Method for automatically recording an intervention in a production facility

• US 7,006,877 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2004
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Hoefler, Werner, Hammon, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): Paladini, Albert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Douglas S.
• Application Number:
  US10/922,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20050113956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 700/11, 700/12, 700/19, 700/108, 700/109, 700/110, 700/169, 702/84, 702/187
• US Class Current: 700/19
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31455 Monitor process status

Abstract

A method and a system for automatically recording an intervention in a production facility (1) controlled by a control program (14). The production facility (1) includes a number of facility components (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9a–9e). According to the method and the system, information about a status of the facility component(s) (3–5, 6–8, 9a–9e) and information on whether this status exists in accordance with the control program (14) is retrieved from the control program (14, 15) and is recorded if this status does not exist according to the control program.

Claims

1. A method for automatically recording an intervention in a production facility, the production facility being controlled by a control program and having a plurality of facility components wherein the control program is configured to control statuses of the facility components, the method comprising:

a) retrieving from the control program information on a respective status of at least one of the facility components;

b) retrieving additional information relating to whether the respective status of the at least one facility component exists according to the control program; and

c) if the respective status of the at least one facility component does not exist according to the control program, executing an intervention into the production facility and automatically recording information regarding occurrence of said intervention into an intervention log.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording requires a confirmation by an operator.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein an authentication of the operator that can be electronically evaluated is required for the confirmation by the operator.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one respective status and the facility component affected by the respective status, is determined according to a predefined rule, and the determined at least one respective status and the affected facility is recorded.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the recording requires a confirmation by an operator.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein an authentication of the operator that can be electronically evaluated is required for the confirmation by the operator.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein said executed intervention is a manual intervention.

23. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a component of the production facility modified during the intervention, and recording identification of the modified component into the intervention log.

7. A method for automatically recording an intervention in a production facility, the production facility being controlled by a control program and having a plurality of facility components wherein the control program is configured to control statuses of the facility components, the method comprising:

a) retrieving from the control program information on a respective status of at least one of the facility components;

b) retrieving additional information relating to whether the respective status of the at least one facility component exists according to the control program; and

c) if the respective status of the at least one facility component does not exist according to the control program, recording information regarding the respective status, wherein

in a production process, at least one product is produced from at least one starting material, to produce the product, the at least one starting material is transported through at least one line, the at least one line having front and rear nodes configured to be opened and closed, the at least one line meets at least one other of the facility components at one of the nodes, a line topology contains information on the at least one line and connections of the at least one line with the at least one other facility component, information specifying when and which node is closed, is retrieved from the control program, and further information relating to whether the retrieved closing exists according to the control program is retrieved from the control program.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the production process is a continuous production process.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a conveying means is combined with the at least one line, and wherein an unexpected closing of two nodes that include the at least one line with the conveying means, is evaluated and recorded as a replacement of at least one of the conveying means and the line combined with the conveying means.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a cleaning is prompted for the at least one line, and wherein an unexpected cleaning of the at least one line is evaluated and recorded as a previously performed replacement of the at least one line.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a pressure test can be prompted for the at least one line, and wherein an unexpected pressure test of the at least one line is evaluated and recorded as a previously performed replacement of the at least one line.

12. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein an unexpected closing of at least two nodes from the nodes is evaluated and recorded as a replacement of the at least one line located therebetween.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein a conveying means is combined with the at least one line, and wherein an unexpected closing of two nodes that include the at least one line with the conveying means, is evaluated and recorded as a replacement of at least one of the conveying means and the line combined with the conveying means.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein a cleaning is prompted for the at least one line, and wherein an unexpected cleaning of the at least one line is evaluated and recorded as a previously performed replacement of the at least one line.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein a pressure test is prompted for the at least one line, and wherein an unexpected pressure test of the at least one line is evaluated and recorded as a previously performed replacement of the at least one line.

16. The method as claimed in claims 12, wherein the recording takes place only if at least one of an error or maintenance message was previously triggered.

17. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein an unexpected deactivation of a facility part, to which at least one closed node or the at least one line located therebetween belongs, is recorded.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein a conveying means is combined with the at least one line, and wherein an unexpected closing of two nodes that include the at least one line with the conveying means, is evaluated and recorded as a replacement of at least one of the conveying means and the line combined with the conveying means.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein a cleaning is prompted for the at least one line, and wherein an unexpected cleaning of the at least one line is evaluated and recorded as a previously performed replacement of the at least one line.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein a pressure test is prompted for the at least one line, and wherein an unexpected pressure test of the at least one line is evaluated and recorded as a previously performed replacement of the at least one line.

21. A system automatically recording an intervention in a production facility, where the production facility is controlled by a control program and has a plurality of facility components comprising:

a central mechanism retrieving, from the control program, information on a respective status of at least one facility component and additional information relating to existence of the respective status of the at least one facility component according to the control program; and

a log recording information regarding the respective status,

wherein, when the respective status of the at least one facility component does not exist according to the control program, a manual intervention into the production facility is executed and the log records information about the manual intervention.

24. The system according to claim 21, wherein the log records a time and date when the manual intervention was executed and a facility component of the production facility that was modified.