MACHINE CONTROL DEVICE THAT ADJUSTS OPERATING CONDITIONS OF MULTIPLE MANUFACTURING MACHINES, AND PRODUCTION SYSTEM

• US 20170261967A1
• Filed: 03/09/2017
• Published: 09/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
• Inventors: SHIMURA, Yoshifumi, TSUJIKAWA, Keisuke, KUWAHATA, Shinichi
• Application Number:
  US15/454,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20170261967A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32021 Energy management, balance and limit power to tools
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/10 Greenhouse gas [GHG] capture, material saving, heat recovery or other energy efficient measures, e.g. motor control, characterised by manufacturing processes, e.g. for rolling metal or metal working
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A machine control device includes a command unit that outputs individual operation commands to respective manufacturing machines; a power excess/shortage decision unit that decides whether time-series data on total power consumption of the manufacturing machines associated with the operation commands has maximum peak power larger than a power supply capacity of the power facility; and

• • an operation command adjustment unit that adjusts the operation commands to the manufacturing machines from the command unit so as to adjust the maximum peak power to the power supply capacity of the power facility or less and maximize a production amount of the manufacturing machines.

Claims

1. A machine control device that controls multiple manufacturing machines connected to a power facility,

the machine control device comprising:

a command unit that outputs individual operation commands to the respective manufacturing machines;

a machine information retrieval unit that retrieves, at predetermined intervals, information including at least operating conditions, power consumption, and production amounts of the manufacturing machines when the manufacturing machines operate according to the operation commands of the command unit;

a power excess/shortage decision unit that decides whether time-series data on total power consumption of the manufacturing machines associated with the operation commands has maximum peak power larger than a power supply capacity of the power facility, according to the information stored in a storage unit that sequentially stores the information about the manufacturing machines or according to the information retrieved by the machine information retrieval unit; and

an operation command adjustment unit that adjusts the operation commands to the manufacturing machines from the command unit according to the information stored in the storage unit or the information retrieved by the machine information retrieval unit so as to adjust the maximum peak power to the power supply capacity of the power facility or less and maximize a production amount of the manufacturing machines associated with the operation commands.

2. The machine control device according to claim 1, further comprising a machine information correction unit that corrects the information on the manufacturing machines in the storage unit to information on the manufacturing machines with the operation commands adjusted by the operation command adjustment unit.

3. The machine control device according to claim 1, wherein the machine information retrieval unit retrieves information on the power consumption from a wattmeter provided in each of the manufacturing machines.

4. The machine control device according to claim 1, wherein the machine information retrieval unit retrieves information that estimates information on the power consumption from machining programs and driving parameters of the manufacturing machines associated with the operation commands.

5. The machine control device according to claim 1, further comprising a peak power estimation unit that estimates the total power consumption and the maximum peak power based on values of the operation commands from the command unit or information about the operating conditions or the power consumption in the storage unit.

6. The machine control device according to claim 1, wherein the operating conditions include a manipulated variable preset for the manufacturing machines.

7. The machine control device according to claim 1, further comprising a power facility planning unit that produces a plan to increase or reduce the power supply capacity of the power facility based on a decision result of the power excess/shortage decision unit and outputs contents of the plan.

8. The machine control device according to claim 1, wherein the command unit outputs, as the operation command, at least one of a command about at least a speed, current, or torque of the manufacturing machine and an offset command about operation start timing of the manufacturing machine.

9. A production system comprising:

the machine control device according to claim 1; and

a host computer that is connected so as to communicate with the machine control device and indicates a production plan to the machine control device,

the host computer including a database unit that receives and stores the information from the storage unit.