Work management apparatus, picking carriage, work performance collection system, rework measurement system, workability management system, rework measurement measuring method, work performance collection method, workability management method and workability management program

• US 8,744,608 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2012
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ohishi, Satoshi, Niimura, Yonemitsu, Seya, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Shechtman, Sean
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, DOUGLAS S
• Application Number:
  US13/365,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20120136692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 700/95, 700/99, 700/108, 700113-116, 235/381, 235/385
• US Class Current: 700/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 Manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/30 Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing

Abstract

Workability management system including operations of: storing resource identification information for identifying said resource and said work history information in association with each other in a storage medium; extracting said work history information corresponding to said resource identification information from said storage medium when a change occurs in said work history information, updating a change content and storing it into said storage medium; extracting said work history information corresponding to said resource identification information of said resource for judging workability of said resource from said storage medium, taking out total use information of said resource from said work history information, and creating a change with time of said total use information as said casual sequence information; and judging workability of said resource by said casual sequence information.

Claims

1. A workability management system for storing work history of a resource for conducting working for a work as work history information, creating casual sequence information for estimating a change with time of workability of said resource from said work history information and managing workability of said resource by said casual sequence information, comprising a processing unit, said processing unit executing the steps of:

storing resource identification information for identifying said resource and said work history information in association with each other in a storage medium;

extracting said work history information corresponding to said resource identification information from said storage medium when a change occurs in said work history information, updating a change content and storing it into said storage medium;

extracting said work history information corresponding to said resource identification information of said resource for judging workability of said resource from said storage medium, taking out total use information of said resource from said work history information, and creating a change with time of said total use information as said casual sequence information; and

judging workability of said resource by said casual sequence information;

wherein said processing portion stores in said storage medium priority reference information representing which of at least two resources of the same kind is to be preferentially used, and further stores priority judgment information contained in said work history information in said storage medium in such a fashion as to correspond to said resource identification information of said resources;

takes out from said storage medium said priority judgment information corresponding to said resource identification information of said resource which is the same as said resource when said resource is selected and further takes out said priority reference information from said storage medium;

selects said resource identification information of said priority judgment information satisfying said priority reference information; and

reports said resource identification information selected as said resource of priority use.

2. A workability management system for storing use history of a metal mold for processing a work as work history information, creating casual sequence information for estimating a degradation state of said metal mold from said work history information and managing workability of said metal mold by said casual sequence information, comprising a processing unit, said processing unit executing the steps of:

storing mold identification information for identifying said metal mold and said work history information in association with each other in a storage medium;

extracting said work history information corresponding to said mold identification information from said storage medium when a change occurs in said work history information, updating a change content and storing it into said storage medium;

extracting said work history information corresponding to said mold identification information of said metal mold when workability of said metal mold is judged, from said storage medium, taking out total use information of said metal mold from said work history information, and creating a change with time of said total use information as said casual sequence information; and

judging workability of said metal mold by said casual sequence information;

wherein said processing unit stores in said storage medium priority reference information representing which of at least two metal molds is to be preferentially used when said metal molds of the same kind are preserved in a warehouse, and further stores priority judgment information contained in said work history information in said storage medium in such a fashion as to correspond to said mold identification information of said metal molds;

takes out from said storage medium said priority judgment information corresponding to said mold identification information of said metal mold which is the same as said metal mold when said metal mold is taken out from said warehouse and further takes out said priority reference information from said storage medium;

selects said mold identification information of said priority judgment information satisfying said priority reference information; and

reports said mold identification information selected as said metal mold of priority use.

3. A workability management system for storing use history of a metal mold for processing a work as work history information, creating casual sequence information for estimating a degradation state of said metal mold from said work history information and managing workability of said metal mold by said casual sequence information, comprising a processing unit, said processing unit executing the steps of:

storing mold identification information for identifying said metal mold and said work history information in association with each other in a storage medium;

extracting said work history information corresponding to said mold identification information from said storage medium when a change occurs in said work history information, updating a change content and storing it into said storage medium;

extracting said work history information corresponding to said mold identification information of said metal mold when workability of said metal mold is judged, from said storage medium, taking out total use information of said metal mold from said work history information, and creating a change with time of said total use information as said casual sequence information; and

judging workability of said metal mold by said casual sequence information;

wherein said processing unit stores in said storage medium priority reference information representing which of at least two metal molds is to be preferentially used when said metal molds of the same kind are preserved in a warehouse, and further stores priority judgment information contained in said work history information in said storage medium in such a fashion as to correspond to said mold identification information of said metal molds;

takes out from said storage medium said priority judgment information corresponding to said mold identification information of said metal mold which is the same as said metal mold when said metal mold is taken out from said warehouse and further takes out said priority reference information from said storage medium;

selects said mold identification information of said priority judgment information satisfying said priority reference information; and

reports said mold identification information selected as said metal mold of priority use;

wherein said processing unit stores in advance a use inhibition flag in a storage medium in such a fashion as to correspond to said mold identification information of said metal mold having a factor that may cause the defect of the product, confirms said use inhibition flag corresponding to said mold identification information when said metal mold is used, judges the existence/absence of use and reports the result.

4. A workability management system for storing use history of a metal mold for processing a work as work history information, creating casual sequence information for estimating a degradation state of said metal mold from said work history information and managing workability of said metal mold by said casual sequence information, comprising a processing unit, said processing unit executing the steps of:

storing mold identification information for identifying said metal mold and said work history information in association with each other in a storage medium;

extracting said work history information corresponding to said mold identification information from said storage medium when a change occurs in said work history information, updating a change content and storing it into said storage medium;

extracting said work history information corresponding to said mold identification information of said metal mold when workability of said metal mold is judged, from said storage medium, taking out total use information of said metal mold from said work history information, and creating a change with time of said total use information as said casual sequence information; and

judging workability of said metal mold by said casual sequence information;

wherein said processing unit stores in said storage medium priority reference information representing which of at least two metals molds is to be preferentially used when said metal molds of the same kind are preserved in a warehouse, and further stores priority judgment information contained in said work history information in said storage medium in such a fashion as to correspond to said mold identification information of said metal molds;

takes out from said storage medium said priority judgment information corresponding to said mold identification information of said metal mold which is the same as said metal mold when said metal mold is taken out from said warehouse and further takes out said priority reference information from said storage medium;

selects said mold identification information of said priority judgment information satisfying said priority reference information; and

reports said mold identification information selected as said metal mold of priority use;

wherein said processing unit stores in advance said mold identification information into an IC tag that is fitted to said metal mold itself and is capable of communication, acquires said total use information representing the use state of said metal mold in a molding machine for molding said work, and stores said work history information into said storage medium in such a fashion as to correspond to said mold identification information read from said IC tag.

5. A work management system for managing work processes in a system in which a predetermined work for a work object article is divided into a plurality of work processes, each of said work processes being carried out in a different works space, the time about working by workers in said work spaces being management by using an IC tag into which information for specifying a content of said predetermined work is written, said system comprising:

an information processing unit having a processing unit and a storage portion, for collecting information of the time about said work;

a first putting place which is secured in said work space and to which said worker of a preceding process puts said IC tag;

a first reader provided to said first putting place, for detecting said IC tag put to said first putting place and reading its information, and transmitting the information of said IC tag to said information processing unit at the timing at which said IC tag is detected afresh or is no longer detected;

a second putting place which is secured in said work space and to which said worker in said work space puts said IC tag during working; and

a second reader provided to said second putting place, for detecting said IC tag put to said second putting place and reading its information, and transmitting the information of said IC tag to said information processing unit at the timing at which said IC tag is detected afresh or is no longer detected;

wherein said processing unit stores the information received from said first and second readers in said storage portion and manages the time about said work;

wherein said processing unit judges and manages, as the time about said work, the time from the timing at which said second reader detects afresh said IC tag to the timing at which said second reader no longer detects the IC tag, as a processing time in which processing as working in said work space is made.

6. A work management system for managing work processes in a system in which a predetermined work for a work object article is divided into a plurality of work processes, each of said work processes being carried out in a different work space, the time about working by workers in said work spaces being management by using an IC tag into which information for specifying a content of said predetermined work is written, said system comprising:

an information processing unit having a processing unit and a storage portion, for collecting information of the time about said work;

a first putting place which is secured in said work space and to which said worker of a preceding process puts said IC tag;

a first reader provided to said first putting place, for detecting said IC tag put to said first putting place and reading its information, and transmitting the information of said IC tag to said information processing unit at the timing at which said IC tag is detected afresh or is no longer detected;

a second putting place which is secured in said work space and to which said worker in said work space puts said IC tag during working; and

a second reader provided to said second putting place, for detecting said IC tag put to said second putting place and reading its information, and transmitting the information of said IC tag to said information processing unit at the timing at which said IC tag is detected afresh or is no longer detected;

wherein said processing unit stores the information received from said first and second readers in said storage portion and manages the time about said work;

wherein said processing unit judges and manages, as the time about said work, the time from the timing at which said second reader detects afresh said IC tag to the timing at which said second reader no longer detects the IC tag, as a processing time in which processing as working in said work space is made;

wherein said processing unit judges and manages, as the time about said work, the time from the timing at which said first reader detects afresh said IC tag to the timing at which said first reader no longer detects the IC tag or said second reader detects afresh said IC tag, as a retention time in which processing is stagnant in said work space or a preceding work space.

7. A work management system for managing work processes in a system in which a predetermined work for a work object article is divided into a plurality of work processes, each of said work processes being carried out in a different work space, the time about working by workers in said work spaces being management by using an IC tag into which information for specifying a content of said predetermined work is written, said system comprising:

an information processing unit having a processing unit and a storage portion, for collecting information of the time about said work;

a first putting place which is secured in said work space and to which said worker of a preceding process puts said IC tag;

a first reader provided to said first putting place, for detecting said IC tag put to said first putting place and reading its information, and transmitting the information of said IC tag to said information processing unit at the timing at which said IC tag is detected afresh or is no longer detected;

a second putting place which is secured in said work space and to which said worker in said work space puts said IC tag during working; and

a second reader provided to said second putting place, for detecting said IC tag put to said second putting place and reading its information, and transmitting the information of said IC tag to said information processing unit at the timing at which said IC tag is detected afresh or is no longer detected;

wherein said processing unit stores the information received from said first and second readers in said storage portion and manages the time about said work;

wherein said processing unit judges and manages, as the time about said work, the time from the timing at which said second reader detects afresh said IC tag to the timing at which said second reader no longer detects the IC tag, as a processing time in which processing as working in said work space is made;

wherein said processing unit judges and manages, as the time about said work, the time from the timing at which said first reader detects afresh said IC tag to the timing at which said first reader no longer detects the IC tag or said second reader detects afresh said IC tag, as a retention time in which processing is stagnant in said work space or a preceding work space;

wherein said processing unit judges and manages, as the time about said work, the time from the timing at which said second reader no longer detects said IC tag to the timing at which said first reader detects afresh the IC tag in said work space of a next work process, as a movement time in which said work object article is moved from said work space to a next work space.

8. A work management system for managing work processes in a system in which a predetermined work for a work object article is divided into a plurality of work processes, each of said work processes being carried out in a different work space, the time about working by workers in said work spaces being management by using an IC tag into which information for specifying a content of said predetermined work is written, said system comprising:

an information processing unit having a processing unit and a storage portion, for collecting information of the time about said work;

a first putting place which is secured in said work space and to which said worker of a preceding process puts said IC tag;

a first reader provided to said first putting place, for detecting said IC tag put to said first putting place and reading its information, and transmitting the information of said IC tag to said information processing unit at the timing at which said IC tag is detected afresh or is no longer detected;

a second putting place which is secured in said work space and to which said worker in said work space puts said IC tag during working; and

a second reader provided to said second putting place, for detecting said IC tag put to said second putting place and reading its information, and transmitting the information of said IC tag to said information processing unit at the timing at which said IC tag is detected afresh or is no longer detected;

wherein said processing unit stores the information received from said first and second readers in said storage portion and manages the time about said work;

wherein said processing unit judges and manages, as the time about said work, the time from the timing at which said second reader detects afresh said IC tag to the timing at which said second reader no longer detects the IC tag, as a processing time in which processing as working in said work space is made;

wherein said processing unit judges and manages, as the time about said work, the time from the timing at which said first reader detects afresh said IC tag to the timing at which said first reader no longer detects the IC tag or said second reader detects afresh said IC tag, as a retention time in which processing is stagnant in said work space or a preceding work space;

wherein said processing unit judges and manages, as the time about said work, the time from the timing at which said second reader no longer detects said IC tag to the timing at which said first reader detects afresh the IC tag in said work space of a next work process, as a movement time in which said work object article is moved from said work space to a next work space;

wherein said processing unit adds said retention time and said movement time as a lead time, and calculates a substantial processing time by dividing said processing time by said lead time.

9. A work management system for managing work processes in a system in which a predetermined work for a work object article is divided into a plurality of work processes, each of said work processes being carried out in a different work space, the time about working by workers in said work spaces being management by using an IC tag into which information for specifying a content of said predetermined work is written, said system comprising:

an information processing unit having a processing unit and a storage portion, for collecting information of the time about said work;

a first putting place which is secured in said work space and to which said worker of a preceding process puts said IC tag;

a first reader provided to said first putting place, for detecting said IC tag put to said first putting place and reading its information, and transmitting the information of said IC tag to said information processing unit at the timing at which said IC tag is detected afresh or is no longer detected;

a second putting place which is secured in said work space and to which said worker in said work space puts said IC tag during working; and

a second reader provided to said second putting place, for detecting said IC tag put to said second putting place and reading its information, and transmitting the information of said IC tag to said information processing unit at the timing at which said IC tag is detected afresh or is no longer detected;

wherein said processing unit stores the information received from said first and second readers in said storage portion and manages the time about said work;

wherein said first putting place is secured at a position closer to said work space of a preceding work process than a work position of said worker in said work space, and said second putting place is secured in the proximity of a work position of said worker in said work space.