Manufacturing network system

Details Manufacturing network system Manufacturing network system

2002-09-06

2004-08-03

Paladini, Albert W. (Department: 2125)

Data processing: generic control systems or specific application

Specific application, apparatus or process

Product assembly or manufacturing

C700S096000, C707S793000, C709S241000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06772033

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention refers to a manufacturing network system comprising at least one master computer and at least one network computer linked therewith for the purpose of network management, said network computer being linked with a number of local control devices in the area of assembly lines, work stations, or the like, which local control devices are associated with field devices, such as initiators, actuators, screw control modules, or the like, of which corresponding work devices are controllable and/or actuable along the assembly lines, in the work stations, or the like, the network computer being provided with a number of software modules and/or being linked with software modules in the manufacturing network system.
It is known from practice that at present e.g., in car manufacturing various work stations are arranged along assembly lines, the work stations having inter alia assigned thereto control devices for screwers. With such a control device, it is possible to control a plurality of screwers and to monitor the action thereof e.g., with respect to torque. Known are also decentralized control devices, for instance, for workpiece carriers. For instance, part of the automotive vehicle can be moved along various work stations for the purpose of assembly on such a workpiece carrier. A higher-level computer is normally responsible for coordinating the workpiece carriers.
Many other working activities are carried out along such an assembly line, the corresponding working means being locally controlled or programmed as a rule without any corresponding status feedback to a central computer or master computer.
As a consequence, information on the various working activities, the progress of said activities, the time sequence of various working activities, or the like, can normally not be called, evaluated or monitored at a central place. For instance, there is also no appropriate storage of data of the various work stations and/or of data regarding parts of an automotive vehicle or the automotive vehicle on the whole during its manufacture. By analogy, it is also not possible to obtain information from the overall system through access in the area of the local devices, in particular, with respect to a product to be manufactured, or orders regarding a specific product, or the like.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a manufacturing network system in which data are collected, stored, managed and evaluated in many ways, and in which queries are possible at almost any point of the network system. This object is achieved by the features of claim 1.
SUMMARY
At least one network computer is linked with a master computer at a planning level within the network system. Said network computer serves to acquire, manage and/or evaluate data. A plurality of local control devices are connected to the network computer. These devices are assigned to an assembly line, a work station or also several work stations separately or also in the area of the assembly line. Data are exchanged between local control device and network computer, and said data exchange may concern operating data and e.g., also control data. Such operating data are e.g., data on the field devices assigned to the local control device, their activities, times of use, or the like. Furthermore, such data may be alarm messages, failure messages, etc. The data exchange between network computer and local control devices is normally bidirectional, so that corresponding data can also be transmitted to the local control devices, for instance for the purpose of programming, or can be called therefrom by the network computer.
The connection between network computer and master computer may also be bidirectional, so that the network computer can be queried by the master computer, and vice versa.
Each of the local control devices comprises a connection to at least one field device which is controlled, monitored, programmed, or the like, by the local control device. Such field devices may be screwer controls, initiators, actuators, or the like, which control and monitor screwers accordingly and operate, control, monitor, or the like, other devices of the corresponding work station.
To acquire, manage, evaluate, distribute, etc., specific data in accordance with the requirements in this context, software modules are or can be installed within the manufacturing network system, and can e.g., be stored on the master computer, the network computer or the local control devices or further computers in the network system or can be called there via the network. The network computer coordinates and manages the data flow within the network system and between the various software modules.
Different protocols for taking over and transmitting data are known for such networks. One example is the TCP/IP reference model or also internet reference model which permits the transmission and transfer of data from and between different computers and networks and, in particular, communication between transport layer and internetwork layer. It is also possible to communicate on a so-called application layer within the manufacturing network system, the corresponding application protocols therefor being FTP, SMTP, HTTP, or the like. For instance, various web browsers are based on HTTP for providing web pages which may contain a mixture of texts, graphics, sound and video data. A corresponding communication between the various components of the manufacturing network system is also possible via such web pages and corresponding hyperlinks.
Some of the abbreviations used shall now be explained in the following:
TCP/IP
transmission control protocol/internet protocol
FTP
file transfer protocol
SMTP
simple mail transfer protocol
HTTP
hypertext transfer protocol
SQL
structured query language
CAQ
computer aided quality control
DDE
dynamic data exchange
ODBC
open database connectivity
SPS
programmable control system (programmable controller)
LAN
local area network
WAN
wide area network
The various software modules within the manufacturing network system may, e.g., include a program diagnosis module. Said module serves, in particular, to diagnose lower-level network components, such as local control device, communication link, field device, or the like.
The program diagnosis module may comprise a programming tool through which e.g., programming can take place from a central place of the network system.
To be able to make a remote diagnosis also from outside the manufacturing network system still within an intranet, or even from an extranet, the manufacturing network system may comprise a corresponding interface, for instance, for connection to the internet. Such a remote diagnosis could e.g., by carried out by suppliers of local control devices or field devices. The remote diagnosis may also serve to check screwers, measuring devices of the work station, or the like.
To be able to make a remote diagnosis independently of different manufacturers of different network components, such a lower-level network component with respect to the program diagnosis module may comprise a user-independent interface.
To obtain information, in particular, on lower-level network components, their states, interactivities, or the like, a software module may be a logbook module. In such a logbook module, corresponding versions, extensions, or the like, of the network can be stored and called again.
If there is an error message within the system, the system states can be checked through the logbook module to localize the fault or error, if necessary.
It is here possible to program corresponding system states for at least one input mask of an input means of the manufacturing network system.
To be able to adapt the logbook module to system changes and extensions in a simple way, such changes in the system can be entered and/or stored in the logbook module.
Moreover, the logbook module may comprise a clearance device through which calls and queries by network-external participants are e.g., possible via a modem, or the like.
It is also possible to

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