JPH0611461B2 - Transfer machine control information setting method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION "Industrial field of application" The present invention relates to a transfer machine in which different types of works are flowed, and control information for automatically changing the setup of each station according to the type of the flowed works. On how to set up.

"Prior art" Different types of works can be flowed to the transfer machine one after another. The types of works are detected and identified at each station, and the processing, assembly, inspection, etc. corresponding to the types of works are performed. There are some that perform the processing of.

In this type of transfer machine, the terminal control device that controls each station is connected to the host computer that controls the control via a communication line, and each terminal control device sends a host data every time a different type of work arrives. Request control information corresponding to a new work from the computer,
In the host computer, control information is set in each terminal control device in response to a request.

However, in the conventional method described above, in the case of a dummy flow in which a large number of works of the same type are flown as a group, there is no particular problem because the frequency of requesting new control information is low. In the case of flow,
There is a problem that a control information request is generated from each terminal control device for each work, and the load on the host computer and the communication line becomes very heavy. As a result, the control information request cannot be processed immediately, and the waiting time affects the cycle time of the equipment.

"Problems to be Solved by the Invention" The present invention has been made to solve the above problems. Even in the case of random flow in which the types of works flowed in the line are different one by one, a host computer and a communication line are provided. It is an object of the present invention to provide a transfer machine control information setting method that can reduce the load on the transfer machine and can control the flow without affecting the cycle time of the equipment.

“Means for Solving Problems” Therefore, in the present invention, a terminal control device attached to each of a plurality of process equipments sequentially arranged along a line through which a work flows, and the plurality of terminal control devices. The terminal control device having a host computer connected by a communication line and attached to the process equipment arranged at the head of the line detects the identification information of the work each time the work arrives, and transmits it to the host computer. , The host computer transmits the control information for each process equipment required for processing the work to each terminal control device based on the given work identification information, and the terminal control device gives the given control information together with the work identification information. Stored in the buffer memory, each time the work arrives at the process equipment, the identification information of the work is detected and the corresponding control information is read from the buffer memory. A control information setting method for a transfer machine is provided, which is characterized in that the transfer machine is used for controlling the process equipment.

[Operation] According to the above configuration, each time the work arrives at the leading equipment, the host computer transmits and stores the control information to the terminal control device of each equipment in the subsequent process. Therefore, the terminal control device of the post-process equipment is prepared in advance with the necessary control information before the work arrives, and when the work arrives at the post-process equipment, the control information is sent to the host computer. There is no need to make an inquiry, and the necessary control can be performed by the processing inside the terminal control device. For this reason,
The load on the host computer and the communication line is lightened, and the response speed and efficiency can be improved.

[Examples] Examples of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration.

A plurality of process equipments 20, 21, 22 sequentially arranged along the line 1 through which various works 10, 11, 12, ... Are flown.
Are provided with terminal control devices 30, 31, 32, respectively, and each of the terminal control devices 30, 31, 32, ... Is a communication circuit 40.
Is connected to the host computer 50.

The terminal control device 30 of the process equipment 20 arranged at the head of the line 1 has at least the work identification information detecting means 301.
And the transmission means 302, and the works 10, 11, 12 ...
.., the identification information of the works 10, 11, 12, ... Is detected and transmitted to the host computer 50.

The host computer 50 has a memory 501 that stores control information necessary for each facility for each work type, a selection control unit 502 that selects control information required for each facility based on work identification information, and a receiving unit. 503 and a transmission means 504, and based on the work identification information received from the terminal control device 30 of the leading equipment 20, each process equipment 21,2.
2, 23 ... Each terminal control device 3 by selecting control information
1, 32, 33 ...

Each of the terminal control devices 31, 32, 33 ... Has a receiving means 311.
A storage unit 312 for storing the received information, a work identification information detection unit 313 for detecting the identification information of the work that has arrived at the process equipment, and a control corresponding to the work from the storage unit 312 based on the detected work identification information. It has a selection control means 314 for selecting information and a setup setting means 315 for setting up the process equipment from the selected control information, and the works 11, 12, 13 are set in the process equipment 21, 22, 23.
Each time a workpiece arrives, the work identification information is detected, the corresponding control information is read from the storage means 312, and the setup setting means 3 is read.
Set to 15. The setup setting means 315 sets up the process equipment 21, 22, 23 ... In accordance with the set control information.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment focusing on the hardware configuration.

The host computer 50 includes a central processing unit 510 (hereinafter referred to as CPU 510), a memory 511, and an input / output device 5.
12 (hereinafter referred to as I / O 512) and a communication line interface 513 (hereinafter referred to as I / F 513), which is connected to the CRT terminal 60 by the I / O 512.
The I / F 513 is connected to the communication line 40.

Terminal control devices 30, 31, 3 connected to the communication circuit 40
2 ... have the same hardware configuration as the one 30 arranged at the head of the line 1 and those 31, 32 ... In the post-process, which have a central processing unit (CPU) 320 and a buffer memory 32, respectively.
1, a communication circuit interface (I / F) 322 and an input / output device (I / O) 323. Each terminal control device 3
0, 31, 32, ... Are programmable controllers 201, 211, 2 for controlling process equipment by I / O 323.
21 (hereinafter referred to as a PC), and the PC 201,
Data is exchanged with 211, 221, ... The process equipments 20, 21, 22 ... Form so-called stations composed of a dedicated machine or a general-purpose machine for processing, assembling, inspecting and the like.

The work pieces 10, 11, 12, ... Are pallets 100, 101,
102 is conveyed on the line 1. Each pallet 100, 101, 102 ... Has a pallet number and a product number coded. These codes are attached by setting a projection-like flag on the side surface of the pallet 100, 101, 102, ...
Sensors 202, 212, 22 provided on 21, 22, ...
2 ... is detected. Each sensor 202, 212, 22
2 ... Programmable controller (PC) 2
01, 211, 221, ...

The control information setting process will be described based on the above hardware configuration.

First, the CRT terminal 6 is attached to the host computer 50 in advance.
From 0, production with process equipment groups 20, 21, 22 ...
Enter the production plan (product part number, production quantity, etc.) of the product to be assembled, inspected, etc. CP in host computer 50
The UT 510 reads the production plan data via the I / O 512, edits it into the form of setup control information that can be instructed to the in-process facilities 20, 21, 22, ..., And stores it in the memory 511. As the setup control information, for example, for process equipment to be inspected, information specifying the height at which measurement is to be performed,
There is information that gives a pass / fail threshold value, and there is information that specifies the tightening torque and information that specifies the assembly parts for the process equipment to be assembled. With the above, the preparation is completed, and thereafter, the processing is performed every time the pallets 100, 101, 102, ... arrive at the process equipments 20, 21, 22 ,.

In FIG. 3, the pallets 100, 1 are attached to the process equipment 20 (hereinafter referred to as the process leading equipment 20) arranged at the head of the line.
Flowchart showing processing when 01 ... Arrives, Fourth
The figure shows each process equipment 21, 22, 23 ...
It is a flowchart which shows the process when the pallets 100, 101 ... Arrives at (hereinafter referred to as in-process equipment 21, 22, 23 ...).

When the pallet 101 arrives at the process leading equipment 20, the sensor 202 detects the pallet number and the product number and notifies the programmable controller (PC) 201 (step 701). The CPU 320 of the terminal control device 30 is a PC
201 is monitored, and the pallet number and the product number are read from the I / O 323 (step 702). And
The pallet information is reported to the host computer 50 via the I / F 322 and the communication line 40 (step 7).
03).

When the host computer 50 receives the pallet number and the product number from the I / F 513 (step 704), the setup control information stored in the memory 511 in advance is associated with the pallet number and stored in the association memory ( Steps 705 and 706).

Next, the CPU 510 of the host computer 50 sequentially provides the setup control information with pallet numbers to the terminal control devices 31, 32, ... Of the in-process facilities 21, 22 ,.
The data is transmitted via the I / F 513 and the communication line 40 (step 707). This transmission process is sequentially performed during the idle time when the load of the CPU 510 is light until the next pallet 100 arrives at the process leading equipment 20. For example, the minimum interval time until the next pallet 100 arrives is 12 seconds,
If the number of in-process facilities 21, 22, ... Is 24 and the average time required to transmit the setup control information to each terminal control device 31, 32 ... Is 0.2 seconds, all terminal control devices The time required to transmit the setup control information to 31, 32, ... Is 0.2 × 24 = 4.8 seconds, and the transmission can be completed within the idle time.

Terminal control devices 31, 32 ... Of the equipment 21, 22 ... In each process
Then, the setup control information with the palette number received via the communication line 40 and the I / F 322 is stored in the buffer memory 321 (step 708), and the processing of this time is ended.

Next, when the pallet 103 that has passed through the process leading facility 20 arrives at the in-process facility 21, the sensor 212 detects the pallet number and notifies the PC 211 of it. The PC 211 outputs the setup request signal and the pallet number to the terminal control device 31 (step 801). CPU of terminal control device 31
Upon receiving the setup request signal from the PC 211, 320 reads the pallet number (step 802), searches the buffer memory 321 and reads the setup control information corresponding to the pallet number (step 803). And I /
The setup control information corresponding to the requested pallet number is set in the PC 211 of the in-process facility 21 via O323 (step 804). The PC 211 controls the in-process facility 21 in accordance with the set-up control information to perform the set-up operation (step 810). On the other hand, the terminal control device 3
The first CPU 320 sends a report to the host computer 50 indicating that the setup control information has been set (step 805). By receiving this report, the host computer 50 grasps the progress status of each pallet 100, 101 ... (Steps 806, 80).
7).

In the above series of processing 800, the pallet is installed in each process equipment 2
The same is done each time the vehicle arrives at 1, 22, ...

As described above, according to this embodiment, the in-process facilities 21, 2
At the time when the pallet arrives at 2 ... and the setup request is issued from each PC 211, 221, ..., the necessary setup control information has already been stored in the buffer memory 321 of each terminal control device 31, 32. , The terminal control devices 31, 32, ... Can be processed independently, and high-speed response can be realized without burdening the host computer 50 and the communication line 40.

In addition, PCs 211, 211 of many in-process equipments 21, 22 ...
Even if a large number of setup requests are issued simultaneously from 21 ..., the response time is the same as when a single setup request is issued, because the setup instruction processing is performed by each of the terminal control devices 31, 32 ... However, the setup instruction completion reports may be concentrated, but there is no particular problem because the post-report processing is not required to have high speed.

In the above-described embodiment, the process leading equipment 20 is used only for detecting the pallet number and the product number and obtaining the work identification information. However, the process leading equipment 20 also produces (processes, assembles, inspects, etc.). Of course, it may be performed. In this case, the pallet 1 is placed in the process leading equipment 20.
When 01 arrives, the difference is that the processing 700 shown in FIG. 3 is followed by the processing 800 shown in FIG.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the pallet number is used for the setup control information, but the product number may be used for the setup control information. In addition, the pallets 100, 10
The work 1 arrived by reading the product number with a bar code or the like on the works 10, 11, 12, ...
It is also possible to identify 0, 11, 12, ...

Further, in the above embodiment, the processing inspection line is
The present invention can be applied to the C line and the robot line.

Any communication line 40 may be used as long as it constitutes a network capable of exchanging data (1: N communication) between the host computer 50 and the terminal control devices 30, 31, 32, ... Other than the twisted pair cable. It can also be implemented by coaxial cable, optical fiber, or wireless.

"Effects of the Invention" As described above, the present invention has the above-mentioned configuration, and stores the control information necessary for the near future in the terminal control device of each process equipment arranged at the rear of the line. Therefore, it is possible to avoid flooding control information requests to the host computer from many process facilities, reduce temporary load on the host computer and communication line, and easily perform random flow control. It has an excellent effect that it can be done.

[Brief description of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 1 and 2 are block diagrams, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are flowcharts showing processing when a pallet arrives. 1 ... Line, 10, 11, 12 ... Work, 20, 2
1, 22 ... Process equipment, 30, 31, 32 ... Terminal control device, 40 ... Communication line, 50 ... Host computer, 100, 101, 102 ... Pallet, 202, 2
12, 222 ... Sensor, 321 ... Buffer memory.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Takashi Suganuma 1-1-1, Showa-cho, Kariya city, Aichi Nihon Denso Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-61-52703 (JP, A) JP-A-54 -52934 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A terminal control device attached to each of a plurality of process equipments sequentially arranged along a line through which a work flows, and a host computer connected to the plurality of terminal control devices by a communication line. However, the terminal control device attached to the process equipment located at the beginning of the line detects the work identification information each time the work arrives and sends it to the host computer. Based on the above, control information for each process equipment required for machining of the work is transmitted to each terminal control device, and each terminal control device stores the given control information in the buffer memory together with the work identification information. Every time a work arrives at the process equipment, the identification information of the work is detected and the corresponding control information is read from the buffer memory,
A control information setting method for a transfer machine, which is used for controlling the process equipment.