Method for manufacturing an item

• US 7,162,799 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Issued: 01/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Moore, Diane E., Lubash, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cozart, Jermie E.
• Application Number:
  US11/066,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20050150094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 298/972, 294/070.1, 294/070.4, 294/30, 297/03, 297/09, 297/12, 297/14, 297/20, 297/21, 297/83, 294/29, 297/91, 298/24, 340/686.1, 340/686.4, 340/686.5, 340/686.6, 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 29/897.2
• 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: B23P 2700/50 Other automobile vehicle parts, i.e. manufactured in assembly lines
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/18 Transportation, conveyor or haulage systems specially adapted for motor vehicle or trailer assembly lines conveyors and haulage in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41805 characterised by assembly
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31046 Aid for assembly, show display on screen next workpiece, task, position to be assembled, executed
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31432 Keep track of conveyed workpiece, batch, tool, conditions of stations, cells
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31466 Display position of different workpieces, tools in system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32005 Graphical, text operator instructions synchronous with product distribution
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49622 Vehicular structural member making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49764 with testing or indicating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49769 Using optical instrument [excludes mere human eyeballing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49778 with aligning, guiding, or instruction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4978 Assisting assembly or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49828 Progressively advancing of work assembly station or assembled portion of work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49829 Advancing work to successive stations [i.e., assembly line]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53052 including position sensor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53087 with signal, scale, illuminator, or optical viewer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53365 Multiple station assembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/534 : Multiple station assembly or disassembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53548 : and work carrying vehicle

Abstract

A method for notifying installers 14–22 of the existence, type, and location of a portion 26 of an item within an assembly line 10. The notification allows the installers 14–22 to respectively ensure that the components 40 which are needed to be placed upon the portion 26 are available for use by the installer 14–22 in a timely manner.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an item by the use of a first portion of said item which is transported in close proximity to a plurality of manual installers who respectively place a component upon said first portion of said item, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a radio frequency tag having identifying information that indicates which components are to be installed upon said first portion by said plurality of manual installers;

providing a radio frequency receiver to receive identifying information from said radio frequency tag;

creating a notification from the radio frequency receiver which automatically visually notifies at least one of said plurality of manual installers of said identifying information for said first portion upon a transport member before said first portion is transported in close proximity to said at least one of said plurality of manual installers, thereby allowing said at least one of said plurality of manual installers to retrieve a component corresponding to said identifying information before said first portion is transported in close proximity to said at least one of said plurality of manual installers; and

assembling said component corresponding to said identifying information to said first portion by said at least one of said plurality of manual installers.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said item comprises a vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said first portion comprises a body of said vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said notification is made by use of a visual display device.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said first portion is of a certain type and wherein said identifying information further identifies said type and said location of said first portion.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein

the identifying information further comprises data representing location and identification of the first portion of said item as the first portion of said item is transported by the transport assembly;

and further comprising;

displaying the data representing location and identification of the first portion of said item upon at least one display device that is located proximate to at least one of the plurality of manual installers.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the displayed data notifies the at least one of the plurality of manual installers to obtain at least one component for manufacturing the item.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the first portion of said item further comprises a first portion of at least two items.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein at least two dissimilar items are displayed differently.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the first portion of said item further comprises at least two items and one of the at least two items is manufactured from unique components relative to the other of the at least two items.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one display device further comprises a plurality of display devices, each located proximate to one of said plurality of manual installers.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein data representing location and identification of at least one of a plurality of items is received from a plurality of locations along the transport assembly.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

updating the display device with changes of location of the item as the item is transported by the transport assembly.