Control apparatus of production facility

• US 6,246,920 B1
• Filed: 09/15/1998
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Minoru, Hosokawa, Masahiko, Mizuno, Thoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US09/142,746
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 700/159, 700/175, 700/180, 700/108, 700/95, 700/181, 700/87, 700/12, 700/17, 700/2-4, 700/11, 700/76, 700/155, 700/100-105
• US Class Current: 700/159
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 17/00 Arrangements for observing, indicating or measuring on machine tools for automatic control or regulation of feed movement, cutting velocity or position of tool or work B23Q15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 41/06 Features relating to organisation of working of machines
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/406 characterised by monitoring or safety G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4155 characterised by programme execution, i.e. part programme or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a programme
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31027 Computer assisted manual assembly CAA, display operation, tool, result
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32001 Computer assisted machining, signals guide operator to manual machine object
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32004 Graphical, textual instructions, sheet for operator to resume process
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36239 Determine automatic, manual machining of workpiece as function of specific possibilities of machine tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A controller is obtained by adding the function of a virtual operator to a numerical control device. Data on the construction and capacity of a machine, as a control object, are stored as system data in advance. Work instructions are inputted by the operator or through a host system. The virtual operator, comparing the contents of the work instructions with the system data, determines whether automatic processing is possible or manual processing is required. If the automatic processing is possible, the automatic processing is carried out. If the manual processing is necessary, explanation diagrams, messages, etc. are displayed. Every time a request button for further explanation is depressed, a more detailed work explanation is displayed. Thus, the operation is simplified, and the work explanation can be obtained according to the skill of the operator.

Claims

1. A controller for production facility, comprising:

a control device for controlling a production system, as a control object;

a storage device storing system data on the construction, capacity, and specifications of said production system; and

a determining device interpreting, based on compatibility between work instructions and the system data stored in said storage device, whether or not the contents of the work instructions can automatically be processed by said control device.

2. A controller according to claim 1, wherein said work instructions are composed of instructions for machining operation to be carried out by the production system and instructions for collateral operations incident to the machining operation.

3. A controller according to claim 2, wherein said instructions for collateral operations include instructions for a prearrangement as preprocessing for the machining operation and/or instructions for measurement as postprocessing for the machining operation.

4. A controller according to claim 1, further comprising a display device displaying explanations for manual processing on display device when said determining device determined that automatic processing is not possible, so that the control device can guide an operation by the manual processing with said display device and interaction by an operator'"'"'s entry through an input device.

5. A controller according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of said explanations to be displayed on said display device, are provided, stratified ranging from generic ones to detailed ones, so that the operator is able to have progressively detailed descriptions displayed each time a request for further explanation is inputted through the input device.

6. A controller according to claim 1, wherein said work instructions are inputted to the controller in the form of a language comprising a regular statement and a functional code having a special meaning, the functional code constituting a work instruction program, and the regular statement being displayed, as the comment of the program, on a display unit of the controller.

7. A controller according to claim 1, wherein said control section comprises a CNC section including an NC program processing unit for decoding and executing NC machining programs, a servo amplifier for driving the machine, a programmable controller for processing digital signals and analog signals transferred between the machine and a peripheral apparatus, and an I/O port through which actual signals are inputted and outputted, and an additional section for automatically processing those parts which cannot be processed by the CNC portion.

8. A controller according to claim 7, further comprising a converter device converting those work instructions which can be processed by said CNC section, among the work instructions which were determined to be able to be automatically processed by said determining device, into commands for the CNC section, so that the converter device, said determining device and a receiving device receiving the work instructions are formed collectively as one functional block of control software.

9. A controller according to claim 1, wherein said controller is connected to a host system by a communication network, the host system being designed to be able to manage the system data stored in said storage means and give the work instructions to the controller.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a storage device storing specifications of a production facility;

a control device controlling a plurality of machines in the production facility; and

a determining device determining if machine programming intended for a machine of the plurality of machines can be processed automatically on the machine based on compatibility between the machine programming and the stored specifications.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 10, further comprising a display device displaying explanations for manual processing on display device when said determining device determined that automatic processing is not possible, so that the control device can guide an operation by the manual processing with said display device and interaction by an operator'"'"'s entry through an input device.

12. A method comprising:

storing specifications of a production facility;

controlling a plurality of machines in the production facility; and

determining if machine programming intended for a machine of the plurality of machines can be processed automatically on the machine based on compatibility between the machine programming and the stored specifications.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising displaying explanations for manual processing when said determining determined that automatic processing is not possible, so that operation by manual processing can be performed.