Parts supplying system of assembling production line and supplying method of the same

• US 6,813,539 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2003
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Nakamura, Tetsuya, Matsuura, Takashi, Morio, Hiroki, Morimoto, Tatsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H.
• Application Number:
  US10/438,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20040002788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 700/213-216, 700/223-227, 700/95, 700/97, 700/99, 700/101, 297/01, 294/30, 297/11
• US Class Current: 700/215
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/001 Article feeders for assembling machines screws or nuts being carried by a disposable strip or disc B25B23/045
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 21/004 the units passing two or more work-stations whilst being composed
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41805 characterised by assembly
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31036 Load component into corresponding compartment, bin, storage before assembly
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32082 Planing, material requiring planning MRP, request
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The invention makes it possible to efficiently and accurately supply parts to a work in an assembling production line structured as a mixed assembly line, and to improve a flexibility of changing the line. A parts supplying system of the assembling production line is provided with a working instruction server which takes in a production order information corresponding to an optional number of works, extracts the same type of works in a unit of a lot so as to sort in an order of a parts preparing work, and generates a working instruction information including a parts preparing work order, a number of the lots and an assembly parts information per the types, set containers which receive assembly parts sets to be assembled in one work, a parts setting area which has a working station provided with parts shelves for the assembly parts, and inputs the assembly parts set for the corresponding type of work to each of the set containers in the order of the parts preparing works by a unit of the same type lot, on the basis of the working instruction information, and a replacement buffer which returns each of the set containers from the parts setting area to an order of the type in accordance with the production order in the assembling production line so as to input to the assembling production line.

Claims

1. A parts supplying system of an assembling production line in which different types of works may be assembled in the same line, comprising:

a host computer outputting a production management information including a production order information for a plurality of works;

a working instruction device for taking in said production management information corresponding to a preset number of works as an antecedent information coming before an actual parts preparing work, extracting the same type of works included in this intake production management information as the same type lot in a unit of a predetermined number so as to sort in an order of a parts preparing work, and generating a working instruction information including a parts preparing work order of the same type lot, said predetermined number and an assembly parts information relating to a kind and a number of the assembly parts to be assembled in said type of work each of the types;

a plurality of set containers receiving a desired kind and number of assembly parts to be assembled in one work as one set of assembly parts set;

a parts setting area having a working station provided with parts shelves for receiving the assembly parts therein by the kinds, and inputting said assembly parts set for the corresponding type of work to each of said set containers in the order of said parts preparing works by a unit of the same type lot, on the basis of said working instruction information; and

a set container input mechanism for returning each of the set containers to which each of said assembly parts sets is input in said parts setting area in an order of the type in accordance with the production order in said assembling production line so as to input to said assembling production line.

2. A parts supplying system of an assembling production line as claimed in claim 1, wherein said set container input mechanism is provided with a set container temporarily storing device for temporarily storing each of the set containers each receiving said assembly parts set.

3. A parts supplying system of an assembling production line as claimed in claim 1, wherein a transfer route for transferring said set container together with said work in correspondence to the work flowing in said line is set in said assembling production line, and a set container temporarily extraction device for temporarily picking up said set container from said transfer route is provided in a part of said transfer route.

4. A parts supplying system of an assembling production line in which different types of works may be assembled in the same line, comprising:

a host computer outputting a production management information including a production order information for a plurality of works;

a working instruction device for taking in a part of said production management information as an antecedent information coming before an actual parts preparing work, and generating a working instruction information including an assembly parts information relating to a kind and a number of the assembly parts to be assembled in said type of work, in each of the types of the works included in this intake production management information;

a plurality of set containers receiving a desired kind and number of assembly parts to be assembled in one work as one set of assembly parts set;

a parts setting area having a working station provided with parts shelves for receiving the assembly parts therein by the kinds, and inputting said assembly parts set for the corresponding type of work to each of said set containers, on the basis of said working instruction information;

a writing device for writing the assembly parts information corresponding to said set container on the basis of said working instruction information, with respect to a memory device provided in said set container, before inputting the assembly parts set to said set container in said parts setting area;

a reading device for reading said assembly parts information stored in the memory device of said set container input to said working station;

a display control device for displaying an object set container to be operated and the receiving portion of the parts shelves for an object parts to be received in said container, on the basis of said assembly parts information, at a time when said set containers are input to said working station;

a parts extraction detecting device for detecting a state in which the parts are picked up from each of the receiving portions of said parts shelves;

a parts receiving detecting device for detecting a state in which the parts are received in said set containers; and

an informing device for informing a worker in said working station of a state in which at least any one of said parts receiving detecting device and said parts extraction detecting device is different from said working instruction information, at a time when the state is detected.

5. A parts supplying system of an assembling production line as claimed in claim 4, wherein the parts supplying system is provided with a working finish instructing device which is operated after the receiving work of the assembly parts in said set container is finished, said working finish instructing device is set such as to be capable of transmitting a working finish signal to said informing device, and said informing device informs the worker of the case that said working finish signal is received in a state in which the receiving work of the assembly parts is not finished after the display is carried out by said display control device.

6. A parts supplying system of an assembling production line as claimed in claim 5, wherein said working finish instructing device is operated after finishing the operation of receiving said assembly parts in said set container with respect to each of kinds of said assembly parts.

7. A parts supplying system of an assembling production line as claimed in claim 4, wherein said parts extraction detecting device and/or said parts receiving detecting device is provided with an optical sensor.

10. A parts supplying system of an assembling production line as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 9, wherein said working instruction device takes in said production management information corresponding to a preset number of works as an antecedent information coming before an actual parts preparing work, extracts the same type of works included in this intake production management information as the same type lot in a unit of a predetermined number so as to sort in an order of a parts preparing work, generates a working instruction information including a parts preparing work order of the same type lot, said predetermined number and an assembly parts information relating to a kind and a number of the assembly parts to be assembled in said type of work each of the types;

in said parts setting area, said assembly parts set for the corresponding type of work is input to each of said set containers in the order of said parts preparing works by a unit of the same type lot, on the basis of said working instruction information; and

there is provided a set container inputting device which returns each of the set containers from said parts setting area in an order of the type in accordance with the production order in said assembling production line so as to input to said assembling production line.

11. A parts supplying system of an assembling production line as claimed in claim 10, wherein said set container input mechanism is provided with a set container temporarily storing device for temporarily storing each of the set containers each receiving said assembly parts set.

12. A parts supplying system of an assembling production line as claimed in claims 4, wherein a transfer route for transferring said set container together with said work in correspondence to the work flowing in said line is set in said assembling production line, and a set container temporarily extraction device for temporarily picking up said set container from said transfer route is provided in a part of said transfer route.

8. A parts supplying system of an assembling production line in which different types of works may be assembled in the same line, comprising:

a host computer outputting a production management information including a production order information for a plurality of works;

a working instruction device for taking in a part of said production management information as an antecedent information coming before an actual parts preparing work, and generating a working instruction information including an assembly parts information relating to a kind and a number of the assembly parts to be assembled in said type of work, in each of the types of the works included in this intake production management information;

a plurality of set containers receiving a desired kind and number of assembly parts to be assembled in one work as one set of assembly parts set;

a parts setting area having a working station provided with parts shelves for receiving the assembly parts therein by the kinds, and inputting said assembly parts set for the corresponding type of work to each of said set containers, on the basis of said working instruction information;

a parts recording medium which is held in the received portion of said assembly parts at a time of receiving said assembly parts in said parts shelves, and records parts information of said assembly parts;

a recording medium holding device which is provided in said set container and is capable of holding said parts recording medium taken out from said parts shelves;

a parts information reading device for reading the parts information recorded in said parts recording medium;

a parts information collating device for collating the parts information read by said parts information reading device and the assembly parts information corresponding to said set container on the basis of said working instruction information; and

a collated result informing device for informing of a collated result by said parts information collating device.

9. A parts supplying system of an assembling production line as claimed in claim 8, wherein the parts supplying system is further provided with a recording medium supplying device for picking up said parts recording medium held by the recording medium holding device of said set container from said recording medium holding device so as to automatically supply to said parts information reading device.

13. A parts supplying method of an assembling production line in which different types of works may be assembled in the same line, comprising:

a step of outputting a production management information including a production order information for a plurality of works form a host computer;

a step of taking in said production management information corresponding to a preset number of works as an antecedent information coming before an actual parts preparing work, extracting the same type of works included in this intake production management information as the same type lot in a unit of a predetermined number so as to sort in an order of a parts preparing work, and generating a working instruction information including a parts preparing work order of the same type lot, said predetermined number and an assembly parts information relating to a kind and a number of the assembly parts to be assembled in said type of work each of the types;

a step of preparing a plurality of set containers receiving a desired kind and number of assembly parts to be assembled in one work as one set of assembly parts set, and inputting said assembly parts set for the corresponding type of work to each of said set containers in the order of said parts preparing works by a unit of the same type lot, on the basis of said working instruction information, in a operation area provided with parts shelves for receiving the assembly parts therein by the kinds; and

a step of returning each of the set containers to which each of said assembly parts sets is input in an order of the type in accordance with the production order in said assembling production line so as to input to said assembling production line.

14. A parts supplying method of an assembling production line as claimed in claim 13, wherein each of said set containers is temporarily stored in a storing device, at a time of returning each of said set containers to the order of the types in accordance with the production order in said assembling production line so as to input to said assembling production line.

15. A parts supplying method of an assembling production line as claimed in claim 13, wherein a transfer route for transferring said set container together with said work in correspondence to the work flowing in said line is set in said assembling production line, and a set container temporarily extraction device for temporarily picking up said set container from said transfer route is provided in a part of said transfer route.

16. A parts supplying method of an assembling production line in which different types of works may be assembled in the same line, comprising:

a step of outputting a production management information including a production order information for a plurality of works from a host computer;

a step of taking in a part of said production management information as an antecedent information coming before an actual parts preparing work, and generating a working instruction information including an assembly parts information relating to a kind and a number of the assembly parts to be assembled in said type of work, in each of the types of the works included in this intake production management information;

a step of preparing a plurality of set containers receiving a desired kind and number of assembly parts to be assembled in one work as one set of assembly parts set, and inputting said assembly parts set for the corresponding type of work to each of said set containers, in a parts setting area having a working station provided with parts shelves for receiving the assembly parts therein by the kinds;

a step of writing the assembly parts information corresponding to said set container on the basis of said working instruction information, with respect to a memory device provided in said set container, before inputting the assembly parts set to said set container;

a step of reading said assembly parts information stored in the memory device of said set container input to said working station;

a step of displaying an object set container to be operated and the receiving portion of the parts shelves for an object parts to be received in said container, on the basis of said assembly parts information, at a time when said set containers are input to said working station;

a step of detecting a state in which the parts are picked up from each of the receiving portions of said parts shelves;

a step of detecting a state in which the parts are received in said set containers; and

a step of informing a worker in said operation area of a state in which at least any one of said parts receive state and said parts extraction state is different from said working instruction information, at a time when the state is detected.

17. A parts supplying method of an assembling production line as claimed in claim 16, wherein the parts supplying system is provided with a working finish instructing device which is operated after the receiving work of the assembly parts in said set container is finished, and the worker is informed of the matter that a working finish signal is received from said working finish instructing device in a state in which the receiving work of the assembly parts in the set container is not finished after the display of the set container to be operated and the receiving portion of the parts shelves for the parts to be received are displayed, in the case that such a matter is generated.

18. A parts supplying method of an assembling production line as claimed in claim 17, wherein said working finish instructing device is operated after finishing the operation of receiving said assembly parts in said set container with respect to each of kinds of said assembly parts.

19. A parts supplying method of an assembling production line as claimed in claim 16, wherein said parts extraction detection and/or said parts receive detection is provided with an optical sensor.

22. A parts supplying method of an assembling production line as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 21, wherein said step of generating the working instruction information comprises a step of taking in said production management information corresponding to a preset number of works as an antecedent information coming before an actual parts preparing work, extracting the same type of works included in this intake production management information as the same type lot in a unit of a predetermined number so as to sort in an order of a parts preparing work, and generating a working instruction information including a parts preparing work order of the same type lot, said predetermined number and an assembly parts information relating to a kind and a number of the assembly parts to be assembled in said type of work each of the types;

said step of inputting said assembly parts set to each of said set containers comprises a step of inputting said assembly parts set for the corresponding type of work to each of said set containers in the order of said parts preparing works by a unit of the same type lot, on the basis of said working instruction information; and

each of the set containers each of which said assembly parts set is input to is returned in an order of the type in accordance with the production order in said assembling production line so as to input to said assembling production line.

23. A parts supplying method of an assembling production line as claimed in claim 22, wherein each of said set containers is temporarily stored in a storing device, at a time of returning each of said set containers to the order of the types in accordance with the production order in said assembling production line so as to input to said assembling production line.

24. A parts supplying method of an assembling production line as claimed in any one of claims 16, wherein a transfer route for transferring said set container together with said work in correspondence to the work flowing in said line is set in said assembling production line, and a set container temporarily extraction device for temporarily picking up said set container from said transfer route is provided in a part of said transfer route.

20. A parts supplying method of an assembling production line in which different types of works may be assembled in the same line, comprising:

a step of outputting a production management information including a production order information for a plurality of works from a host computer;

a step of taking in a part of said production management information as an antecedent information coming before an actual parts preparing work, and generating a working instruction information including an assembly parts information relating to a kind and a number of the assembly parts to be assembled in said type of work, in each of the types of the works included in this intake production management information;

a step of preparing a plurality of set containers receiving a desired kind and number of assembly parts to be assembled in one work as one set of assembly parts set, and inputting said assembly parts set for the corresponding type of work to each of said set containers, in a parts setting area having a working station provided with parts shelves for receiving the assembly parts therein by the kinds;

a step of making parts recording medium recording parts information of said assembly parts be held in the received portion of said assembly parts, at a time of receiving said assembly parts in said parts shelves;

a step of picking up said parts recording medium from said parts shelves at a time of picking up said assembly parts from said parts shelves so as to input to said container, and making the parts recording medium be held by a recording medium holding device which is provided in said set container;

a step of reading the parts information recorded in said parts recording medium by a parts information reading device;

a step of collating the parts information read by said parts information reading device and the assembly parts information corresponding to said set container on the basis of said working instruction information by a parts information collating device; and

a step of informing of a collated result by said parts information collating device by a collated result informing device.

21. A parts supplying method of an assembling production line as claimed in claim 20, wherein the parts supplying method further comprises a step of automatically supplying said parts recording medium by a recording medium supplying device, at a time of picking up said parts recording medium held by the recording medium holding device of said set container from said recording medium holding device so as to automatically supply to said parts information reading device.