Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-12
2003-09-02
Picard, Leo (Department: 2125)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S095000, C700S110000, C700S116000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06615094
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention pertains to a method for providing manufacturing-related data in the large-scale production of manufactured objects, in particular, automobiles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the large-scale production of automobiles, it is common practice to assign a so-called accompanying card to each automobile. This card accompanies the automobile while it passes through manufacturing sections, e.g., while the automobile passes through different preassembly and assembly sections, and is assigned to this automobile. Complaints of the workers who are active in these manufacturing sections are registered on this accompanying card in the various manufacturing sections. These complaints may, for example, pertain to defects of the components or groups of components used in the large-scale production. For example, a reference on the accompanying card may indicate that a certain component, e.g., an air filter, is damaged or contains another defect, e.g., the air filter is soiled. This also applies to groups of components, e.g., auxiliary heating systems or air conditioning systems. The accompanying card may also contain a reference to missing components if a component required in a certain manufacturing section is unavailable.
After passing through the various manufacturing sections of the large-scale production, the accompanying card is removed from the automobile such that a list of complaints pertaining to this automobile is available and the required subsequent work can be planned and initiated based on the references on the accompanying card, e.g., the replacement of defective components, the installation of missing components or other subsequent improvements. After the subsequent work is carried out, the accompanying card is archived for a certain duration.
One disadvantage of this known method can be seen in the fact that the registration of complaints on the accompanying card is complicated, laborious and susceptible to errors since the accompanying card is quite extensive due to the large quantity of components used in large-scale production, in particular, of automobiles. For example, this accompanying card may consist of several DIN A4 sheets such that the registration of the respective complaint is relatively difficult, in particular, under time pressure.
Another disadvantage of this known method is that the complaints of the workers which are registered on the accompanying card are not available for planning the subsequent work if the accompanying card is used otherwise, e.g., if a worker is currently registering complaints on the accompanying card. This is the reason why certain check points are provided during the manufacturing process in accordance with this known method. The accompanying card is removed at these check points and the required subsequent work can be planned in accordance with the complaints of the workers registered on the accompanying card. This means that the manufacturing-related data for planning the subsequent work are only available at these check points. This is not practical and complicates the planning of subsequent work.
A method for providing manufacturing-related data in the large-scale production of automobiles is known from “Patent Abstracts of Japan,” No. 61108079 and from DE 41 13 556 A1 which refers to the previously mentioned publication. In this method, a movable communication device that accompanies the automobile during the manufacturing process is assigned to each automobile.
A similar method is known from GB 2 279 775 A.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is based on the objective of disclosing a method of the initially mentioned type which does not exhibit the disadvantages of the known method, i.e., a method, in which the collecting and providing of manufacturing-related data is simplified.
Instead of using an accompanying card of paper, the invention proposes a data collecting device that is assigned to the manufactured object, e.g., an automobile, analogous to the accompanying card in the known method described above. Workers are able to enter manufacturing-related data in the form of complaints into the data collecting device in the various manufacturing sections if a defect is detected in the respective manufacturing section. The data may, for example, be input by means of a keyboard or a touchscreen of the data collecting device.
The invention also proposes that the data be at least partially transmitted from the data collecting device to at least one central device during manufacturing. This may, for example, be realized by means of a radio transmission.
This means that the manufacturing-related data are centrally available in the central device and can be used for planning the required subsequent work.
Since the data are, according to the invention, already available in the central device during the manufacturing process, it is no longer necessary to wait until a manufactured object has passed through the entire manufacturing process. The planning of subsequent work consequently may take place while the manufactured object is still located in the manufacturing process. This significantly simplifies the planning of subsequent work and makes it possible to save time and lower costs.
The method according to the invention is particularly suitable for the large-scale production of automobiles. However, it may also be used in the large-scale production of any other manufactured object, e.g., in the manufacture of electronic devices. Consequently, the method according to the invention can be universally utilized.
The data collecting device can have a simple design, e.g., in the form of a simple hand-held computer. Since computers of this type are durable and robust, they can be used over an extended period of time. This has advantageous effects with respect to cost. Another advantage of the method according to the invention can be seen in the fact that the manufacturing-related data can be stored and archived in the central device in the form of electronic data. Consequently, all processes associated with the archiving of the accompanying card in the known method can be executed in a program-controlled fashion. This results in additional time savings and consequently cost reductions.
According to one practical additional development of the method according to the invention, the data collecting device is assigned to the respective manufactured object at the beginning of a first predetermined manufacturing section, with the data collecting device remaining assigned to the respective manufactured object up to a second predetermined manufacturing section. Due to this measure, a fixed allocation of the data collecting device to the respective manufactured object is ensured between the first and the second predetermined manufacturing section, so that the respective manufactured object can be identified by identifying the corresponding data collecting device.
The first and the second manufacturing sections can be chosen in accordance with the respective requirements. However, it is practical if the first manufacturing section is, viewed in the moving direction of the manufactured object through the manufacturing sections, located in one of the first manufacturing sections, with the second manufacturing section being located in one of the last manufacturing sections. For example, if the large-scale production of automobiles comprises the manufacturing sections press, body structure, paint shop, various preassembly sections, various assembly sections, quality assurance and final inspection, the first manufacturing section may be the preassembly and the second manufacturing section may be the final inspection. In this case, the data collecting device is assigned to the automobile after departure from the paint shop, with this allocation being maintained up to the final inspection.
Another embodiment contains means which determine the respectively instantaneous position of the respective data collecting device and the respective manufactured object in the large-scale production, with data t
Picard Leo
Shlesinger & Arkwright & Garvey LLP
Swindell Walter R.
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