Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-03
2004-01-27
Picard, Leo (Department: 2125)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S111000, C702S182000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06684120
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of collecting and combining various working front information generated in each manufacturing step in an FA system which controls plural steps for manufacturing products by using the network connected with each manufacturing step.
The present invention also relates to a method of collecting various working front information generated in each manufacturing step, particularly, information (abnormal information) showing an occurrence of abnormality caused in a manufacturing step, in an FA system which controls plural steps for manufacturing products.
2. Related Art Statement
First of all, there is a method performed by man power as a conventional method of collecting work front information in the FA system. That is, various information, such as production control information, working information of machining tool and the like, quality information of products and failure information, or the like are collected by the work front worker etc.
However, it is difficult for the above-described related art method performed by man power to collect a large amount of information. Further, the above-described related art method takes number of man-hours and time in collection of information and causes mistakes easily in collection and counting of information.
Therefore, recently, above described various information are collected and recorded on the information device which is called as a shared server provided on the network of the FA system and makes it to the data base. The thus collected information can be utilized from the information collecting terminal provided on the network by accessing the data base recorded on the shared server by the user.
This method is suitable to perform a routine task in which the kinds and the form etc. of the data to be used are previously defined. However, in case of adding a new business, and in case of using information in the shared server in the methods other than routine task, or the like, the structure and the content of the data base are usually complex, so that it is difficult for the user to use information freely and easily.
Moreover, not only the load to shared server but also loads to the entire FA system become large when a number of users access the data base at the same time, so that the adverse effect might be caused for the operation of the entire system.
In the manufacturing working front comprising the plural steps for manufacturing products in a manufacturing industry, various information, such as production amount of products, working information of machining tool, quality information of products and failure information or the like are generated hourly. In order to perform the improvement of the quality of products and the improvement of equipment or the like effectively, these working front information must be properly collected, analyzed and studied.
In such manufacturing working front for managing respective steps by a method of collecting such working front information, especially by an FA system, above described various information is collected and recorded on the information device which is called as a shared server provided in the network of the FA system and makes it to the data base. The thus collected information can be utilized from the information collecting terminal provided on the network by accessing the data base recorded on the shared server by the user.
However, this method is suitable to perform a routine task in which the kinds and the form or the like of the data to be used are defined previously, but it is difficult for the user to obtain desired information by the method and objects other than routine task, and thus in case of accessing data base by a number of users simultaneously, the adverse effect might be caused for the operation of the FA system.
As a method of solving such a problem, a method of data transmission to the data collecting condition setting device, in which the data (i.e., information) collection condition setting device, set by the user, and a data collecting apparatus for collecting working front information in each manufacturing step based on the data collecting condition set with this setting device are provided on the network of the FA system, and a data collecting condition set by the user is transmitted to the data collecting device.
According to this method, The user can collect and utilize the desired information promptly and easily. However, in this method, in case of collecting plural information generated in plural processes to one, the amounts of collected data become excessive and thus the processing might become difficult. Moreover, in case of collecting plural information with different time generated by viewing a time change in working front information in one step, there is a problem that it is difficult to measure a timing where information is generated.
In addition, in this method, when data amount, to which the load of the data collecting device in case of collecting the above information is increased, becomes excessive, the problem that the exchange of the data between the data collecting condition setting device and the data collecting device makes the load of the entire FA system increased, can be caused.
Various working front information generated by manufacturing step of products in manufacturing, particularly, collection of abnormal information such as the occurrence of the malfunction of the manufacturing device and abnormality of products relies on especially man power, up to now. That is, the operating situation of the device and information on the quality of products etc. were seen from the various documents regularly outputted, and the presence of abnormal occurrence was checked.
However, when relying on man power, there is a possibility that a judgment mistake may occur during the check for leakage during a step of manufacturing of the item and the subjectivity of the person performing checks. Moreover, there is a problem that processing according to man power becomes difficult when the outputted amount of information becomes excessive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the above described disadvantages of the conventional FA system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of collecting FA information, in which working front information in manufacture working front can be collected and used easily and promptly.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of combining FA information capable of utilizing working front information in a manufacture working front environment, indicated as significant information by combining the collected information.
It is further object of the present invention to provide an FA information collecting method capable of collecting working front information in manufacturing step of products, especially abnormal information showing the occurrence of abnormality promptly and automatically.
According to the present invention, there is provided an FA information collecting method for use in an FA system for managing plural steps to manufacture products by using a network connected to these respective steps, characterized in that when collecting working front information sent to a data transmission line in the said network and generated in each of these steps, from an information collecting end provided to on the said network, a desired information is automatically collected based on a given condition from among the working front information.
According to the present invention, the necessary information can be collected automatically from among working front information sent on the network of the FA system and generated in each manufacturing step, based on the condition set to obtain desired information by the user
Therefore, the person, who intends collection and utilization of working front information, can collect necessary information from among the working front information by the user's sorting out at necessary time, so that speeding-up of the
Fujiyama Yukio
Oku Masaharu
Sasaki Eiji
Shibao Satoru
Bridgestone Corporation
Frank Elliot
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