Production management system

• US 8,649,892 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2006
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Katsuhisa, Kobayashi, Shinji, Matsuoka, Yoshio, Hata, Yoshio, Hikoe, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Padmanabhan, Kavita
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lin, Jason
• Application Number:
  US11/910,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20090177307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,871 Days
• Field of Search: 700/95, 700/110, 901/50
• US Class Current: 700/95
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1674 characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40197 Suppress, execute command depending on physical position of control panel
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40224 If robot gets a return signal, go to initial condition position
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

There is provided a production management system that requires no backup step for performing a backup operation when trouble occurs in a robot, and can increase workability of a repair operation of the robot. The production management system for a production line mixedly including robot operation steps and manual operation steps, including: a monitor that displays the cause of abnormality that occurs in the robot operation step; a warning device that warns of occurrence of abnormality in the robot operation step; and a robot reversing device that reverses the orientation of a robot when abnormality occurs in the robot, wherein production is continued by changing the robot operation step where the abnormality occurs to the manual operation step. Also, a repair operation is performed for the robot reversed by the robot reversing device.

Claims

1. A production management system for a production line mixedly including at least one robot operation step in which at least one robot operation is performed and at least one manual operation step in which at least one manual operation is performed, the robot and manual operation steps being along a transfer conveyor, the production management system comprising:

a transfer rail disposed alongside and parallel to the transfer conveyor at the robot operation step;

a robot rotatably received on a platform that is slidably disposed on the transfer rail;

a monitor that displays a cause of abnormality that occurs at the robot operation step;

a warning device that warns of an occurrence of the abnormality at the robot operation step; and

a robot reversing device that rotates the robot 180°

about an axis that vertically extends from the platform, the robot being rotated the 180°

so that the robot faces away from the transfer conveyor after the robot is returned to an original position along the transfer rail when the abnormality occurs at the robot operation step,

wherein production is continued where the robot was located when the abnormality occurred by using a back up operator to replace the robot operation with a corresponding manual operation,

and wherein said manual operation step being utilized even when the abnormality does not occur, and a repair operation is simultaneously performed for the robot that has been rotated the 180°

about the vertical axis so as to be facing away from the transfer conveyor by said robot reversing device.

2. The production management system of claim 1, wherein the transfer conveyor is spaced from the transfer rail so as to provide space for the manual operation step.

3. The production management system of claim 1, wherein said production line is a assembly line for a door, and the door is assembled during at least one of the robot operation step and the manual operation step.

4. The production management system of claim 1, wherein

the transfer conveyor is spaced from the transfer rail so as to provide space for the manual operation step, and wherein

said production line is a assembly line for a door, and the door is assembled during at least one of the robot operation step and the manual operation step.