External production machine control system and operation method thereof
By designing an external production machine control system and using external circuit boards and sensors to convert and detect production signals, the problem that traditional factory old equipment cannot be controlled through the EAP system is solved, and cost savings and accuracy of production processes are achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202311694853.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-11-10
- Filing Date
- 2023-12-11
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-13
AI Technical Summary
Old equipment in traditional factories cannot be controlled through the EAP system, resulting in a large amount of cost of replacing new control equipment. At the same time, there are problems such as misplanting personnel and work order delivery errors in the production process.
An external production machine control system is designed, including an external circuit board, at least one external sensor and electronic device. The system realizes control of the closed production machine by converting the production signal from the first type to the second type, and detects the production status through sensors.
It solves the problem that old equipment cannot be controlled through the EAP system, saves the cost of replacing new control equipment, and improves the accuracy and reliability of the production process.
Smart Images
Figure CN119987296A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a smart factory, and in particular to an external production machine control system and an operation method thereof. Background Art
[0002] In recent years, smart factories have received more and more attention. In order to improve production efficiency and reduce management costs, companies have tried to introduce smart factory modules and functions, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Manufacturing Execution System (MES), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), and Equipment Automatic Program (EAP). As can be seen from the above, the manufacturing system is large and complex, and the construction of smart production lines requires a lot of manpower and cost.
[0003] On the other hand, the equipment and production line planning of traditional factories have long been finalized, and the planning of industrial Internet of Things was not included when the production line was built in the past. Taking the steel bar manufacturing process as an example, the stirrup machine of the traditional factory uses closed circuit and Linux system. Even if the high-end control communication system is introduced later, the industry still has no intention to replace the old equipment. However, the old equipment cannot be controlled by EAP, and replacing the new control equipment will cost a lot of money.
[0004] In the production process of traditional factories, the assignment of work orders for each batch usually requires the production machine to be shut down, and then the on-site personnel will input multiple production parameters in the work order into the production machine one by one. The production information on the management side is usually transmitted through paper, which may lead to problems such as mistype and work order transmission errors. Once emergencies such as inserting orders, changing materials, and changing orders occur, it is even more inconvenient to control the quantity and model of products.
[0005] In summary, there is an urgent need for a method that can import the existing closed production machine control system into the intelligent production line. Summary of the invention
[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides an external production machine control system and an operation method thereof.
[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an external production machine control system is suitable for connecting to a production machine, including: an external circuit board, at least one external sensor and an electronic device. The external circuit board is used to convert the production signal from a first type to a second type. The external circuit board is used to electrically connect to the production machine, and enable the production machine to perform production operations according to the second type of production signal. The production operation includes multiple states. The at least one external sensor is used to detect one of the multiple states after receiving a production status reading signal. The electronic device is communicatively connected to the external circuit board and the external sensor. The electronic device is used to generate a first type of production signal based on production data and send it to the external circuit board, generate a production status reading signal based on the production data and send it to the external sensor, and the external sensor receives one of the multiple states.
[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an operating method of an external production machine control system includes: an electronic device generates a first type of production signal based on production data; an external circuit board that is communicatively connected to the electronic device receives the production signal and converts the production signal from the first type to a second type; the production machine that is electrically connected to the external circuit board receives the second type of production signal and performs a production operation based on the production signal, wherein the production operation includes multiple states; the electronic device generates a production status reading signal based on the production data; an external sensor that is communicatively connected to the electronic device receives the production status reading signal, wherein the external sensor is used to detect one of the multiple states; and the electronic device receives the state from the external sensor.
[0009] In summary, the external production machine control system and its operation method proposed in the present invention can solve the problem that old equipment cannot be controlled by the EAP system, and save a lot of equipment costs consumed by replacing new control equipment.
[0010] The above description of the contents of the present disclosure and the following description of the embodiments are used to demonstrate and explain the spirit and principle of the present invention, and to provide a further explanation of the scope of the patent application of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an external production machine control system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] Figure 2 It is a flow chart of the operation method of the external production machine control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
[0013] Figure 3 is a block diagram of an external production machine control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] Figure 4is a flow chart of an operation method of an external production machine control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an external production machine control system according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and
[0016] Figure 6 is a flow chart of an operation method of an external production machine control system according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
[0017]
Explanation of symbols
[0018] 10, 20, 30: External production machine control system
[0019] 1: Electronic devices
[0020] 3: External circuit board
[0021] 5: External sensor
[0022] 7: Production of batch information processing devices
[0023] A:Production Machine
[0024] B: Operating machine
[0025] S1-S6, T1-T5, R1-R3: Steps DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] The detailed features and characteristics of the present invention are described in detail in the following embodiments, and the content is sufficient for those skilled in the art to understand the technical content of the present invention and implement it accordingly, and according to the content disclosed in this specification, the claims and the drawings, those skilled in the art can easily understand the relevant concepts and characteristics of the present invention. The following examples further illustrate the viewpoints of the present invention in detail, but do not limit the scope of the present invention in any viewpoint.
[0027] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an external production machine control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the external production machine control system 10 is suitable for connecting to the production machine A. The external production machine control system 10 includes: an electronic device 1, an external circuit board 3 and an external sensor 5. The electronic device 1 is communicatively connected to the external circuit board 3 and the external sensor 5. The production machine A is electrically connected to the external circuit board 3.
[0028] The electronic device 1 is used to generate a first type of production signal according to the production data and send it to the external circuit board 3 , generate a production status reading signal according to the production data and send it to the external sensor 5 , and receive the status of the production machine A from the external sensor 5 .
[0029] In one embodiment, the electronic device 1 is used to run a material control system (MCS). The hardware of the electronic device 1 can be implemented by one or more of the following examples: personal computer, network server, microcontroller (MCU), application processor (AP), field programmable gate array (FPGA), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) system-on-a-chip (SOC), deep learning accelerator, but the present invention does not limit the hardware type of the electronic device 1.
[0030] In one embodiment, the production data is sent to the electronic device 1 by an external device, for example. In another embodiment, the production data is manually input into the electronic device 1 by a field worker. Taking the steel bar manufacturing process as an example, the production data includes information of multiple work orders, such as the size (length) of the steel bar raw material, the shape of the steel bar finished product, the bending angle, the required number of finished products, the feeding speed, etc.
[0031] The external circuit board 3 is used to enable the production machine A belonging to the closed system to perform production operations according to the second type of production signal. In one embodiment, the production machine A is a stirrup machine using a closed circuit Linux system, which cannot directly communicate with the electronic device 1. The stirrup machine continuously pushes out steel through the feeding system, cooperates with the bending mechanism to continuously bend, produces steel bars of a specified length or angle, and then cuts them off, thereby completing the process of steel bar manufacturing. The operation panel of the existing stirrup machine includes multiple buttons, which can enable the stirrup machine to realize various production operations such as continuous execution, single-section execution, return to origin, power on and off, pause, terminate, continue, emergency stop, etc. The production operation includes multiple states, such as continuous operation, stop, single-section operation, termination, etc.
[0032] The external circuit board 3 is used to convert the production signal from the first type to the second type. In one embodiment, the first type is a digital type, and the second type is an analog type. In one embodiment, an oscilloscope is electrically connected to the circuit board of the production machine A in advance, and then after one or more buttons are pressed on the production machine A, the waveform is obtained through the oscilloscope, and then the correspondence between the waveform and the button is stored in the electronic device 1. In other words, by analyzing the circuit node signal of the button and using the external circuit board 3 to perform signal simulation, the circuit closed loop system of the old equipment can be broken through, so that the electronic device 1 outside can also achieve the effect of controlling the production machine A.
[0033] The external sensor 5 is used to detect one of the multiple states after receiving a production status reading signal, wherein the production status reading signal is generated by the electronic device 1 based on the production data and sent to the external sensor 5. For example, the operation and stop of the equipment will respectively give different current signals and circuit positions to the lamp, or to other PLC electronic control equipment. The present invention does not limit the hardware type of the external sensor 5, for example, a light sensor, a sound sensor or a vibration sensor can be used. In one embodiment, the production machine A uses different light signals to represent different production states, so the external sensor 5 can use a light sensor. The present invention uses at least one external sensor 5, but does not limit the upper limit of the number of external sensors 5.
[0034] Figure 2 is a flow chart of the operation method of the external production machine control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention, including steps S1 to S6. This process is applicable to Figure 1 The external production machine control system 10 is shown.
[0035] In step S1, the electronic device 1 generates a first type of production signal according to the production data. In one embodiment, the electronic device 1 running the MSC can communicate and control the production machine A, and can automatically generate all the production signals required in the process technology according to the production data. The electronic device 1 can intervene in the production operation of the production machine A at any time, such as pausing or continuing the current production operation.
[0036] In step S2, the external circuit board 3 of the communication-connected electronic device 1 receives the production signal and converts the production signal from the first type to the second type. In one embodiment, the first type is a digital type and the second type is an analog type. Through the conversion of the external circuit board 3, the electronic device 1 as an upper control system is able to communicate and control the production machine A, thereby dispatching the work order information such as shape, size, angle, required quantity, etc. to the production machine A. In one embodiment, the waveform, current, voltage and other information of the production signal are analyzed in advance by an oscilloscope, and then a suitable circuit board is selected based on the above information, and then the circuit of the external circuit board is further designed to receive the production signal and convert it into a customized circuit signal.
[0037] In step S3, the production machine A electrically connected to the external circuit board 3 receives the second type of production signal and performs production operations according to the production signal. The production operation includes multiple states. Since the production machine A can directly receive control commands from the electronic device 1, it can automatically implement operations that originally require manpower, such as starting production, pausing, and restarting.
[0038] In step S4, the electronic device 1 generates a production status reading signal according to the production data. In one embodiment, the electronic device 1 performs calculations according to the production data and requires obtaining the current production status from the production machine A at a certain time point, thereby sending a production status reading signal to notify the external sensor 5.
[0039] In step S5, the external sensor 5 that is communicatively connected to the electronic device 1 receives a production status reading signal. In step S6, the electronic device 1 receives a status from the external sensor 5. The external sensor 5 is used to detect one of the multiple states. In one embodiment, the production machine A that belongs to a closed system cannot automatically transmit its own status back to the electronic device 1, and can only indicate its own status by turning on or off its own lights or emitting a warning sound. Therefore, the external sensor 5 implemented by a light sensor or a sound sensor transmits a first type of status signal back to the electronic device 1 when detecting a specific light or sound.
[0040] Figure 3 FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an external production machine control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Compared with the first embodiment, the external production machine control system 20 of the second embodiment is more suitable for connecting to an operating machine B.
[0041] The electronic device 1 in the production machine control system 20 is communicatively connected to the operation machine B. The electronic device 1 enables the operation machine B to perform processing operations according to the operation signal, and enables the operation machine B to receive the operation status reading signal from the electronic device 1 and return the operation status. The electronic device 1 is further used to generate the operation signal according to the production data and one of the multiple states, generate the operation status reading signal according to the production data, receive the operation status, and generate another production signal of the first type according to the production data and the operation status.
[0042] In one embodiment, the operating machine B is a robotic arm, a robot or other automatic control equipment. The present invention does not limit the hardware type and quantity of the operating machine B. Taking the steel bar manufacturing process as an example, when a robotic arm is currently used to collect stirrups, a clamp is usually connected to the robotic arm, and then the stirrups are clamped and stacked to a preset position. However, the steel bar manufacturing process has the characteristics of diversified shapes, and the existing clamps can only clamp stirrups of fixed shapes and specifications, and cannot meet the needs of grabbing stirrups of different shapes and specifications. It is also impossible to build a robotic arm grabbing program for each shape. It can usually only serve those products with higher demand and carry out automated production of a few types of products, while most others still maintain manual production.
[0043] In the second embodiment, when monitoring or controlling the operating machine B to a specified state or position, other automatic control equipment can be used to perform operations, such as controlling the lens to perform image recognition after the specified state is reached, controlling the movement of the conveyor belt, controlling the air pressure valve to blow away dust, spray paint, etc.
[0044] In order to exchange information and control with the robot arm, most known methods use a programmable logic controller (PLC) to achieve equipment control. However, the stirrup machine (production machine A) belonging to the closed circuit system has a fast system response, and the stirrup production speed is also very fast, resulting in insufficient response and abnormal conditions of the stirrup machine when using PLC for signal control. Therefore, in order to improve the grasping accuracy of the robot arm, the external production machine control system 20 of the second embodiment of the present invention completes the signal handshake with the robot arm (operating machine B) through signal transmission and control, thereby improving the grasping timing and position of the robot arm.
[0045] Figure 4 It is a flow chart of the operation method of the external production machine control system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. This process is performed after step S6 of the first embodiment. Step T1, the electronic device 1 generates an operation signal according to the production data and one of the states. Step T2, the operation machine B that is communicatively connected to the electronic device 1 receives the operation signal, and performs processing operations according to the operation signal. Step T3, the electronic device 1 generates an operation status reading signal according to the production data. Step T4, the operation machine B receives the operation status reading signal and returns the operation status. Step T5, the electronic device 1 receives the operation status, and generates another production signal of the first type according to the production data and the operation status.
[0046] Taking the steel bar manufacturing process as an example, when the status received by the electronic device 1 from the production machine A indicates that the first stage has been completed, the electronic device 1 controls the operation machine B to continue the second stage of processing the semi-finished product of the first stage. The electronic device 1 calculates the time required for the processing operation, and reads the status of the operation machine B at a specified time point to confirm whether the task of the operation machine B has been completed. If the second stage of processing operation is successfully completed, the electronic device 1 can proceed to the next round of production and control the production machine A again to perform the first stage of production operation.
[0047] Figure 5 2 is a block diagram of an external production machine control system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Compared with the second embodiment, the external production machine control system 30 of the third embodiment further includes a production batch information processing device 7 .
[0048] The production batch information processing device 7 is communicatively connected to the electronic device 1. The production batch information processing device 7 is used to receive multiple work orders, convert the work orders into production data, and then send them to the electronic device 1. In one embodiment, the production batch information processing device 7 is used to run a manufacturing execution system (MES).
[0049] Figure 6 1 is a flow chart of the operation method of the external production machine control system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. This flow is executed before step S1 of the first embodiment. Step R1, the production batch information processing device 7 connected to the electronic device 1 receives a plurality of work orders. Step R2, the production batch information processing device 7 converts these work orders into production data. Step R3, the production batch information processing device 7 sends the production data to the electronic device 1.
[0050] Taking the steel bar manufacturing process as an example, the existing stirrup equipment control system uses a closed circuit Linux system, which requires on-site personnel to input the size, angle, and quantity of each work order into the stirrup machine one by one. Moreover, the production information on the management side is transmitted through paper, which may cause problems such as mistype by personnel and work order transmission errors. The external production machine control system 30 and its operation method of the third embodiment of the present invention, by running the batch information processing device 0 of MES, can improve the accuracy and reliability of process information control during insert production, material change, and order change, and improve the way that personnel need to enter the work order content one by one, adjust compensation parameters, calculate the required quantity, and determine the shapes of various steel bar products to be suitable for stacking and shipping.
[0051] In summary, the external production machine control system and its operation method proposed in the present invention can solve the problem that the old equipment cannot be controlled by the EAP system, and save a lot of equipment costs consumed by replacing new control equipment. In the embodiment of the steel bar manufacturing process, by interpreting the signal nodes of the stirrup circuit system, the button function signal simulation and signal reading are performed, so that the production machine can receive the production information sent by the upper electronic device, such as work orders, production batches, etc. In addition, in one embodiment of the present invention, MES can be used to store a large number of work orders as production information in batches in the electronic device, and then dispatched to the stirrup machine, and the control flow of the corresponding button is automatically generated, the corresponding process control parameters are calculated, and then the stirrup process is automatically produced, and the state of the stirrup machine is fed back through external sensors during the process. The external production machine control system and its operation method of the present invention are all automatically calculated by the system, and can also interact with external operating machines such as robotic arms to help production, so as to achieve a complete automated production procedure.
Claims
1. An external production machine control system, suitable for connecting to a production machine, the system comprising: An external circuit board, used for converting the production signal from the first type to the second type, the external circuit board is used for electrically connecting to the production machine, and making the production machine perform a production operation according to the production signal of the second type, wherein the production operation includes a plurality of states; at least one external sensor for detecting one of the states after receiving a production status reading signal; as well as An electronic device is communicatively connected to the external circuit board and the external sensor, and is used to generate the first type of production signal based on the production data and send it to the external circuit board, generate the production status reading signal based on the production data and send it to the external sensor, and receive one of the states from the external sensor.
2. The external production machine control system according to claim 1 is further suitable for connecting to an operating machine, wherein: The electronic device is communicatively connected to the operating machine, and enables the operating machine to perform processing operations according to the operating signal, so that the operating machine receives the operating status reading signal from the electronic device and returns the operating status; The electronic device is further used to generate the operation signal according to the production data and one of the states, generate the operation status reading signal according to the production data, receive the operation status, and generate another production signal of the first type according to the production data and the operation status.
3. The external production machine control system according to claim 1, further comprising: A production batch information processing device is communicatively connected to the electronic device, and is used for receiving a plurality of work orders, converting the work orders into the production data, and then sending them to the electronic device.
4. The external production machine control system of claim 3, wherein the production machine is a stirrup machine, the operating machine is a robotic arm, and the electronic device is used to operate a material handling control system, and the production batch information processing device is used to operate a manufacturing execution system.
5. An operation method of an external production machine control system, comprising: Using an electronic device to generate a first type of production signal based on the production data; An external circuit board communicatively connected to the electronic device receives the production signal and converts the production signal from the first type to a second type; A production machine electrically connected to the external circuit board receives the production signal of the second type and performs a production operation according to the production signal, wherein the production operation includes a plurality of states; Using the electronic device to generate a production status reading signal according to the production data; An external sensor connected to the electronic device for communication receives the production status reading signal, wherein the external sensor is used to detect one of the states; and The electronic device receives the status from the external sensor.
6. The operating method of the external production machine control system according to claim 5, further comprising: Using the electronic device to generate an operation signal according to the production data and one of the states; An operating machine connected to the electronic device by communication receives the operating signal and performs a processing operation according to the operating signal; Using the electronic device to generate an operation status reading signal according to the production data; The operation machine receives the operation status reading signal and returns the operation status; as well as The electronic device receives the operation status and generates another production signal of the first type according to the production data and the operation status.
7. The operating method of the external production machine control system as claimed in claim 5, further comprising: A production batch information processing device communicatively connected to the electronic device receives a plurality of work orders; converting the work order into the production data using the production batch information processing device; and The production data is sent to the electronic device by the production batch information processing device.
8. The operating method of the external production machine control system of claim 7, wherein the production machine is a stirrup machine, the operating machine is a robotic arm, and the electronic device is used to operate a material handling control system (MCS), and the production batch information processing device is used to operate a manufacturing execution system (MES).