Management and analysis system for web machines and the like
First Claim
1. A management system for a web processing machine such as a printing press having a web material supply, a plurality of devices for acting repetitively on material drawn from the supply, delivery mechanism receiving the processed material, a drive for said machine, and a plurality of detectors on said machine operable to indicate various occurrences during use of the machine such as correct presence and passage of material, engagement of the drive, on-off impression of the devices, and/or malfunctions or jams in the delivery mechanism;
- a control console including a data output device and a data entry device,a memory storing information to be used during processing of a job on the machine,an electronic processor,decoding means receiving inputs from said detectors and providing machine event outputs to said processor,said processor operating to interrogate said machine event outputs and to provide update operating information on said data output device as the machine is operated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A press management and analysis system, embodies a press console (PMA), one for each press, which is located adjacent the press, and communicating with a remote entry computer (REC). The PMA monitors sensor devices on the press, to follow press operation from the beginning of a job assignment through makeready operations and printing operations to completion.
A REC console remote from the press room, as in the production manager'"'"'s office, communicates with each PMA, and recording (filing), hard copy printing, and like functions are handled at the REC console. The system provides displays requiring completion by the pressman/operator (or manager) thus soliciting information as well as informing all concerned of job progress, of standard times expected for a job, and of transfer from one mode or phase of the job, as from makeready time to run time in which good product is printed. The system feeds back and records event messages, and encourages operator input and identification of stoppage reasons, etc.
The system also retains coefficients used along with input job data, to calculate standard times for a job of given magnitude. The results of such calculations appear in appropriate displays as standards against which actual times are compared, and to emphasize when projected or actual time exceeds calculated standard time. All filed information is available for management analysis of press operation as reports compiling desired data and all information may also be communicated to a host computer for storage and/or further analysis.
97 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A management system for a web processing machine such as a printing press having a web material supply, a plurality of devices for acting repetitively on material drawn from the supply, delivery mechanism receiving the processed material, a drive for said machine, and a plurality of detectors on said machine operable to indicate various occurrences during use of the machine such as correct presence and passage of material, engagement of the drive, on-off impression of the devices, and/or malfunctions or jams in the delivery mechanism;
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a control console including a data output device and a data entry device, a memory storing information to be used during processing of a job on the machine, an electronic processor, decoding means receiving inputs from said detectors and providing machine event outputs to said processor, said processor operating to interrogate said machine event outputs and to provide update operating information on said data output device as the machine is operated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. In combination with a web processing machine operable in makeready and operating modes and subject to delays in either mode, a system including
means for monitoring the progress of the operation during each of the modes and providing the first data indicative thereof in first and second parts corresponding to the two modes, means for providing second data indicative of predicted standard times and/or rates, display means responsive to said first and second data and operative to display an indication of a progress standard for each mode during a specified job and to display an indication of the actual progress of the machine as each mode of operation continues.
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19. In a web printing press including a web supply for mounting at least one roll of web material and for withdrawing the material from the roll, a plurality of printing units through which the web is guided and at which different operations are performed on the web, a drive providing motive power to said printing units, delivery mechanism receiving the web material from the printing units, and a plurality of detectors operable to indicate the functioning status of the drive, the web supply, the delivery mechanism, and certain components of said printing units, during the makeready mode and the run mode of a job;
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the improvement comprising a control station including a data output device and a data entry device, a clock, memory means for storing event messages in time sequence as the press is made ready for and then runs a designated job, means connected to said detectors for providing event data indicative of the status of one or more of said detectors, an electronic processor having inputs from said data entry device, said clock, and said event data means, and having outputs to said data output device and to said recording means, said processor including means for processing said event data into time related event messages, and means operating said processor in response to manual data entry on said data entry device and to said event data to cause recording in said recording means of the operator entered information and of accumulated event messages as the press is prepared for and performs a designated job. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. In combination with a web processing machine operable in a production mode and a makeready mode during the course of a job, an information system comprising:
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data input means, means coupled to said data input means for providing, prior to operation of the machine in a production mode, first information signals representative of the predicted run time of a job as a function of input data including machine speed and impression quantity data, means responsive to operation of the machine in non-print mode for providing second information signals representative of delay times, and means for recording to said first and second information signals for providing output data representative of the actual time to perform a job and identifying reasons for delay.
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23. In combination with a web processing machine operable in a productive makeready mode and at least one non-productive mode during the course of a makeready operation, an information system comprising:
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data input means, means coupled to said data input means for providing, prior to operation of the machine in a makeready mode, first information signals representative of the predicted makeready time for a makeready operation as a function of input data including number of machine units to be prepared, means responsive to operation of the machine in a non-productive mode for providing, during the course of a makeready operation, second signals representative of a revised makeready time as a function of said first information signals and further information signals representative of delay time, and means responsive to said information signals for providing output data representative of the revised makeready time relative to the predicted makeready time within a predetermined time interval.
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24. In a web processing machine including a supply means for mounting at least one roll of web material and for withdrawing the material from the roll, a plurality of work stations through which the web is guided and at which different operations are performed on the web, a drive providing motive power to said work stations, and delivery mechanism receiving the web material from the work stations,
the improvement comprising a control console including a data output device and a data entry device a memory storing a plurality of display formats at least some of which may be completed by an operator in assemblying information pertaining to a job to be performed on the machine, an electronic processor having inputs and outputs from and to said data entry device and said memory, said processor operating in response to data input by an operator on said data entry device to cause display of the stored display formats by the data output device and to cause recording in said memory of the operator entered information added to said formats, and means causing the calculated job times or rates to be transferred to a display format and displayed therewith at the data output device.
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27. In a web processing machine including a supply means for receiving at least one roll of web material and for withdrawing the material from the roll, a plurality of work stations through which the web is guided and at which different operations are performed on the web, a drive providing motive power to said work stations, and delivery mechanism receiving the web material from the work stations, said machine being operable in a makeready mode and a production mode in the course of performing a job;
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the improvement comprising a control console located at said machine and including a data output device and a data entry device, a memory storing a plurality of display formats at least some of which are to be completed by an operator in assemblying information pertaining to a job to be performed on the machine, an electronic processor having inputs and outputs from and to said data entry device and said memory, said processor operating at the beginning of a job in response to an initial data input by an operator on said data entry device to cause successive displays of the stored display formats by the data output device and to cause recording in said memory of the operator entered information added to said display formats, means on said machine operable to detect the number of operations performed at one of said work stations and to produce a corresponding count output, means responsive to operator entries on said data entry device during either of said modes for entering into said memory information identifying a reason for stopping of the machine, and means responsive to an operator entry on said data entry device, signifying the commencing of production of good product, for entering subsequent good count output into said memory distinct from the preceding count output. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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Specification