ADMINISTRATIVE DEVICE AND ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM

Abstract

Administrative device (1) for factory equipment, wherein the management device (1) is used at a manufacturing site where a first high-precision machining tool and at least one other machine are in operation, and is used to manage the operation of the other machine, comprising a data collection unit (100) that collects quality information regarding a workpiece that was machined by the first machine tool and operational information regarding the other machine; an analysis unit (110) that performs an analysis to determine a correlation between the quality information regarding the workpiece processed by the first machine tool and a change in the operating information regarding the other machine; an operational planning unit (120) which, based on the correlation determined by the analysis unit (110), creates an operational plan to impose a restriction on the operation of the other machine in order to reduce a change in the ambient temperature of the first machine tool during the high-precision machining performed by the first machine tool; and an operating instruction provision unit (130) that provides an operating instruction to the other machine based on the operating plan created by the operating plan creation unit (120).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the invention

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a management device and a management system, and more particularly to a management device and a management system that manage the operation of a plurality of industrial machines installed at a manufacturing site such as a factory 2. Description of the state of the art

[0002] Nowadays, many industrial machines, such as machine tools and robots, are installed at a manufacturing facility such as a factory, and these industrial machines are operated under the control of a management device or management system for mass production (see, for example, JP 2002-373191 A). Under these circumstances, machine tools such as machining centers often machine IT parts or the outer surfaces of ornaments with high precision (see, for example, JP 2013-058035 A).

[0003] When an industrial machine operates to manufacture or convey products, heat is generated within the machine. The heat thus generated within the machine may spread through the air, a wall, a floor, and so on, affecting the operation of other industrial machines. For example, the heat generated during rough machining by a machining center and the heat generated by the operation of peripheral devices such as a conveying machine are sometimes transmitted to another machining center through an environment such as the air. If the ambient temperature of the machining center performing high-precision finishing changes due to the influence of the temperature generated in the peripheral devices, the surface accuracy of the workpiece may be significantly deteriorated.

[0004] To solve such a problem in a manufacturing facility, a possible solution is to reduce the settings for the rapid feed, cutting feed, and acceleration / deceleration for tool change for all machines installed on a floor, and, with regard to the layout of an air conditioning system and peripheral device, operate a cooling device such as the air conditioner at optimal settings during a fault period, preventing the heat from affecting the finishing process. However, this method brings with it another problem: a decrease in the overall work efficiency of the manufacturing facility. Therefore, this method cannot be a practical solution.

[0005] Another solution is conceivable, involving changing the layout of industrial machines at a manufacturing facility. For example, a machining center for finishing operations and another machining center could be set up on different floors. However, changing the positions of many heavy industrial machines is extremely laborious. Furthermore, specializing a machine for a specific operation reduces the overall machining capacity at the manufacturing facility (since the machining center specialized for a finishing operation cannot be used for other purposes). Therefore, a more flexible solution is needed. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a management device and a management system, whereby high processing quality can be ensured even in the event of changes in the environment or individual industrial machines of a production facility. This object is achieved by a management device having the features of patent claim 1 and by a management system having the features of patent claim 9.

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure is a factory equipment management device, the management device being used at a manufacturing site where a first machine tool for high-precision machining and at least one other machine are in operation, and being used to manage an operation of the other machine, comprising a data collection unit that collects at least quality information regarding a workpiece machined by the first machine tool and operation information regarding the other machine; an analysis unit that performs analysis to determine a correlation between the quality information regarding the workpiece machined by the first machine tool and a change in the operation information regarding the other machine; andan operation plan creation unit that creates an operation plan based on the correlation determined by the analysis to impose a restriction on an operation of the other machine to reduce a change in an ambient temperature of the first machine tool during high-precision machining performed by the first machine tool; and an operation instruction provision unit that provides an operation instruction to the other machine based on the operation plan created by the operation plan creation unit.

[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a management system including a plurality of factory equipment management devices, the devices being connected to each other via a network, wherein an analysis result provided by the analysis unit can be shared by the plurality of management devices.

[0009] The aspects of the present disclosure enable the creation of a machining environment that facilitates high-precision machining without significantly reducing machining capability at a manufacturing facility. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The objects and features of the present disclosure will become more apparent by reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the operating environment of a management device according to an embodiment; Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware structure of a management device according to an embodiment; Fig. 3 is a schematic functional block diagram of a management device according to a first embodiment; Fig. Figure 4 is a table showing exemplary administrative information; Fig. Figure 5 is a table showing example correlation information; Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an exemplary operation plan prepared by an operation plan preparation unit; Fig. 7 is a diagram showing another example of an operation plan prepared by an operation plan preparation unit; Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an exemplary screen display displayed by a display unit on a display device; Fig. 9 is a diagram showing another example of an operation plan prepared by an operation plan preparation unit; and Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a management system according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the operating environment of a management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the management device of the embodiment of the present disclosure operates in an environment in which multiple devices, including a cloud server 6, fog computers 7, and edge computers 8, are individually connected to a wired / wireless network. The system shown in Fig. 1 as an example, has a logical three-layer hierarchical structure. The structure includes a first layer containing the cloud server 6, a second layer containing the fog computers 7, and a third layer containing the edge computers 8 (such as a robot control unit for controlling a robot, a control unit for controlling a machine tool, and an air conditioner and a ventilation system installed at a manufacturing site, in a cell 9). In this system, the management device of the embodiment of the present disclosure can be installed at any of the cloud server 6, the fog computers 7, and the edge computers 8. The management device can share data with each device via the network and collect and analyze a large amount of various types of data obtained by the edge computers 8 in the fog computers 7 or the cloud server 6.Furthermore, the management device can control the operation of each edge computer 8 based on the analysis result. In the system shown in . Fig. As shown in Figure 1 as an example, several cells 9 are provided for each local plant (for example, a plant has one cell 9 on each floor). Furthermore, in this system, the cells 9 are managed in a predetermined unit (for example, the cells 9 in one plant are considered as one unit, or the cells 9 in multiple plants belonging to a manufacturer are considered as one unit) by a fog computer 7 in the upper layer. The data collected and analyzed by the fog computers 7 can then be collected and analyzed, for example, by the cloud server 6 in the even higher layer. The information obtained through the data collection and analysis performed by the cloud server 6 can be used, for example, for control via each edge computer 8.

[0013] Fig. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware structure of a management device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The management device 1 of the present embodiment can be implemented as an edge computer 8, a fog computer 7, or a cloud server 6 described in Fig. 1 by way of example. In the present embodiment, the management device 1 is implemented as a fog computer 7 that manages the operation of a plurality of edge computers 8.

[0014] The management device 1 of the present embodiment includes a central processing unit (CPU) 11 that controls the entire management device 1. The CPU 11 is connected to a read-only memory (ROM) 12 via a bus 22. The CPU 11 reads a system program stored in the ROM 12 and controls the entire management device 1 according to the system program. A random access memory (RAM) 13 stores data such as temporary calculation data, display data for display on a display device 70, and various types of data input by an operator through an input device 71.

[0015] A non-volatile memory 14 includes a memory and a solid-state drive (SSD) supported by a battery (not shown). The non-volatile memory 14 is configured to be a memory that retains its storage status even when a power source of the management device 1 is turned off. The non-volatile memory 14 has a setting area that stores setting information related to the operation of the management device 1. The non-volatile memory 14 stores data input through the input device 71 and various types of data obtained from an edge computer under the control of the management device 1, such as a machine tool 2 and an air conditioner 3.The data stored in the non-volatile memory 14 includes operating information regarding the machine tool 2, quality information regarding a workpiece machined by the machine tool 2, and operating information regarding the air conditioning system 3. The non-volatile memory 14 also stores, for example, data read via an external memory (not shown) or a network. The programs and various types of data stored in the non-volatile memory 14 can be loaded into the RAM 13 for execution / use. The ROM 12 stores pre-written system programs including a known analysis program for analyzing various types of data.

[0016] The management device 1 is connected to the wired / wireless network 5 via an interface 20. The network 5 has connections to devices such as at least one machine tool 2, the air conditioning system 3 installed at a manufacturing facility, or the management device (not shown) for managing the air conditioning system 3. These devices connected to the network 5 exchange data with the management device 1.

[0017] The display device 70 displays various types of data output via an interface 18, such as data read into the memory and data obtained by executing a program, and the like. The input device 71 includes a keyboard and a pointing device. An operator can use the input device 71 to input instructions, data, and the like, which are sent to the CPU 11 via the interface 19.

[0018] Fig. 3 is a schematic functional block diagram of the management device 1 according to a first embodiment. Each function of the Fig. 3 is executed by executing the system program by the CPU 11 of the Fig. 2 and controlling the operation of the individual parts of the management device 1.

[0019] The management device 1 of the present embodiment includes a data collection unit 100, an analysis unit 110, an operation plan creation unit 120, an operation instruction provision unit 130, and a display unit 140. The data collection unit 100 collects data for analysis from each edge computer under the control of the management device 1 (such as the machine tool 2, a peripheral device of the machine tool 2, and the air conditioner 3). The analysis unit 110 analyzes the data collected by the data collection unit 100. The operation plan creation unit 120 creates an operation plan for each edge computer based on the analysis result provided by the analysis unit 110. The operation instruction provision unit 130 provides an operation instruction to each edge computer based on the operation plan created by the operation plan creation unit 120.The display unit 140 displays the analysis result provided by the analysis unit 110 and the operation plan created by the operation plan creation unit 120 on the display device 70. The non-volatile memory 14 of the management device 1 includes a management information storage section 200, an obtained data storage section 210, an analysis result storage section 220, and an operation plan storage section 230. The management information storage section 200 stores the management information regarding each edge computer under the control of the management device 1. The obtained data storage unit 210 stores the data collected by the data collection unit 100. The analysis result storage section 220 stores the analysis result provided by the analysis unit 110.The operation plan storage section 230 stores the operation plan created by the operation plan creation unit 120.

[0020] The CPU 11 of the Fig. The management device 1 shown in Figure 2 executes the system program read from the ROM 12. The CPU 11 mainly performs arithmetic processing with the RAM 13 and the non-volatile memory 14, and data input / output processing with the machine tool 2, the air conditioner 3, and so on via the interface 20, thereby implementing the data collection unit 100. The data collection unit 100 is a functional unit that collects information from each edge computer under the control of the management device 1, such as the machine tool 2 and the air conditioner 3, based on the management information stored in the management information storage section 200; and causes the obtained data storage section 210 to store the information.The information regarding each edge computer collected by the data collection unit 100 includes the operating information regarding the edge computer and the information regarding an environment detected by the edge computer. For example, the data collection unit 100 obtains, from each machine tool 2 serving as an edge computer, operating information regarding the machine tool 2 (such as the speed, acceleration, and movement frequency of an axis of the machine tool 2) and information regarding the type of machining performed by the machine tool 2 (such as rough machining and finishing).The data collection unit 100 also receives, from each machine tool 2, quality information regarding a workpiece machined by the machine tool 2 (such as the dimensional accuracy and surface quality of the workpiece) and operation information regarding a peripheral device that supports the machining performed by the machine tool 2. The data collection unit 100 can receive, for example, a machining program to be executed by the machine tool 2, the values ​​detected at various locations of the machine tool 2, the operation information regarding the machine tool 2 under the control of the production planning device or the like, and the data measured or detected by a sensor or the like attached to the machine tool 2.The data collection unit 100 can also obtain the operation information, machining information, and quality information regarding the machine tool 2, for example, based on the information input to the machine tool 2 by an operator. The data collection unit 100 can also obtain past operation and environmental information regarding each edge computer, as well as current operation and environmental information regarding each edge computer. The data collection unit 100 can also obtain information regarding future (planned) operations of each edge computer. For example, the data collection unit 100 can obtain operation information and information regarding a setting temperature of the air conditioner 3 as an edge computer, and the environmental information regarding the air conditioner 3 (such as an ambient temperature) from the air conditioner 3 or the management device (not shown) for managing the air conditioner 3.

[0021] Fig. 4 is a table showing the management information regarding each edge computer stored in the management information storage section 200. The management information stored in the management information storage section 200 includes identification information for identifying each edge computer under the control of the management device 1 and information regarding the edge computer. The information regarding each edge computer included in the management information includes, for example, information regarding the name of the edge computer, the type of the edge computer, the installation location of the edge computer, and the connection status of the edge computer.The information included in the management information regarding the installation location of each edge computer may include, for example, the factory name, the floor name, the room name, and the coordinate position in the room where the edge computer is installed. The installation location of each edge computer may be defined by, for example, the latitude, longitude, and altitude. The information included in the management information regarding the connection status of each edge computer may be shown using a network address used to connect the edge computer to the management device 1 via the network 5. The information regarding the connection status of each edge computer may be shown using the identification information regarding another edge computer to which the edge computer is attached (in the example of FIG. Fig. 4, the mist eliminator with the identification number 5 is attached to the host device, the machine tool 2 with the identification number 1, so that the information regarding the mist eliminator with the identification number 5 can be obtained via the host device, the machine tool 2 with the identification number 1. Each edge computer can be associated with the information regarding another device that provides information regarding the edge computer (in Fig. 4 (not shown). For example, if the edge computer is a machine tool, the machine tool may be associated with the information regarding another device, such as the production planning device that manages the machine tool or the CAD / CAM device that provides machining information to the machine tool. The management information stored in the management information storage section 200 should include at least the information necessary to collect the data regarding each edge computer and the information necessary to determine the positional relationship(s) between the edge computers.

[0022] The CPU 11 of the Fig. The management device 1 shown in FIG. 2 executes the system program read from the ROM 12, and the CPU 11 mainly performs arithmetic processing with the RAM 13 and the non-volatile memory 14, thereby implementing the analysis unit 110. The analysis unit 110 is a functional unit that analyzes the data collected by the data collection unit 100 (the data stored in the obtained data storage section 210) to determine the correlation between the machining result performed by each machine tool 2 and the operation information regarding another edge computer (such as another machine tool 2 and the air conditioner 3). The analysis unit 110 causes the analysis result storage section 220 to store the analysis result.The analysis unit 110 analyzes, for example, the operation information stored in the obtained data storage section 210 regarding each edge computer and quality information regarding workpieces machined by each machine tool 2 to determine the correlation between the two sets of information.

[0023] The analysis unit 110 refers to the setup position of each edge computer stored in the management information storage section 200 and retrieves the information regarding a pair of an edge computer and another edge computer to be analyzed. The pair retrieved for analysis has a specific positional relationship between the edge computer and the other edge computer. The specific positional relationship means a positional relationship between the other edge computer and an edge computer likely to be affected by the heat generated by the operation of the other edge computer.For example, the pair of machine tool 2 and the other edge computer retrieved for analysis may be a pair of machine tool 2 and another edge computer set up in the same room, a pair of machine tool 2 and another edge computer set up on the same floor, or a pair of machine tool 2 set up on an upper floor and air conditioner 3 set up on a lower floor.

[0024] The analysis unit 110 performs an analysis of the retrieved pair to determine the correlation between the product quality of a workpiece machined by the machine tool 2 and a change in the operation information regarding the other edge computer during the final processing of the workpiece. The analysis unit 110 determines the correlation between the product quality of a workpiece machined by the machine tool 2 and a change in the operation information regarding the other edge computer during the final processing of the workpiece using known analysis methods such as regression analysis and correlation analysis.The analysis unit 110 can perform regression analysis or correlation analysis, for example, using a response variable of a quality value calculated based on the product quality of a workpiece machined by the machine tool 2 and an explanatory variable of an operation change value calculated based on the operation information regarding the other edge computer during the final processing of the workpiece according to a predetermined criterion. The operation change value here means a value indicating, for example, the amount of change in the heat value or heat energy, etc., at the other edge computer. This enables analysis to determine the correlation between the product quality of a workpiece machined by the machine tool 2 and a change in the operation information regarding the other edge computer during the final processing of the workpiece.The quality value indicating the quality of a workpiece machined by the machine tool 2 is calculated based on the quality information stored in the obtained data storage section 210 regarding the workpiece machined by the machine tool 2, according to a predetermined criterion. This quality value may, for example, be a value calculated using a predetermined function having a value indicating the accuracy or surface quality of the machined workpiece, obtained in advance by measuring a machined workpiece, as an argument (where the function produces a higher value for a higher accuracy or surface quality value).The operation change value may be a value calculated using a predetermined function with a change during finishing of a parameter value related to the operation that causes heat generation at the other edge computer (such as the speed, acceleration, and movement frequency of an axis of the machine tool 2 or a temperature setting of the air conditioner 3) as an argument (where the function produces a higher value at a higher parameter value that significantly affects heat generation at the other edge computer).

[0025] The analysis unit 110 should preferably perform the analysis to determine the correlation between the machine tool 2 and another edge computer using data obtained in a state where no edge computers other than the machine tool 2 and the other edge computer were operating (alternatively, in a state of continuous specific operation) among the data collected by the data collection unit 100. To generate such data, after setting up the edge computers at the manufacturing site, an operator may provide a process for collecting data while operating only the machine tool 2 and another edge computer different from the machine tool 2.Alternatively, the analysis unit 110 may perform an analysis to determine the correlation between the machine tool 2 and two or more other edge computers based on data obtained in an environment where the machine tool 2 and the two or more other edge computers operate. Assuming that the influence (heat generation) of two or more edge computers on the finishing of the machine tool 2 is superimposed (added), the analysis unit 110 may perform an analysis using the difference between the different data.

[0026] Fig. 5 is a table showing exemplary correlation information determined based on the analysis result provided by the analysis unit 110 and stored in the analysis result storage section 220. The correlation information includes the identification information regarding the machine tool 2, the identification information regarding another edge computer, and the interaction between the machine tool 2 and the other edge computer. The interaction here means, for example, information regarding the correlation between the product quality of a workpiece machined by the machine tool 2 and a change in the operation information of another edge computer during the final processing of the workpiece. In the example of Fig. 5, the interaction between the product quality of a workpiece machined by the machine tool 2 and a change in the operation information of another edge computer during the final processing of the workpiece is shown by three items of information: high, medium, and low. The interaction can be shown using different items of information such as a correlation coefficient value. When the analysis unit 110 generates a correlation function, a correlation model, or the like indicating the characteristics of the interaction between the product quality of a workpiece machined by the machine tool 2 and a change in the operation information of the other edge computer during the final processing of the workpiece, the generated correlation function or the generated correlation model can be stored in the analysis result storage section 220.

[0027] The CPU 11 of the Fig. The management device 1 shown in FIG. 2 executes the system program read from the ROM 12, and the CPU 11 mainly performs arithmetic processing with the RAM 13 and the non-volatile memory 14, thereby implementing the operation plan creation unit 120. The operation plan creation unit 120 is a functional unit that creates an operation plan based on the data collected by the data collection unit 100 (the data stored in the obtained data storage section 210) and the correlation information generated by the analysis unit 110 (the correlation information stored in the analysis result storage section 220). The operation plan is intended to impose or remove a predetermined restriction on the operation of an edge computer under the control of the management device 1.The operation plan creation unit 120 causes the operation plan storage section 230 to store the operation plan. For example, when the operation plan creation unit 120 expects that the machine tool 2 will perform finishing machining based on the data collected by the data collection unit 100, the operation plan creation unit 120 identifies the edge computer that has a high interaction with the machine tool 2 based on the analysis result provided by the analysis unit 110. The operation plan creation unit 120 then determines the operation status of the edge computer that has the high interaction with the machine tool 2 that will perform the finishing machining.When a change in the operation status of the edge computer occurs during finishing by the machine tool 2 that will affect the finishing, the operation plan storage section 230 is caused to store an operation plan that imposes a restriction on the operation of the edge computer, such as reducing the movement speed or acceleration of an axis and restricting a change in the movement speed or acceleration of the axis. The operation plan creation unit 120 also creates an operation plan that will release the restriction on the operation of the edge computer once the finishing by the machine tool 2 is completed, and causes the operation plan storage section 230 to store the operation plan.

[0028] The operation plan creation unit 120 can create the operation plan that will impose a restriction on the operation of the edge computer according to a predetermined operation restriction rule. The operation restriction rule used by the operation plan creation unit 120 is determined by the relationship between the degree of interaction between the product quality of the workpiece machined by the machine tool 2 and the change in the operation information regarding a machine tool 2 as another edge computer during the final processing of the workpiece, and the predetermined restriction of a controllable operation of the other edge computer. The operation plan creation unit 120 can use, for example, the following operation restriction rules.When there is a strong correlation between the product quality of a workpiece machined by a first machine tool 2 and a change in the operation information of a second machine tool 2 as another edge computer during the finishing of the workpiece, a restriction is imposed on the movement of an axis of the second machine tool 2 so that the movement speed of the axis has a value of a predetermined maximum speed Flim1 or less, and the acceleration of the axis has a value of a predetermined acceleration Falim1 or less. Furthermore, a rule such that a change in the movement speed of the axis of the second machine tool 2 is reduced to fall within a range of ±Fvlim during the finishing of the first machine tool 2 is possible.Furthermore, as another example of an operation restriction rule used in the operation plan creation unit 120, a rule may be designed that imposes a restriction such that the temperature setting of the air conditioner 3 is not changed during the finishing of the workpiece, provided that there is a medium or higher correlation between the product quality of a workpiece machined by the first machine tool 2 and the operation information regarding the air conditioner 3 as another edge computer during the finishing of the workpiece. The operation restriction rule may be designed to impose a restriction only on a specific operation of another edge computer. For example, if the other edge computer is a machine tool, it is possible to design an operation restriction rule that imposes a restriction only on an axis with a large heat value.

[0029] The predetermined operation restriction rule used in the operation plan creation unit 120 may be a rule that further imposes a combined operation restriction on a plurality of other edge computers. The operation plan creation unit 120 may use the operation restriction rule that imposes a combined operation restriction as described below. In a case where there is a high correlation between the product quality of a workpiece machined by the first machine tool 2 and a change in the operation information regarding the plurality of other edge computers, the operation restriction rule may be a rule that imposes a restriction such that when a heat value of a first edge computer of the plurality of other edge computers increases, a heat value of a second edge computer of the plurality of other edge computers decreases.Such a rule is created by applying a constraint in which, in order to prevent a change in the ambient temperature of the machine tool 2 performing the finishing operation, an operation of another edge computer with a high interaction is synchronized and changed.

[0030] The operation plan created by the operation plan creation unit 120 may also determine the time zone in which a restriction is imposed on the operation of another edge computer. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 6, the operation plan creation unit 120 expects, with reference to the data collected by the data collection unit 100, that the machine tool 2 will perform the finishing machining in the time zone between n1 and n2. In this case, the operation plan creation unit 120 creates an operation plan that, in order to prevent a change in the heat value of another edge computer a, which affects the finishing machining performed by the machine tool 2, in the time zone between n1 and n2, will not change its parameters during operation, and causes the operation plan storage section 230 to store the operation plan.At this time, in view of a case where there is a time delay (a delay in heat transfer) before the change in the heat value of the edge computer affects the machine tool 2, the operation plan creation unit 120 may create an operation plan in which the operation restriction starts earlier by a time delay T1, as in the other edge computer b.

[0031] And when there are multiple edge computers that will affect the finishing by the machine tool 2, the operation plan creation unit 120 may be configured as shown in Fig. 7, create an operation plan in which timings of restricting the operation of the plurality of edge computers are made different in order to reduce a change in the ambient temperature of the machine tool 2.

[0032] The operation instruction providing unit 130 is a functional unit that provides an operation instruction to each edge computer based on the operation plan created by the operation plan creating unit 120 (the operation plan stored in the operation plan storage section 230). If the operation plan is designed to impose a restriction on the operation of an edge computer, the operation instruction providing unit 130 provides an operation instruction to impose the restriction on the operation of the target edge computer. If the operation plan is designed to remove the restriction from the operation of an edge computer, the operation instruction providing unit 130 provides an operation instruction to remove the restriction on the operation of the target edge computer.

[0033] The CPU 11 of the Fig. The management device 1 shown in FIG. 2 executes the system program read from the ROM 12, and the CPU 11 mainly performs arithmetic processing with the RAM 13 and the non-volatile memory 14 and data output processing via the interface 18 to the display device 70, thereby implementing the display unit 140. The display unit 140 is a functional unit that displays the management information stored in the management information storage section 200, the data collected by the data collection unit 100 (the data stored in the obtained data storage section 210), the operation plan created by the operation plan creation unit 120, and the like on the display device 70.For example, the display unit 140 displays the edge computers under the control of the management device 1 based on the management information stored in the management information storage section 200 and the data collected by the data collection unit 100, as exemplified in FIG. Fig. 8 on the display device. The display unit 140 can display the operating status of an edge computer selected by the input device 71 on the display device 70. When a particular edge computer is selected, the display unit 140 can highlight another edge computer depending on the interaction with the selected edge computer and a heat value of the selected edge computer by changing the color of the other edge computer (for example, the color of the other edge computer with a higher interaction becomes a warmer color and the color of the other edge computer with a higher heat value becomes a darker color) or by highlighting. The display unit 140 can also Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 along the timeline. The display unit 140 can allow an operator viewing the display to edit the operation plan stored in the operation plan storage section 230 through the input device 71.

[0034] The management device 1 with the above-described configuration according to the present embodiment performs an analysis to determine the interaction between the machine tool 2 and another edge computer among the edge computers under its control. Based on the analysis result, the management device 1 imposes a restriction on the operation of the other edge computer during the finishing machining performed by the machine tool 2, allowing the restriction to be imposed only on the edge computer that will affect the finishing machining. This makes it possible to establish a machining environment that facilitates high-precision machining without significantly reducing the overall machining performance at a manufacturing site.

[0035] As a modification of the management device 1 of the present embodiment, the operation plan creation unit 1 may modify the operation plan for each machine tool created by the production planning device, for example, to create a production plan in which a timing for performing finishing machining by the plurality of machine tools as edge computers is different. A machine tool generates more heat during rough machining and generates less heat during finishing machining. Therefore, a timing for performing finishing machining by the plurality of machine tools is different in the operation plan for which the production plan has been modified in advance, and heat generation is equalized over time at the entire production site.This makes it possible to create a machining environment that facilitates high-precision machining without significantly reducing performance.

[0036] As another modification of the management device 1 of the present embodiment, the operation plan creation unit 120, when creating an operation plan to restrict an operation on an edge computer at a predetermined time, may create the following operation plan. The operation plan creation unit 120 creates the operation plan such that the operation parameters are set such that a work delay due to the restriction in the operation is made up, and the make-up operation is performed at a time other than the predetermined time at which the finishing work is not affected by another machine tool. For example, as in Fig. As shown in Figure 9, assume that the operation of another edge computer a, whose operation is restricted during finishing machining by a machine tool, is delayed by an amount corresponding to the operation restriction. To address this situation, an operation plan is created so that, after the machine tool completes finishing machining, a catch-up operation is performed at an axis speed multiplied by a high overdrive, which reduces the delay of the entire operation. Such a catch-up operation can be appropriately performed at a predetermined timing without affecting high-precision machining such as finishing machining by the other machine tool.

[0037] As another modification of the management device 1 according to the present embodiment, the analysis unit 110 may perform the analysis using known machine learning. In this case, the analysis unit builds a learning model indicating, for example, the interaction between multiple operating parameters of another edge computer and the product quality of a workpiece machined by the machine tool 2. Using this learning model, the analysis unit 110 assists the operation plan creation unit 120 in planning a restriction on the operation of the other edge computer (appropriately selecting a parameter to be restricted so as not to cause an impact on the machining).

[0038] Yet another modification of the present embodiment can be configured as follows. A temperature sensor is installed on or near the edge computer. The data collection unit 100 collects temperature information detected by the temperature sensor. The analysis unit 110 uses the collected temperature information to analyze the interaction with operation information of another edge computer. The temperature sensor allows the analysis unit 110 to perform analysis to determine the interaction between a change in the operation status of the other edge computer and a change in the ambient temperature of the machine tool 2. This enables correlation analysis with higher accuracy. Furthermore, the analysis unit 110 can determine whether the cause of the deterioration in the product quality of a workpiece machined by the machine tool 2 is a temperature change or some other factor.Therefore, the analysis unit 110 can perform analysis to determine the correlation between the product quality of a workpiece machined by the machine tool 2 and a change in the operation information regarding the other edge computer with higher accuracy (excluding irrelevant data). Furthermore, another configuration is possible in which the temperature sensor for data collection is connected to the network 5 via another computer, etc., as an edge computer. This enables analysis to determine the correlation between a change in the operation status of the other edge computer and a change in the ambient temperature at the machine tool 2 without activating the machine tool 2 as an edge computer. For example, this enables analysis while excluding a change in the ambient temperature caused by the operation of the machine tool 2 itself.

[0039] As yet another example, there is a case where multiple edge computers are arranged at approximately equal distances from a machine tool 2, and the multiple edge computers are of the same type and have the same specifications. In this case, for convenience, one machine tool 2 is paired with each edge computer, resulting in multiple pairs of the machine tool 2 and an edge computer. These pairs have a similar relationship to each other. In this case, the analysis unit 110 compares the data from one pair with the data from another pair in a similar relationship. If the data from a particular pair has a trend that is different from the data from other pairs, the analysis unit 110 may exclude the data with the different trend as an outlier that is unsuitable for analysis.Thereby, the analysis unit 110 can perform an analysis for determining the correlation between the product quality of a workpiece machined by the machine tool 2 and the change in the operation information with respect to another edge computer with higher accuracy (excluding the outlier data).

[0040] Fig. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a management system 300 having a plurality of management devices 1 according to a second embodiment. The management system 300 shown in Fig.10 as an example, comprises a plurality of management devices 1 implemented as fog computers. Each management device 1 manages a plurality of edge computers 8. The management device 1 has all the functions explained in the description of the first embodiment. The management device 1 is configured to exchange the data collected by the edge computers 8 under its control and the correlation information as the analysis result obtained by analyzing the data with another management device 1 directly or via a cloud server 6.

[0041] In the management system 300 with this configuration, the management device 1 can obtain the correlation information regarding the edge computers 8 with a similar arrangement to that of the edge computers 8 under its control from the other management device 1 and use it. Therefore, when opening a new plant, the management device 1 for the new plant can obtain the correlation information regarding the edge computers 8 with a similar arrangement from the other management device 1 and use it to manage the edge computers 8 in the new plant. This saves a lot of time and effort for collecting audit data before opening the new plant.

[0042] Although some embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described in the foregoing, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, but may be appropriately modified and embodied in various ways.

Claims

[1] Management device (1) for a factory equipment, wherein the management device (1) is used at a manufacturing site where a first machine tool for high-precision machining and at least one other machine are in operation, and is used to manage an operation of the other machine, comprising a data collection unit (100) that collects quality information regarding a workpiece machined by the first machine tool and operation information regarding the other machine; an analysis unit (110) that performs an analysis to determine a correlation between the quality information regarding the workpiece machined by the first machine tool and a change in the operation information regarding the other machine; an operation plan creation unit (120) that creates an operation plan based on the correlation determined by the analysis unit (110) to impose a restriction on an operation of the other machine in order to reduce a change in an ambient temperature of the first machine tool during the high-precision machining performed by the first machine tool; and an operation instruction providing unit (130) that provides an operation instruction to the other machine based on the operation plan created by the operation plan creating unit (120). [2] Management device (1) for a factory equipment according to claim 1, wherein the other machine is a second machine tool, and the restriction is a restriction on at least one of a speed, an acceleration and a movement frequency of an axis of the second machine tool. [3] A factory equipment management device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the restriction is imposed only on a specific axis of the second machine tool. [4] Management device (1) for a factory equipment according to claim 1, the other machine being an air conditioning system different from the first machine tool, and the restriction is a restriction on changing the temperature setting of the air conditioning system. [5] A factory equipment management device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the management device (1) reads a machining program for the first machine tool in advance and imposes the restriction on the other machine before the first machine starts the scheduled high-precision machining. [6] A factory equipment management device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the restriction is a setting on at least one of a start time and a finish time for a predetermined operation of the other machine. [7] A factory equipment management device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the correlation is determined by machine learning. [8] Management device (1) for a factory equipment according to claim 1, wherein the data collection unit (100) further collects temperature information generated in the first machine tool, the temperature information being detected by a temperature sensor, the analysis unit (110) performs an analysis to determine a correlation between the temperature information generated in the first machine tool and a change in the operating information regarding the other machine, and the operation plan creation unit (120) creates an operation plan based on the correlation between the temperature information and the change in the operation information determined by the analysis unit (110) to impose a restriction on an operation of the other machine in order to reduce the change in the ambient temperature of the first machine tool during the high-precision machining performed by the first machine tool. [9] A management system (300) comprising a plurality of factory equipment management devices (1) according to claim 1, wherein the devices (1) are connected to each other via a network, wherein an analysis result provided by the analysis unit (110) can be shared by the plurality of management devices (1).

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