JPH04135147A - Production control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To immediately cope in a line side with the fluctuation factor of a production program generated at a production line side and to enable the correction/change of the production program, by bonding an automatic machine control unit by a communication network. CONSTITUTION:Automatic machine control units 32a, 32b are bonded via a communication network 16, and a host computor 52 is connected to the communication network 16. Various troubles are caused in a production line 12, and the need for correcting and changing the production program is caused. Such a change is performed with the worker A of the automatic machine control unit 32a concerned inputting the production program data to be changed to the automatic machine control unit 32a from the keyboard 38a of an input means. The automatic machine control unit 32b of the downstream having received the change notice of the production program data stores the content thereof with its renewing in the difference detection stack 40b of itself and it is displayed on a display unit 36b. A worker B knows the fluctuation of the production program thereby, carrying forward the prearrangement of the following work according to the display content.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a production management system in a manufacturing factory, etc.
-Layer In detail, it relates to a production management system configured to efficiently respond to fluctuation factors occurring on the production line side.

[Prior Art] Generally, in an automobile manufacturing factory, a central computer controls multiple automatic machines arranged in a predetermined process order on a production line, and an automatic machine control device that controls them, based on a production plan. A production control system is used to perform production control such as giving various production instructions or monitoring the production line.

Production planning and operational management in such a manufacturing system have been performed entirely by a host computer that controls the automatic machines and automatic machine control devices.

In other words, production planning data is stored in the memory of a higher-level computer, and sent from this higher-level computer to each automatic machine control device installed at each station located on the production line according to the production process. Based on this, the device controlled the automatic machines under it and carried out manufacturing according to the production plan.

The production planning data includes, for example, a loft serial number to identify a production loft as a unit, a lot size indicating the number of products produced in the lot, and a loft initial work number indicating the first machine produced in the loft. (Sequential numbers corresponding to the number of pieces produced will be assigned from the first machine onward.) This is a production model code, etc. that indicates the basic model, derived function, year, model, etc. of the workpiece produced at the loft. It was entered into a computer, edited, stored in a production planning data memory, and distributed to each automatic machine control device as mentioned above.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Therefore, when changing the production plan due to a failure of an automatic machine or a failure of a workpiece at a specific station during the production process, or a shortage of parts, it is necessary to
It was impossible to respond immediately on the line side.

Such changes in the production plan are made for each process, and it is necessary to respond to one variable element in a plurality of affected processes, increasing the number of man-hours required to change the plan.

Generally, in the above-mentioned production control system, changes to the production plan are made by inputting corrections to the production plan data in a computer room where a host computer is installed, and from the host computer, changes to the production plan data are made. The problem has been that the revised production plan data is distributed to each station in the other processes that receive it, resulting in extremely inefficiency.

In particular, when it becomes necessary to remove a workpiece from the production line due to an automatic machine failure, a workpiece failure, or a shortage of parts, the worker in charge of the process visually confirms that the workpiece is unique to the workpiece to be removed. In addition to checking the machine number and monitoring the difference with the production plan, it is necessary to change the production plan data as described above, and there are many check omissions and check mistakes, which can reduce reliability and line operation efficiency. It had become.

In addition, when there is a change in the production plan that involves changing the model to be produced on the production line, it is difficult to make preparations such as switching parts and replacing jigs for the change of model, so sufficient time is required. In some cases, it was necessary to stop the production line.

In addition, even if the model is automatically identified using a photoelectric reader, etc., changes in the production plan within the same loft will cause changes in the model since the models produced within the loft are the same. This creates the inconvenience of having to stop the production line in order to respond to planned changes.

The present invention has been made in order to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages, and in the production management system as described above, it is possible to
It enables immediate response at the manufacturing site, that is, the line side, to modify and change the production plan, and also reflects changes in the production plan to other processes that are affected by the changes.
The purpose of this invention is to provide a production management system that can efficiently perform setup work in post-processes.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes a plurality of automatic machines arranged in a predetermined process order on a production line and performing predetermined processing or assembly on supplied workpieces; A production management system that controls a plurality of automatic machine control devices that control automatic machines by a central computer, and controls the automatic machine control devices based on production plan data set in the central computer, the system comprising: a conveyance device that conveys a workpiece to which is added to the automatic machine, and a reading device that reads an identifier added to the workpiece, and each automatic machine control device has a production plan file that stores production plan data, and a production plan file that stores production plan data; each automatic machine control device has a difference detection stack that stores the variation contents of the plan data, an input means for inputting the variation value of the production plan data, and a display means for displaying the production plan data and the identification data of the workpiece. It is characterized by being connected by a communication network.

[Operation] The production control system according to the present invention configured as described above is arranged at stations provided on a production line in a predetermined process order, and each automatic machine that controls a plurality of automatic machines that perform predetermined processing or assembly. The machine control device has a production plan file that stores production plan data, a difference detection stack that stores changes in the production plan data, a manual means for inputting changes in the production plan data, and production plan data and workpiece identification data. These automatic machine control devices are connected through a communication network.

For this reason, changes in production plans due to troubles such as failures of automatic machines, failures of workpieces, or shortages of parts at specific stations during the production process, especially changes in production plans due to failures of automatic machines, failures of workpieces, or shortages of parts, etc. If it becomes necessary to remove a workpiece from the production line, the worker in charge of the process must visually check it! By checking the machine number unique to the work to be excluded, it is possible to change the production plan data using the input means.

Such changes in the production plan are made for each process, and it is necessary to respond to one variable element in multiple affected processes.The production plan data changed in a specific process must be communicated. It is sent via the network to each downstream automatic machine control device affected by the change.

The automatic machine control devices of other processes that have received the change notification of the production plan data can reflect the changed production plan data in the production plan data of the next process.

For example, an automatic machine control device in another process that receives a notification of a change in production plan data detects the variation and difference from the production plan data that has changed and the original production plan data file, and stores it in the difference detection stack. It can be stored and displayed on a display device as necessary, and the worker in charge of the process can
It is possible to proceed with the confiscated work in the next process due to changes in the production plan in other processes.

The same is true when there is a change in the production plan that involves switching the model to be produced on the production line, and preparations such as switching parts and replacing jigs can be made in advance for switching the model. .

[Embodiments] Next, preferred embodiments of the production management system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a production management system 10 according to the present invention, and a production line 12 includes automatic assembly machines, various machine tools, robots, etc. that perform predetermined processing or assembly in a predetermined process order. A station where machines 30a, 30b are installed is arranged, and each automatic machine 30a, 30b
Each automatic machine control device 32a, 32b controls this.
is installed, and the workpiece 14 is supplied onto the production line 12.

The automatic machine control device 32 has subordinate automatic machines 30a and 30.
Production plan data files 34a and 34b that accumulate production plan data necessary for controlling b are connected,
In addition, keyboards 38a and 38b are used to manually enter required data into the automatic machine control devices 32a and 32b, and CRs are used to display required instructions to line-side workers A and B.
A display device 36a136b such as a T-display is connected.

These automatic machine controllers 32a, 32b are coupled via a communication network 16, and the communication network 16
A host computer 52 is connected to. A production plan data file 54 that stores production plan data similar to that of the automatic machine control devices 32a and 32b is connected to the host computer 52.

Production planning data includes, for example, a loft serial number consisting of a predetermined number of consecutive digits to identify a production loft as a unit, a lot size of a predetermined digit indicating the number of products produced in the same lot, and the number of products produced within the loft. The first workpiece number of the lot, which is a serial number with a predetermined number of digits representing the first product to be produced (after the first machine, consecutive numbers corresponding to the number of pieces produced), the basics of the workpieces to be produced in the loft. It is a production model code with a predetermined number of digits indicating the model, derived function, year, type, etc. (all parts in the same lot are the same workpiece), etc., and is manually edited by the host computer 52 according to a predetermined production plan. It is accumulated in the plan data file 54.

This production plan data is downloaded to each automatic machine control device 32a, 32b via the communication network 16,
It is stored in each production plan data file 34a, 34b.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the workpiece identification method,
The production line 12 consists of a transport device that transports the workpieces 14, and the workpieces 14 input to the production line I2 are placed at the beginning of the production line 12, and the serial number given by the host computer 52 in units of lofts is an ID (identifier). The writing device 42 writes the ID tag. In each process, when a workpiece 14 is supplied, the ID reader 44 reads the serial number of the workpiece 14, compares it with production plan data, and performs a predetermined process on the workpiece 14.

The production management system according to this embodiment is basically configured as described above, and its operation will be explained next.

The aforementioned production plan data is read out from the production plan data file 54 of the host computer 52, distributed to each automatic machine control device 32a, 32b via the communication network 16, and stored in each production plan data file 34a, 34b. There is.

At the beginning of the production line 12, the workpiece 14 inputted into the production line 12 has a serial number given in units of lofts from the host computer 52 written as an ID tag by the ID writing device 42.

In each process, as shown in FIG. 2, when the workpiece 14 is supplied from the production line 12, each automatic machine control device 32a
, 32b reads the serial number of the workpiece using the ID reader 44, compares it with the production plan data, displays the loft number of the production plan data, etc. on the display devices 36a and 36b, and if there is a difference, also displays the difference, Worker A for each process
The XB uses this information to prepare for the next operation.

At the same time, the automatic machine control devices 32a and 32b perform predetermined processing on the workpiece 14 using the automatic machines 30a and 30b under their control, and upon completion, transport the workpiece 14 to the next process.

By the way, various failures occur in such a production line 12, making it impossible to work according to the production plan, and inevitably making it necessary to modify or change the production plan.

For example, a failure that occurs at a lower level may be caused by trouble with equipment such as the automatic machines 30a and 30b.
There are times when it is necessary to exclude from the production line 12 (side removal). In this case, it is necessary to change the lot size in the production planning data.

Furthermore, changes in lot size often occur due to delays in introducing parts to the production line 12.

In order to deal with such changes immediately at the site where the trouble occurred, that is, on the line side, the worker A of the relevant automatic machine control device, for example 32a, should:
From the keyboard 38a of the human power means, the automatic machine control device 3
2a, manually enter the production plan data to be changed and change the production plan data.

That is, the missing workpiece number is stored in the production planning data file 34a of the automatic machine control device 32a of the next process, and the missing workpiece number is also stored in the difference detection stack 40a, and the downstream information that affects it via the communication network 16 is stored. The content of the difference detection stack 40a is transmitted to another automatic machine control device, for example 32b, and the host computer 52 is also notified of the changed content.

The downstream automatic machine control device 32b that has received the change notification of the production plan data updates and stores the content in its own difference detection stack 40b, and displays it on the display device 36b. Operator B can thereby learn of changes in the production plan and proceed with preliminary preparations for the next work according to the displayed contents.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the production management system according to the present invention is arranged at stations provided on a production line in a predetermined process order, and each automatic machine that controls a plurality of automatic machines that perform predetermined processing or assembly. The machine control device has a production plan file that stores production plan data, a difference detection stack that stores changes in the production plan data, an input means for manually inputting changes in the production plan data, and production plan data and workpiece identification data. These automatic machine control devices are connected through a communication network.

For this reason, changes in production plans due to problems such as failures of automatic machines, failures of workpieces, or shortages of parts at specific stations during the production process, especially changes in production plans due to problems such as failures of automatic machines, failures of workpieces, or shortages of parts, etc. When it becomes necessary to remove a workpiece from the production line, the worker in charge of the process visually checks the machine number unique to the workpiece to be removed, and changes to the production plan data are performed manually. be able to.

Such changes in the production plan are transmitted via the communication network to each automatic machine control device in the subsequent process that is affected by the change, and the automatic machine control devices in other processes that have received the change notification The plan data can be reflected in the production plan data of the next process, and the changes and differences are detected from the production plan data with changes and the original production plan data file, and stored in the difference detection stack, and displayed on the display device. This allows you to proceed with the setup work for the next process.

In addition, in the case of a change in the production plan that involves changing the model to be produced on the production line, it is also possible to make preliminary preparations in advance, such as switching parts and replacing jigs, in order to change the model. This makes it possible to respond to changes in production plans extremely efficiently on the production line side.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a production management system according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a workpiece identification method in the system shown in FIG. 10...Production management system 12...Production line 14...Work 16...Communication network 30a, 30b...Automatic machine 32a, 32b...Automatic machine control device 34a, 34b
...Production plan data files 36a, 36b...Display devices 38m, 38b--Keyboards 40a, 40b...Difference detection stack 42...ID
Writing device 44...ID reading device 52...Upper computer 54...Production plan data file

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A central computer controls a plurality of automatic machines that are arranged in a predetermined process order on a production line and perform predetermined processing or assembly on supplied workpieces, and a plurality of automatic machine control devices that control the automatic machines. a production management system that controls the automatic machine control device based on production plan data set in the central computer, a transport device that transports a workpiece to which an identifier has been added to the automatic machine, and the workpiece a reading device that reads an identifier added to the automatic machine control device, and each automatic machine control device has a production plan file that stores production plan data, a difference detection stack that stores changes in the production plan data, and a difference detection stack that stores changes in the production plan data. 1. A production management system comprising: input means for inputting values; and display means for displaying production planning data and workpiece identification data, wherein each of the automatic machine control devices is connected via a communication network.