JPH0793418A - Manufacture controlling system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To manage assembled bodies and components in a correct correspondence state as to the manufacture controlling system. CONSTITUTION:When a component is assembled in an assembled body circulating along an assembly line, the discrimination numbers given peculiarly to the assembled body and component respectively, are read out and registered in a file F6, and then assembling operation is performed by this system. This system is equipped with an area deciding means 6 which decides whether or not an area in the file where the read discrimination numbers are to be registered are in an uninputted state, an alarm means 7 which inhibits the discrimination numbers from being registered and displays that fact when the area is in an inputted state, thereby preventing the discrimination numbers from being registered doubly.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a manufacturing control system used in a production line for vehicles and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in production lines for vehicles and the like,
FA (Factory Automation) technology in which all work related to product manufacturing, such as vehicle transportation and assembly control, is performed under the control of a computer for the purpose of improving product quality, reducing manufacturing costs, and improving productivity. The production system which introduced is adopted. In such a production system, a vehicle is sequentially transported to various assembling machines under the control of a computer, and each assembling machine is provided with control data determined in accordance with product specifications and the like. In this way, the target product is automatically produced without any human labor.

For processes requiring strict control, for example, the results of work performed by the assembly machine, such as the tightening condition of bolts, are measured by sensors, and the measurement results are obtained for each product or each part. It is inspected whether or not it matches the common set value prepared in. Then, only the object to be assembled that has passed the inspection is flown to the next step. In this way, the work and the monitoring thereof are carried out as a unit, and a high quality product is stably produced.

In such a production system, a plurality of parts to be assembled on a vehicle body distributed along the production line are given unique serial numbers (identification numbers). By storing the serial number in the save file, the history of the part can be managed in association with the vehicle body.

Conventionally, in order to make this correspondence, the frame number (identification number) is read from the assembly specification corresponding to each vehicle body, and the serial number read until the next frame number is read. , Is registered in the save file in correspondence with the previous frame number.
In this case, if the serial numbers of the parts of the same format are read multiple times for the same frame number, the serial numbers read later are regarded as genuine and registered, When the serial number is read, the parts can be freely replaced when there is a defect.

[0006]

However, in such a system, a discrepancy may occur between the frame number stored in the save file and the serial number. That is, when the work of mounting a part on a vehicle body is time-consuming and the work of mounting the next car body is performed, the serial number is read without reading the frame number of the subsequent car body and the part is loaded. When the vehicle is mounted on the later vehicle body, the component is registered in the save file as being mounted on the vehicle body on the front side, which is inconvenient.

Further, in the case where the worker mistakenly reads another serial number even though the part is already mounted on the vehicle body, the part read later in the save file is displayed. There is a problem that is treated as if it was attached to the vehicle body. Then, even if he / she notices this and tries to read the correct serial number, in many cases, the reading cannot be carried out again unless the relevant part is removed from the vehicle body, which requires a great number of work steps.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing control system capable of correctly associating an object to be assembled such as a vehicle body with a part and managing the parts. .

[0009]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention, when assembling parts to an assembly to be distributed along an assembly line, is unique to each of the assembly and the parts. It is determined whether the area in the file where the read identification number is to be registered is in a non-input state in the system that performs the assembly work after reading the identification number assigned to the file and registering it in the file. It proposes a manufacturing control system which comprises an area determining means for controlling and a warning means for prohibiting the registration of the identification number in the area and displaying the fact when the area is already input.

[0010]

According to the manufacturing control system of the present invention, the identification number of the assembly to be circulated along the assembly line and the identification number of the part to be assembled to the assembly can be read. Then, before these identification numbers are registered in the file, the area determination means is operated to determine whether or not the area in the file in which the identification numbers are to be registered is in a non-input state. As a result, when the area is already input, the alarm means is activated to prohibit the registration of the identification number, and a message to that effect is displayed. In the case of the non-input state, the identification number is written in the area.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the manufacturing control system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a manufacturing control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This manufacturing control system
Safety equipment (Supplemental Restrai
nt System: Hereinafter, abbreviated as SRS. ) Assembling SR
It is applied to the S assembly line, and is installed in the factory along with equipment for performing each work on the line.

First, before explaining the manufacturing control system, the SRS assembly line will be described. The SRS is composed of the following five types of parts. Dashboard sensor R Dashboard sensor L SRS unit Cable reel module assembly

The SRS assembly line has a plurality of steps for assembling the above-mentioned components, and each step basically carries out one type of operation. In addition, each of the above components is prepared in advance in each process corresponding to each.

There are various types of vehicles to which the SRS is to be assembled (hereinafter, this type of vehicle is referred to as SRS specification vehicle), and the SRS to be assembled according to each specification.
The configuration of is different. For example, a vehicle of a certain specification needs to be assembled with the SRS including all of the above five items, and a vehicle of another specification does not require some parts. This SR
In the S assembly line, each time a vehicle arrives at each process, the vehicle is identified, and based on the identification result, it is determined whether or not the parts prepared for the process should be assembled to the vehicle. Is done. Also, indicate the difference in the assembly parts due to the difference in specifications. By such control, only the parts required by each vehicle are assembled to each vehicle.

Further, each of the above-mentioned parts is provided with a serial number by a bar code. For example, different initials are used in the serial number depending on the type of each component in order to distinguish between the types of components such as computers and sensors. The serial number of each part is collected when it is mounted on a vehicle.
In each process, bolt tightening work, fitting work, etc.
When each part is assembled, information indicating the result of the work, such as the tightening torque value and the fitting state, is collected. In this way, the manufacturing control system according to the present embodiment collects the serial numbers of the respective parts and the work state at the time of assembling them as work result data, and manages the collected work result data for each vehicle.

As the SRS assembly line described above,
First to third lines are installed in this factory.
Each vehicle carried into the factory is put into any one of these lines, and the SRS is assembled as necessary.

Next, the structure of the manufacturing control system will be described. In FIG. 1, FS1 to FS3 are file servers provided corresponding to the first to third lines, respectively. These file servers FS1 to FS3 have various files that store information for controlling the work performed by each line, the work result data, and the like.

Each of CT1 and CT2 is a communication terminal, and controls an entire automobile production line by an ALC (Assemb).
le Line Control) connected to the host computer HST via a communication line. Two communication terminals CT1 and CT2 are provided for duplexing the communication function, and are collectively referred to as communication terminals CTn below. AF-ON, which is the reception data related to the input vehicle when the vehicle is input to the SRS assembly line
Data is transmitted from the host computer HST. The communication terminal CTn receives the AF-ON data thus transmitted. When the vehicle is line-off from the SRS assembly line, the history information about the vehicle on the SRS assembly line is transmitted from the communication terminal CTn to the host computer HST as AF-OFF data.

The work terminals WT, WT, ... Are arranged one by one for each process forming each line. As shown in FIG. 4, each of these work terminals WT has a bar code reader 1.2 or a bar code reader used for identifying a vehicle body or parts,
Devices such as an ETC (electrical torque control) wrench 3 or a constant torque wrench 4 (manual control by an operator) used for tightening work and a fitting mouse 5 used for fitting work are connected. In each step, only the devices necessary for the step are connected.

In the work terminal WT, as shown in FIG. 6, when the serial number of the component is read by the bar code reader 2, an area judging means 6 for accessing an inspection machine data file F6 which will be described later, Warning means 7 for issuing a warning based on the result of the judgment by the area judging means 6
And reset means 8 used when parts are replaced for some reason.

The area judging means 6 accesses the inspection machine data file F6 and judges whether or not the area in the inspection machine data file F6 in which the read serial number is to be stored is in a non-input state. It is supposed to do. In each area in the inspection machine data file F6, AF-ON data for the vehicle body is stored in the host computer HS.
When transmitted from T, for example, the area is filled with a space, and the area determination unit 6 checks whether the area is filled with a space or not, so that the area is not input. It is possible to determine whether or not there is.

If the area judging means 6 judges that the area where the serial number is to be written is not a space, the alarm means 7 prohibits writing the serial number to the area and the area has already been input. A message indicating the state is displayed on the CRT of the work terminal WT and an alarm such as the buzzer 9 is sounded.

On the other hand, when the area judging means 6 judges that the area is in the non-input state, the serial number writing permission to the area is C of the work terminal WT.
Assigned to PU. Then, after that, the work terminal WT,
Each of the WTs, ... Has the following functions in the process under its control. Control of work to be performed in each process under its control. This control includes the identification of incoming vehicles, the determination of work availability,
This includes control of an ETC (electrical torque control) wrench or constant torque wrench that performs work content determination, assembly part determination, and tightening work. Confirmation of the work contents actually performed in each process under their control, specifically the value of the torque in the tightening work,
Collects the state of the mating part after the mating work and the serial number of assembly parts. Formation of work result data based on the above collection results. Judgment as to whether or not work has been performed in a manner satisfying predetermined criteria and display of judgment results.

The reset means 8 validates the serial number to be read later when the alarm means 7 points out that the serial number is double read or when the already assembled parts are replaced. The serial number can be designated and the area on the inspection machine data file F6 can be filled with a space.

One management terminal MTn (n = 1 to 3) is installed for each line n and manages various files corresponding to each line. In addition, as a terminal installed for each line n, a middle inspection terminal MIT, a complete inspection terminal FI
T, maintenance terminal MET, form terminal BT, adjustment terminal ADT, reinspection terminal RT, and the like. Also, N1 and N2
Respectively form a network and are used as a data transmission path between each terminal device in this manufacturing control system.

Next, various files used in this manufacturing control system will be described. Each file server FSn (n = 1 to 3) uses the ALC reception file F1 shown in FIG. 2 as a management file for each line n.
It holds the ALC transmission file F2, the SRS work table F4, the inspection machine data file F6 and the like. The specific contents of the files mainly involved in this embodiment will be described in detail below.

(1) SRS work table F4 The SRS work table F4 defines work contents when assembling SRS parts to a vehicle in this SRS assembly line, and as shown in FIG. 3, SRS symbols and SR.
It consists of S symbol contents, parts table data, tightening table data, and fitting table data.

Each work terminal WT searches each time for the part data, the tightening data and the fitting data in the work table F4 by using the process number of the process under its control as a key, and fetches the relevant data. Of these, the tightening data and the fitting data are used for controlling the tightening work and the fitting work in the jurisdiction process at each work terminal WT that has taken them in. In addition, each work terminal WT is
When fetching the tightening data and the fitting data, the areas in which they are described in the work table F4 are stored. The stored contents of these areas are referred to when the work terminal WT forms work data described later.

(2) Inspection machine data file F6 This inspection machine data file F6 stores work data corresponding to each vehicle to be put into the SRS assembly line. These work data are created by the management terminal MTn each time new AF-ON data is written in the ALC reception file F1. FIG. 5 shows the format of work data. As shown in the figure, the work data includes the contents regarding the AF-ON data which is the reception data regarding the input vehicle, N1 parts data, N2 tightening data, N3.
Includes individual fitting data.

Each of these items is reserved for recording the result of work performed on the vehicle, and can be filled with a space having no content at the time of being created by the management terminal MTn. ing. In these items, work result data (part number, tightening data, fitting data) collected by the work terminal WT when the vehicle corresponding to the work data passes through each process is sequentially written. Further, the work data includes items corresponding to various inspection processes and adjustment processes, such as medium inspection determination date, ..., Complete inspection determination date, ..., Adjustment determination date. For each of these items, the data collected in each step is written when the vehicle passes through the corresponding step.

The operation of the manufacturing control system thus configured will be described below. §1. System Initialization The manufacturing management system becomes operable by turning on and initializing the power of each terminal in the SRS assembly line. Here, when an operation for initialization is performed on the work terminal WT, the work table WT is accessed by the work terminal WT via the file server FSn, and the component data, tightening data, or fitting data in the table is accessed. Of the data, the data corresponding to the process to which the work terminal WT belongs is read. After that, the work terminal WT of each process controls the tightening work or the fitting work in the process according to the read tightening data or fitting data. Further, the work terminal WT stores the order in the component data, tightening data or fitting data of each data when reading the data from the work table. After that, the work terminal W
When the serial number of the part, the tightening torque measurement result, or the fitting state is sampled by T, the writing position of the sampled result on the work data is determined according to the order stored at the time of reading. . That is, when the work terminal WT of a certain process reads the third part data in the work table F4, the work terminal WT thereafter incorporates the serial number extracted from the part into the work data as the third part data. The same applies to the tightening data and the fitting data.

§2. AF-ON data reception When a vehicle is inserted into the SRS assembly line, AF-ON data, which is reception data regarding the vehicle, is transmitted from the host computer HST to the communication terminal CTn. When the communication terminal CTn receives the AF-ON data, the communication terminal CTn reads the line number in the data, and the file server FSn (n
= 1 to 3), the AF-ON data is sent to the file server corresponding to the line number. As a result, the received AF
-ON data is written in the ALC reception file F1 held by the file server.

§3. Work Data Creation On the other hand, the management terminal MTn constantly repeatedly determines whether or not there is new data in the ALC reception file F1.
Then, when the management terminal MTn finds new AF-ON data, it creates work data (FIG. 5) in the inspection machine data file F6.

§4. Manufacturing history management table issuance The host computer HST issues AF-ON data to this manufacturing management system and then issues a manufacturing history management table for vehicles to be inserted into the SRS assembly line. A bar code representing the frame number of the vehicle to be put into the SRS assembly line is printed on the manufacturing history management table. This bar code is also printed on the assembly specifications. The manufacturing history management table issued by the host computer HST is put into the corresponding vehicle.

§5. Processing in each work process Vehicles are transported by a conveyor and sequentially sent to each process in the SRS assembly line. In each step, the process described below is performed every time a vehicle arrives. First, when the vehicle arrives in front of the work terminal WT, the bar code of the assembly specification is scanned by the bar code reader, the frame number represented by the bar code is read, and displayed on the display screen of the work terminal. However, if the assembly specifications are broken, the bar code on the manufacturing history management table inside the vehicle can be read.

Next, the work terminal WT searches the work data in the inspection machine data file F6 using the frame number read by the bar code reader as a key. Then, based on the search result, the work table data corresponding to the SRS symbol of the work data is read out, and it is determined whether or not the parts forming the SRS should be mounted on the vehicle.

If the incoming vehicle is an SRS specification vehicle and the work is to be performed in the process, the work data corresponding to the frame number read by the bar code reader is the inspection machine data file F6.
The work data is read from the work terminal WT and written into the work data storage area in the memory built in the work terminal WT. Further, the content of this work data is displayed on the screen of the work terminal WT.

Based on this display, the worker takes out the parts prepared for each process and reads the serial number by the bar code reader 2. When the serial number is read, the area determination means 6 is first activated to determine whether the serial number writing area in the inspection machine data file F6 is a space.

If the area is a space, the serial number has been read for the first time, and writing to the area is permitted. Conversely, in the area,
When the numbers other than the space are written, it is judged by the area judging means 6 that the serial numbers of the other parts are written, and based on this judgment, the warning means 7
Is activated. As a result, along with the buzzer 9, a display indicating that the area is already input is displayed on the C of the work terminal WT.
Displayed on RT.

When it is desired to replace the serial number written in the inspection machine data file F6 based on this alarm or in an arbitrary state where the serial number has already been read, the reset provided in the work terminal WT. When the worker operates the means 8, the area in the inspection machine data file F6 is returned to the non-input state based on the designated serial number, and the serial number can be newly read. Further, when assembling two or more parts of different types in a single process, it is possible to read them due to the difference in the initial letters of the serial numbers, and the alarm means 7 is not activated.

§6. Inspection process The vehicle that has passed each process and completed the assembly of the SRS parts is then transported to the intermediate inspection process and arrives before the intermediate inspection terminal MIT in the process. Then, the manufacturing history management table is retrieved from the vehicle, the matching work data is searched from the work data in the inspection machine data file F6, and the work data obtained by the search is displayed. Then, the worker determines whether or not the SRS assembly work is normally performed. If this determination result is "Yes", the work data is printed on the manufacturing history management table. In the case of “No”, the inspection terminal M
The IT writes information that means “pass acceptance” as an item of the intermediate inspection determination of the work data in the inspection machine data file F6. Then, the worker makes a comprehensive judgment as to whether or not the work is normally completed. This judgment result is written in the intermediate inspection judgment item of the work data in the inspection machine data file F6.

Then, the work data of the vehicle that has undergone the intermediate inspection is read by the management terminal MTn, and AF-OFF data to which other necessary history information is added is created, and ALC is set.
Write to the transmission file F2. Then, the AF-OFF
Data is sent to the host computer H by the communication terminal CTn.
Sent to ST.

A vehicle which has passed the result of the intermediate inspection is put into a completed vehicle inspection process and arrives in front of the complete inspection terminal FIT in the process. Then, the worker confirms the manufacturing history management table and makes a comprehensive judgment as to whether or not the work is normally completed. If a defect is found as a result of this determination, information that means “pass acceptance” is written as an item for the complete inspection determination of the work data. The inspection result is AF-O at the same time as the intermediate inspection.
The FF data is transmitted to the host computer HST, and the host computer HST determines whether or not the vehicle may be shipped.

[0044]

As described above, the manufacturing control system according to the present invention comprises area determining means for determining whether or not the area in the file to be registered with the read identification number is in a non-input state. If the area is already input, it is equipped with an alarm means for prohibiting the registration of the identification number and displaying the fact, so that double registration of the identification number in the file is avoided and the assembly target Thus, it is possible to perform management in which the components and the components to be assembled therein are reliably associated with each other.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a manufacturing management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a relationship between various management files and respective terminals that handle them in the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a data format in a management file used in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an apparatus connected to a work terminal in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a data format in a management file used in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a work terminal in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1.2 Bar code reader 3 ETC wrench 4 Constant torque wrench 5 Fitting mouse 6 Area determination means 7 Warning means 8 Reset means 9 Buzzer MT1 to MT3 Management terminal WT work terminal FS1 to FS3 File server F4 Work table F6 Inspection machine data file HST host computer

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. When assembling a part to an assembly to be distributed along an assembly line, the identification numbers uniquely assigned to the assembly and the component are read and registered in a file, In the system for performing the assembling work, area determination means for determining whether or not the area in the file where the read identification number is to be registered is in an uninput state, and when the area is in the already input state, A manufacturing control system, comprising: alarm means for prohibiting registration of an identification number in the area and displaying the fact.