System and method for ascertaining the optimum operating speed of a production machine

• US 6,701,209 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2002
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Ltd.)
• Inventors: Vollmar, Gerhard, Szöke, Szaniszlo
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOSOWSKI, ALEXANDER J
• Application Number:
  US10/252,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20030060904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 700/96-97, 700/100-102, 700/173, 700/108
• US Class Current: 700/173
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32252 Scheduling production, machining, job shop
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32265 Waiting, queue time, buffer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32301 Simulate production, process stages, determine optimum scheduling rules
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32304 Minimize flow time, tact, shortest processing, machining time
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34418 Scheduler for sequential control, task planning, control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A system and a method ascertain the optimum operating speed of a production machine that is configured to operate in a specific speed range. The production machine is assigned a data acquisition device that acquires production data, in particular time and duration of machine downtimes caused by fault events, and also production unit numbers per unit time. A data processing device acquires additional information, by using a data input device, in particular the respective reason for a failure, and also the description of the product to be processed in each case. Using a production-data acquisition device, production data can be called up from the data acquisition device and linked with the additional information from the data input device. An assessment function ascertains an operating speed from the production data and a stored assessment model. An optimization function forms an optimum operating speed desired value by linking the ascertained operating speed with production unit costs.

Claims

1. A system for ascertaining an optimum operating speed of a production machine set to operate in a specific speed range, the system comprising:

a data acquisition device assigned to the production machine and acquiring production data including time and duration of machine downtimes caused by fault events from the production machine;

a data processing device having a data input device acquiring additional information;

a production database;

said data processing device having a production-data acquisition device linking the production data from said data acquisition device with the additional information from said data input device to form product data and storing the product data in said production database;

an assessment model stored in said data processing device;

a data storage device;

said data processing device storing an assessment function, applying the production data from said production database to said stored assessment model to ascertain an operating speed, and storing the operating speed in said data storage device;

a desired value storage device; and

said data processing device having an optimization function and linking the operating speed from the data storage device with production unit costs to ascertain an optimum operating speed desired value, and feeding the optimum operating speed desired value to said desired value storage device.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the production data include production unit numbers per unit time.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the additional information includes a respective reason for a failure.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the additional information includes, in each case, a description of a product to be processed.

5. A method for ascertaining an optimum operating speed of a production machine to be operated in a specific speed range, which comprises:

acquiring production data including time and duration of machine downtimes caused by fault events with a data acquisition device;

acquiring additional information with a data input device;

forming supplemented production data by linking the production data and the additional information with a production-data acquisition device;

storing the supplemented production data in a production database; and

ascertaining an optimum operating speed from the supplemented production data, an assessment model, and ascertained production unit costs.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the production data include production unit numbers per unit time.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the additional information includes a reason for a failure.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the additional information includes a product description.

9. A system for optimizing a production-machine operating speed, comprising:

a data acquisition device assigned to a production machine and acquiring production data including time and duration of machine downtimes caused by fault events from the production machine;

a data input device connected to the production machine;

a data processing device acquiring additional information from said data input device;

a production database;

said data processing device containing a production-data acquisition device of said data processing device linking the production data from said data acquisition device with the additional information from the data input device to form supplemented product data and storing the supplemented product data in said production database;

a data storage device;

an assessment model stored in said data processing device;

an assessment function stored in said data processing device, recalling the production data from said production database, and ascertaining an operating speed from the supplemented production data and said assessment model, and storing the operating speed in said data storage device;

a desired value storage device; and

an optimization function stored in said data processing device ascertaining an optimum operating speed desired value by linking the operating speed from said data storage device with production unit costs, and feeding the optimum operating speed to said desired value storage device.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the production data include production unit numbers per unit time.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the additional information includes a respective reason for a failure.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the additional information includes, in each case, a description of a product to be processed.