Device and method for planning a production unit

• US 20090112342A1
• Filed: 10/07/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Software Limited (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Machens, Holger, Kroger, Professor Reinhold
• Granted Patent: US 8,160,843 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/100
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4188 characterised by CIM planning or realisation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31341 Design of factory information system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31342 Design of process control system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31343 Design of factory, manufacturing system control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32085 Layout of factory, facility, cell, production system planning
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32345 Of interconnection of cells, subsystems, distributed simulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A device for planning a production unit with a production building and a manufacturing facility, wherein the manufacturing facility has machines with equipment for automation systems integrated at least partially in a communication network, wherein the device has a product data management system, in which data relating to the product to be manufactured and further manufacture-related data is stored in a database and with planning tools that are called up from a planning platform which allow at least partially virtual mapping of the product, the production building and the manufacturing facility by accessing the database, a network planning tool for the communication network being integrated in the planning platform, data characterizing the communication network being available based upon the product data management system.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A device for planning a production unit with a production building and a manufacturing facility, wherein the manufacturing facility has machines with equipment for an automation system integrated at least partially in a communication network comprising:

a product data management system, in which data relating to the product to be manufactured and further manufacture-related data are stored in a database;

planning tools called up from a planning platform which allow at least partially virtual mapping of the product, the production building and the manufacturing facility by accessing the database; and

a network planning tool for the communication network integrated in the planning platform, wherein data characterizing the communication network are available based upon the product data management system.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the planning platform has a plug-in architecture and the network planning tool is integrated as a plug-in.

10. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein following data characterizing the communication network is available by way of the product data management system as an input for the network planning tool:

a list of network elements that can be used,

positions of network adapters of all automation devices,

a logical configuration of the automation devices, from which the communication protocols used result and therefore the induced network load,

a logical grouping of the automation devices,

quality-of-service requirement,

maximum permissible costs,

a restriction for laying a network cable and

a network topology criteria.

11. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein following data characterizing the communication network is available by way of the product data management system as a result of the network planning tool:

switches used with their position and a reference to their type in a material list,

network data with cable data including references to the cable type in the material list and an accurate description of the cable run,

the utilization of network cables,

end-to-end delay times achieved for specified logical configurations (communication relations) of the automation devices and

overall costs.

12. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein following data characterizing the communication network is available by way of the product data management system as a result of the network planning tool:

switches used with their position and a reference to their type in a material list,

network data with cable data including references to the cable type in the material list and an accurate description of the cable run,

the utilization of network cables,

end-to-end delay times achieved for specified logical configurations (communication relations) of the automation devices and

overall costs.

13. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the planning platform has a monitoring interface with the network planning tool to display the current network planning status.

14. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the monitoring interface is configured as a remote-procedure-call for requesting status as asynchronous polling.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

inputting quality-of-service requirement in the product data management system, wherein the inputted data is available for the network planning tool.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

inputting data related to restrictions for laying network cables in the product data management system, wherein the inputted data is available for the network planning tool.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

providing at least one of the following data via the product data management system generated based upon the network planning tool;

switches used with their position and a reference to their type in a material list,

network data with cable data including references to the cable type in the material list and an accurate description of the cable run,

the utilization of network cables,

end-to-end delay times achieved for specified logical configurations (communication relations) of the automation devices and

overall costs.

20. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

providing all of the following data via the product data management system generated based upon the network planning tool;

switches used with their position and a reference to their type in a material list,

network data with cable data including references to the cable type in the material list and an accurate description of the cable run,

the utilization of network cables,

end-to-end delay times achieved for specified logical configurations (communication relations) of the automation devices and

overall costs.

15. A method for planning a production unit with a production building and a manufacturing facility, wherein the manufacturing facility has machines with equipment for an automation system integrated at least partially in a communication network comprising:

storing data relating to the product to be manufactured and further manufacture-related data in a database of a product data management system;

calling up planning tools from a planning platform;

generating at least partially virtual mapping of the product, the production building and the manufacturing facility, wherein each planning tool obtains required product information or unit information from the database of the product data management system; and

planning the communication network, wherein a network planning tool is integrated in the planning platform, wherein the communication network obtains characterizing data from the database based upon the product data management system.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

inputting data related to restrictions for laying network cables in the product data management system, wherein the inputted data is available for the network planning tool.