FI71439C - FOERFARANDE FOER OEVERVAKNING AV STYCKEN UNDER SVAORA PRODUKTIONSFOERHAOLLANDEN - Google Patents

Description

1 71439

METHOD FOR MONITORING PARTS IN DIFFICULT PRODUCTION CONDITIONS

The invention relates to a method by means of which individual pieces can be automatically marked and monitored in piece goods production even when the environmental conditions are difficult from the point of view of marking.

5 It is often desirable to monitor the production of unit goods in order to be able to collect information on the performance of production; for example, the number of pieces at different production stages, the lead times of the pieces and the ability of the different production stages to cope with their task.

10 Indeed, there are a number of ways to monitor production, ranging from periodic craft tests to continuous automatic monitoring. Automatic tracking is based on .for, for example, piece counters at different stages of production or, at its broadest, the marking of pieces and its monitoring-15 la.

Marking and tracking of individual tracks is used when accurate tracking information is desired in addition to statistics, and when the progress of individual tracks cannot otherwise be tracked (e.g., tracks get mixed up).

20 There are several devices for automatic tagging and tracking of tracks based on a barcode printed on paper or a label with a printer. Bar code devices come from the needs of retail (product information) and have also spread to the production of piece goods. However, in an industrial environment, printing a barcode is not always possible when conditions are difficult to label. Examples of complicating factors are mechanical stresses (rough handling), chemical stresses and poor marking surfaces. The durability of barcode labels has been improved in some cases by choosing more durable adhesives, using metal labels and, for example, heat treatment. These procedures have been able to improve the durability and heat resistance of labels in some situations. However, problem 71439 is still code scratching and poor adhesion of the label to a rough surface.

The tracking method according to the invention has the possibility of eliminating the above-mentioned drawbacks. The method is characterized by 5 aspects of the claims.

The marking obtained according to the presented method also writes well on a rough and uneven surface. By selecting different substances that make up the label, the label can also be made on a damp surface and the label can be made resistant to chemical substances. The mechanical resistance of the marking is good, as the marking does not form protrusions from the surface of the part. In addition, on porous surfaces, the marking penetrates deeper than the surface, resulting in excellent durability. The quality of the label is designed for automatic writing and reading.

15 The method will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows the marking and tracing system as a whole. The system is used to monitor the production of piece goods as the pieces pass on the production line (1). The system consists of one or more marking stations (2), one or more reading stations (3), common marking tanks and pumps for marking stations (4) and a data processing unit (7). The substance used for the marking is brought to the marking stations by pipeline (5) and the information on the marks is transmitted to the data processing unit via the telecommunication connection (6). The marking and reading stations are located on the production line so that all the desired pieces become marked at some stage of production and all the pieces are read again to search for marks at a later stage. The numbers of entry stations and reading stations are not tied to each other. The task of the data processing unit is to collect and process monitoring data. Marker tanks and pumps may be common to all marking stations, but in some cases several tanks and pumps may need to be included in the system in parallel, for example when the distances between the marking stations are long.

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Figure 2 shows the structure of the label used. The entry consists of one or more code positions (8), each of which contains one or more periods (9). Each period represents the basic unit (number) of the data to be stored. Two or more levels of code can be coded for each of the 5 basic units. Levels are formed using different markers (e.g., different colors). The direction of movement of the entry is the longitudinal direction of the code positions.

Figure 3 shows the principle of forming a label. During marking 10, either the significant body passes the stationary spray nozzles or the spray nozzles are passed past the stationary body (10). The marking is formed by spraying (12) the marking agent with spray nozzles (11) on the body (13) during movement. Each nozzle, if necessary, forms one level (8, 9) of the periods of one code position.

The marking consists of the mark left by the marker jet hitting the surface of the article (14) and the intervals between sprays, i.e. the original surface of the article (15).

Figure 4 shows the structure of the marking station. The conveyor system with its guides (16) takes care of the required movement between the body (17) and the spray nozzles and the correct alignment of the body. The marking is sprayed from the nozzle holder (18), where the necessary spray nozzles are located. The arrival and movement of the piece is detected by the position / speed sensor (19). The spray nozzles are controlled by a control unit (29) which controls the position / speed based on the content information provided by the sensor and the signal. The content information of the mark is obtained either from the hand-panel list (21) or from the computer interface (22). In addition, marking stations have common marker tanks and pumps (23). Each 30 tracer reservoir and pump contains one tracer.

Figure 5 shows the structure of the entry reading station. The conveyor system with its guides (24) takes care of the movement between the part (25) and the reading sensor (27) and the alignment of the part. The marking is read with the reading sensor (27). The arrival of the track and the movement of 35 are detected by the position / speed sensor (26). The reading of the entry and the interpretation of the content of the entry are performed by the reader unit (28).

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Information about the content of the entry is transmitted via a computer interface (29) to the data processing unit (30) and to the display (31) of the control panel. The purpose of the control panel is to allow the reading station to be adjusted manually.

The above description, as well as the figures, are only an example of one embodiment of the invention. Embodiments of the invention may vary widely within the scope of the claims.

Claims (1)

5 71439 Method for automatic monitoring of the production of piece goods by means of marking suitable for difficult conditions-characterized in that a code line (consisting of lines) is formed on pieces in one or more 5 marking units (2), codes are read in one or more 1 units (3) and control is controlled and results are processed in the unit (7) so that in the marking unit the formation of the marking is controlled by the position / speed sensor a (19), the control unit (20) and the transport system (16) and in 1 unit the figure is controlled by the position / speed sensor (26), the reading is interpreted in the reader unit (28), the marking is read by the sensor 11a (27) and the information about the marking is provided to the data processing unit (30) and the marking is formed by spraying a marker at a suitable distance from the nozzle holder (18) during mutual motion so that ru the impact valves as well as the tracer are one or more of a single label 20 forming that the label consists of one or more code positions (8), wherein each code position includes one or more code sections (9), wherein each code section includes two or more levels of code.