JPH0459505A - Schedule operation device for working line - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the occurrence of a working skip by editing the schedule of a working line so as to correspond to the kinds of required materials and to the number of the materials, so that the materials can be compared with the storage condition of an automatic warehouse for judging deficient materials. CONSTITUTION:A working-line schedule-operation device 39 is provided with a schedule editing part 43 and a material deficiency checking part 44. The schedule editing part 43 edits a working schedule so as to correspond to the kinds of required materials and to the number of the materials, and outputs it to the material deficiency checking part 44. The material deficiency checking part 44, taking in the material storage condition prepared by a storage data preparing part 47, compares it with the required materials of the edited schedule 2 (not shown) for judging deficient materials. And, the information about defi cient materials is given to a deficient material ordering part 48, and the result of the check is displayed on a display part 42. Thus, only the schedule not deficient in material can be output to the working line.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a scheduled operation device for a processing line.

(Prior Art) In recent years, in the field of various types of processing such as metal processing, in order to cope with high-mix, low-volume production, processing lines have increasingly been converted to FMS using flexible automated warehouses.

The FMS system here is, for example, equipped with an automatic warehouse on the processing line, a material transport means between this automatic warehouse and one or more processing machines, and a controller that controls each device.
It is connected to the main controller for MS integrated management, and each machine is operated efficiently by DNC based on the schedule edited on the main controller side.

This automated warehouse compatible with FMS not only stores materials, but also stores products or semi-finished products, and supplies materials or semi-finished products to various devices in a timely manner according to the requirements of each machine. It becomes a structure.

In a processing line that has been converted into an FMS in this way, the main controller edits a schedule consisting of, for example, 10 processes, and the edited schedule is output to the processing line, so that each equipment controller controls each piece of equipment. Processing is done according to schedule.

During scheduled operation, if the required material is not available or the required amount is insufficient, it is not possible to stop the entire line at this point, so when the material runs out, the It is common to postpone machining to a later stage and skip the remaining machining in that process.

Here, in order to prevent processing from being skipped in this way, it is necessary to always check the presence or absence of material before starting scheduled operation. To check the presence of materials, for example, an inventory information file is provided in the controller of the automated warehouse, so this inventory information file is displayed and compared with the contents of the schedule to check whether the planned processing can be performed. It is something.

However, if the result of checking the availability of materials is that there are no or insufficient materials, you will naturally have to take measures such as ordering materials or running another schedule program first, but this work is difficult. , on-site 1
This is not something that can be done simply by making judgments at the worker level.

Conventionally, schedule program creators who work in the office come down to the site from time to time to check the stock status of materials and create schedules.

However, if you perform processing that was not originally in the production plan and was introduced as an interruption, and then execute the schedule created during that time, there is a possibility that materials will run out or become insufficient and the processing will be skipped. be. Additionally, because such bumps may occur, field workers are forced to check their schedules. Alternatively, if there is a shortage of material, processing using that material will be skipped, and the remaining processing will be performed later.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As mentioned above, in conventional FMS compatible processing lines, part of the schedule may be skipped due to material shortage, and the skipped processing must be performed later. , there was a problem that the lines were disturbed.

In addition, in order to prevent such skips from occurring, field workers check the schedule, but the checking work is difficult and although it is possible to change the schedule execution order, There is a problem in that it is not possible to order the missing materials.

Furthermore, the office must create a schedule to avoid material shortages, but if the schedule has been created in advance, if there is an interruption, or if the order of execution of the schedule is changed, the schedule cannot be executed. At this point, the inventory status of the automated warehouse has already changed, so there was a problem in that the inventory status of the automated warehouse had to be checked again and again.

Therefore, the present invention provides a processing line that can automatically check the material shortage status of the created schedule and output only schedules that will not cause material shortages to the processing line, thereby preventing the occurrence of processing skips. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a schedule editing device.

[Structure of the Invention (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention to achieve the above object stores various materials in a large number of material storage stations, and responds to requests from processing machines that operate on a schedule. In a schedule operation device for a processing line equipped with an automatic warehouse that supplies materials as appropriate, the schedule for the processing line is edited, and the main controller that instructs the schedule operation associates the number of materials of a predetermined type with the execution program name and executes them sequentially. a schedule editing means for editing a schedule to be executed, and comparing the materials used in the schedule created by the schedule editing means with the inventory status of the automated warehouse to determine whether there will be a shortage of materials when executing the schedule. A material shortage check means is provided.

Furthermore, the inventory status of the automated warehouse compared by the material shortage checking means is the inventory status based on the assumption that the schedule that has already been simulated has been executed, regarding the schedule that is currently being executed and the schedule for simulation. It is characterized by

(Function) In the schedule operation device for a processing line of the present invention, the main controller that commands schedule operation is provided with a schedule editing means and a material shortage checking means, and the schedule editing means inputs the number of materials of a predetermined type in the execution program name. A schedule to be executed sequentially is edited, and a material shortage checking means compares the materials used in the schedule created by the schedule editing means with the stock status of the automated warehouse, and in executing the schedule. Determine the state of material shortage.

Therefore, by referring to the check results as appropriate,
It is now possible to know when there is a material shortage, and if there is a material shortage, the schedule can be changed accordingly, or the schedule execution order can be changed to execute only the schedule that will not cause a material shortage. can be done.

Furthermore, the inventory status of the automated warehouse compared by the material shortage checking means is the inventory status based on the assumption that the schedule that has already been simulated has been executed, regarding the schedule that is currently being executed and the schedule for simulation. If this is the case, you can check for material shortages one by one by appropriately combining multiple schedules.

(Example) FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an FMS applied echelon in which the present invention can be implemented.

In the figure, the processing line 1 of this example is equipped with an automatic warehouse 3 equipped with racks 2 having multi-row, multi-stage storage stations, and behind the racks 2, sheet metal is placed from the rear side with respect to a predetermined storage station. A material carrying device 4 for carrying in materials is provided.

In addition, in front of the rack 2, there is a lifting platform 5 that can be positioned to the height of each storage station of the rack 2, and a material loading/unloading device (traverser) 6 that can be moved to any position on the front side of the rack 2. is provided. Therefore, the material stored in one storage station by the material loading device 14 can be transferred to another storage station by the general loading/unloading operation of the loading/unloading device 6, and can be stored in the storage station as appropriate. Materials or products (semi-finished products) can be taken out onto the lifting platform 5 as appropriate.

An NC punch press machine 9 equipped with a loading device 7 and an unloading device 8 is arranged on a line at a certain distance from the front side of the rack 2. In between, a transport path 1o is provided as appropriate, and the materials are processed into products in the order of arrows A, 口, C, 2, and E, and are transported to the next process or shipping section as appropriate. . The same applies even if the NC bunch press machine 9 is a laser processing machine or other processing machine.

In the processing line 1 having the above configuration, each machine or device is provided with a controller 11 for controlling each machine, and each controller is connected to each other by a LAN line 12.
A main controller (IMC) 1B for outputting schedule operation commands is connected to the line 12.

Among the equipment controllers 11, a controller (stocker controller) that controls the automated warehouse 31 is indicated by lla.

An automatic programming device 14 is connected to the main controller 13 .

As shown in detail in FIG.
Reference numeral 3 comprises a personal computer main body 17 having a built-in hard disk, an insertion slot 15 for a floppy disk, and a 15' color CRT 16. PC body 17
For example, it is placed on the computer desk 18. A kanji printer 20 and a cassette streamer unit 21 are arranged on an overtop desk 19 on a personal computer main body 17. Further, an IC card unit 22, a keyboard 23, and a mouse 24 are arranged above the computer desk 18 and on the side of the computer main body 17.

FIG. 4 shows the software configuration of the hard disk HD built into the personal computer body 17.

As shown in the figure, the hard disk HD is divided into a system software area 25 and a data area 26.

The system software basin 25 is provided with a main module 27 that manages all modules, and under this main module 27 there are an NC tape interface module 28, a schedule editing module 29, a maintenance module 30, and a schedule sending module 31. An NC tape interface 32 is connected to the NC tape interface module 28, an inventory data receiving module 33 is connected to the schedule editing module 29,
An interface 34 for communicating with each device controller is connected to the schedule transmission module 31.

The data area 26 also includes a storage section 35 for storing NC programs and material data, a storage section 36 for storing edited schedule programs, an inventory information storage section 37 for generating and storing inventory data, and a system storage section 35 for storing NC programs and material data. It has a storage section 38 that stores various parameters.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schedule operation device 39 for a processing line according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The in-vehicle W39 includes a part of the module mainly formed in the hard disk HD of the main controller 13, and the LA
It is configured using the inventory information file 40 possessed by the automated warehouse controller (ISC) lla connected via the N line 12.

In the figure, the schedule operation device 39 includes an operation section 41
, a display section 42 , and a schedule editing section 43 , and a material shortage checking section 44 and a schedule operation commanding section 45 are connected to the schedule editing section 43 .

An inventory data creation unit 47 is arranged between the material shortage check unit 44 and the communication unit 46, and the material shortage check unit 44
The check results are displayed on the display section 42 and the missing material ordering section 48.
It is now output to .

The inventory data creation unit 47 refers to the inventory information file 40 via the communication unit 46 and generates inventory data required by the inventory data creation unit 47.

FIG. 5 shows a schedule editing method in the schedule operation device W39 having the above configuration.

When a schedule program as shown in FIG. 6 is edited using the screen of the display section 42 in step 501,
In step 502, inventory information reception processing is executed to create inventory data.

Here, the inventory information is the controller 11a of the automated warehouse 3.
This is the content of the inventory information file 40 as shown in FIG. 8, which is held by do.

Therefore, in step 503, by comparing the materials required for execution of the schedule program with inventory data,
The shortage of material is checked, and the number of sheets lacking is displayed in correspondence with the process in which the material is insufficient, as shown in FIG.

This example is an example where all NC programs use the same material, and it means that the material is exhausted at the end of NCPOO5.

In this way, in this example, the controller lla of the automated warehouse 3
By checking whether the required material exists in the inventory information retrieved from the machine, it is possible to check for material shortages without driving. Furthermore, if there is a shortage of materials, the office can know how far the material will run out after processing, or how many pieces of material are in short supply. Furthermore, since the schedule program is being created at this stage, it is relatively easy to operate the missing material ordering unit 48 as appropriate to order the missing materials before actual processing, or to rearrange the schedule.

In the above explanation, the material shortage was checked when creating the schedule, but it is also possible to check for the material shortage before running the schedule, which has already been edited.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but can be implemented in any appropriate manner by making appropriate changes during design.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the present invention is a schedule operation device for a processing line as described in the claims. Only the unique schedule that occurs can be output to the processing line, and processing skips can be prevented without the need for on-site workers to check for material shortages, making it possible to operate the processing line efficiently.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a schedule operation device for a processing line according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective explanatory view showing an example of the processing line, and Fig. 3 shows a specific example of the configuration of the main controller. 4 is a block diagram showing the module configuration of the main controller, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the schedule editing method, FIGS. 6 and 7 are explanatory diagrams of the schedule program editing screen, and FIG.
The figure is an explanatory diagram of the inventory information file. 1...Processing line 3...Automated warehouse 11...Equipment controller 11a...Automated warehouse controller 42-1.42-2...Schedule editing screen 44.
...Material shortage checking department 47...Inventory data creation department agent Patent attorney Hide Miyoshi Figure 1 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 6

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In a processing line schedule operation device equipped with an automatic warehouse that stores various materials in a large number of material storage stations and supplies materials as appropriate in response to requests from processing machines that are scheduled to operate, the processing line schedule a schedule editing means for editing a schedule to be executed sequentially by associating the execution program name with the number of materials of a predetermined type in the main controller that instructs scheduled operation; A schedule operation device for a processing line, comprising: a material shortage check means for comparing the materials to be stored with the stock status of the automated warehouse and determining whether there is a material shortage due to execution of the schedule. (2) In claim 1, the inventory status of the automated warehouse compared by the material shortage checking means is based on the assumption that the currently simulated schedule and the simulation schedule have been executed. A scheduled operation device for a processing line, characterized in that it is in stock status.