Method for displaying workpiece-illustrations for supporting a sorting process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11953885-B2
Application number	US-202117233604-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2021
Priority date	Oct 19, 2018
Publication date	Apr 9, 2024
Grant date	Apr 9, 2024

Abstract

A method for displaying a sequence of workpiece-illustrations and/or order information for supporting a sorting process during manufacturing of workpieces with a manufacturing system includes transporting manufactured workpieces with the conveyor system to the sorting point according to a sequence and arrangement specified by the processing plan. The method further includes receiving, in the processor of the display unit, workpiece image data and/or order data provided by the machine tool control system for the workpieces transported to the sorting point. The method additionally includes displaying the workpiece image data and/or the order data on the monitor of the display unit in a sequence and/or an arrangement such that the sequence and/or the arrangement of the workpiece image data and/or the order data corresponds to the sequence and/or the arrangement of the workpieces transported from the conveyor system to the sorting point.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for displaying a sequence of workpiece-illustrations for supporting a sorting process during manufacturing of workpieces with a manufacturing system, the manufacturing system including a machine tool control system in which workpiece image data associated with each of the workpieces are stored as part of a machine-readable processing plan, wherein for each workpiece, the workpiece image data include an illustration based on geometry data of the workpieces to be manufactured; a flatbed machine tool with which the workpieces are manufactured from a plate-shaped starting material according to the machine-readable processing plan T; a conveyor system that transports the workpieces as cut material to a sorting point for sorting the workpieces, the cut material being conveyed in a plate-like arrangement by the conveyor system; and a display unit with a processor for receiving data to be output on a monitor of the display unit, wherein the monitor is arranged in an area of the conveyor system, the method comprising:
transporting, using the conveyor system, manufactured workpieces to the sorting point according to a sequence and arrangement specified by the processing plan;
determining the manufactured workpieces positioned for sorting at the sorting point, taking into account a cutting plan stored in the processing plan and a feed value of a conveyor belt of the conveyor system;
receiving, in the processor of the display unit, workpiece image data provided by the machine tool control system for the manufactured workpieces transported to the sorting point; and
displaying the workpiece image data on the monitor of the display unit in a sequence and an arrangement such that the sequence and the arrangement of the workpiece image data correspond to the sequence and the arrangement of the workpieces transported from the conveyor system to the sorting point.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the workpiece image data is displayed on the monitor as a monitor image that highlights partial workpiece-illustrations only of those workpieces that are located in an area that can be sorted by a worker.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the area that can be sorted by the worker is a transverse strip of the conveyor belt in an area of a conveyor belt reversal.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the cutting plan determines the arrangement of manufactured workpieces in the plate-shaped starting material.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein taking into account the cutting plan stored in the processing plan includes taking into account relative positions of the workpieces within the arrangement of manufactured workpieces.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the workpiece image data is displayed with an orientation and at a position along a transverse direction of the conveyor belt of the conveyor system as workpiece-illustrations, wherein the orientation and the position of one of the workpiece-illustrations is determined taking into account the processing plan.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the workpiece image data is displayed with an orientation and at a position along a transverse direction of the conveyor belt of the conveyor system as workpiece-illustrations, wherein the orientation and the position of one of the workpiece-illustrations is determined taking into account a transport path provided by the conveyor system for the sorting point.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
automatically booking, in response to the conveyor system being activated to assume a new feed position of the conveyor belt of the conveyor system in order to transport further workpieces to the sorting point the further workpieces as having been sorted from the conveyor belt that had been transported to the sorting point at the previously assumed feed position.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the activation of the conveyor system for assuming the new feed position is triggered automatically or is performed manually by a worker.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the activation of the conveyor system for assuming the new feed position is triggered automatically by a delayed release of a light barrier at an end of the conveyor belt.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein, according to the processing plan, groups of workpieces to be sorted are generated, wherein a section of a residual grid surrounding the workpieces is associated to each of the groups and the workpieces to be sorted of a group are arranged within the respective section, and wherein successive sections of the residual grid are respectively separated from one another by a subdivision cut,
wherein the workpieces of a group are transported to the sorting point with a common feed position of the conveyor belt of the conveyor system,
the processor receives workpiece image data for the workpieces of the group, which was last transported to the sorting point, and
the display unit displays the workpiece image data of the workpieces of the group, which was last transported to the sorting point.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the section of the residual grid of a group has a leading edge that defines the feed position of the conveyor belt of the conveyor system for positioning the group at the sorting point,
wherein the conveyor belt of the conveyor system is moved until it is detected that the leading edge of the section of the residual grid has assumed a predetermined conveying position.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
verifying of automated bookings of picked workpieces in the machine tool control system by image acquisition of the picked workpieces or a residual grid.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising detecting that all workpieces in the area of the sorting point have been sorted, and controlling the conveyor system to transport further workpieces to the sorting point.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein order data associated with each of the workpieces is also stored in the machine tool control system as part of the machine-readable processing plan, the order data includes characteristic data of a manufacturing order associated with the workpiece, the method further comprising:
receiving, in the processor of the display unit, order data provided by the machine tool control system for the manufactured workpieces transported to the sorting point; and
displaying the order data on the monitor of the display unit in the sequence and the arrangement such that the sequence and the arrangement of the order data correspond to the sequence and the arrangement of the workpieces transported from the conveyor system to the sorting point.

16. A manufacturing system for manufacturing workpieces, the manufacturing system comprising:
a machine tool control system in which workpiece image data associated with each of the workpieces to be manufactured are stored as part of a machine-readable processing plan, wherein, for each respective workpiece, the workpiece image data include a workpiece-illustration based on planning data of the workpieces;
a flatbed machine tool configured to manufacture the workpieces from a plate-shaped starting material according to the machine-readable processing plan;
a conveyor system configured to transport the workpieces as cut material to a sorting point for sorting the workpieces, the cut material being conveyed in a plate-like arrangement by the conveyor system; and
a display unit with a processor configured to receive data to be output on a monitor of the display unit,
wherein the monitor is arranged so as to be visible from the sorting point,
wherein the processor is confi

Assignees

• Trumpf Werkzeugmaschinen Gmbh Co Kg
• Fraunhofer Ges Forschung
• Trumpf Werkzeugmaschinen Se Co Kg

Inventors

• Kiefer Manuel
• Poenitz Willi
• Bitto Dominik
• Teschner Marc

Classifications

• G05B19/41815 Primary

  characterised by the cooperation between machine tools, manipulators and conveyor or other workpiece supply system, workcell · CPC title

• G05B2219/39102

  Manipulator cooperating with conveyor · CPC title

• G05B19/4183 Primary

  characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification · CPC title

• G05B19/41865

  characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow · CPC title

• Y02P90/02

  Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] · CPC title