Systems for intelligent batch processing

• US 10,162,338 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2016
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Salour, Ali, Trimble, Douglas Duane, Kalinowski, Anna Yvette, Neal, Jolynnetta Aisha
• Primary Examiner(s): Hossain, Moazzam
• Application Number:
  US15/043,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20170235297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31304 Identification of workpiece and data for control, inspection, safety, calibration
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31315 Use of data by host, send work order to operator after pallet detection
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31322 Work still to be done on workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Manufacturing systems that employ intelligent sensing and methods for processing workpieces using such manufacturing systems, including methods of batch processing workpieces. The manufacturing systems may include a holding device to receive work order documents, where each work order document includes an identification tag, and each work order document corresponds with a specific manufacturing step. A scanner may be proximate to the holding device and associated with a workstation, where the scanner is configured to detect the identification tag of the work order documents held by the holding device. A control system may interpret the detected identification tag, identify the work order document associated with the interpreted identification tag, identify the specific manufacturing step corresponding with the identified work order document, and generate an output that includes an instruction for carrying out the manufacturing step at the workstation.

Claims

1. A manufacturing system, comprising:

a holding device configured to receive one or more work order documents, each work order document including an identification tag associated with that work order document, and each work order document corresponding with a specific manufacturing step;

a scanner proximate the holding device, the scanner being associated with a workstation;

wherein when the holding device receives each work order document such that the identification tag associated with that work order document is positioned for interrogation by the scanner, the scanner being configured to detect the identification tag of the one or more work order documents held by the holding device; and

a control system configured to

interpret the detected identification tag;

identify the work order document associated with the interpreted identification tag;

identify the specific manufacturing step corresponding with the identified work order document; and

generate an output that includes an instruction for carrying out the specific manufacturing step at the workstation.

2. The manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the specific manufacturing step is further associated with a specific workpiece, and the instructions for carrying out the specific manufacturing step include instructions for processing the specific workpiece on the workstation.

3. The manufacturing system of claim 2, wherein the one or more work order documents include a human-readable indicia identifying the associated specific workpiece and related processing information.

4. The manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the holding device includes a tray configured to support a plurality of work order documents, a clip member configured to clasp the one or more work order documents, or a shelf or receptacle for receiving work order documents.

5. The manufacturing system of claim 2, wherein the generated output includes an instruction to verify that the work order document and the associated specific workpiece are at the proper workstation.

6. The manufacturing system of claim 2, wherein the generated output includes an instruction to verify that the work order document and associated workpiece are properly batched with one or more other work order documents and their associated workpieces for processing together at that workstation.

7. The manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the scanner is configured to detect multiple identification tags associated with multiple work order documents simultaneously.

8. The manufacturing system of claim 7, wherein each identification tag includes an RFID chip, and the scanner is configured to detect and interpret the multiple RFID chips.

9. The manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein each identification tag includes a barcode, and the scanner is configured to detect and interpret the barcode.

10. The manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the holding device and scanner are associated with a workstation utilized in manufacturing composite parts.

11. The manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the workstation is configured to carry out one or more of the composite manufacturing steps of ply cutting, layup, autoclaving, trimming, drilling, inspecting, and painting.

12. A method of processing a workpiece, comprising

associating a workpiece with a work order document that includes an identification tag configured to provide an identifying code;

placing the work order document in a holding device positioned for interrogation by a scanner;

detecting the identification tag by the scanner, and communicating the corresponding identifying code to a control system; and

generating an output from the control system to a workstation that includes an instruction for processing the workpiece.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the identification tag is coupled to the workpiece.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the identification tag is coupled to the work order document that is associated with the workpiece.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising delivering the work order document to a holding device associated with the workstation;

wherein detecting the identification tag includes detecting the identification tag at the holding device.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the identification tag includes detecting multiple identification tags simultaneously.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the generating step includes generating an output that includes one or more of a confirmation that the workpiece is at the proper workstation, a notice that the workpiece is not at the proper workstation, a confirmation that the workpiece is properly batched with one or more additional workpieces, and a notice that the workpiece is not properly batched with one or more additional workpieces.

18. A method of batch processing workpieces in a composite manufacturing process, comprising:

delivering a plurality of workpieces to a workstation, each workpiece being associated with a work order document;

delivering the plurality of associated work order documents to a holding device that is associated with the workstation;

wherein

each work order document includes a tag that is configured to respond to interrogation by providing an identifying code that is correlated with a process to be performed on the workpiece associated with that work order document at the workstation, the correlation being stored in a database that is accessible to a control system for the workstation;

interrogating the plurality of tags;

obtaining the identifying codes provided by the plurality of tags;

transmitting the obtained identifying codes to the control system for the workstation;

correlating, by the control system, the plurality of obtained identifying codes with the plurality of processes to be performed on the plurality of workpieces; and

determining, by the control system, whether the plurality of processes to be performed on the plurality of workpieces corresponds to a valid batch.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising generating an output by the control system to the workstation that includes the control system'"'"'s determination of whether the plurality of processes to be performed on the plurality of workpieces delivered to the workstation correspond to a valid batch for a batch operation at the workstation.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein each tag includes an RFID chip, and interrogating the plurality of tags includes interrogating the RFID chips using an RFID reader;

and

wherein determining whether the plurality of processes to be performed corresponds to a valid batch includes determining whether the plurality of processes to be performed corresponds to one of composite material ply cutting, autoclaving, trimming, drilling, testing, and painting processes.