the location of the part, detailed information about the part, or whether the part was properly installed. It should be noted that instead of the smart glasses 200, a photograph may be taken using another device capable of photographing, such as a digital camera, a smart phone, a tablet terminal, or the like.

As shown in FIG. 3 , production facility 500 may be provided with one or more machine scales 520 and/or one or more digital position indicators 510 . The machine scale 520 and the digital position indicator 510 are used to align the parts to proper positions determined according to the product type.

The host computer 300 is a computer that manages parts replacement work. Host computer 300 executes processing based on data transmitted from reader 100 and smart glasses 200 .

Next, the configuration of the work support system will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the work support system. The work support system shown in FIG. 4 includes a QR code reader 100A, an RFID reader 100B, smart glasses 200B, a display device 400, and a host computer 300. QR code reader 100A and RFID reader 100B are examples of reader 100 shown in FIG. A single reader (eg, PDA) with the functionality of both QR code reader 100A and RFID reader 100B may be used. The smart glasses 200 are equipped with a camera 210 . The display device 400 is a device including a display such as a liquid crystal or organic LED. The display device 400 may be built into the readers 100A, 100B or smart glasses 200, or may be connected to the host computer 300. FIG.

The host computer 300 comprises an input/output interface (I/F) 310 , a storage device 320 , a processing device 330 and a communication device 340 . The input/output I/F 310 is a device that exchanges signals with an external input device and output device. Storage device 320 includes, for example, a semiconductor storage device (eg, memory), a magnetic storage device, or an optical storage device. The storage device 320 stores computer programs executed by the processing device 330 and various data generated by the processing device 330 . The processing device 330 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The communication device 340 is a communication module that performs wired or wireless communication with external devices such as the readers 100A and 100B, the smart glasses 200, the display device 400, and the like.

In this embodiment, the storage device 320 stores data indicating the correspondence relationship between the type of article to be produced (product type) and the combination of parts attached to the production equipment 500 to produce the type.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of data indicating the correspondence relationship between product types and combinations of parts. Data in a table format as shown in FIG. 5 is recorded in advance in the storage device 320 . This data is referenced in the process of determining parts to be removed and parts to be newly attached at the time of model change.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the processing device 330. As shown in FIG. The processing device 330 in this embodiment supports the parts replacement work by executing the processing from steps S101 to S109 shown in FIG.

In step S101, the processing device 330 acquires information on the most recently produced product type and the next produced product type. Information on the most recently produced variety and the next produced variety can be input by, for example, an operator or administrator using an input device connected to the host computer 300 by wire or wirelessly.

In step S102, the processing device 330 refers to the data indicating the correspondence relationship between the product type and the combination of parts, and determines the combination of parts corresponding to the most recently produced product type and the part corresponding to the product type to be produced next. Determine the difference between the combination of Specifically, processing device 330 refers to the data shown in FIG. A part to be newly attached to the production facility 500 is determined among the parts to be installed.

In step S103, the processing device 330 generates a differential parts list. The difference parts list indicates the difference between the combination of parts corresponding to the most recently produced product type and the combination of parts corresponding to the product product to be produced next. The difference parts list in this embodiment includes a "removal parts list" and an "installation parts list". The removal parts list is a list indicating one or more removal parts to be removed from the production facility 500 among combinations of parts corresponding to the most recently produced product type. The attached parts list is a list indicating one or more attached parts to be newly attached to the production equipment 500 among the combinations of parts corresponding to the product type to be produced next.

In step S104, the processing device 330 causes the display device 400 to display the difference parts list. The display device 400 may be mounted on a mobile terminal such as the reader 100 used by the worker, or the smart glasses 200, for example. The processing device 330 causes the display device 400 to display each of the attached parts list and the removed parts list.

FIG. 7A shows an example of the displayed mounting parts list. FIG. 7B shows an example of a displayed removal parts list. As in this example, each list contains information about the next product type to be produced and information about parts to be installed or removed.

8A and 8B are diagrams for explaining the part identifier reading operation performed with reference to the attached parts list and the removed parts list. As shown in FIG. 8A, the worker takes out the necessary parts from the storage 700 while viewing the attached parts list, places the parts on the tray 600 of the truck, and carries them to the vicinity of the production facility 500. As shown in FIG. The worker reads the QR code or RFID of each part on the tray 600 with the reader 100 . In addition, as shown in FIG. 8B , the worker similarly reads QR codes or RFIDs of parts to be removed from the production equipment 500 with the reader 100 . Reader 100 transmits the identifier of each read part to host computer 300 .

8A and 8B illustrate how the QR code attached to each part is read by the reader 100 (for example, PDA). Instead of the QR code, another type of code (for example, barcode or DataMatrix) may be attached to each part. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 8C, when each part is attached with an RFID tag, the reader 100 may read the RFID tag.

In step S<b>105 shown in FIG. 6 , the processing device 330 determines whether or not a part identifier has been received from the reader 100 . Step S105 is repeated until an identifier is received. When the identifier is received, the process proceeds to step S106.

In step S106, the processing device 330 determines whether or not information on the parts corresponding to the received identifier is included in the difference parts list. More specifically, processing device 330 determines whether the information on the part indicated by the received identifier is included in either the attached parts list or the removed parts list. If the determination result is Yes, the process proceeds to step S107. If the determination result is No, the process proceeds to step S108.

In step S107, processing device 330 displays on display device 400 that reading of the part indicated by the identifier has been completed. For example, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, completion of reading is indicated by placing a circle mark in the columns of the parts for which reading has been completed in the attached parts list or the removed parts list. After that, the process proceeds to step S109.

In step S<b>108 , processing device 330 displays an error message on display device 400 . For example, as shown in the upper right of FIGS. 7A and 7B, when a part not included in the list is read, the name or number of that part is displayed in the "NG" column to warn the operator. After that, the process proceeds to step S109.

In step S109, the processing device 330 determines whether reading of all the parts included in the difference parts list has been completed. When reading of all the parts is completed, information to that effect is displayed on the display device 400, and the process ends. If there are parts for which reading has not been completed yet, the process returns to step S105. The processing of steps S105 to S109 is repeated until reading of all parts is completed.

As described above, each time the reader 100 reads the identifier of a part, the processing device 330 determines whether or not the part is included in the difference parts list, and causes the display device 400 to display the determination result. More specifically, each time the identifier of a part is read by the reader 100, the processing device 330 determines whether the part is included in the removal parts list, and if the part is included in the removal parts list, Add information indicating that reading of the part has been completed to the displayed removal parts list. Also, each time the reader 100 reads the identifier of a part, the processing device 330 determines whether or not the part is included in the installation parts list, and if the part is included in the installation parts list, the displayed installation Add information to the parts list indicating that the part has been read.

With this processing, the operator can replace parts after confirming that all parts included in the attachment parts list and all parts included in the removal parts list have been read. can. As a result, human errors such as erroneously removing a part from the production facility 500 or erroneously attaching a part to the production facility 500 can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent troubles such as part breakage or product abnormality.

In this embodiment, the processor 330 may be configured to manage both the completion of the installation part preparation and the completion of the installation. For example, the reading of the attachment part's code or RFID may occur both before (prepare) and after attachment of the attachment part to the production facility 500 . In that case, the installed parts list may include, for example, the information shown in FIG. 9A. In the example of FIG. 9A, the installation parts list includes information indicating whether each part is ready and whether each part has been installed. When the parts are read before installation, the processing device 330 adds a circle mark to the “preparation” column and displays it on the display device 400 . After all the parts have been preliminarily read, the parts are installed. After the part is attached, when the code or RFID is read, the processing device 330 adds a circle mark to the “attachment” column and causes the display device 400 to display it. Such an operation allows the operator to confirm that the parts have been correctly attached, thereby preventing mistakes in the attachment work.

The processing device 330 may manage not only the removal of parts from the production facility 500 but also the return to the storage 700 . In that case, the code or RFID of the removed part is read both after the part is removed from the production facility 500 and after the part is stored in the stocker 700 . The removal parts list in that case may include, for example, the information shown in FIG. 9B. In the example of FIG. 9B, the removed parts list includes information indicating whether or not removal of each part has been completed, and whether or not storage of each part in the storage box 700 has been completed. When the processing device 330 reads the parts after (or at the time of) removal, it adds a circle mark to the “removal” column. After the removal of all the parts is completed, the parts are stored in the stocker 700. - 特許庁After (or when) a part is stored, if the part's code or RFID is read, a circle mark is added to the "stored" column. Through such an operation, it is possible to manage whether or not the removed parts are reliably returned to the stocker 700 .

Next, an example of a method for assisting parts replacement work using smart glasses 200 will be described.

The plurality of parts attached to the production equipment 500 may include parts whose attachment positions differ depending on the product type to be produced. Such parts are referred to herein as "alignment parts." In order to align such parts, the production facility 500 may be provided with measuring instruments such as machine scales or digital position indicators. Alignment parts are mounted in the vicinity of those metrology instruments. In the following description, the machine scale will be simply called "scale" and the digital position indicator will be called simply "indicator".

FIG. 10 shows an example of a production facility 500 with attached scales and indicators. In FIG. 10, scales or indicators are attached at a plurality of points surrounded by dotted line circles. During the part replacement operation, the part and the scale or indicator are photographed by the camera 210 of the smart glasses 200 and the image is sent to the host computer 300 .

FIG. 11A shows an example scale. FIG. 11B shows examples of indicators. The scale has graduations for measuring the length from a reference position to a specific portion of the part. Scales may also include numbers to indicate length in addition to graduations. The indicator has a display portion that numerically displays the length from the reference position to a specific portion of the part. After attaching the parts, the worker checks whether or not the parts are positioned correctly according to the type of production while looking at the graduations or numerical values of the scale or the numerical values of the indicator. The correct position of each part may be displayed, for example, by the operator selecting the column of each part in the mounting parts list displayed on the display device 400 .

In this embodiment, the worker wears the smart glasses 200 and performs the work of confirming the positions of the parts. During operation, camera 210 of smart glasses 200 photographs an area containing alignment parts and scales or indicators. An image obtained by photographing is sent to the host computer 300 . The processing unit 330 of the host computer 300 determines whether the positions of the alignment parts are correct based on the images acquired by the camera 210 . The processing device 330 causes the display device 400 to display the determination result. The display device 400 may be the display of the smart glasses 200, for example. In that case, the determination result is displayed on the smart glasses 200 .

The processing unit 330 can recognize the numerical value of the scale or indicator based on the image captured by the camera 210 and determine whether the position of the alignment part is correct based on the recognized numerical value. . For example, OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology can be used for numerical recognition. The processing device 330 can recognize numerical values in the image using, for example, known OCR software. Machine learning (AI technology) such as deep learning may be used for numerical recognition.

FIG. 12A is a diagram showing an example in which the numerical value of position indicator 510 is recognized by OCR. In this example, the processing device 330 detects an area containing numbers (the area within the frame in the drawing) from the captured image and performs OCR processing to recognize the numbers. In the example of FIG. 12A, it is recognized that the numerical value indicated by the indicator 510 is "00101". The processing device 330 compares the recognized numerical value with the data previously recorded in the storage device 320 to determine whether or not the position of the part is appropriate.

FIG. 13 shows an example of data recorded in the storage device 320 in advance. This data includes information on proper positions of each of a plurality of parts corresponding to each product type. The proper position numerical value indicates the distance (or length) from the reference position to the specific part of the part. By referring to such data, the processing device 330 can determine whether or not the recognized numerical value matches the numerical value indicating the proper position. Even if the recognized numerical value does not completely match the numerical value indicating the proper position, it is determined that the part is in the proper position if the error is within the allowable range.

FIG. 12B is a diagram showing an example in which OCR is used to recognize the numerical values of the machine scale 520. FIG. In this example, an alignment part 530 is marked with a mark 531 for alignment. The processing device 330 detects an area including the mark 531 (the area within the rectangular frame in the drawing) from the captured image. The processor 330 performs OCR processing within that area and recognizes the numerical values of the scale 520 . The processing device 330 detects the distance from the reference position (for example, the origin of the scale) to the position of the mark 531 based on the recognized numerical value, the position of the scale, and the position of the mark 531 . In the example of FIG. 12B, the number "42" is recognized. The processing device 330 compares the recognized numerical value with data (see FIG. 13) previously recorded in the storage device 320 to determine whether or not the position of the part is appropriate.

FIG. 12C is a diagram showing another example of a method for determining whether the position of part 530 is proper. In this example, the production facility 500 is provided with alignment markers 522 . A marker 522 shown in FIG. 12C is provided near the origin of the scale 520 and indicates a reference position. In the example of FIG. 12C, alignment part 530 is also provided with markers 532 . The markers 522 and 532 are QR codes and record their position information. The markers 522 and 532 are not limited to QR codes, and may be other marks that can serve as landmarks. Using a code such as a QR code or a bar code as a marker is useful because it can record position information.

The processing device 330 measures the relative position of the part 530 with respect to the marker 522 based on the image acquired by photographing the marker 522 indicating the reference position and the marker 532 of the part 530 with the camera 210 . For example, the relative position can be measured based on the difference in the positional information recorded on the markers 522 and 532 (QR codes in the illustrated example). Processing device 330 can determine whether the position of part 530 is appropriate based on the relative position.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing an example of processing for determining whether the attachment position of parts is appropriate based on image data generated by camera 210 . The flowchart shown in FIG. 14 can be executed in parallel with steps S105 to S109 after step S104 in the flowchart shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 14 , when the processing device 330 receives the part identifier from the reader 100 in step S121, the processing device 330 proceeds to step S122 and determines whether image data has been received from the camera 210 of the smart glasses 200 . Upon receiving the image data, the process proceeds to step S123, and the processing device 330 estimates the attachment position of the part based on the image data. The installation position is estimated, for example, by one of the methods shown in FIGS. 12A to 12C. In subsequent step S124, processing device 330 determines whether or not the mounting position is appropriate. Whether or not the mounting position is proper can be determined, for example, by referring to the data shown in FIG. 13 and determining whether or not the difference between the mounting position and the proper position is equal to or less than a threshold. If the mounting position is correct, the processing device 330 causes the display device 400 to display information to that effect and records it in the storage device 320 . After that, the process proceeds to step S127. If the mounting position is not proper, an error message is displayed on the display device 400, and the process returns to step S124. In step S127, the processor 330 determines whether or not the positions of all attachment parts are correct. If the positions of all attachment parts are correct, the process ends. The processing of steps S121 to S126 is repeated until it is determined as Yes in step S127.

According to the processing shown in FIG. 14, it is possible to automatically confirm not only that each attachment part has been attached to the production equipment 500, but also that the attachment position of each part is appropriate. As a result, work accuracy and work efficiency can be further improved.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, parts attached to the production facility 500 are managed using codes (for example, QR codes) or RFIDs according to the types of products to be produced. Provide workers with the information necessary to perform each task such as "preparing", "removing", "installing" parts, and "aligning parts using scales or indicators" to ensure that the work is performed properly. It is possible to confirm whether or not it is on the display image. As a result, it is possible to prevent mistakes in attaching and detaching parts, and to suppress the occurrence of damage to parts and abnormalities in products. Furthermore, by combining the code or RFID information with the collation using the image data, it is possible to improve the accuracy and work efficiency of the parts replacement confirmation work. In addition, by using the smart glasses 200 to perform work while taking an image, convenience can be improved.

A QR code or RFID may be assigned not only to each part but also to the production equipment 500 . For example, a QR code or an RFID may be attached near the location where parts are attached in the production facility 500 . In that case, for example, when the worker reads the code or RFID of the part and also reads the code or RFID in the production facility 500, the processing device 330 determines that the part has been properly attached. may

The processing device 330 may have a function of displaying detailed information of each part on the display device 400 in addition to the difference parts list. For example, when the operator selects individual parts in the difference parts list displayed on the display device 400, the processing device 330 displays detailed information of the parts (for example, photograph, product name, part name, etc.) as shown in FIG. , storage location, etc.) may be displayed on the display device 400 . As a result, the worker can easily know the position where the parts are to be attached and the position where the parts are stored in the stocker 700, thereby improving work efficiency.

In the above embodiments, the present invention is applied to production facilities for pharmaceuticals such as tablets and capsules, but the present invention may be applied to production facilities for producing other types of products. For example, the present invention may be applied to industrial products, food, clothing, and other production facilities.

Also, a function for determining whether the positions of the respective parts are appropriate based on an image captured by a device equipped with a camera, such as smart glasses, is provided as necessary. It is also possible to build a work support system that does not have this function.

As described above, the present disclosure includes work support systems, processing devices, and methods described in the following items.

[Item 1]
A work support system for supporting the work of exchanging a plurality of parts attached to production equipment capable of producing a plurality of types of articles by changing the combination of the parts,
Each part is attached with an RFID tag or a one-dimensional or two-dimensional code in which the identifier of the part is recorded,
a storage device for storing data indicating a correspondence relationship between types of articles to be produced and combinations of parts attached to the production equipment to produce the articles;
Referencing the data, determining a difference between a combination of parts corresponding to the type of the most recently produced article and a combination of parts corresponding to the type of article to be produced next, and determining the difference part indicating the difference. a processor for displaying the list on a display device;
a reader that reads the identifier of the part recorded in the RFID tag or code attached to each part;
with
The processing device determines whether or not the part is included in the differential parts list each time the identifier of the part is read by the reader, and causes the display device to display the determination result.
Work support system.

[Item 2]
The difference parts list is
a removal parts list indicating one or more removal parts to be removed from the production equipment among the combination of parts corresponding to the type of the most recently produced article;
an attachment parts list indicating one or more attachment parts to be newly attached to the production equipment among combinations of parts corresponding to the type of article to be produced next;
The work support system according to item 1, comprising:

[Item 3]
The processing device determines whether the part is included in the removal parts list each time the identifier of the part is read by the reader, and if the part is included in the removal parts list, the displayed 3. The work support system according to item 2, wherein information indicating completion of reading of the parts is added to the parts list to be removed.

[Item 4]
The processing device determines whether the part is included in the installation parts list each time the identifier of the part is read by the reader, and if the part is included in the installation parts list, the displayed 3. The work support system according to item 2, wherein information indicating completion of reading of the parts is added to the mounting parts list.

[Item 5]
The plurality of parts includes one or more alignment parts attached near an alignment scale or indicator provided in the production facility;
The processing device determines whether or not the position of the alignment part is appropriate based on an image acquired by photographing the alignment part and the scale or the indicator with a camera, and determines display the results on the display device;
5. A work support system according to any one of items 1 to 4.

[Item 6]
According to item 5, the processing device recognizes the numerical value of the scale or the indicator based on the image, and determines whether or not the positions of the alignment parts are appropriate based on the recognized numerical value. work support system.

[Item 7]
The production facility is provided with a marker for alignment,
The processing device measures a relative position of the alignment part with respect to the marker based on an image acquired by photographing the alignment part and the marker with the camera, and measures the relative position of the alignment part with respect to the marker based on the relative position. determining whether the position of the alignment part is correct;
A work support system according to item 5.

[Item 8]
The work support system according to item 5, further comprising the camera.

[Item 9]
The work support system according to item 5, further comprising smart glasses including the camera.

[Item 10]
The work support system according to item 9, wherein the smart glasses further include the display device.

[Item 11]
A processing device used in a work support system that supports replacement work of a plurality of parts attached to a production facility capable of producing a plurality of types of articles by changing the combination of parts,
Each part is attached with an RFID tag or a one-dimensional or two-dimensional code in which the identifier of the part is recorded,
A combination of parts corresponding to the type of the most recently produced article, with reference to data indicating the correspondence relationship between the type of article to be produced and the combination of parts to be attached to the production equipment to produce the article. and the combination of parts corresponding to the type of article to be produced next,
causing a display device to display a difference parts list showing the difference;
determining whether the part is included in the difference parts list each time the part identifier is read by a reader that reads the part identifier recorded in the RFID tag or code attached to each part;
causing the display device to display the determination result;
processing equipment.

[Item 12]
A method for supporting replacement work of a plurality of parts attached to a production facility capable of producing a plurality of types of articles by changing the combination of parts,
Each part is attached with an RFID tag or a one-dimensional or two-dimensional code in which the identifier of the part is recorded,
A combination of parts corresponding to the type of the most recently produced article, with reference to data indicating the correspondence relationship between the type of article to be produced and the combination of parts to be attached to the production equipment to produce the article. and the combination of parts corresponding to the type of article to be produced next;
a step of displaying a difference parts list showing the difference on a display device;
Determining whether or not the part is included in the differential parts list each time the identifier of the part is read by a reader that reads the identifier of the part recorded in the RFID tag or code attached to each part. When,
Displaying the determination result on the display device;
method including.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for production equipment capable of producing multiple types of products by changing the combination of parts.

100 reader 200 smart glasses 210 camera 300 host computer 310 input/output I/F
320 storage device 330 processing device 340 communication device 400 display device 500 production facility 510 position indicator 520 machine scale 530 parts 600 tray 700 storage

Claims (11)

A work support system for supporting the work of exchanging a plurality of parts attached to production equipment capable of producing a plurality of types of articles by changing the combination of the parts,
Each part is attached with an RFID tag or a one-dimensional or two-dimensional code in which the identifier of the part is recorded,
The plurality of parts includes one or more alignment parts attached near an alignment scale or indicator provided in the production facility;
a storage device for storing data indicating a correspondence relationship between types of articles to be produced and combinations of parts attached to the production equipment to produce the articles;
Referencing the data, determining a difference between a combination of parts corresponding to the type of the most recently produced article and a combination of parts corresponding to the type of article to be produced next, and determining the difference part indicating the difference. a processor for displaying the list on a display device;
a reader that reads the identifier of the part recorded in the RFID tag or code attached to each part;
with
The processing device is
each time a part identifier is read by the reader, determining whether the part is included in the differential parts list;
Determining whether the position of the alignment part is appropriate based on an image obtained by photographing the alignment part and the scale or the indicator with a camera;
causing the display device to display the determination result;
Work support system. The difference parts list is
a removal parts list indicating one or more removal parts to be removed from the production equipment among the combination of parts corresponding to the type of the most recently produced article;
an attachment parts list indicating one or more attachment parts to be newly attached to the production equipment among combinations of parts corresponding to the type of article to be produced next;
The work support system according to claim 1, comprising: The processing device determines whether the part is included in the removal parts list each time the identifier of the part is read by the reader, and if the part is included in the removal parts list, the displayed 3. The work support system according to claim 2, wherein information indicating completion of reading of said parts is added to the removal parts list. The processing device determines whether the part is included in the installation parts list each time the identifier of the part is read by the reader, and if the part is included in the installation parts list, the displayed 3. The work support system according to claim 2, wherein information indicating completion of reading of said parts is added to the mounting parts list. 2. The processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing device recognizes numerical values of the scale or indicator based on the image, and determines whether or not the positions of the alignment parts are appropriate based on the recognized numerical values. 5. The work support system according to any one of 4 . The production facility is provided with a marker for alignment,
The processing device measures a relative position of the alignment part with respect to the marker based on an image acquired by photographing the alignment part and the marker with the camera, and measures the relative position of the alignment part with respect to the marker based on the relative position. determining whether the position of the alignment part is correct;
The work support system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . 5. The work support system according to claim 1 , further comprising said camera. The work support system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , further comprising smart glasses including the camera. The work support system according to claim 8 , wherein the smart glasses further include the display device. A processing device used in a work support system that supports replacement work of a plurality of parts attached to a production facility capable of producing a plurality of types of articles by changing the combination of parts,
Each part is attached with an RFID tag or a one-dimensional or two-dimensional code in which the identifier of the part is recorded,
The plurality of parts includes one or more alignment parts attached near an alignment scale or indicator provided in the production facility;
A combination of parts corresponding to the type of the most recently produced article, with reference to data indicating the correspondence relationship between the type of article to be produced and the combination of parts to be attached to the production equipment to produce the article. and the combination of parts corresponding to the type of article to be produced next,
causing a display device to display a difference parts list showing the difference;
determining whether the part is included in the difference parts list each time the part identifier is read by a reader that reads the part identifier recorded in the RFID tag or code attached to each part;
Determining whether the position of the alignment part is appropriate based on an image obtained by photographing the alignment part and the scale or the indicator with a camera;
causing the display device to display the determination result;
processing equipment. A method for supporting replacement work of a plurality of parts attached to a production facility capable of producing a plurality of types of articles by changing the combination of parts,
Each part is attached with an RFID tag or a one-dimensional or two-dimensional code in which the identifier of the part is recorded,
The plurality of parts includes one or more alignment parts attached near an alignment scale or indicator provided in the production facility;
A combination of parts corresponding to the type of the most recently produced article, with reference to data indicating the correspondence relationship between the type of article to be produced and the combination of parts to be attached to the production equipment to produce the article. and the combination of parts corresponding to the type of article to be produced next;
a step of displaying a difference parts list showing the difference on a display device;
A step of determining whether or not the part is included in the differential parts list each time the identifier of the part is read by a reader that reads the identifier of the part recorded in the RFID tag or code attached to each part. When,
determining whether the position of the alignment part is appropriate based on an image obtained by photographing the alignment part and the scale or the indicator with a camera;
a step of displaying the determination result on the display device;
method including.

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