Operation support device for production equipment, and its control method and control program

Abstract

This invention provides an operating condition setting support device, its control method, and its control program, which can appropriately set the operating conditions of production equipment on behalf of workers, thereby reducing the time spent on setting operating conditions and improving work efficiency. [Solution] The quality of the products produced by the production equipment is evaluated, and based on the current operating conditions of the production equipment, the evaluation results, and the target quality of the products, new operating conditions are determined to bring the evaluation results closer to the target quality, and the determined operating conditions are updated and set for the production equipment.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The embodiments relate to an operation support device for supporting the operation of production equipment, and a control method and control program thereof.

Background Art

[0002] In production equipment for producing products, the setting of operating conditions required for product production depends on manual work by staff members.

[0003] If the set operating conditions are not appropriate, high-quality products cannot be produced.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Setting appropriate operating conditions is a significant burden not only for workers unfamiliar with the work but also for those who are familiar with it.

[0006] An object of the embodiments is to provide an operating condition setting support device, a control method thereof, and a control program that can appropriately set the operating conditions of production equipment on behalf of workers, thereby shortening the working time related to setting the operating conditions and improving work efficiency.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The operation support device of the embodiment is an operation support device for production equipment that produces products by performing operations according to operating conditions, and comprises: quality evaluation means for evaluating the quality of products produced by the production equipment; calculation means for determining new operating conditions to bring the evaluation result of the quality evaluation means closer to the target quality based on the operating conditions, the evaluation result of the quality evaluation means, and the target quality of the product; and operating condition operation means for updating and setting the operating conditions determined by the calculation means for the production equipment.

[0008] The control method for the operation support device of the embodiment is a control method for an operation support device of a production facility that produces products by performing operations according to operating conditions, wherein the quality of the products produced by the production facility is evaluated; new operating conditions are determined to bring the evaluation results closer to the target quality based on the operating conditions, the evaluation results, and the target quality of the products; and the determined operating conditions are updated and set for the production facility.

[0009] The control program of the embodiment is a control program for a device that uses a computer to support the operation of production equipment that produces products by executing operations according to operating conditions, and enables the computer to: evaluate the quality of products produced by the production equipment; determine new operating conditions to bring the evaluation results closer to the target quality based on the operating conditions, the evaluation results, and the target quality of the product; and update and set the determined operating conditions for the production equipment. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating the control of the same embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the display screen of the display unit in the same embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the details of the operating conditions in the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a diagram showing the operation of each part in the embodiment over time. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a continuation of Figure 5. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing a modified example of the same embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] One embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The production equipment 1 shown in Figure 1 is a production facility, such as an injection molding machine, that produces products by performing operations according to set operating conditions.

[0012] This production equipment 1 includes a product manufacturing unit 2 that sequentially manufactures products 10 one by one, a control unit (CPU) 3 that controls the operation of the product manufacturing unit 2, a storage unit 4 connected to the control unit 3, an operating condition setting unit 5, a communication unit 6 for external devices, and a transport unit (transport means) 7 for transporting products.

[0013] Product manufacturing section 2 consists of a plasticizing section that heats and melts the material and injects it into the mold, and a mold clamping section that opens and closes the mold and applies the clamping force.

[0014] The control unit 3 consists of a microcomputer and its peripheral circuits, and controls the operation of the product manufacturing unit 2 according to the operating conditions set by the operating condition setting unit 5. The memory unit 4 stores the operating conditions set by the operating condition setting unit 5 and the control program of the control unit 3. The operating condition setting unit 5 includes a display screen that displays images and characters, and a touch panel that captures touch operations of the fingers on the display screen as operating condition setting signals, and inputs the operating condition setting signals based on the touch operations of the touch panel to the control unit 3. It is also possible to connect an operating device such as a keyboard or mouse to the operating condition setting unit 5, and it is also possible to input operating condition setting signals based on the operation of such an operating device from the operating condition setting unit 5 to the control unit 3.

[0015] The communication unit 6 performs transmission and reception of signals and data between the control unit 3 and an external device signal-line connected to the communication unit 6, direct data transmission and reception between the storage unit 4 and an external device signal-line connected to the communication unit 6, and signal transmission and reception between the operation condition setting unit 5 and an external device signal-line connected to the communication unit 6, respectively.

[0016] The conveyance unit 7 sends the product 10 manufactured by the product manufacturing unit 2 to the quality evaluation unit 26 by the conveyance belt 7a.

[0017] An operation support device 20 for supporting the operation of the production facility 1 is arranged near or at a position away from the production facility 1.

[0018] The operation support device 20 includes a control unit 21 composed of a computer and its peripheral circuits, a storage unit 22 that stores various operation conditions related to the operation of the production facility 1 and the target quality (for example, target mass) of the product manufactured by the production facility 1 together with the control program of the control unit 21, a display unit (display means) 23 for information display, a communication unit (communication means) 24 connected to the communication unit 6 of the production facility 1 via a signal line 30, a quality evaluation unit (quality evaluation means) 26, an operation condition operation unit (operation condition operation means) 27, and a monitoring unit (monitoring means) 28 externally attached to the production facility 1 and connected to the communication unit 24 via a signal line 31, etc.

[0019] The quality evaluation unit 26 evaluates the quality of the product 10 conveyed by the conveyance belt 7a, and for example, measures the mass of the product 10 as the quality of the product 10. The product 10 evaluated by the quality evaluation unit 26 is shipped to the market after subsequent inspections and the like.

[0020] As a main function, the control unit 21 includes the following means (1) to (3). (1) Selection means for selecting the operation conditions and target quality (target mass) corresponding to the product 10 to be produced by the production facility 1 among each operation condition and target quality in the storage unit 22.

[0021] (2) A calculation means that determines new operating conditions to bring the evaluation result of the quality evaluation unit 26 closer to the target quality by performing calculations based on the current operating conditions set in the production equipment 1, the evaluation result (mass) of the quality evaluation unit 26, and the target quality (target mass) of the selected product 10.

[0022] Specifically, this calculation means varies the current operating conditions set for production equipment 1 to multiple operating conditions within a predetermined range based on those operating conditions, estimates the quality of the product obtained under each variation of the operating conditions, and selects the operating conditions that yield the product quality closest to the target quality from among the estimated multiple quality conditions as the new operating conditions.

[0023] (3) Display control means that displays the operating conditions input to the operating condition setting unit 5 of the production equipment 1 by the operating condition operation unit 27 on the display unit 23.

[0024] The operating condition operation unit 27 initializes the production equipment 1 by inputting the operating conditions selected by the selection means of the control unit 21 to the operating condition setting unit 5 of the production equipment 1 via the communication unit 24, signal line 30, and the communication unit 6 of the production equipment 1. Furthermore, the operating condition operation unit 27 updates the settings for the production equipment 1 by inputting the operating conditions determined by the calculation means of the control unit 21 to the operating condition setting unit 5 of the production equipment 1 via the communication unit 24, signal line 30, and the communication unit 6 of the production equipment 1.

[0025] Furthermore, the operating condition operation unit 27 converts the operating conditions input to the operating condition setting unit 5 of the production equipment 1, as described above, into a setting signal in the same signal format as the setting signal used by the operating condition setting unit 5 when setting operating conditions in response to the operator's operation to the control unit 3 of the production equipment 1. This converted setting signal is then input from the control unit 21 to the operating condition setting unit 5 through the communication unit 24, signal line 30, and the communication unit 6 of the production equipment 1. In other words, it performs a procedure similar to remotely controlling the operating condition setting unit 5 of the production equipment 1 with the operating condition operation unit 27 of the operation support device 20, a so-called puppet control.

[0026] In conjunction with the execution of this puppet control, the display control means of the control unit 21 displays the operating conditions input to the operating condition setting unit 5 of the production equipment 1 by the operating condition operation unit 27 on the display unit 23 in the form of a user interface screen that includes the contents (numerical values, etc.) of the setting signal before the signal conversion.

[0027] The monitoring unit 28, which is attached to the production equipment 1, monitors the operating status of the production equipment 1, including the operating status of the product manufacturing unit 2, and sends the monitoring results to the control unit 21 via the signal line 31 and the communication unit 24. The monitoring unit 28 includes switches that respond to, for example, the opening and closing of molds and the operation of the extraction machine in the product manufacturing unit 2, and can capture the timing of the completion of product 10 manufacturing.

[0028] The quality evaluation unit 26 appropriately controls the timing of the evaluation (mass measurement) according to the monitoring result (completion of product 10 manufacturing) from the monitoring unit 28.

[0029] The operating condition control unit 27 appropriately controls the timing of inputting operating conditions to the operating condition setting unit 5 of the production equipment 1 according to the monitoring result (completion of product 10 manufacturing) of the monitoring unit 28.

[0030] The control performed by the driver assistance device 20 will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 2. When production equipment 1 is turned on (YES in S1), the control unit 21 selects the operating conditions and target quality (target mass) corresponding to the product 10 to be produced by production equipment 1 from among the operating conditions in the memory unit 22 (S2).

[0031] The selected operating conditions are input by the operating condition operation unit 27 to the operating condition setting unit 5 of the production equipment 1 via the communication unit 24, signal line 30, and the communication unit 6 of the production equipment 1, and are then initially set by the control unit 3 (S2). The initially set operating conditions are stored in the storage unit 4 of the production equipment 1 via the control unit 3, and thereafter, the operation of the product manufacturing unit 2 is executed by the control unit 3 based on the operating conditions in the storage unit 4. The first product 10 is manufactured by this operation of the product manufacturing unit 2.

[0032] When production equipment 1 is turned on, the control unit 21, in cooperation with the control unit 3 of production equipment 1, displays the contents of the program executed by production equipment 1 and the operating status on the display unit 23. This display screen includes, for example, a tab section 23a that shows the name of the program being executed and the execution / stop status of the operation in text, an input / output setting section 23b that shows the evaluation results of the quality evaluation unit 26 and new operating conditions obtained by the calculation means in numerical values, a graph drawing section 23c that plots the evaluation results of the quality evaluation unit 26 and new operating conditions obtained by the calculation means in a graph, and a graph setting section 23d for specifying the selection of parameters for the graph displayed in the graph drawing section 23c and switching the range of those parameters.

[0033] The operating conditions for production equipment 1 consist of multiple processes, multiple items defined for each process, and numerical data specific to each of these items, as shown in Figure 4, for example.

[0034] When the production equipment 1 is turned on and the manufacturing of one product 10 is completed (YES in S4), the manufactured product 10 is transported to the quality evaluation unit 26 by the transport unit 7 (S5). The quality evaluation unit 26 recognizes the completion of the manufacturing of product 10 from the monitoring results of the monitoring unit 28 and evaluates the quality of product 10 (mass measurement) at an appropriate timing that takes into account the completion of manufacturing and the transport by the transport unit 7 (S6).

[0035] The control unit 21 recognizes the completion of product manufacturing 10 from the monitoring results of the monitoring unit 28, and at an appropriate timing considering the completion of manufacturing, transport by the transport unit 7, and processing by the quality evaluation unit 26, it calculates new operating conditions to bring the evaluation result of the quality evaluation unit 26 closer to the target quality (S7) based on the current operating conditions set in the production equipment 1 (operating conditions in the memory unit 4), the evaluation result of the quality evaluation unit 26 (mass), and the selected target quality (target mass).

[0036] The operating condition control unit 27 recognizes the completion of product 10 manufacturing from the monitoring results of the monitoring unit 28. At an appropriate timing considering the completion of manufacturing, transport by the transport unit 7, processing by the quality evaluation unit 26, and calculations by the control unit 21, it inputs the new operating conditions determined by the control unit 21 to the operating condition setting unit 5 of the production equipment 1 via the communication unit 24, signal line 30, and the communication unit 6 of the production equipment 1, thereby updating and setting the operating conditions from the operating condition setting unit 5 to the control unit 3 (S8). The updated operating conditions are stored in the storage unit 4 of the production equipment 1 via the control unit 3, and thereafter, the operation of the product manufacturing unit 2 is executed by the control unit 3 based on the new operating conditions in the storage unit 4. The next product 10 is manufactured by this operation of the product manufacturing unit 2.

[0037] When updating the operating conditions, the control unit 21 displays the operating conditions input to the operating condition setting unit 5 of the production equipment 1 by the operating condition operation unit 27 on the display unit 23 (S9). In this case, the operating conditions input from the operating condition operation unit 27 to the operating condition setting unit 5 are converted into setting signals in the same signal format as the setting signals used by the operating condition setting unit 5 when setting operating conditions in response to the operator's operation to the control unit 3 of the production equipment 1. However, the operating conditions displayed on the display unit 23 have a user interface screen format that includes the numerical values ​​and other content before the signal conversion. Since this user interface screen directly displays the numerical values ​​and other content of the operating conditions as they are, it is easy for operators to understand and has good visibility. Therefore, operators can quickly and accurately grasp the content of the new operating conditions.

[0038] After updating and displaying these operating conditions, the control unit 21 proceeds to the determination in S4, provided that the production equipment 1 is not turned off (NO in S10), and waits for the production equipment 1 to complete the manufacturing of the next product 10.

[0039] Figures 5 and 6 show the operation of the product manufacturing unit 2, the transport unit 7, the quality evaluation unit 26, the control unit 21, the monitoring unit 28, and the operating condition operation unit 27 over time. If production equipment 1 is turned off (YES in S10), the control unit 21 terminates the series of processes.

[0040] As described above, the quality of product 10 produced by production equipment 1 is evaluated, and based on the current operating conditions of production equipment 1, the evaluation results, and the target quality of product 10, new operating conditions are determined to bring the evaluation results closer to the target quality. Operational support is then provided to update and set the determined operating conditions for production equipment 1. This allows the operating conditions of production equipment 1 to be set appropriately on behalf of the workers, thereby reducing the time spent on setting operating conditions and improving work efficiency.

[0041] Since quality evaluations and operating conditions are repeatedly updated with each production run of product 10, the quality of product 10 produced improves with each run.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the case in which the production equipment 1 is equipped with a communication unit 6 was described as an example, but it is also possible that the production equipment 1 is not equipped with a communication unit 6. In this case, as shown in Figure 7, the operating condition operation unit 27 is directly connected to the operating condition setting unit 5 of the production equipment 1 by a signal line 32.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the case where the production equipment 1 is an injection molding machine was described as an example, but the same method can be applied to other equipment as well.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the example described was when the quality evaluation unit 26 measures the mass of the product 10, but the configuration may be such that it measures other elements such as dimensions and shape, not just mass.

[0045] Furthermore, the above embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0046] 1...Production equipment, 2...Product manufacturing department, 3...Control unit, 4...Storage unit, 5...Operating condition setting unit, 6...Communication unit, 7...Transportation unit, 10...Product, 20...Operation support device, 21...Control unit, 22...Storage unit, 23...Display unit, 24...Communication unit, 26...Quality evaluation unit.

Claims

1. An operation support device for production equipment that produces products by performing operations according to operating conditions, A quality evaluation means for evaluating the quality of products produced by the aforementioned production equipment, A calculation means for determining new operating conditions to bring the evaluation result of the quality evaluation means closer to the target quality, based on the operating conditions, the evaluation result of the quality evaluation means, and the target quality of the product, Operating condition operation means for updating and setting the operating conditions obtained by the calculation means for the production equipment, A driver assistance system equipped with the following features.

2. A storage means that stores various operating conditions related to the operation of the aforementioned production equipment, A selection means for selecting the operating conditions from among the operating conditions in the storage means that correspond to the product to be produced by the production equipment, Furthermore, The operating condition operation means initializes the operating conditions selected by the selection means for the production equipment. The driving support device according to claim 1.

3. The production equipment includes a product manufacturing unit that manufactures products one by one, an operating condition setting unit for setting the operating conditions of the product manufacturing unit, and a control unit that controls the operation of the product manufacturing unit according to the operating conditions set by the operating condition setting unit. The driving support device according to claim 1.

4. The production equipment further includes a conveying means for conveying products manufactured in the product manufacturing section to the quality evaluation means. The driving support device according to claim 3.

5. Monitoring means for monitoring the operating status of the product manufacturing unit, Furthermore, The quality evaluation means controls the timing of the evaluation execution according to the monitoring results of the monitoring means. The operating condition operation means inputs the operating conditions to be set for the production equipment into the operating condition setting unit and controls the timing of the input according to the monitoring results of the monitoring means. The driving support device according to claim 3.

6. A display means for displaying information, A display control means that displays the operating conditions input by the operating condition operating means to the operating condition setting unit of the production equipment on the display means, The driving assistance device according to claim 5, further comprising:

7. The operating condition operation means inputs the operating conditions to the operating condition setting unit of the production equipment into a setting signal of the same signal format as the setting signal used by the operating condition setting unit when setting the operating conditions to the control unit of the production equipment, and inputs this into the operating condition setting unit. The display control means displays the operating conditions input to the operating condition setting unit of the production equipment by the operating condition operation means in the form of a user interface screen that includes the contents of the setting signal before the conversion. The driving support device according to claim 6.

8. The aforementioned production equipment includes a communication unit that transmits and receives signals between the operating condition setting unit and the operating support device. Further including, The driving support device according to claim 5.

9. A communication means connected via a signal line to the communication unit of the production equipment, which transmits and receives signals to and from the operating condition setting unit and the monitoring means through the communication unit. Further including, The driving support device according to claim 8.

10. A control method for an operation support device of production equipment that produces products by performing operations according to operating conditions, The quality of the products produced in the aforementioned production facility is evaluated, Based on the aforementioned operating conditions, the evaluation results, and the target quality of the product, new operating conditions are determined to bring the evaluation results closer to the target quality. The operating conditions obtained above are updated and set for the production equipment. A control method for driver assistance systems.

11. A control program for a device that uses a computer to support the operation of production equipment that produces products by performing operations according to operating conditions, To the aforementioned computer, A function for evaluating the quality of products produced by the aforementioned production equipment, A function to determine new operating conditions to bring the evaluation results closer to the target quality, based on the aforementioned operating conditions, the evaluation results, and the target quality of the product, A function to update and set the aforementioned operating conditions for the production equipment, To make it happen Control program.

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