Versatile production system

• US 5,434,792 A
• Filed: 09/08/1994
• Issued: 07/18/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Oda, Junichi, Ishiyama, Yasuaki, Saka, Nobuo
• Primary Examiner(s): RUGGIERO, JOSEPH F
• Application Number:
  US08/302,947
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• Field of Search: 364/468, 364/478, 364/401, 364/402, 364/403, 364/474.11, 364/132, 364/138, 364/131, 364/133, 364/134, 235/375, 235/376, 235/385
• US Class Current: 700/110
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31095 Read write intelligent chip on workpiece, pallet, tool for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31316 Output test result report after testing, inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31317 Outputs delivery ordersheet, relating to finished products, to packing cell
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32005 Graphical, text operator instructions synchronous with product distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32023 Print label, instructions for operator and job code for machining parameters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A versatile production system, to produce multiple kinds of products including small quantities of products, by supplying work order sheets to personnel in the line transmitted via a production management system, and by transmitting defective product data at each working process to a quality control system. The production system comprises assembling sites and testing sites for testing and inspecting the performance or the quality of an assembled product, at least one line terminal installed at each of the assembling sites and the testing sites, an ID card attached to a product to match the flow of an article and manufacturing data, including a type and a parts number for each product, while being transported, a line host controller that reads the data from the ID card via the line terminals, outputs work order sheets for operators via the line terminals, outputs a test result report containing test-inspection record data for each product, and outputs a delivery order sheet for preparation packing to a packing site via a Local Area Network, and a line host control terminal connected to the line host controller.

Claims

1. A versatile production system for assembling, testing, inspecting, and transporting multiple kinds of products assembled individually on a single production line, comprising:

a plurality of assembling sites each for assembling a respective one of a plurality of parts into an assembled product, said parts being distributed to said assembling sites in the order in which said parts are assembled and said parts making up a single product;

a plurality of testing sites for testing and inspecting at least one of performance and quality of the assembled product to determine whether said assembled product is defective, and if said assembled product is determined to be defective, for transporting said defective assembled product to a retiring site and if said assembled product is determined not to be defective, for transporting said non-defective assembled product to a packing site;

at least one line terminal installed in each of said assembling sites and each of said testing sites;

an ID card attached to each of a plurality of products to be assembled to match the production flow of said products and information therewith, and to read and write at said assembling sites and said testing sites manufacturing data including a type and a parts number for each of said products while being transported;

a line host controller to read said manufacturing data from said ID card via said line terminals installed in workplaces of said assembling sites and said testing sites, to use said read data to supply order sheets for operators working at said assembling sites and said testing sites via said line terminals, to supply a test result report including test-inspection record data for said assembled product assembled by said assembling sites and tested, inspected and finally determined as non-defective by said testing sites via a line terminal installed in a final one of said testing sites, to output a delivery order sheet relating to a product to be delivered, and to assist in making preparations for packing via a control terminal of a packing site host controller, said line host controller being connected to said packing site host controller installed in a packing site for packing said product over a Local Area Network; and

a line host control terminal to directly input and output data, said data relating to production management and quality control including master file maintenance, work order control, progress control, schedule arrangement, and product history control, to and from, respectively, said line host controller.

2. A versatile production system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said line host controller is electrically connected to a production management system via said Local Area Network, and said production management system monitors semi-assembled products being assembled by said assembling sites, tests start and end times at said testing sites, packing states and faulty machines in said production line, supervises the condition of all products being semi-assembled or semi-tested, and controls the progress of production in said production line.

3. A versatile production system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said line host controller is electrically connected to a quality control system via said Local Area Network, and said quality control system statistically processes product defect information at at least one of said testing sites and said assembling sites to provide feedback information of said defective products to a repair site for repairing said defective products.