An automobile production line with variable workstations and an automobile production method

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of automobile manufacturing, and in particular to an automobile production line with variable workstations, which is composed of a manufacturing execution system, a vehicle body recognition system, a production control system and a production monitoring system, and includes a plurality of variable workstations dynamically planned by the manufacturing execution system. The manufacturing execution system dynamically plans the number, position and length of the workstations. The vehicle body recognition system identifies the vehicle information of the vehicle to be assembled, and the manufacturing execution system completes the planning of the workstations based on the vehicle information, and sends the vehicle information to the production control system to complete the production process planning. The production monitoring system collects data to achieve closed-loop control. The present invention also includes a method for automobile production using the above-mentioned automobile production line with variable workstations. The present invention can automatically select manufacturing parameters according to different vehicle information, and conveniently and quickly adjust the production process, the order and number of workstations to improve production efficiency. At the same time, it can more effectively utilize the position layout equipment of the production line to achieve more optimized production line planning.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automobile manufacturing, and in particular to an automobile production line with variable workstations and an automobile production method. Background Art

[0002] like Figure 1 As shown, a common method for vehicle manufacturers to obtain vehicle location is to use a vehicle identification system 200 (AVI system) and an induction switch 405 to locate the vehicle. The induction switch 405 is installed at the entrance of the conveyor line 3021 of the production line. When a new vehicle enters the production line and passes the induction switch 405, the conveyor line 3021 is driven forward by rollers 3022, moving the new vehicle and the existing vehicles on the production line to the next workstation.

[0003] See also Figure 1 , a vehicle on the production line, such as vehicle A, either moves to the next workstation (for example, from workstation 1 to workstation 2) or completes the work of this production line and leaves the production line. Vehicle A is placed on the carrier 401 to enter the production line, and the position of the carrier 401 is fixed. Therefore, when the carrier 401 carrying vehicle A enters the production line, it triggers the sensor switch 405 to act, so that the manufacturing execution system 100 (MES system) knows that vehicle A has entered the first workstation. When the subsequent carrier 401 of the carrier 401 where vehicle A is located passes the sensor switch 405, the manufacturing execution system 100 infers that vehicle A has entered the second workstation, and so on to complete the movement of vehicle A between workstations. If it leaves the current production line, the vehicle body recognition system 200 and the manufacturing execution system 100 of the subsequent production line will record and track the new workstation of vehicle A.

[0004] When vehicle A moves, all vehicles on the production line, including vehicle B, vehicle C, and vehicle D, will also move forward and enter the corresponding workstation 3 respectively. Vehicle C moves to workstation 2, and vehicle D enters workstation 1. As a new vehicle entering the production line, vehicle D will first have its vehicle information obtained by the vehicle body recognition system 200 and sent to the manufacturing execution system 100. Subsequently, when vehicle D passes through the induction switch 405, the manufacturing execution system 100 will mark vehicle D as currently located at workstation 1. After entering the production line, the manufacturing execution system 100 performs the same logical processing as vehicle A and updates the workstation information of vehicle D in the manufacturing execution system 100. The vehicle that arrives at the workstation completes the assembly production process of that workstation under the control of the production control system 300.

[0005] The main defects of the existing technology include:

[0006] 1. The current vehicle location cannot be obtained in real time because the entire production line lacks data collection or computing devices to feed information back to the MES system. The MES system can only infer vehicle location based on preset distances between vehicles and notifications of vehicle entry into the production line. Consequently, if the actual operation of the conveyor line is inconsistent with the preset constants, a significant discrepancy will occur between the actual vehicle movement position and the position assumed by the MES system. This can severely lead to production line shutdowns, for example, if the robot at the workstation fails to align with the position of the vehicle being assembled.

[0007] 2. Unable to meet the demand for expansion of production line stations. In the existing technology, each station is determined during the design phase, and then the corresponding production module (production equipment) is installed according to each station. Because the MES system cannot accurately infer the position of the vehicle, the equipment on the station needs to have sufficient margin to deal with the situation where the vehicle position is inaccurate. When the margins of multiple devices at the same station are superimposed, a lot of space that could have been used to install the equipment will be lost. Especially when it is necessary to support the production of multiple models, the large number of equipment required for different models will aggravate the difficulty of production line layout. When the necessary production equipment cannot be arranged at the original station, a new production line needs to be rebuilt, which is costly. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automobile production line and automobile production method with variable workstations, mainly to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art.

[0009] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is to provide a variable-station automobile production line, which uses a conveyor line to drive the vehicles to be assembled forward, and is provided with multiple stations corresponding to the production processes along the conveyor line. The production line is characterized by comprising a manufacturing execution system, a vehicle body recognition system, a production control system, and a production monitoring system; the manufacturing execution system is connected to the vehicle body recognition system, the production control system, and the production monitoring system;

[0010] The manufacturing execution system stores multiple sets of manufacturing parameters and selects one set based on the vehicle information collected by the vehicle body recognition system and sends it to the production control system; the production control system configures all the production processes for each workstation based on the manufacturing parameters; the production monitoring system collects production line status information and feeds it back to the manufacturing execution system to achieve closed-loop control of production line production.

[0011] Furthermore, the manufacturing execution system includes a production line management module, a vehicle management module, a production management module, a production monitoring module, a database module and a fast communication module;

[0012] The production line management module provides a human-computer interaction interface to receive the manufacturing parameters manually input, and is also used to schedule the vehicle management module and the production management module to work together; the vehicle management module is connected to the vehicle body identification system, and transmits the vehicle information collected by the vehicle body identification system to the production line management module; the production management module is connected to the production control system, and transmits the vehicle information and the manufacturing parameters to the production control system; the production monitoring module is connected to the production monitoring system, and transmits the production line status information collected by the production monitoring system to the production line management module; the fast communication module provides a direct communication connection between the production control system and the production monitoring system, which is used to bypass the production management module for fast data interaction; the manufacturing parameters and the vehicle information are stored in the database module.

[0013] Furthermore, the vehicle body identification system includes an RFID reading module; the RFID reading module scans the radio frequency tag installed on the vehicle to be assembled and reads the vehicle information; the vehicle information at least includes a vehicle identification code.

[0014] Furthermore, the production control system includes a configuration management module and a production module; the configuration management module stores the manufacturing parameters issued by the manufacturing execution system and controls the operation of the production module; the production module completes the transfer, processing and assembly of the vehicles to be assembled.

[0015] Furthermore, the configuration management module includes a file storage unit and a communication unit; the file storage unit stores the manufacturing parameters corresponding to the vehicle to be assembled; and the communication unit is used to connect the file storage unit to the manufacturing execution system and the production module.

[0016] Furthermore, the production monitoring system comprises a carrier, a vehicle monitoring module, a carrier monitoring module, a travel acquisition module and an induction switch;

[0017] The carrier is fixed on the conveyor line of the production line, loaded with the vehicle to be assembled and moves forward, passing through the workstations in sequence; the vehicle monitoring module collects the placement status information of the vehicle to be assembled on the carrier; starting from the production line entrance, the carrier monitoring module and the induction switch are installed in sequence; the carrier monitoring module collects the in-position status information of the carrier on the track; when the carrier and the vehicle to be assembled pass the induction switch, the limit status information is reported; the stroke collection module collects the stroke status information of the conveyor line; the production line status information reported by the production monitoring system includes the placement status information, the in-position status information, the limit status information and the stroke status information.

[0018] Furthermore, the travel acquisition module includes a data acquisition unit, a data calculation unit and a data storage unit; the data acquisition unit is an encoder; the data calculation unit converts the data of the encoder into the travel status information; the data storage unit is connected to the data acquisition unit and the data calculation unit.

[0019] The present invention also provides a method for assembling an automobile using the above-mentioned automobile production line with variable workstations, which is characterized by comprising the steps of:

[0020] First, deploy a production line for the vehicle to be installed;

[0021] Secondly, the production line is initialized according to the vehicle information of the vehicle to be assembled, and the number, position and length of the workstations are determined;

[0022] Finally, the vehicle to be assembled enters the production line and begins production.

[0023] Furthermore, when the vehicle to be installed is deployed on the production line,

[0024] First, the production control system and the production monitoring system are adjusted; in the production control system, the production module is adjusted and the newly added production module is connected to the configuration management module; then, the workstations, the production control system, and the production monitoring system are configured in the manufacturing execution system; in the manufacturing execution system, the manufacturing parameters corresponding to the vehicle to be assembled are adjusted to specify the number, location, and length of the workstations included in the production line, and also to specify the production process corresponding to each workstation;

[0025] Finally, the redundant equipment that is no longer used after the configuration is completed is optionally removed from the production control system and the production monitoring system, including removing redundant production modules from the production control system.

[0026] Furthermore, during the initialization of the production line:

[0027] First, the production monitoring system is started to collect the production line status information;

[0028] Secondly, the vehicle to be assembled arrives at the production line entrance, and the vehicle body recognition system reads the vehicle information;

[0029] Then, the manufacturing execution system selects one set of manufacturing parameters from multiple sets of manufacturing parameters stored in the manufacturing execution system based on the vehicle information reported by the vehicle body recognition system, configures the number, location, and length of the workstations on the production line, and sends the selected manufacturing parameters to the production control system;

[0030] Finally, the production control system configures the production process of each workstation according to the received manufacturing parameters.

[0031] Furthermore, the production process of the vehicle to be assembled comprises the steps of:

[0032] Step S1: The production monitoring system collects the production line status information and reports it to the manufacturing execution system;

[0033] Step S2: The manufacturing execution system determines the current workstation of the vehicle to be assembled based on the position and length of the workstation on the current production line and the position information of the vehicle to be assembled on the conveyor line contained in the production line status information, and sends the information to the production control system;

[0034] Step S3, the production control system executes the production process corresponding to the current workstation;

[0035] Step S4: After completing the production process of the current workstation, the manufacturing execution system drives the vehicle to be assembled along the conveyor line and returns to step S1.

[0036] In view of the above technical features, the variable-station automobile production line and automobile production method of the present invention utilizes preset manufacturing parameters to automatically adapt to different vehicle types for production without the need to reinstall a new production line, greatly reducing the company's costs. It has the following advantages over existing technologies:

[0037] 1. In the present invention, the position of the vehicle to be assembled on the production line is accurately sensed by the manufacturing execution system and can be adjusted through manufacturing parameters, so the number, size and length of the workstations can be flexibly adjusted.

[0038] 2. In the present invention, the production process can be adjusted by adjusting the manufacturing parameters without reprogramming the logic in the manufacturing execution system.

[0039] 3. In the present invention, at the same workstation, the manufacturing execution system can correctly and orderly initiate processing commands to the production control system based on the precise location of the vehicle to be assembled, thereby simplifying the production line layout and making the arrangement of production modules along the production line more compact. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the prior art corresponding to the automobile production line with variable workstations of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the automobile production line with variable workstations of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 3It is a detailed structural diagram of the manufacturing execution system and the vehicle body recognition system in a preferred embodiment of the automobile production line with variable workstations of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a production control system in a preferred embodiment of a variable-station automobile production line of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of a production monitoring system in a preferred embodiment of a variable-station automobile production line of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 6 This is a method flow chart of a preferred embodiment of the present invention's method for producing automobiles using a variable-station automobile production line;

[0046] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A detailed flowchart of the method for production line deployment in [1].

[0047] Figure 8 yes Figure 6 Detailed method flow chart for production line initialization in ;

[0048] Figure 9 yes Figure 6 Detailed method flow chart for production line production.

[0049] In the figure: 100-manufacturing execution system, 200-vehicle body identification system, 300-production control system, 400-production monitoring system;

[0050] 101-Production line management module, 102-Vehicle management module, 103-Production monitoring module, 104-Production management module, 105-Database module, 106-Quick communication module;

[0051] 201-RFID reading module;

[0052] 301-Configuration Management Module, 302-Production Module; 3011-File Storage Unit, 3012-Communication Unit; 3021-Conveyor Line, 3022-Roller, 3023-Tightening Gun, 3024-Filling Equipment, 3025-Gluing Equipment;

[0053] 401 - vehicle, 402 - vehicle monitoring module, 403 - vehicle monitoring module, 404 - travel acquisition module, 405 - induction switch; 4031 - data acquisition unit, 4032 - data calculation unit, 4033 - data storage unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] Below in conjunction with specific embodiment, further set forth the present invention.Should be understood that these embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not used in limiting the scope of the present invention.In addition, should be understood that after reading the content taught by the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to the present invention, and these equivalent forms fall equally within the scope limited by the appended claims of the application.

[0055] See also Figures 2 to 5 The present invention discloses a variable-station automobile production line. As shown in the figure, a preferred embodiment thereof comprises a manufacturing execution system 100 (MES), a vehicle identification system 200 (AVI), a production control system 300, and a production monitoring system 400.

[0056] An automobile production line consists of multiple workstations that can be dynamically scheduled. Each workstation corresponds to a set of production processes, including the production actions required by each production module 302 at that workstation, along with the order in which they should be performed. The production processes at each workstation generally correspond to the vehicle model being produced and are dynamically scheduled based on vehicle information during production line initialization. Before a car to be assembled enters the production line, the vehicle identification system 200 (AVI) identifies the vehicle's information, and the Manufacturing Execution System 100 (MES) then plans the workstations and production processes. The conveyor line 3021 then transports the car to be assembled, sequentially passing through each workstation. Once a car enters a workstation, it can be assembled in either a static or dynamic manner, depending on the production line configuration. In the static assembly mode, the conveyor line 3021 stops, and the car remains stationary at the workstation. Production modules 302 (such as various robots and tightening guns 3022) installed around the workstation complete the production process at that workstation. The conveyor line 3021 then restarts, moving the car to the next workstation. In the dynamic assembly mode, the conveyor line 3021 keeps moving forward at a constant speed, and the production modules 302 installed around the workstation follow the car moving forward at a constant speed to complete the production process of the workstation.

[0057] The Manufacturing Execution System (MES) 100 is the control core of the entire automobile production line. It configures the location and sequence of workstations on the production line, configures the production process for each workstation through the Production Control System (PCS) 300, and guides the PCS 300 to complete vehicle assembly according to the production process. It also configures the Production Monitoring System (PMS) 300. It also connects the Vehicle Body Recognition System (VIS) 200, the Production Control System (PCS) 300, and the Production Monitoring System (PMS) 400, providing communication channels between them.

[0058] The manufacturing execution system 100 includes a production line management module 101, a vehicle management module 102, a production monitoring module 103, a production management module 104, a database module 105 and a fast communication module 106. The production line management module 101 provides a human-machine interface, receives user input (such as input and modification of manufacturing parameters, etc.), and then saves the user input to the database module 105, thereby completing the configuration and adjustment of various parameters of the production line. The complete vehicle information is saved in the database module 105, including the vehicle identification code. The vehicle information read from the vehicle to be assembled by the vehicle body identification system 200 at least includes the vehicle identification code. Therefore, using the vehicle identification code as a keyword and combining it with the database module 105, the complete vehicle information of the vehicle to be assembled, such as the manufacturing parameters that match it, can be obtained. The production line management module 101 is the core control module in the manufacturing execution system 100. It integrates with the database module 105 and connects to the vehicle identification system 200 via the vehicle management module 102, the production monitoring system 400 via the production monitoring module 103, and the production control system 300 via the production management module 104, coordinating their operations. When the production line management module 101 uses the production monitoring system 400 connected to the production monitoring module 103 to identify a vehicle to be assembled arriving at a designated workstation along the conveyor line 3021, it sends instructions to the production control system 300 via the production management module 104 for assembly. The vehicle management module 102 reports vehicle information collected by the vehicle identification system 200 to the production line management module 101. The production monitoring module 103 reports production line status information collected by the production monitoring system 400 to the production line management module 101. The production management module 104 issues manufacturing parameters corresponding to the vehicles to be assembled to the production control system 300 and, during the production process, sends control commands to the production control system 300, such as a command instructing the production module 302 to begin assembly. The fast communication module 106, located at the bottom layer of the system, provides a direct communication link between the production control system 300 and the production monitoring system 400. This allows for urgent commands, such as line stoppages, and for production modules 302 accessed through the manufacturing execution system 100 but managed by the production control system 300, to bypass the production monitoring module 103 and production management module 104 for rapid data exchange, improving communication efficiency.

[0059] The vehicle identification system 200 uses its RFID reader module 201 to read radio frequency tags attached to the vehicles being assembled, obtaining vehicle information, such as the vehicle identification number (VIN). This vehicle information may also include additional information, such as vehicle model, to speed up data retrieval. However, complete vehicle information is retrieved from the database module 105 of the manufacturing execution system 100 using the VIN as a keyword.

[0060] The production control system 300 itself also has the ability to store manufacturing parameters, but it only stores the manufacturing parameters issued by the manufacturing execution system 100 for the current production process and does not store the manufacturing parameters for all vehicles supported by the production line. Specifically, the production control system 300 consists of a configuration management module 301 and a production module 302. Depending on the vehicle production line, each configuration management module 301 corresponds to one or more production modules 302. The configuration management module 301 includes a file storage unit 3011 and a communication unit 3012. The file storage unit 3011 stores the manufacturing parameters that guide the current production process. The configuration management module 301 extracts this information from the file storage unit to guide and control the production module 302 to complete the production process at the corresponding workstation. The communication unit 3012 connects the configuration management module 301 to the manufacturing execution system 100 and the production module 302. The communication unit 3012 provides a flexible interface between the manufacturing execution system 100 and the production module 302. The purpose of the flexible interface is to maintain communication with the changed production module 302 by extending its flexible interface when the external interface type of the production module 302 changes, while also ensuring that the communication interface between the communication unit 3012 and the manufacturing execution system 100 remains unchanged. This way, when production line adjustments involve the addition or modification of production modules 302, only the corresponding communication unit 3012 needs to be upgraded, avoiding modifications to other systems in the production line.

[0061] Production module 302 includes not only the assembly equipment at each workstation, such as the tightening gun 3023, filling equipment 3024, and gluing equipment 3025, but also equipment related to the entire production line, such as the conveyor line 3021 and the rollers 3022 attached to the conveyor line 3021. The rollers 3022 drive the conveyor line 3021 forward, transferring the vehicles to be assembled between the various workstations. The assembly equipment is installed at the workstations to complete the processing and assembly of the vehicles to be assembled. The sequence of all the assembly equipment's movements at a workstation constitutes the production process at that workstation.

[0062] During normal operation, the production monitoring system 400 continuously collects production line status information, such as vehicle status and location, and then transmits this information to the manufacturing execution system 100. The production monitoring system 400 consists of a carrier 401, a vehicle monitoring module 402, a carrier monitoring module 403, a travel acquisition module 404, and an inductive switch 405. The production line status information reported by the production monitoring system includes placement status information, in-position status information, limit status information, and travel status information. Carrier 401 is fixed to conveyor line 3021. The vehicle to be assembled should be placed on carrier 401, then driven by conveyor line 3021 into the production line and sequentially passed through each processing station. Vehicle monitoring module 402 is used to identify whether the vehicle to be assembled is correctly placed on carrier 401 and provide placement status information. Starting from the production line entrance, carrier monitoring module 403 (Omron E3JK-TR12-C) and inductive switch 405 (Omron WLG2-LD) are installed in sequence. The vehicle monitoring module 403 is used to identify whether the vehicle 401 itself is correctly installed on the track 3021 and provide positioning status information. The vehicle monitoring module 402 and the vehicle monitoring module 403 are combined to determine whether the vehicle 401 itself and the vehicle to be assembled on the vehicle 401 are correctly placed. The sensor switch 405 is installed behind the vehicle monitoring module 403. It provides limit status information and is combined with the stroke acquisition module 404 to determine the precise position of the vehicle to be assembled on the production line. Specifically, when the vehicle to be assembled passes the sensor switch 405, the limit status information is reported to the manufacturing execution system 100 to determine the zero point corresponding to the vehicle to be assembled. The stroke acquisition module 404 includes a data acquisition unit 4031, a data calculation unit 4032 and a data storage unit 4033, which are used to collect and calculate the stroke data of the conveyor line 3021. The data acquisition unit 4031 is an encoder, such as the Omron E6C3-AG5C 256P / R 2M. , the encoder data is converted by the data calculation unit 4032 to obtain the travel distance of the conveyor line 3021, which is reported as the travel status information. The data storage unit 4033 is connected to the data acquisition unit 4031 and the data calculation unit 4032 to provide storage support for the calculation, such as saving input parameters, intermediate results and final results. If the zero point and the travel distance of the conveyor line 3021 are known, the distance that the vehicle has advanced along the conveyor line 3021 can be calculated. Combined with the position and length information of the workstation in the manufacturing execution system 100, it can be determined whether the vehicle has arrived at a specific workstation and its specific position in the workstation (for example, at 30% of the workstation).

[0063] See also Figure 6 The present invention also discloses a method for assembling an automobile using a variable-station automobile production line, which is characterized by comprising the steps of:

[0064] Step S100: deploying a production line for the vehicle to be installed.

[0065] Step S200: Initialize the production line.

[0066] The vehicle body recognition system reads the vehicle information of the vehicle to be assembled, and then the manufacturing execution system determines the number, location and length of the workstations based on the vehicle information, issues manufacturing parameters, and completes the configuration of the workstations and production processes.

[0067] Step S300: The vehicle to be assembled enters the production line and production begins.

[0068] See also Figure 7 , step S100 further specifically includes the following steps:

[0069] Step S101: Adjust the equipment of the production control system and the production monitoring system.

[0070] In the production control system, the production modules are adjusted and the newly added production modules are connected to the configuration management module. Step S102: configuring the workstations, production control system and production monitoring system in the manufacturing execution system.

[0071] In the manufacturing execution system, adjusting the manufacturing parameters of the corresponding vehicle to be installed includes:

[0072] 1. Specify the workstation configuration of the production line, that is, the number, location and length of the included workstations.

[0073] 2. Specify the production process corresponding to each workstation, that is, how many production modules are involved in each workstation, the operations that each production module needs to perform, and their order.

[0074] Step S103: Remove the redundant equipment that is no longer used after the configuration is completed from the production control system and the production monitoring system.

[0075] In the production control system, remove redundant production modules. This step is optional. As long as the production line plan is met, you can keep the modules unchanged and simply remove them from the manufacturing parameters in case they are needed again later.

[0076] See also Figure 8 , step S200 further specifically includes the following steps:

[0077] Step S201: Start the production monitoring system to collect production line status information.

[0078] Step S202 : The vehicle body recognition system reads the vehicle information of the vehicle to be assembled.

[0079] After the vehicle to be assembled enters the production line, the vehicle body identification system uses an RFID reading module (such as SIMATIC RF360T) to identify the vehicle information and transmit it to the manufacturing execution system.

[0080] In step S203 , the manufacturing execution system completes production line planning.

[0081] The manufacturing execution system uses the vehicle identification code in the vehicle information to select one set of manufacturing parameters from the multiple sets of manufacturing parameters it saves, completes the planning of the number, position and length of variable workstations, and sends the manufacturing parameters to the production control system.

[0082] Step S204: The production control system completes planning.

[0083] The production control system configures the production process of each workstation based on the received manufacturing parameters.

[0084] See also Figure 9 , step S300 further specifically includes the following steps:

[0085] In step S301, the production monitoring system collects production line status information and reports it to the manufacturing execution system.

[0086] When a vehicle to be assembled passes the sensor switch, the production monitoring system sends information to the manufacturing execution system, which sets the zero point for the vehicle to be assembled. The production monitoring system then regularly reports the conveyor line's travel status and the execution status of the production process at each workstation to the manufacturing execution system.

[0087] In step S302, the manufacturing execution system determines the current workstation of the vehicle to be assembled based on the position and length of the workstation of the current production line and the position information of the vehicle to be assembled on the conveyor line contained in the production line status information, and sends it to the production control system.

[0088] The manufacturing execution system compares the position of the vehicle to be assembled on the conveyor line. When its position is within the position and length range of a certain workstation, it determines that the vehicle to be assembled enters this workstation.

[0089] Step S303: the production control system executes the production process corresponding to the current workstation.

[0090] Step S304: After completing the production process of the current workstation, the manufacturing execution system drives the vehicle to be assembled along the conveyor line and returns to step S301.

[0091] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made by using the contents of the present invention description and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A variable-station automobile production line uses a conveyor line to drive the vehicles to be assembled forward, and a plurality of stations corresponding to the production processes are arranged along the conveyor line, characterized in that: It is composed of a manufacturing execution system, a vehicle body identification system, a production control system and a production monitoring system; the manufacturing execution system is connected to the vehicle body identification system, the production control system and the production monitoring system; The manufacturing execution system stores multiple sets of manufacturing parameters and, based on the vehicle information collected by the vehicle identification system, selects one set and sends it to the production control system. The production control system configures all production processes for each workstation based on the manufacturing parameters. The production monitoring system collects production line status information and feeds it back to the manufacturing execution system, achieving closed-loop control of production line operations. The manufacturing execution system includes a production line management module, a vehicle management module, a production management module, a production monitoring module, a database module and a fast communication module; The production line management module provides a human-computer interaction interface to receive the manufacturing parameters manually input, and is also used to schedule the vehicle management module and the production management module to work together; the vehicle management module is connected to the vehicle body recognition system and transmits the vehicle information collected by the vehicle body recognition system to the production line management module; the production management module is connected to the production control system and transmits the vehicle information and the manufacturing parameters to the production control system; the production monitoring module is connected to the production monitoring system and transmits the production line status information collected by the production monitoring system to the production line management module; the fast communication module provides a direct communication connection between the production control system and the production monitoring system for fast data exchange bypassing the production management module; the manufacturing parameters and the vehicle information are stored in the database module; The production control system includes a configuration management module and a production module; the configuration management module stores the manufacturing parameters issued by the manufacturing execution system and controls the operation of the production module; the production module completes the transfer, processing and assembly of the vehicles to be assembled; The production monitoring system includes a carrier, a vehicle monitoring module, a vehicle monitoring module, a travel acquisition module and an induction switch; The carrier is fixed on the conveyor line of the production line, loaded with the vehicle to be assembled and moves forward, passing through the workstations in sequence; the vehicle monitoring module collects the placement status information of the vehicle to be assembled on the carrier; starting from the production line entrance, the carrier monitoring module and the induction switch are installed in sequence; the carrier monitoring module collects the in-position status information of the carrier on the conveyor line; when the carrier and the vehicle to be assembled pass the induction switch, the limit status information is reported; the stroke collection module collects the stroke status information of the conveyor line; the production line status information reported by the production monitoring system includes the placement status information, the in-position status information, the limit status information, and the stroke status information.

2. The automobile production line with variable workstations according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle body identification system includes an RFID reading module; the RFID reading module scans the radio frequency tag installed on the vehicle to be assembled and reads the vehicle information; the vehicle information at least includes a vehicle identification code.

3. The automobile production line with variable workstations according to claim 1, characterized in that: The configuration management module includes a file storage unit and a communication unit; the file storage unit stores the manufacturing parameters corresponding to the vehicle to be assembled; and the communication unit is used to connect the file storage unit to the manufacturing execution system and the production module.

4. The automobile production line with variable workstations according to claim 1, characterized in that: The travel acquisition module includes a data acquisition unit, a data calculation unit and a data storage unit; the data acquisition unit is an encoder; the data calculation unit converts the data of the encoder into the travel status information; the data storage unit is connected to the data acquisition unit and the data calculation unit.

5. A method for assembling an automobile using the automobile production line with variable workstations as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: Contains steps: First, deploy production lines for the vehicles to be installed; Secondly, the production line is initialized according to the vehicle information of the vehicle to be assembled, and the number, position and length of the workstations are determined; Finally, the vehicle to be assembled enters the production line and begins production.

6. The method for assembling an automobile according to claim 5, characterized in that: When deploying the production line for the vehicle to be installed, First, the production control system and the production monitoring system are adjusted; in the production control system, the production module is adjusted and the newly added production module is connected to the configuration management module; then, the workstations, the production control system, and the production monitoring system are configured in the manufacturing execution system; in the manufacturing execution system, the manufacturing parameters corresponding to the vehicle to be assembled are adjusted to specify the number, location, and length of the workstations included in the production line, and also to specify the production process corresponding to each workstation; Finally, the redundant equipment that is no longer used after the configuration is completed is optionally removed from the production control system and the production monitoring system, including removing redundant production modules from the production control system.

7. The method for assembling an automobile according to claim 5, characterized in that: When initializing the production line: First, the production monitoring system is started to collect the production line status information; Secondly, the vehicle to be assembled arrives at the production line entrance, and the vehicle body recognition system reads the vehicle information; Then, the manufacturing execution system selects one set of manufacturing parameters from multiple sets of manufacturing parameters stored in the manufacturing execution system based on the vehicle information reported by the vehicle body recognition system, configures the number, location, and length of the workstations on the production line, and sends the selected manufacturing parameters to the production control system; Finally, the production control system configures the production process of each workstation according to the received manufacturing parameters.

8. The method for assembling an automobile according to claim 5, characterized in that: The production process of the vehicle to be assembled comprises the following steps: Step S1: The production monitoring system collects the production line status information and reports it to the manufacturing execution system; Step S2: The manufacturing execution system determines the current workstation of the vehicle to be assembled based on the position and length of the workstation on the current production line and the position information of the vehicle to be assembled on the conveyor line contained in the production line status information, and sends the information to the production control system; Step S3, the production control system executes the production process corresponding to the current workstation; Step S4: After completing the production process of the current workstation, the manufacturing execution system drives the vehicle to be assembled along the conveyor line and returns to step S1.

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