Manufacturing control system
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- a tracking system configured to identify characteristics about a plurality of portable machines configured to perform a plurality of manufacturing operations on a workpiece, wherein the characteristics include information about multiple ones of the plurality of portable machines; and
a controller in communication with the tracking system, wherein the controller is configured to control performance of individual ones of manufacturing operations on the workpiece using the characteristics about the plurality of portable machines identified using the tracking system, wherein, in response to a determination that ones of the plurality of portable machines is in a correct position relative to workpiece, the controller is configured to send at least one of a command and a program to ones of the plurality of portable machines to control the performance of the individual ones of manufacturing operations on the workpiece based on the characteristics such that an individual portable machine in the plurality of portable machines is controlled at least in part by information about another machine in the plurality of individual portable machines.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus comprising a tracking system and a controller in communication with the tracking system. The tracking system is configured to identify characteristics about a group of portable machines configured to perform a number of manufacturing operations on a workpiece. The controller is configured to control performance of the number of manufacturing operations on the workpiece using the characteristics about the group of portable machines identified using the tracking system.
25 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a tracking system configured to identify characteristics about a plurality of portable machines configured to perform a plurality of manufacturing operations on a workpiece, wherein the characteristics include information about multiple ones of the plurality of portable machines; and a controller in communication with the tracking system, wherein the controller is configured to control performance of individual ones of manufacturing operations on the workpiece using the characteristics about the plurality of portable machines identified using the tracking system, wherein, in response to a determination that ones of the plurality of portable machines is in a correct position relative to workpiece, the controller is configured to send at least one of a command and a program to ones of the plurality of portable machines to control the performance of the individual ones of manufacturing operations on the workpiece based on the characteristics such that an individual portable machine in the plurality of portable machines is controlled at least in part by information about another machine in the plurality of individual portable machines. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for managing manufacturing operations, the method comprising:
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identifying characteristics about a plurality of portable machines using a tracking system and a controller, wherein the characteristics include information about multiple ones of the plurality of portable machines; and controlling performance of a plurality of manufacturing operations on a workpiece by the plurality of portable machines using the characteristics about the plurality of portable machines identified using the tracking system, wherein controlling comprises sending at least one of a command and a program to the plurality of portable machines in response to a determination that the plurality of portable machines is in a correct position relative to the workpiece to control the performance of the plurality of manufacturing operations on the workpiece based on the characteristics such that an individual portable machine in the plurality of portable machines is controlled at least in part by information about another machine in the plurality of individual portable machines. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification