Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Article handling
Reexamination Certificate
2003-05-15
2004-11-02
Tran, Khoi H. (Department: 3651)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Article handling
C700S213000, C700S216000, C700S225000, C700S095000, C700S099000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06813539
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a parts supplying system and a parts supplying method for supplying assembly parts to be assembled to a work flowing in an assembling production line in which different kinds or types of works are to be assembled on the same line.
2. Description of Prior Art
Conventionally, in the case of supplying the assembly parts to be assembled in the work flowing on an assembling production line, for example, an engine assembly line for a motor vehicle, or the like, in general, a lot of parts shelves are provided along the assembly line, and various kinds of parts required for all the type of works flowing on the line are received in the parts shelves. Then, a worker sequentially selects and picks up required parts in correspondence to the flowing work from the parts shelves, and the worker sequentially assembles them to the work.
There are proposed various kinds of ideas for accurately supplying the assembly parts to the assembling production line mentioned above. For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-203705, there is disclosed a receiving apparatus structured such that a photoelectric sensor is provided in each of receiving portions of parts cabinets mounted on a pallet truck of an automatic guided vehicle, thereby detecting a matter that the parts are taken in and out with respect to each of the receiving portions.
In recent years, for example, in the assembling production line such as the engine assembly line for the motor vehicle or the like, there is required a so-called mixed assembly line in which various kinds of works can be assembled and produced on the same line in correspondence to a diversification of user's preference or the like. In such a mixed assembly line, a lot of kinds of works are normally flowed in accordance with an irregular order which is not arranged per kinds or per types, for example, an order of delivery time or the like.
In the case that the conventional parts supplying system is applied to the assembling production line structured as the mixed assembly line, it is necessary for the worker to sequentially select and pick up the various kinds parts required for the work of the different type from the parts shelves in each case, in correspondence to the works which are flowed in accordance with the irregular order which is not arranged per kinds or per types. Accordingly, there are problems that a working efficiency is deteriorated and an operation mistake tends to be generated. Further, it can be considered that erroneous parts are received in the receiving portions in the parts shelves, for example, for the reason of an error at a time of putting the assembly parts in the parts shelves. Furthermore, since a lot of parts shelves are provided near the assembling production line in such a manner as to be along the line, the line lacks flexibility. In the case of changing an organization of the assembling operation in the assembling production line, there is a hard problem that a large repair operation is required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is made by taking the technical problems mentioned above into consideration, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to efficiently and accurately supply parts at a time of supplying assembly parts to a work in an assembling production line structured as a mixed assembly line, and to improve a flexibility of changing the line.
Accordingly, a parts supplying system of an assembling production line in accordance with one aspect of the present invention is on the premise of a parts supplying system of an assembling production line in which different kinds or types of works may be assembled in the same line. There is provided a parts supplying system of an assembling production line in which different types of works are assembled in the same line, comprising:
a host computer outputting a production management information including a production order information for a plurality of works;
a working instruction device for taking in the production management information corresponding to a preset number of works as an antecedent information coming before an actual parts preparing work, extracting the same type of works included in this intake production management information as the same type lot in a unit of a predetermined number so as to sort in an order of a parts preparing work, and generating a working instruction information including a parts preparing work order of the same type lot, the predetermined number and an assembly parts information relating to a kind and a number of the assembly parts to be assembled in the type of work each of the types;
a plurality of set containers receiving a required kind and number of assembly parts to be assembled in one work as one set of assembly parts set;
a parts setting area having a working station provided with parts shelves for receiving the assembly parts therein by the kinds, and inputting the assembly parts set for the corresponding type of work to each of the set containers in the order of the parts preparing works by a unit of the same type lot, on the basis of the working instruction information; and
a set container input mechanism for returning each of the set containers to which each of the assembly parts sets is input in the parts setting area in an order of the type in accordance with the production order in the assembling production line so as to input to the assembling production line.
In accordance with this constitution, the same type of works included to the production management information are extracted as the same type lot by the unit of the predetermined number from the production order of the works in the assembling production line so as to be arranged in the order of the parts preparing works. Therefore, it is sufficient for a worker to put the assembly parts in each of the set containers by the unit of the predetermined number of same type lot in the order of the parts preparing works, in the parts setting area, even if the production order of the works in the assembling production line is the irregular order which is not arranged per types. Accordingly, with respect to the parts preparing work, the arranging operation can be carried out by the lot unit, a operation load relating to judgement of parts selection is reduced, the parts preparing work for the assembly parts supplied to the work can be extremely efficiently carried out in comparison with the conventional one, and the operational mistake can be reduced.
Further, since the required kind and number of assembly parts to be assembled in one work are received as one set of assembly parts set in the set container, and are returned to the order of the types in accordance with the production order in the assembling production line so as to be supplied to the works in the line, a load relating to an incidental operations such as a parts selecting operation, a parts picking up operation and the like can be remarkably reduced with respect to the parts assembling operation in the work, the parts assembling operation in the work can be efficiently carried out in comparison with the conventional one, and the operation mistake can be reduced.
Furthermore, since it is not necessary that a lot of parts shelves are provided along the assembling production line, a large repair operation or the like is not required even in the case that the organization of the assembling work in the assembling production line is changed, and it is possible to remarkably increase a flexibility of changing the line.
Furthermore, since it is possible to carry out the parts preparing work separately from the parts assembling operation in the work, it is possible to increase a flexibility with respect to a working time, for example, the parts preparing work is intensively carried out in one time period, whereby a lot of time is generated and is used for the other works.
In the parts supplying system having the constitution mentioned above, it is preferable that the set container input
Matsuura Takashi
Morimoto Tatsuro
Morio Hiroki
Nakamura Tetsuya
Mazda Motor Corporation
Studebaker Donald R.
Tran Khoi H.
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