Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-29
2003-12-02
Paladini, Albert W. (Department: 2125)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S095000, C700S116000, C700S213000, C029S03300H, C029S561000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06658312
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a wire harness manufacturing apparatus for and method of automatically manufacturing a wire harness to be installed in an automotive vehicle, especially, sub-wire harnesses as constituents of the wire harness and a method of controlling a period of “tact time” in the wire harness manufacturing apparatus, too.
BACKGROUND ART
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (kokai) No. 6-5132, there is disclosed an earlier art wire harness manufacturing apparatus where a wiring plate is transferred from one device as a module to the other device in order, while a wire harness is continuously assembled on the moving wiring plate.
Then, each modular device is constituted by a base, a processing mechanism mounted on the base and a transporting unit attached to the base.
Note, in the adjoining modular devices, the base of one modular device is adapted so as to be connectable with the base of the adjoining modular device.
Further, the transporting unit is provided with a portion for transporting the wiring plate in the base and a projecting portion. When it is required to connect the base of one modular device with the base of the adjoining modular, the projecting portion of the transporting unit is inserted into the base of the other device
In this way, as the conventional wire harness manufacturing apparatus has the plural modular devices provided for processes respectively and connected with each other, it is possible to increase or decrease the number of modular devices, corresponding to the constitution of the wire harness to be manufactured. Further, by arranging the modular devices of designated number in order, it is also possible to adjust the production capability in an optional process so as to cope with the wire harness being manufactured, thereby also corresponding to the change of design of the wire harness.
In the conventional wire harness manufacturing apparatus, however, since the plural devices as modules for processes are controlled independently of each other, it is difficult to balance the manufacturing loads among the constituent devices appropriately and therefore, there is a problem of occurrence of intermediate stocks among the processes.
Additionally, if the wire harness is subjected to the change of design or manufactured by another manufacturing line, it is necessary to not only alter the control data every devices but rearrange the constituent devices of the manufacturing line with an operator's burden. In conclusion, the conventional wire harness manufacturing apparatus has a problem of wasting time in order to establish a new manufacturing line.
Disclosure of Invention
Under such a circumstance, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a wire harness manufacturing apparatus and a tact time controlling method thereof, both of which are capable of reducing the occurrence of intermediate stocks to the utmost and also facilitating a measure against the change of design of the wire harness or the change in manufacturing line itself, whereby it is possible to establish the manufacturing line in a remarkable short time if such a change is raised.
The object of the present invention described above can be accomplished by a wire harness manufacturing apparatus comprising:
plural manufacturing lines for respectively manufacturing plural sub-wire harnesses as constituents of a wire harness to be produced, each of the manufacturing lines consisting of plural constituent devices arranged in manufacturing order of each sub-wire harness;
plural line control devices provided for controlling operational processes of the manufacturing lines respectively, each of the line control devices being connected with the constituent devices of each of the manufacturing lines through a signal transmitting circuit; and
at least one system control device adapted so as to construct a signal transmitting network together with the line control devices, for controlling manufacturing loads among the plural manufacturing lines.
With the above-mentioned constitution, the wire harness is manufactured by plural manufacturing lines manufacturing sub-wire harnesses as the constituents of wire harness.
In operation, the plural manufacturing lines are controlled by the corresponding line control devices, while manufacturing loads among the manufacturing lines are balanced by the single system control device. Consequently, it is possible to operate the plural manufacturing lines while reducing so-called “intermediate” stocks existing among the respective manufacturing lines to the utmost.
While, manufacturing loads among the constituent devices in each manufacturing line are balanced by the line control device, whereby it is possible to operate the devices while reducing the intermediate stocks existing among the respective devices to the utmost.
In the present invention, preferably, each of the line control devices comprises:
a variable data recording unit for recording variable data in the constituent devices and the variable data altered later;
a line central processing unit for judging whether constitution of the constituent devices in the manufacturing line is appropriate by comparing production reserving data inputted from the system control device with the variable data, the line central processing unit further judging whether the manufacturing line modified on the basis of the former judgment is appropriate or not;
a line display unit for displaying both variable data recorded on the variable data recording unit and result of judgment obtained by the line central processing unit;
a line input unit for inputting an operation starting signal and the altered variable data obtained by modifying the manufacturing line in accordance with a result of judgment by the line central processing unit; and
a production command unit for inputting the production reservation data generated from the line central processing unit as a result of the line input unit's inputting the operation start signal, the production command unit sequentially outputting the production command signal based on the production reservation data to each of the constituent devices; and
wherein the system control device comprises:
a data base for the wire harness to be produced;
a common data recording unit for recording common data in common with the plural manufacturing lines and the sequent common data added later;
a system input unit for inputting product data of the wire harness and the added common data;
a system central processing unit for
making out an article numbers' list of the sub-harnesses constituting the wire harness by comparing the product data with the data recorded in the data base;
comparing the data of the sub-wire harnesses of respective article numbers with the above common data and the variable data in the respective data recording units in the line control devices in order to determine the manufacturing line in charge of each sub-wire harness with the article number; and
making out the production reservation data for each manufacturing line determined, on the basis of the product data;
a system display unit for displaying the product data, the common data, the variable data, the article numbers' list, the determined manufacturing lines in charge and the production reservation data; and
a reservation data transmitting unit for transmitting the production reservation data to the line central processing unit of the line control device of the manufacturing line being determined.
In the above-mentioned apparatus, when inputting the product data of the wire harness being produced through the system input unit, then the article numbers' list of the sub-wire harnesses constituting the wire harness is formed by the system control device. Additionally, by the system control device, the manufacturing line in charge of the sub-wire harness of each article number is determined and the production reservation data is formed for every manufacturing line. Since the production reservation data is being formed while balancing the manufactu
Paladini Albert W.
Shechtman Sean
Yazaki -Corporation
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