Production module, production system, and method for operating a production module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10259659-B2
Application number	US-201515548165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2015
Priority date	Feb 9, 2015
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a production module for processing or handling a product in a production system, which production module has a product detection module for reading in product parameters associated to the product, and an interaction module for assigning an adjacent production module to a transfer port. Furthermore, a local assignment table is provided, in which non-adjacent conveying objectives in the production system are in each case assigned to one of the transfer ports. A balancing module serves for iterative reading of first assignment information of a corresponding assignment table of a first adjacent production module, for iterative formation of the local assignment table with the aid of the read-in first assignment information, and for iterative transfer of second assignment information of the local assignment table to a second adjacent production module.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A production module for processing or handling a product in a production system having a multiplicity of production modules, comprising:
a) a product acquisition module for reading in product parameters assigned to the product,
b) transfer ports for handing over the product to the multiplicity of production modules of the production system that are adjacent to the production module,
c) an interaction module for allocating a respective adjacent production module to one of the transfer ports,
d) a data memory for storing a local assignment table, in which conveying destinations that are not adjacent to the production module in the production system are assigned in each case to one of the transfer ports,
e) a balancing module for iteratively reading in first assignment information of a corresponding assignment table of a first adjacent production module, for iteratively setting up the local assignment table on a basis of the first assignment information read in, and for iteratively forwarding second assignment information of the local assignment table to a second adjacent production module, wherein the balancing module is configured to perform, on account of arriving change information, an iteration step when reading in first assignment information, when setting up the local assignment table and/or when forwarding second assignment information, and
f) a handover module
for determining a conveying destination for the product in the production system on a basis of the product parameters read in,
for selecting a transfer port assigned to the determined conveying destination in the local assignment table and
for handing over the product via the selected transfer port.

2. The production module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the balancing module is configured to assign a conveying destination indicated in the corresponding assignment table of the first adjacent production module in the local assignment table to a transfer port allocated to said first adjacent production module.

3. The production module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the interaction module is configured dynamically to detect adjacent production modules to which the product can be handed over, and to generate change information on account of such a detection.

4. The production module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the local assignment table contains version information that is changed on account of arriving change information and/or on account of an iteration step when reading in first assignment information, when setting up the local assignment table and/or when forwarding second assignment information, and in that the balancing module is configured, when setting up the local assignment table, to compare the version information thereof with a version of the first assignment information and to update the local assignment table in a manner dependent thereon.

5. A production system comprising production modules as claimed in claim 1 .

6. The production module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first assignment information, the second assignment information and/or the local assignment table assign to a conveying destination a physical constraint that has to be fulfilled by the product on a transport path to said conveying destination, and
in that the handover module is configured to balance the physical constraint with the product parameters read in and, in a manner dependent thereon, to perform the determination of the conveying destination and/or the selection of the transfer port.

7. The production module as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the balancing module is configured to link the physical constraint assigned to a conveying destination in the first assignment information with a local physical constraint of the production module and to assign the linked physical constraint to the conveying destination in the local assignment table and in the second assignment information.

8. The production module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first assignment information, the second assignment information and/or the local assignment table assign to a conveying destination outlay information about a conveying outlay with respect to said conveying destination, functionality information about a functionality of said conveying destination, availability information about an availability of the functionality and/or change information about a change in the functionality or the availability.

9. The production module as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the handover module is configured to perform the determination of the conveying destination and/or the selection of the transfer port depending on the outlay information, functionality information, availability information and/or change information assigned to the conveying destination.

10. The production module as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the balancing module is configured to assign a conveying destination indicated in corresponding assignment tables of a plurality of first adjacent production modules, on a basis of outlay information respectively assigned therein, to a transfer port in the local assignment table that is allocated to an adjacent production module with a minimum conveying outlay with respect to said conveying destination.

11. The production module as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the balancing module is configured to create, for a conveying destination indicated in corresponding assignment tables of a plurality of first adjacent production modules, a plurality of entries in the local assignment table with respectively assigned outlay information, and
in that the handover module is configured to select a transfer port that is allocated to an adjacent production module with a minimum conveying outlay with respect to said conveying destination.

12. The production module as claimed in claim 8 wherein the availability information comprises a time indication about a period of time in which the functionality is available or about a point in time of a change in the functionality or the availability.

13. The production module as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the outlay information assigned to the conveying destination comprises a transport time with respect to said conveying destination, and in that the handover module is configured to perform the determination of the conveying destination and/or the selection of the transfer port depending on the time indication and the transport time.

14. A method for operating a production module as claimed in claim 1 , the method comprising:
a) reading in production parameters assigned to a product,
b) allocating production modules adjacent to the production module in each case to a transfer port of the production module that is provided for handing over the product to the adjacent production module,
c) assigning conveying destinations that are not adjacent to the production module for the product in each case to one of the transfer ports in a local assignment table,
d) iteratively reading in first assignment information from a corresponding assignment table of a first adjacent production module,
e) iteratively setting up the local assignment table on the basis of the first assignment information read in,
f) iteratively forwarding second assignment information from the local assignment table to a second adjacent production module,
g) determining a conveying destination for the product on the basis of the product parameters read in,
h) selecting a transfer port which is assigned to the determined conveying destination in the local assignment table, and
i) handing over the product via the selected transfer port.

15. A computer program product

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Buschmann Frank
• Feiten Wendelin
• Lawitzky Gisbert
• Pirker Michael
• Wurm Kai
• Zahorcak Vladimir

Classifications

• G05B19/4189 Primary

  characterised by the transport system · CPC title

• G05B2219/31274

  Convey products, move equipment according to production plan in memory · CPC title

• B65G43/08 Primary

  Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged {(and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42)} · CPC title

• Y02P90/28

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• G05B19/418

  Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM] · CPC title