Energy-saving devices, energy-saving systems, energy-saving methods, and energy-saving programs

Abstract

The energy-saving device manages the power consumption of a controlled object having multiple power-consuming units that operate according to control information, and comprises a device management unit, a power anomaly detection unit, an operation adjustment unit, and a band adjustment unit. The device management unit manages the power consumption and control state of each of the multiple power-consuming units in association with each other. The power anomaly detection unit detects a power anomaly when the power consumption waveform, which shows the change in power consumption of the controlled object at each time point, exceeds the upper limit of a guard band that indicates the allowable range of power consumption of the controlled object at each time point. When the power anomaly detection unit detects a power anomaly, the operation adjustment unit adjusts the control information that determines the control state for at least one of the multiple power-consuming units in order to reduce the power consumption of the controlled object. The band adjustment unit lowers the guard band if the power anomaly detection unit does not detect a power anomaly for a predetermined period of time.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an energy saving apparatus, an energy saving system, an energy saving method, and an energy saving program that adjust the operation of production equipment or an apparatus so that energy saving can be achieved in the production equipment or the apparatus. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, visualization of power consumption has been implemented as an energy saving measure, and generally, power measurement is performed at the main trunk level of a switchboard or distribution board. In addition, in recent years, measuring instruments have been incorporated into apparatuses and equipment to achieve visualization of power consumption and reduction of power consumption in units of apparatuses and equipment.

[0003] Patent Literature 1 discloses a master device that acquires operation information including the operation time of each slave device and power consumption during operation from each of a plurality of slave devices, and adjusts the operation timing of each of the plurality of slave devices such that the total power consumption of the plurality of slave devices does not exceed the upper limit of power that can be supplied from a power supply unit. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0004] [Patent Literature 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-213435 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] However, the above conventional technique does not disclose reducing the total power consumption of a plurality of slave devices. For this reason, when a plurality of slaves are apparatuses in equipment such as a factory, the above conventional technique cannot be applied to implement energy saving in the equipment. That is, the above-described conventional technique has a problem that specific processing details for promoting energy saving are not disclosed, and thus it cannot support users who want to promote energy saving.

[0006] This disclosure has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide an energy-saving device that supports energy saving in a controlled object having multiple power-consuming units. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the energy-saving device according to this disclosure is an energy-saving device that manages the power consumption of a controlled object having a plurality of power-consuming units that operate according to control information, and comprises a device management unit, a power anomaly detection unit, an operation adjustment unit, and a band adjustment unit. The device management unit manages the power consumption and control state of each of the plurality of power-consuming units in association with each other. The power anomaly detection unit detects a power anomaly in which the power consumption waveform, which shows the change in power consumption of the controlled object at each time from the power consumption of each of the plurality of power-consuming units, exceeds the upper limit of a guard band that indicates the permissible range of power consumption of the controlled object at each time. When the power anomaly detection unit detects a power anomaly, the operation adjustment unit adjusts the control information that determines the control state for at least one of the plurality of power-consuming units in order to reduce the power consumption of the controlled object. The band adjustment unit lowers the guard band if the power anomaly detection unit does not detect a power anomaly for a predetermined period of time. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The energy-saving device described herein has the effect of supporting energy saving in controlled objects having multiple power-consuming units. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the energy-saving system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the energy-saving device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example of a power consumption display screen. [Figure 4] A diagram showing an example of a control status display screen. [Figure 5] Figure showing an example of a control status display screen [Figure 6] Figure showing an example of a case where the energy saving system according to Embodiment 1 is applied to a production system [Figure 7] Flowchart showing an example of the procedure of a power-control status information collection method according to Embodiment 1 [Figure 8] Flowchart showing an example of the procedure of an energy saving method according to Embodiment 1 [Figure 9] Flowchart showing an example of the procedure of an energy saving method according to Embodiment 1 [Figure 10] Flowchart showing an example of the procedure of an energy saving method according to Embodiment 1 [Figure 11] Flowchart showing an example of the procedure of operation adjustment processing [Figure 12] Flowchart showing an example of the procedure of operation adjustment processing [Figure 13] Flowchart showing another example of the procedure of operation adjustment processing [Figure 14] Figure for explaining quality control using monitoring with a guard band of power consumption waveforms [Figure 15] Conceptual diagram showing an example of adjustment of a control status [Figure 16] Figure showing an example of adjustment of an undesirable control status [Figure 17] Flowchart showing an example of the procedure of an energy saving method according to Embodiment 2 [Figure 18] Flowchart showing an example of the procedure of an energy saving method according to Embodiment 2 [Figure 19] Figure showing an example of the configuration of a production line to which Embodiments 1 and 2 are applied [Figure 20] Figure showing an example of the configuration of an energy saving system to which Embodiments 1 and 2 are applied [Figure 21] Figure showing dedicated hardware for implementing functions of the energy saving apparatus according to Embodiments 1 and 2 [Figure 22] Figure showing an example of the configuration of a control circuit for implementing functions of the energy saving apparatus according to Embodiments 1 and 2 DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an energy saving apparatus, an energy saving system, an energy saving method, and an energy saving program according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of the energy saving system according to Embodiment 1. The energy saving system 1 includes a production facility 10, a display device 20, an engineering tool 30, and an energy saving apparatus 50. The production facility 10, the display device 20, the engineering tool 30, and the energy saving apparatus 50 are connected via a network, and can transmit and receive information to and from each other through communication. The production facility 10 includes a plurality of mounted devices 11A, 11B, 11C, .... Hereinafter, when not individually distinguished, the plurality of mounted devices 11A, 11B, 11C, ... are referred to as the mounted device 11. The mounted device 11 includes: a controlled device that operates by receiving power supply, such as a robot or other apparatus; and a control device such as a programmable logic controller (PLC) that controls the operation of the controlled device. The display device 20 and the engineering tool 30 display information output from the energy saving apparatus 50. The device that displays information from the energy saving apparatus 50 is not limited to these, and may be another device. Hereinafter, a device that has a display unit for displaying information output from the energy saving apparatus 50 including the display device 20 and the engineering tool 30 is also referred to as an external device.

[0012] A controlled device is a device that operates according to control information and corresponds to the power consumption unit in this disclosure. The control information determines the control state of the controlled device and includes, for example, a control program and control conditions. As described above, the production equipment 10 has multiple controlled devices (corresponding to multiple power consumption units) and corresponds to the controlled object in this disclosure. Multiple controlled devices are controlled according to control information, and their control state changes over time. The control state of a controlled device indicates what operating status the controlled device is in. For example, the control state may indicate whether or not it is in operation, or it may be a further classification of the operating state. When it is in operation, the controlled device is operating according to instructions from the control equipment. When it is not in operation, the instructions from the control equipment have finished and the controlled device is in standby mode.

[0013] For example, when a controlled object is performing an action defined by a control program, the control state is said to be "on," and when it is not performing the defined action, the control state is said to be "off."

[0014] Furthermore, if the controlled device is a robot and has "slow," "medium," and "fast" speed modes, each mode represents the operating state and can also be considered a controlled state. In this case, to reduce or average power consumption, the control state should be changed to one where the robot's speed is slower. Turning off the robot's power is also included in changing the control state. Additionally, if the controlled device has a normal operating mode and an energy-saving mode, each mode can be considered a controlled state. In this case, to reduce power consumption, the control state should be changed to one that consumes less power, including turning off the controlled device's power. These changes in control states are made by changing the control information used to control the controlled device, such as operating parameters.

[0015] In Embodiment 1, the control state of a controlled device can be changed by adjusting the control information, thereby switching the power consumption of the controlled device. Changing the control state can be achieved not only by changing the timing of changing the control state of a single controlled device or by changing the operating parameters, but also by switching to another controlled device, that is, by operating another controlled device instead of the one in question, or by switching to another controlled device in another production facility 10 (not shown). In other words, the production facility 10 may have multiple controlled devices that perform the same processing with different power consumption, and it may be possible to switch the operation between these controlled devices according to the power consumption. Also, although not shown in Figure 1, the energy-saving system 1 may have multiple production facilities 10, and it may be possible to switch the processing of some controlled devices in one production facility 10 with other controlled devices in another production facility 10 that operate with less power consumption. Power consumption can be reduced or leveled out by switching controlled devices in this way.

[0016] The display unit 20 is a display device that shows information output from the energy-saving device 50. In one example, the display unit 20 may display a graph of the power consumption of the production equipment 10 acquired by the energy-saving device 50, or it may display a time chart showing the control status of the controlled device corresponding to the power consumption graph.

[0017] The engineering tool 30 is an information processing device capable of creating and editing control information (control programs, control conditions, etc.), which are computer programs that operate multiple control target devices provided in the production equipment 10. Creating and editing control programs and control conditions includes adjusting various parameters that determine the control state. For example, this includes adjusting the operating timing. The engineering tool 30 has an input unit, a display unit, and a control unit (not shown).

[0018] The energy-saving device 50 is a device that manages the power consumption of the production equipment 10, which is the object to be controlled. Power consumption management includes reducing and leveling out the power consumption of the production equipment 10. The energy-saving device 50 manages the power consumption, which is the power used by each controlled object that makes up the production equipment 10, in correspondence with the control status of each controlled object, and displays the trend of the power consumption of the production equipment 10 on an external device. The energy-saving device 50 detects power anomalies in the trend of the power consumption of the production equipment 10, and when a power anomaly is detected, it outputs the trend of the control status of the controlled object linked to the power consumption of the production equipment 10 to an external device and displays it on the external device. In addition, the energy-saving device 50 has a function to further reduce energy consumption if no power anomalies are detected for a predetermined period of time.

[0019] Next, the detailed configuration of the energy-saving device 50 will be described. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the energy-saving device according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 also shows the production equipment 10, the display unit 20, and the engineering tool 30. The energy-saving device 50 includes a device control unit 51, a current and voltage information collection unit 52, a control state information collection unit 53, a device management unit 54, a power-control state information storage unit 55, a guard band information storage unit 56, a production equipment information storage unit 57, a power consumption display processing unit 58, a control state display processing unit 59, a power abnormality detection unit 60, an operation adjustment unit 61, a simulation unit 62, and a band adjustment unit 63.

[0020] The device control unit 51 controls each controlled device of the production equipment 10 according to control information (control program, control conditions, etc.). An example of a control program is a ladder program. A ladder program is a computer program that periodically executes predetermined processes on each controlled device of the production equipment 10. The ladder program specifies the on and off timing of the control state of each controlled device as parameters. Control conditions are the conditions for operating the controlled device. In one example, the control conditions include the operating parameters of the controlled device. The operating parameters are conditions that cause the power consumption of the controlled device to differ, and include specific set values ​​such as operating speed and rotational speed. The device control unit 51 can control the control state of the controlled device according to the ladder program, which is the control program, using the operating parameters set in the control conditions.

[0021] The current-voltage information collection unit 52 collects current-voltage information, including current values ​​and voltage values, from each of the multiple mounting devices 11 that constitute the production equipment 10, or more specifically, from each of the multiple controlled devices. The current-voltage information collection unit 52 collects current-voltage information at predetermined timings. In one example, the current-voltage information collection unit 52 collects current and voltage values ​​from the main circuit board for each controlled device. The main circuit board is equipped with current sensors that detect current values ​​and voltage sensors that detect voltage values, corresponding to each controlled device. The current-voltage information collection unit 52 outputs the collected current and voltage values ​​to the device management unit 54 as device identification information that identifies the controlled device from which the information was collected, and current-voltage information associated with the time of collection.

[0022] The control state information collection unit 53 collects control state information, including the control state of each mounting device 11 that constitutes the production equipment 10, more specifically, each controlled device. The control state information collection unit 53 collects control state information at predetermined timings. In one example, the control state information collection unit 53 acquires control state information of the controlled device from the control equipment. The control state information indicates what actions the controlled device performed and when. The control state information may indicate whether the controlled device is operating or in standby mode, or whether the controlled device is powered on or off. Specifically, this includes information such as when the mounting board was brought into the controlled device, when components were mounted on the mounting board, when components were soldered, and when the mounting board was removed from the controlled device. If the control equipment is a programmable controller, such control state information is stored as a device value at a predetermined location in the control equipment's memory, and the control state information collection unit 53 collects this device value from memory. Even if the control device is a programmable controller, the information collected in memory is not limited to device values. In addition, if the controlled device is a robot, the control state information collection unit 53 collects an output indicating how the robot moved. If the controlled device is equipped with a sensor that detects the control state, the control state information collection unit 53 collects the control state from the sensor. The control state information collection unit 53 outputs the control state information to the device management unit 54 as control state information that associates the control state with the device identification information of the controlled device and the time of collection.

[0023] It is desirable that the timing at which the current-voltage information acquisition unit 52 acquires current-voltage information and the timing at which the control state information acquisition unit 53 acquires control state information are synchronized, but it is not required that they be exactly the same timing. As long as the current-voltage information and the control state information can be associated, that is, as long as the power consumption of the controlled device and the control state can be associated, a slight discrepancy is acceptable. In this specification, this is also included as being synchronized.

[0024] The device management unit 54 generates power information, including the power consumption of each controlled device, from the current and voltage information collected by the current and voltage information collection unit 52, and stores power-control state information, which associates the power information with the control state information collected by the control state information collection unit 53, for each controlled device in the power-control state information storage unit 55. The device management unit 54 calculates the power for each controlled device from the product of the current value and the voltage value at each time, and generates power information that associates the power value with the time and the device identification information of the controlled device. The device management unit 54 associates the power information with the control state information using the time of the power information and the time of the control state information.

[0025] The power-control state information storage unit 55 stores power-control state information. Power-control state information is information that associates one or more control states that each of the multiple control target devices constituting the production equipment 10 has with information on the power consumed in each control state. The control states and power information are associated with time.

[0026] In this embodiment 1, power consumption and control state are managed in association. "Manage power consumption and control state in association" means that information about the operating status of each controlled device is managed in association with the power consumption in that operating status. The control state may, for example, indicate whether it is running, stopped, or in standby mode. The running state may be further classified into normal operation, high-load operation, low-load operation, etc. The running state may also be identified by the parameters used in its operation.

[0027] This makes it possible to manage how much power is required for each controlled device at each given time, depending on its control state. In other words, the power-control state information is information that associates how power is consumed for each of the multiple controlled devices of the production equipment 10, for each of the multiple control states that can be selected in the operation of that controlled device. The control state information is log information that shows when and how the controlled device performed, and is log information that the device control unit 51 controlled the production equipment 10.

[0028] The guard band information storage unit 56 stores guard band information, which is information about guard bands that define the upper and lower limits of the power consumption that can be allowed by the production equipment 10 at each time point in one cycle of the control program that operates the production equipment 10. For example, the guard band information is information in which, based on the power consumption at each time point obtained when the production equipment 10 was operated with a sample before manufacturing a product, the upper limit is the value obtained by adding the allowable range of power consumption to the reference value at each time point in one cycle, and the lower limit is the value obtained by subtracting the allowable range from the reference value. Note that the power consumption value at each time point that serves as the reference is not particularly limited and can be any value that represents the expected power consumption at each time point in one cycle. For example, it may be the average value of multiple power consumption values ​​obtained when the production equipment 10 was operated with multiple samples. Using the guard band information, a guard band waveform for the upper limit and a guard band waveform for the lower limit are generated. The range between the guard band waveform for the upper limit and the guard band waveform for the lower limit becomes the guard band. The guard band is used for the purpose of monitoring and maintaining the power consumption of the production equipment 10. As will be described later, in Embodiment 1, if the power consumption of the production equipment 10 does not exceed the upper limit of the guard band for a predetermined period of time, the guard band is adjusted downward. When the guard band is adjusted, the guard band information of the adjusted guard band is stored in the guard band information storage unit 56. The guard band is set for the power consumption waveform obtained by adding the power consumption measured individually at the same time for multiple power consumption units.

[0029] The production equipment information storage unit 57 stores production equipment information, including equipment configuration information for the controlled devices included in the production equipment 10, equipment layout information indicating the order in which the controlled devices are arranged in the production equipment 10, and production schedule information indicating the production schedule in the production equipment 10. The production equipment information is used to manage production so that delays do not occur in the overall production of the production equipment 10 when adjusting the control status of the controlled devices.

[0030] The power consumption display processing unit 58 acquires power information for all controlled devices constituting the target production equipment 10 from the power-control state information in the power-control state information storage unit 55, and generates production equipment power information that shows the change in power consumption of the production equipment 10 over time. Specifically, the power consumption display processing unit 58 calculates the power consumption of the production equipment 10 by calculating the sum of the power consumption values ​​of each controlled device at a given time, and generates production equipment power information by performing this at each time.

[0031] Furthermore, the power consumption display processing unit 58 acquires guard band information corresponding to the target production equipment 10 from the guard band information storage unit 56, and generates a power consumption display screen by overlaying the production equipment power information and guard band information and displaying them as a graph. The power consumption display processing unit 58 outputs the generated power consumption display screen to external devices such as the display unit 20 and the engineering tool 30. As a result, the power consumption display screen is displayed on the external devices.

[0032] Figure 3 shows an example of a power consumption display screen. In the power consumption display screen 580 of Figure 3, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the power consumption of the production equipment 10. Time ts is the start time of the repetitive processing in the production equipment 10, and time te is the end time of the repetitive processing. Processing by the mounting equipment 11 of the production equipment 10 is repeatedly executed in one cycle from time ts to time te. In Figure 3, the solid line PC shows the power consumption of the production equipment 10, the dashed line UGB shows the upper limit guard band waveform, and the dashed line LGB shows the lower limit guard band waveform. Hereafter, the graph of the power consumption of the production equipment 10 will also be referred to as the power consumption waveform. If there are no abnormalities, the power consumption waveform will not go outside the guard band during one cycle.

[0033] Returning to Figure 2, the control status display processing unit 59 generates a control status display screen for each of the multiple controlled devices, including a time chart that shows whether the controlled device is operating or not at each given time. Specifically, the control status display processing unit 59 acquires control status information for all controlled devices constituting the target production equipment 10 from the power-control status information in the power-control status information storage unit 55, and generates a time chart, which is a control status waveform that shows whether the controlled device is operating or not at each given time. In one example, the control status waveform is a time chart where "1" indicates that the device is operating and "0" indicates that it is not operating. The control status waveform is associated with log information, i.e., control status information, that shows the content of the control of the production equipment 10 by the device control unit 51. The control status display processing unit 59 generates a control status display screen including the control status waveform and outputs the control status display screen to external devices such as the display unit 20 and the engineering tool 30. As a result, the control status display screen is displayed on the external devices. The control information specifies at least the operating timing for each of the multiple controlled devices. Furthermore, the control information may specify not only the operating timing of multiple controlled devices, but also the operating details of at least one of the multiple controlled devices. Examples of control information include control programs and control conditions.

[0034] Figure 4 shows an example of a control status display screen. In the control status display screen 590 of Figure 4, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the control status of the controlled devices of the production equipment 10 and each mounting device 11. In the figure, the control status of the controlled devices is labeled as the control status of the mounting device 11. The same applies to subsequent figures. In Figure 4, time ts is the start time of the repetitive processing in the production equipment 10, and time te is the end time of the repetitive processing. Processing by multiple mounting devices 11 constituting the production equipment 10 is repeatedly executed in one cycle from time ts to time te. The control status display screen 590 shows whether the controlled device is operating or not at each time. It is ON if it is operating, and OFF if it is not operating. Here, if it is operating, it means that the control device has received a command and the controlled device is operating, and if it is not operating, it means that the control device has not received a command and the controlled device is in standby mode. In Embodiment 1, the control status display screen 590 is displayed in conjunction with the power consumption display screen 580. In one example, the control status display screen 590 is placed below the power consumption display screen 580 on the display device of an external device. By synchronizing the time in this way, the power consumption of the production equipment 10 and the control status of the controlled device are associated.

[0035] Returning to Figure 2, the power anomaly detection unit 60 detects a power anomaly when the power consumption waveform, which shows the trend of power consumption in a controlled device at each time point based on the power consumption of each of the multiple controlled devices, exceeds the upper limit of the guard band, which indicates the acceptable range of power consumption in the controlled device at each time point. Specifically, the power anomaly detection unit 60 determines whether the power consumption value shown in the production equipment power information has become greater than the upper limit of the guard band information. Specifically, the power anomaly detection unit 60 determines whether there is a portion of the power consumption waveform generated from the production equipment power information that exceeds the upper limit of the guard band waveform. If there is a portion of the power consumption waveform that exceeds the upper limit of the guard band waveform, a power anomaly has occurred, and the power anomaly detection unit 60 outputs anomaly detection information to the operation adjustment unit 61 indicating that a power anomaly has been detected. The power anomaly detection unit 60 also determines that energy saving has been achieved in the production equipment 10 if the power consumption value shown in the production equipment power information has become smaller than the lower limit of the guard band information.

[0036] Furthermore, the power anomaly detection unit 60 determines whether the power value indicated by the production equipment power information did not exceed the upper limit of the guard band information for a predetermined period. Specifically, the power anomaly detection unit 60 determines whether the power consumption waveform remained below the upper limit of the guard band waveform for a predetermined period. If the power consumption waveform remains below the upper limit of the guard band waveform for a predetermined period, it means that no power anomaly has been detected for a predetermined period, and the power anomaly detection unit 60 outputs normal state continuation information to the band adjustment unit 63, indicating that the power consumption of the production equipment 10 is normal. Note that while it is defined as normal when the power consumption waveform does not exceed the upper limit of the guard band waveform, it may also be defined as normal when the power consumption waveform is within the range of the guard band.

[0037] When the power anomaly detection unit 60 detects a power anomaly, the operation adjustment unit 61 adjusts control information that determines the control state for at least one of the multiple power-consuming units, which are the controlled devices, in order to reduce the power consumption of the controlled object. The control state includes at least one of the operating timing and operating parameters. Adjusting the operating timing and at least one of the operating parameters means adjusting the operating timing, adjusting the operating parameters, or adjusting both the operating timing and the operating parameters. Here, the operating parameters, in one example, refer to parameters that affect the load, i.e., power consumption, such as the rotational speed and moving speed of the controlled device. Hereinafter, adjusting the control state of the entire production equipment 10 will be referred to as adjustment of control information, and adjusting the control state of individual controlled devices will be referred to as adjustment of control state.

[0038] Specifically, when the operation adjustment unit 61 acquires abnormality detection information from the power abnormality detection unit 60, it extracts the abnormality detection range, which is the period during which the power consumption waveform is greater than the upper limit guard band waveform. The operation adjustment unit 61 extracts the controlled devices that are operating within the abnormality detection range from the control status information. Power-control status information is information that links power information and control status information by time. Therefore, by referring to the control status information of the abnormality detection range, the operation adjustment unit 61 can acquire controlled devices that are operating within the abnormality detection range. The operation adjustment unit 61 designates the acquired controlled devices as candidates for adjustment.

[0039] In one example, the operation adjustment unit 61 may generate adjustment candidate device information, which includes information identifying the device to be adjusted, and output it to the control status display processing unit 59. The control status display processing unit 59 generates a control status display screen 590 containing the adjustment candidate device information, outputs it to an external device, and displays it on the external device. The user of the external device who sees the adjustment candidate device information displayed on the control status display screen 590 can find out which device to be adjusted and adjust the control status of the device. Here, the adjustment of the control status of the device includes adjusting the operating timing and adjusting the operating parameters.

[0040] Adjusting the operating timing is a process that changes the timing at which the control state is changed by the control program, etc. Since power is wasted due to waiting time during work, adjusting the operating timing may involve changing the timing of the start of work to reduce wasted waiting time, or it may involve changing the timing of the end of work. Alternatively, it may involve stopping the controlled device to the extent possible to reduce or average power consumption. It may also involve changing the timing of loading the mounting board into the controlled device, the timing of mounting components onto the mounting board, the timing of soldering components, or the timing of unloading the mounting board. In this way, the work time can be shifted by changing the timing at which the control state is changed. Such adjustments are made by adjusting the parameters of the control program. Furthermore, as will be described later, adjusting the operating timing can also be done in accordance with the operation of adjusting the waveform of the time chart on the control state display screen 590.

[0041] Adjusting operating parameters involves adjusting the operating state so that the power consumption of the implemented equipment 11, or more specifically, the controlled device, decreases. Adjusting operating parameters is the process of changing the operating parameters of the controlled device to parameters that reduce power consumption. Here, operating parameters refer, in one example, to parameters that affect the load, i.e., power consumption, such as the rotational speed and movement speed of the controlled device. Operating parameters are defined in the control conditions or control program and are conditions that cause the power consumption of the controlled device to differ depending on the control state, and include specific set values ​​such as operating speed and rotational speed. Adjusting operating parameters includes reducing the output of the controlled device and stopping the controlled device. Reducing the output of the controlled device also includes switching to the energy-saving mode if the controlled device has an energy-saving mode. In one example, the process of reducing the rotational speed of the motor used in the controlled device corresponds to the process of changing operating parameters. In Embodiment 1, the user adjusts the control information via the input section of external devices such as the display unit 20 and the engineering tool 30.

[0042] It is desirable that the adjustment candidate device information includes not only the device identification information of the control target device that is a candidate for adjustment, but also the abnormality detection range. This allows the user to be provided with an indication of the time to adjust the control state of the control target device that is a candidate for adjustment. Alternatively, the operation adjustment unit 61 may refer to the power-control state information and select the control target device with the highest power consumption within the abnormality detection range from among the extracted control target devices that are candidates for adjustment as the device to be adjusted. In this case, the operation adjustment unit 61 generates adjustment candidate device information that includes only the device identification information of the equipment that is a candidate for adjustment.

[0043] At this time, the operation adjustment unit 61 considers the impact that adjusting the control state of a candidate control target device will have on other control target devices, i.e., on the production process, and then determines whether it is possible to adjust the control state of each control target device. Specifically, the operation adjustment unit 61 estimates the impact of adjusting the control state of a candidate control target device on delays in the production process of control target devices used in processes later than the adjusted control target device. For example, a delay in the production process would occur if parts processing is delayed in a preceding parts processing process, resulting in insufficient parts for a subsequent assembly process. More specifically, the operation adjustment unit 61 knows from the production schedule information stored in the production equipment information storage unit 57 when the workpiece is needed in a later process, and checks whether the adjustment is being made to operate the control target device at a delay. If the adjustment of the control state would cause delays in the production process, the operation adjustment unit 61 may generate warning information prompting a review of the adjustment and output it to an external device via the control state display processing unit 59.

[0044] The operation adjustment unit 61 then selects additional adjustment candidate devices, which are devices that can be further adjusted, by adjusting the control state of the control target devices that are candidates for adjustment, within a range that does not cause delays in the production process, based on the estimation results. The operation adjustment unit 61 can identify control target devices used in processes later than the adjusted control target devices from the equipment configuration information and equipment layout information, and can also know the timing when the workpiece is required for each control target device from the production schedule information. For this reason, the operation adjustment unit 61 can further extract additional adjustment candidate devices, which are control target devices that can be used in later processes, by adjusting the control state of the control target devices that are candidates for adjustment.

[0045] The operation adjustment unit 61 may generate additional adjustment candidate device information, including the extracted additional adjustment candidate devices, and output it to an external device via the control status display processing unit 59. If the user of the external device adjusts the control status of an additional adjustment candidate device, the operation adjustment unit 61 will use production schedule information, etc., to determine whether there is any impact on the production process delay of the controlled device used in a later process than the adjusted additional adjustment candidate device. If the adjustment of the control status would cause a delay in the production process, the operation adjustment unit 61 may generate warning information prompting a review of the adjustment and output it to the external device via the control status display processing unit 59.

[0046] The method for estimating whether the adjustment of the control state of the control target device, which is a candidate for adjustment by the operation adjustment unit 61 described above, will affect delays in the production process is just one example, and it is possible to estimate it by other methods as well.

[0047] As mentioned above, adjusting the control state of a controlled device that is a candidate for adjustment involves adjusting operating parameters that reduce the output of the controlled device, and adjusting the operating timing of the controlled device. A controlled device consumes the most power when it is in operation. Therefore, when multiple controlled devices are operating simultaneously, the high power consumption states overlap. As a result, the power consumption value of the production equipment 10 may exceed the upper limit of the guard band waveform. In such cases, by staggering the operating timings of multiple controlled devices whose operating timings overlap, it is possible to reduce or equalize the power consumption of the production equipment 10.

[0048] The operation adjustment unit 61 outputs adjustment information to the simulation unit 62, which indicates the adjustments made by the user to the control state of the controlled device. The adjustment information includes device identification information indicating the controlled device to be adjusted, and the content of the adjusted control information. The content of the adjusted control information is the adjustment of the control state. Adjusting the control state according to the adjustment information means adjusting the control state based on the guard band waveform. Adjusting the control state based on the guard band waveform means adjusting the timing of the operation of the controlled device. In the example above, this means adjusting the timing of loading the mounting board into the controlled device, the timing of mounting components onto the mounting board, the timing of soldering components, and the timing of unloading the mounting board from the controlled device.

[0049] As a result, when a power anomaly is detected, the operation adjustment unit 61 presents control target devices that are candidates for adjustment within the anomaly detection range. Furthermore, when the control state of a control target device that is a candidate for adjustment is adjusted, the operation adjustment unit 61 estimates the impact that the adjustment of the control state will have on the production process delay of control target devices used in processes later than the adjusted control target device. If the estimation results in an impact on the production process delay, the operation adjustment unit 61 determines that the adjustment of the control state of the control target device that is a candidate for adjustment is inappropriate. If there is no impact on the production process delay, the operation adjustment unit 61 presents additional control target devices that are candidates for adjustment of their control state. This makes it possible to provide an environment in which power consumption can be reduced even for production equipment 10 that consists of multiple control target devices and where the adjustment of the control state of one control target device may affect the processing of other control target devices.

[0050] When the simulation unit 62 receives adjustment information from the operation adjustment unit 61, it simulates the power consumption of the production equipment 10 after adjustment using the power-control status information of the corresponding production equipment 10, according to the control information that reflects the adjustment information, and generates power consumption estimation data. The simulation unit 62 outputs the power consumption estimation data to the power consumption display processing unit 58.

[0051] When operating parameters are adjusted as part of the control state adjustment, the simulation unit 62 calculates the change in power consumption due to the adjustment of the operating parameters using information showing the relationship between the amount of adjustment of the operating parameters in the controlled device and the change in power consumption. The simulation unit 62 uses the change in power consumption to adjust the power values ​​of the power information of the controlled device whose operating parameters have been adjusted at each time point. Then, the simulation unit 62 generates estimated power consumption data by calculating the sum of the power values ​​of the controlled device at each time point using the adjusted power information of the controlled device that has been adjusted and the power information of the controlled device that has not been adjusted.

[0052] If the operating timing is adjusted as part of the control state adjustment, the simulation unit 62 adjusts the power values ​​of the controlled device at each time point in the power information to match the adjustment of the operating timing. Then, the simulation unit 62 generates power consumption estimation data by calculating the sum of the power values ​​of the controlled device at each time point using the adjusted power information of the controlled device that has been adjusted and the power information of the controlled device that has not been adjusted.

[0053] When the power consumption display processing unit 58 receives power consumption estimation data from the simulation unit 62, it generates a power consumption display screen 580 by superimposing production equipment power information, guard band information, and waveforms representing power consumption estimation data, and outputs it to an external device. This allows the simulation results of the user's adjustment of control information to be visually displayed. In other words, by superimposing the power consumption waveforms before and after adjustment and the waveform representing power consumption estimation data, the user can be shown how much the power consumption of the production equipment 10 has decreased based on the adjustment information. The user makes various adjustments and then decides which one yields the best results as the adjustment content.

[0054] The operation adjustment unit 61 reflects the adjustment details in the control program or control conditions once the user has determined the content of the control information adjustment. In the case of adjusting the operating timing, the operation adjustment unit 61 reflects the operating timing in the control program. In the case of adjusting operating parameters, the operation adjustment unit 61 reflects the content of the operating parameter adjustment in the control information. The user determines the content of the control information adjustment via the input section of an external device such as the display unit 20 or the engineering tool 30.

[0055] This section describes the case where the operating timing is adjusted by adjusting the waveform on the time chart of the control status display screen 590. It is possible to generate waveform data indicating the control status of each controlled device from a ladder program, which is an example of a control program. In addition, the ON and OFF positions in the waveform data are defined by the parameters of the control program. Therefore, the operation adjustment unit 61 can compare the waveform data displayed on the control status display screen 590 with the waveform data obtained from the control program executed by the device control unit 51, and reflect the adjusted position parameters in the parameters of the control program.

[0056] When the band adjustment unit 63 receives information that the system is in a normal state from the power anomaly detection unit 60, it adjusts the position of the guard band downwards. Specifically, the band adjustment unit 63 lowers the guard band based on the difference between the power consumption waveform and the upper limit guard band waveform. The larger the difference between the power consumption waveform and the upper limit guard band waveform, the greater the amount the band adjustment unit 63 lowers the upper limit guard band waveform, and the smaller the difference, the smaller the amount the band adjustment unit 63 lowers the upper limit guard band waveform. At this time, the band adjustment unit 63 also lowers the lower limit guard band waveform by the same amount as the amount the upper limit guard band waveform was lowered. The band adjustment unit 63 stores the guard band information indicating the lowered guard band as new guard band information in the guard band information storage unit 56.

[0057] Guard bands are typically used for monitoring and maintaining the controlled device or production equipment 10. In other words, if the power consumption waveform is within the range of the guard band, the controlled device or production equipment 10 is determined to be normal. Conversely, if at least a portion of the power consumption waveform is not within the range of the guard band, the controlled device or production equipment 10 is determined to be abnormal, and maintenance is performed. In this case, an abnormality is determined whether the power consumption waveform is above or below the guard band.

[0058] On the other hand, Embodiment 1 is characterized by using the guard band, which is used for monitoring and maintenance purposes, for energy-saving measures as well. Specifically, the band adjustment unit 63 lowers the guard band if no abnormality occurs with the set guard band. Lowering the guard band makes it easier for abnormalities to occur compared to before the guard band was lowered. As a result, if an abnormality occurs, the operation adjustment unit 61 adjusts the control information to save more energy, in other words, performs energy-saving tuning. By repeating this process, it becomes possible to achieve energy savings for the entire production equipment 10.

[0059] Furthermore, when adjusting the guard band downwards, an environment that actively generates abnormalities may be created. As described above, by repeatedly adjusting the control information in response to new power abnormalities that occur in the downwardly adjusted guard band, it becomes possible to save energy in the production equipment 10.

[0060] A better waveform is created by repeatedly tuning the system by lowering the guard band in the band adjustment unit 63 and adjusting the control information in the operation adjustment unit 61. However, the power consumption waveform of this production equipment 10 has a different shape from the original guard band. In such cases, the guard band is recreated. The guard band information of the recreated guard band is then stored in the guard band information storage unit 56. Furthermore, if the power consumption waveform falls below the lower limit of the guard band waveform while the control information is being adjusted in the operation adjustment unit 61, the adjustment and improvement at that point are judged as good, and the guard band may be recreated, i.e., the guard band may be reset.

[0061] The above explanation described an example where the user adjusts the parameters or control conditions of the control program when adjusting the control state of a controlled device that is a candidate for adjustment. This section will explain other methods for adjusting the parameters of the control program, more specifically, the timing of the on and off states during operation. Figure 5 shows an example of a control state display screen. As explained in Figure 4, the time chart shows whether each controlled device is operating or not at each time point; this is information indicating the contents of the control program, i.e., the on and off states of each controlled device. Therefore, by manipulating the waveform of this time chart, the timing of the on and off states of the control can be adjusted.

[0062] The operation adjustment unit 61 makes it possible to adjust the rise and fall times of the time chart on the control status display screen 590 displayed on the display unit 20 or engineering tool 30. At this time, the waveform in the abnormality detection range of the control target device that is a candidate for adjustment may be displayed in a different format from other parts. Display in a different format from other parts may include highlighting, flashing, or enclosing the area. This makes it possible for the user to recognize the control target device and range that is a candidate for adjustment. The operation adjustment unit 61 may also make it possible to adjust the time of the waveform of the time chart of control target devices other than the selected control target device.

[0063] Furthermore, the operation adjustment unit 61 can refer to production schedule information and other data in the production equipment information and set the range of adjustments that cannot be adjusted and the range of adjustments that can be adjusted on the control status display screen 590. The time chart cannot be modified to delay the next process based on the arrangement of the controlled devices according to the equipment layout information and production schedule information in the production equipment information. Such an adjustable range may be set in advance from the production equipment information or calculated from the production schedule information.

[0064] In the time chart shown by the rectangular wave in Figure 5, the convex portions indicated by thick lines, which represent the controlled state, are portions where the control state cannot be adjusted. The operation adjustment unit 61 extracts processes where the control state cannot be adjusted from the production equipment information, sets the shape of the corresponding convex portion in the time chart to a thick line, and makes the width of the convex portion unadjustable. Also, in the time chart, convex portions that are not thick lines and represent the controlled state are portions where the control state can be adjusted. The operation adjustment unit 61 extracts processes where the control state can be adjusted from the production equipment information and calculates the adjustable range by referring to production schedule information, etc. The operation adjustment unit 61 makes the width of the convex portions that are not thick lines adjustable within the calculated range. In Figure 5, the range indicated by the dashed line is the range where the control state can be adjusted. As a result, the user can adjust the operating timing of the controlled device by using the time chart on the control state display screen 590 to adjust the timing chart that can be adjusted within the controlled device, specifically the width of the convex portions that are not thick lines. At this time, the operation adjustment unit 61 allows the user to adjust the convex portions that are not thick lines within the adjustable range.

[0065] The operation adjustment unit 61 outputs adjustment information to the simulation unit 62, which shows the adjustment details of the waveform on the control status display screen 590 adjusted by the user. The adjustment information includes device identification information indicating the controlled device whose waveform is being adjusted, and the time before and after the adjustment of the rise time or fall time when the adjustment was made. As described above, the simulation unit 62 performs a simulation using the adjustment information to generate power consumption estimation data.

[0066] As described above, the timing of the control state can be adjusted by sliding the rise time or fall time of the time chart on the control state display screen 590.

[0067] In the above explanation, the impact on subsequent processes due to adjustments made by the user to the control state of the controlled device was checked in the operation adjustment unit 61, but this can also be done in the simulation unit 62. In this case, the check of the impact on subsequent processes in the simulation unit 62 can be performed using the same procedure as described above for the operation adjustment unit 61.

[0068] Figure 6 shows an example of applying the energy-saving system according to Embodiment 1 to a production system. The production system 100 shown in Figure 6 comprises a control panel 70 and production equipment 10. The production equipment 10 is composed of a plurality of mounting devices 11. Each of the plurality of mounting devices 11 includes a controlled device and a control device. In one example, the control panel 70 is a housing that combines the devices for controlling the production equipment 10 into one unit. The control panel 70 comprises a main circuit breaker 71, a current / voltage sensor 72, a programmable display 73, and a sequencer 74. The main circuit breaker 71 supplies power to the production equipment 10, the programmable display 73, and the sequencer 74. The main circuit breaker 71 supplies power to each controlled device of the mounting devices 11 that make up the production equipment 10. The current / voltage sensor 72 is provided on a power line 75 connected to each controlled device and detects the current and voltage supplied to each controlled device. The programmable display unit 73 is an example of the display unit 20 and is a display device that acquires and displays information about the control of the production equipment 10 from the sequencer 74. The sequencer 74 is a control device that controls the controlled device according to the control program and control conditions so that the production equipment 10 performs periodic operations. In Figure 6, the sequencer 74 also functions as an energy-saving device 50. The sequencer 74 monitors the power consumption waveform using a guard band based on the power consumption of the production equipment 10. If the power consumption waveform exceeds the upper limit of the guard band waveform, the control information of the production equipment 10 is adjusted and improved, focusing on the area where it exceeded the limit, as described above. Also, if the power consumption waveform falls below the upper limit of the guard band waveform for a predetermined period, the guard band waveform is corrected downward, as described above. By repeating this process, energy-saving tuning of the production equipment 10 is achieved.

[0069] Next, a method for achieving energy savings in the energy-saving device 50 with this configuration will be described. The method for achieving energy savings includes a power-control state information collection method for collecting power-control state information in the production equipment 10, and an energy-saving method for performing energy savings using the power-control state information. These will be explained in order below.

[0070] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the power-control state information collection method according to Embodiment 1. The power-control state information collection method is performed while the production equipment 10 is in operation. First, the current-voltage information collection unit 52 collects current-voltage information for each controlled device of the production equipment 10 at predetermined intervals (step S11). The current-voltage information includes the current value and voltage value supplied to the controlled device, device identification information indicating the controlled device that measured the current value and voltage value, and the time when the current value and voltage value were measured. In addition, the control state information collection unit 53 collects control state information for each controlled device of the production equipment 10 at predetermined intervals (step S12). The control state information is information indicating the control state of the controlled device. It is desirable that the period in which the current-voltage information collection unit 52 collects current-voltage information and the period in which the control state information collection unit 53 collects control state information are synchronized. However, it is not limited to perfectly synchronized cases, and there may be a difference as long as it does not hinder the correspondence between the control state of the production equipment 10 and the current-voltage information.

[0071] Next, the device management unit 54 generates power information for each controlled device from the current and voltage information collected by the current and voltage information collection unit 52 (step S13). The power information includes the power consumption value of the controlled device, device identification information indicating the controlled device for which the power consumption value is calculated, and the time when the current and voltage values ​​were measured.

[0072] Subsequently, the device management unit 54 stores the power information and control status information together as power-control status information for each controlled device in the power-control status information storage unit 55 (step S14). The power-control status information links the power information and control status information via time.

[0073] Next, the device management unit 54 determines whether processing at the production equipment 10 has finished (step S15). If processing at the production equipment 10 has not finished (if the answer is No in step S15), the process returns to step S11, and the processes from step S11 to step S14 are repeatedly executed until processing at the production equipment 10 is finished. If processing at the production equipment 10 is finished (if the answer is Yes in step S15), the process ends. This concludes the power-control status information collection method.

[0074] Figures 8 to 10 are flowcharts showing an example of the procedure for the energy-saving method according to Embodiment 1. The energy-saving method is performed after the planned number of products to be produced at the production equipment 10 has been completed, or after the end of production at the production equipment 10 for the day.

[0075] First, the power consumption display processing unit 58 acquires power information for all controlled devices constituting the target production equipment 10 from the power-control state information in the power-control state information storage unit 55 (step S31). Using the acquired power information, the power consumption display processing unit 58 generates production equipment power information by calculating the sum of the power consumption of all controlled devices at each time point (step S32). The power consumption display processing unit 58 also acquires guard band information corresponding to the target production equipment 10 from the guard band information storage unit 56 (step S33). The power consumption display processing unit 58 generates and outputs a power consumption display screen 580 that superimposes the production equipment power information and guard band information into a graph (step S34). In the graph display, the power consumption display processing unit 58 displays the power consumption waveform and guard band of the production equipment 10 for one cycle of cyclic processing.

[0076] The control status display processing unit 59 acquires control status information for all controlled devices constituting the target production equipment 10 from the power-control status information in the power-control status information storage unit 55 (step S35). The control status display processing unit 59 generates a time chart showing the control status of the controlled devices at each time (step S36). The control status display processing unit 59 generates and outputs a control status display screen 590 including the time chart (step S37). On the control status display screen 590, the control status display processing unit 59 displays a time chart showing the control status for one cycle of cyclic processing, specifically whether the controlled devices are operating or not at each time, aligned with the time on the time axis of the production equipment power information. At this time, the power consumption display screen 580 and the control status display screen 590 are displayed on the display unit of the external device, arranged vertically.

[0077] Subsequently, the power anomaly detection unit 60 determines whether the power consumption waveform of the production equipment 10 exceeds the upper limit guard band waveform (step S38). If the power consumption waveform exceeds the upper limit guard band waveform (if Yes in step S38), the operation adjustment unit 61 extracts an anomaly detection range, which is the range of time during which the power consumption waveform exceeds the upper limit guard band waveform (step S39). Next, the operation adjustment unit 61 extracts the controlled devices that are in operation within the anomaly detection range from the control state information (step S40). Then, the operation adjustment unit 61 executes the operation adjustment process (step S41). In the operation adjustment process, the user makes settings to reduce the energy consumption of the controlled devices. At this time, adjustments are made to shift the operating state to a state with less energy consumption, stop operation, or, if the controlled device has an energy-saving mode, shift to the energy-saving mode. Such adjustments are made by the user adjusting the control state of the controlled devices, i.e., the operating parameters.

[0078] Here, an example of the operation adjustment process will be described. Figures 11 and 12 are flowcharts illustrating an example of the operation adjustment process procedure. The operation adjustment unit 61 selects the control target device with the highest power consumption among the extracted control target devices within the abnormality detection range and generates adjustment candidate device information including the selected control target device (step S71). The operation adjustment unit 61 outputs the adjustment candidate device information to the control status display processing unit 59. The control status display processing unit 59 generates and outputs a control status display screen 590 including the adjustment candidate device information (step S72). The control status display screen 590 is displayed on an external device. The user refers to the adjustment candidate device information and adjusts the control status of the control target device indicated in the adjustment candidate device information. The adjustment of the control status is either an adjustment of the operating timing or an adjustment of the operating parameters. The adjustment of the control status is performed via the input unit of an external device.

[0079] When the operation adjustment unit 61 receives the input for adjusting the control state, it adjusts the control state of the selected controlled device according to the adjustment content, thereby estimating the impact on the production process delay of controlled devices used in later processes than the selected controlled device (step S73). The operation adjustment unit 61 then determines whether there is an impact on later processes (step S74). If there is an impact on later processes (if Yes in step S74), the operation adjustment unit 61 generates warning information prompting a review of the adjustment (step S75), and the control state display processing unit 59 generates and outputs a control state display screen 590 including the warning information (step S76). The process then returns to step S73. In other words, the user who sees the warning information readjusts the control state.

[0080] On the other hand, if there is no impact on subsequent processes (the answer is No in step S74), the operation adjustment unit 61 selects additional adjustment candidate devices, which are control target devices that can be further adjusted within a range that does not cause delays in the production process in subsequent processes, and generates additional adjustment candidate device information including the additional adjustment candidate devices (step S77). The operation adjustment unit 61 outputs the additional adjustment candidate device information to the control status display processing unit 59. The control status display processing unit 59 generates and outputs a control status display screen 590 including the additional adjustment candidate device information (step S78). The user refers to the additional adjustment candidate device information and adjusts the control status of the control target device indicated by the additional adjustment candidate device information.

[0081] When the operation adjustment unit 61 receives the adjustment details for the control state, it adjusts the control state of the controlled device in the process after the adjustment according to the adjustment details, thereby estimating the impact on the production process delay of the controlled device used in a later process than the adjusted controlled device (step S79). The operation adjustment unit 61 then determines whether there is an impact on the later process (step S80). If there is an impact on the later process (if Yes in step S80), the operation adjustment unit 61 generates warning information prompting a review of the adjustment (step S81), and the control state display processing unit 59 generates and outputs a control state display screen 590 including the warning information (step S82). The process then returns to step S79. In other words, the user who sees the warning information readjusts the control state of the controlled device indicated by the additional adjustment candidate device information.

[0082] On the other hand, if there is no impact on subsequent processes (the result is No in step S80), the operation adjustment unit 61 acquires adjustment content information, which is the content adjusted by the user (step S83). With this, the operation adjustment process is completed, and the process returns to Figure 9.

[0083] Figure 13 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the procedure for operational adjustment processing. Here, we show an example where power consumption is reduced by adjusting the rise time or fall time in the control state time chart of the controlled device.

[0084] The operation adjustment unit 61 refers to the production equipment information and sets the non-adjustable and adjustable ranges in the time chart of each controlled device on the control status display screen 590 (step S91). The control status display processing unit 59 outputs the control status display screen 590 with the non-adjustable and adjustable ranges set in the time chart of each controlled device (step S92). This allows the width of the convex portion of the time chart that can be adjusted within a range that does not affect subsequent processes. The user adjusts the control status of the controlled device, i.e., the operating timing, by adjusting the width of the time chart of the controlled device on the control status display screen 590. After that, the operation adjustment unit 61 acquires the adjustment content information, which is the content adjusted by the user (step S93). With this, the operation adjustment process is completed and the process returns to Figure 9.

[0085] Note that the operation adjustment process shown in Figures 11 to 13 is just one example, and the operation adjustment process may be performed in other ways. In Figure 11, the candidate device information for adjustment may include not only the control target device with the highest power consumption, but also all control target devices extracted in step S40. Also, in Figure 13, if the adjustment cannot be completed using only the graph on the control status display screen 590, i.e., the operation timing alone, other control states, such as operating parameters in one example, may be adjusted.

[0086] Returning to Figure 9, the simulation unit 62 acquires adjustment information and uses the power-control state information to perform a simulation of the power consumption of the production equipment 10 according to the adjustment information, and calculates power consumption estimation data (step S42). The power consumption estimation data is information that shows the value of the power consumption of the production equipment 10 at each time point after the adjustment of the control information.

[0087] As shown in Figure 11, if the adjustment information is to adjust the power consumption of the controlled device within the abnormality detection range, the power consumption information of the controlled device to be adjusted is adjusted. Then, the sum of the power information of the controlled device whose power consumption has been adjusted and the power information of the other controlled devices is used as the estimated power consumption data of the adjusted production equipment 10.

[0088] As shown in Figure 13, if the operating timing of the controlled device is shifted on the control status display screen 590, the operating timing of the controlled device is adjusted in the power information of the controlled device that is subject to adjustment. The sum of the power information of the controlled device whose power consumption has been adjusted and the power information of the other controlled devices is used as the estimated power consumption data of the adjusted production equipment 10.

[0089] Subsequently, the simulation unit 62 outputs the estimated power consumption data to the power consumption display processing unit 58. The power consumption display processing unit 58 generates and outputs a power consumption display screen 580 by overlaying the estimated power consumption data on the production equipment power information and guard band information (step S43). The power consumption display screen 580 is displayed on external devices such as the display unit 20 and the engineering tool 30. This allows the user to visually confirm in advance how the power consumption of the production equipment 10 will change depending on the adjustments made during the operation adjustment process.

[0090] The user makes a decision on the adjustment content if the graph of the estimated power consumption data of the adjusted production equipment 10 falls within the range of the guard band and the user is satisfied with the adjustment result. This can be determined, for example, by whether the user has decided on the adjustment content information obtained in the operation adjustment process. In other words, the operation adjustment unit 61 determines whether the adjustment content information has been decided (step S44). If the adjustment content information has not been decided (if the answer is No in step S44), the operation adjustment process by the user is not yet complete, and the process returns to step S41.

[0091] Furthermore, if the adjustment information is determined (Yes in step S44), the operation adjustment unit 61 updates the control program and control conditions of the production equipment 10 with the determined adjustment information (step S45). The determination of the adjustment information is performed via input from an external device by the user. This completes the energy-saving method. The next time production is carried out by the production equipment 10, production will be carried out under the adjusted control conditions.

[0092] In step S38, if the power consumption waveform does not exceed the upper limit of the guard band waveform (the answer in step S38 is No), the band adjustment unit 63 calculates a correction value determined based on the difference between the power consumption waveform and the upper limit of the guard band waveform (step S51). At this point, the band adjustment unit 63 also corrects the upper and lower limits of the guard band stored in the guard band information storage unit 56 with the correction value (step S52). The correction value is a value that lowers the guard band. This completes the energy saving method.

[0093] Here, we will explain quality control and energy-saving tuning in the energy-saving system 1 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating quality control using guard band monitoring of the power consumption waveform. First, the power anomaly detection unit 60 monitors the waveform shape of the power consumption waveform PC accumulated based on a preset guard band GB. As described above, the power consumption display screen 580 displays the power consumption waveform PC for one cycle. Here, the power anomaly detection unit 60 monitors whether the power consumption waveform PC has a shape that follows the guard band GB. This monitoring of the waveform shape is for the purpose of monitoring and maintaining the controlled device of the mounting equipment 11 and the production equipment 10. Since the power anomaly detection unit 60 can monitor the shape of the power consumption waveform PC, it is possible to detect changes within the range between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the power consumption value in one cycle. In other words, in order to reduce the power consumption of the production equipment 10, it is necessary to reduce the power consumption where it is high. For this reason, the points where the power consumption is high, i.e., the maximum values, can be said to be points that lead to adjustments of the operating timing or operating parameters.

[0094] Subsequently, the power anomaly detection unit 60 monitors whether the power consumption waveform PC exceeds the pre-set upper limit of the guard band waveform UGB. In the example in Figure 14, a power anomaly has occurred in region A where the power consumption waveform PC exceeds the upper limit of the guard band waveform UGB. Therefore, in order to eliminate this excess, power-control state information is used to extract the controlled devices operating within the anomaly detection range, which is the period of region A, and the control state is adjusted to reduce power consumption. In addition, a quality anomaly can be inferred from the power consumption waveform PC exceeding the upper limit of the guard band waveform UGB, thereby enabling quality control.

[0095] Figure 15 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of adjusting the control state. In Figure 15, an example is shown in which the power consumption display screen 580 and the control state display screen 590 are arranged in parallel, one above the other, with their time axes aligned. The production equipment 10 has multiple mounting devices 11, and the control state display screen 590 shows a time chart indicating the on / off state of the production equipment 10, and a time chart indicating the control state of the mounting devices 11A-11C. It is assumed that both the power consumption waveform PC and the time chart show the contents of one cycle of processing performed periodically by the production equipment 10. Furthermore, because they share a common time axis, the power consumption waveform PC and the time chart showing the control state are managed in correspondence.

[0096] In the power consumption display screen 580, the graph without hatching represents the power consumption waveform PC0 before adjustment. Note that in the power consumption display screen 580 of Figure 15, the guard band GB is not shown, but the position indicated by the downward arrow is where the power consumption waveform PC0 exceeds the upper limit of the guard band waveform UGB.

[0097] This allows the user to refer to the timing chart of the controlled device at the point where the power consumption waveform PC0 exceeds the upper limit of the guard band waveform UGB, and adjust the operating timing of the controlled device that is a candidate for adjustment. As described above, the thick-lined convex parts are parts where the control state cannot be adjusted, and the non-thick-lined convex parts are parts where the control state can be adjusted. As shown in Figure 15, the convex parts are assumed to have been adjusted as indicated by the left-right arrows on the control state display screen 590. The operation adjustment unit 61 acquires this adjustment content, and the simulation unit 62 simulates according to the adjustment content, and the result is the power consumption estimation data PC1, which is the hatched graph on the power consumption display screen 580. In this example, the adjusted power consumption decreases at all points where the power consumption waveform PC0 exceeds the upper limit of the guard band waveform UGB. If there are points where the power consumption estimation data PC1 does not fall below the upper limit of the guard band waveform UGB, the user adjusts the timing of the control state on the control state display screen 590 until the power consumption estimation data PC1 falls below the upper limit of the guard band waveform UGB. Adjusting the control state based on guard band waveforms means adjusting the timing of the operation of the controlled device. For example, this could involve adjusting the timing of loading a circuit board into the controlled device, mounting components onto the circuit board, soldering components, and removing the circuit board from the controlled device.

[0098] In this way, when a power anomaly occurs, the user can use the power consumption display screen 580 and the control status display screen 590 to view the simulation results of adjusting the control information to resolve the power anomaly. The user can then adjust the control information until a simulation result is obtained in which the estimated power consumption data PC1 is below the upper limit of the guard band waveform UGB. Alternatively, the user can try various adjustments to the control information and find the adjustment that best reduces the estimated power consumption data PC1. Then, by operating the production equipment 10 using the control program modified with the adjustments obtained based on the simulation results, it becomes possible to reliably resolve power anomalies occurring in the production equipment 10.

[0099] Here, an example of adjusting the operating timing of the time chart is illustrated, but as mentioned above, you can also adjust the operating parameters or directly adjust the values ​​of the parameters in the control program.

[0100] Figure 16 shows an example of adjusting an undesirable control state. In Figure 16, as in Figure 15, an example is shown where the power consumption display screen 580 and the control state display screen 590 are arranged in parallel, vertically aligned, with their time axes aligned. In Figure 16, in order to resolve the power anomaly in the anomaly detection range including the arrow 581 on the power consumption display screen 580, the falling time of the unadjustable protrusion 591C of the mounting device 11C is shifted backward. In this case, the power consumption estimated data PC1 is lower than the power consumption waveform PC0 before adjustment. If the workpiece processed by the unadjustable protrusion 591C of the mounting device 11C is to be processed by the unadjustable protrusion 591B of the mounting device 11B, then the above adjustment will result in the sequence control not being maintained. In other words, problems such as the machining failing to complete will occur in the unadjustable protrusion 591B of the mounting device 11B, which is a later process than the adjustment of the unadjustable protrusion 591C. The same applies when, in order to resolve a power anomaly in the anomaly detection range including the arrow 582 on the power consumption display screen 580, the falling edge time of the non-adjustable protruding portion 592C of the mounted device 11C is shifted to the later position.

[0101] To prevent such adjustments from being made, in the example described above, the time chart on the control status display screen 590 includes both non-adjustable and adjustable sections. Alternatively, instead of including non-adjustable and adjustable sections in the time chart, the operation adjustment unit 61 may determine whether the adjustment of the control information will affect subsequent processes and, if it does, issue a notification prompting the user to readjust the control information.

[0102] This process is executed, and finally, the user determines the adjustments to the control information so that the estimated power consumption data fits within the guard band, i.e., the adjustment information. The determined adjustment information is set in the control program and control conditions. Then, production processing is carried out according to the set control program and control conditions, and current voltage information and control state information are collected. When production processing in the production equipment 10 is completed, the power consumption waveform PC0 obtained from the collected data is monitored by the guard band GB. For power anomalies that newly occur due to lowering the guard band GB, the control state of the controlled device in the anomaly detection range is adjusted using the method described above. Also, lowering the guard band GB makes it easier for upward power anomalies to occur compared to before lowering the guard band GB. In other words, by lowering the guard band, the frequency of power anomalies increases, and when an anomaly occurs, the process of adjusting the control state of the controlled device in the anomaly detection range using the method described above is repeatedly performed, making it possible to improve the energy efficiency of the production equipment 10. In Embodiment 1, energy-saving tuning can be performed by lowering the guard band to adjust the control conditions for energy saving.

[0103] Furthermore, if the waveform of the estimated power consumption data deviates from the shape of the original guard band due to the implementation of energy-saving tuning, it will be necessary to generate a new guard band. Once a new guard band is generated, monitoring for power anomalies will be performed using the new guard band, control information will be adjusted in response to the occurrence of power anomalies, and the guard band will be revised downward if no power anomalies occur.

[0104] As described above, the energy-saving device 50 according to Embodiment 1 is a device for managing the power consumption of a controlled object having a plurality of power-consuming units that operate according to control information, and comprises a device management unit 54, a power anomaly detection unit 60, an operation adjustment unit 61, and a band adjustment unit 63. The device management unit 54 manages the power consumption and control state of each of the plurality of power-consuming units in association with each other. The power anomaly detection unit 60 detects a power anomaly in which the power consumption waveform, which shows the change in power consumption of the controlled object at each time from the power consumption of each of the plurality of power-consuming units, exceeds the upper limit of a guard band that indicates the allowable range of power consumption of the controlled object at each time. When the power anomaly detection unit 60 detects a power anomaly, the operation adjustment unit 61 adjusts the control information that determines the control state for at least one of the plurality of power-consuming units in order to reduce the power consumption of the controlled object. The band adjustment unit 63 lowers the guard band if the power anomaly detection unit 60 does not detect a power anomaly for a predetermined period of time. As a result, if a power anomaly occurs in the downwardly modified guard band, the control state of the power consumption unit is adjusted to resolve the power anomaly, and the control program or control conditions are modified using the adjusted control state, thereby enabling energy saving in the controlled object. Furthermore, conventionally, the guard band was intended for monitoring and maintenance of the production equipment 10. In contrast, in Embodiment 1, the guard band is also used for the purpose of energy saving in the controlled object. That is, if the power consumption waveform does not exceed the upper limit of the guard band waveform for a predetermined period, the guard band is modified downward, deliberately creating an environment where power anomalies are more likely to occur. If it exceeds the modified guard band, the operation adjustment unit 61 adjusts the control state based on user input, etc., to reduce the power consumption of the controlled object. In this way, energy saving in the controlled object can be supported. In addition, since the downward modification of the guard band corresponds to raising the energy saving target, it becomes possible to achieve further energy savings in the controlled object.

[0105] The guard band is set on the power consumption waveform obtained by adding the power consumption of multiple power consumption units at the same time. In other words, in Embodiment 1, the guard band is set on the sum of the power consumption measured individually in each power consumption unit that makes up the production equipment 10. On the other hand, conventional guard bands are set on the power consumption of a single piece of equipment or device measured by a power meter. Alternatively, conventional guard bands are set on the power consumption obtained by merging the power consumption of multiple pieces of equipment or devices as measured by a power meter, and the power consumption of individual pieces of equipment or devices is irrelevant. Therefore, conventionally, only the power consumption of the entire equipment or device is known, and the power consumption of each of the multiple power consumption units that make up the equipment or device is not obtained, making it difficult to determine which power consumption unit's control state should be adjusted to reduce power consumption. However, in Embodiment 1, as described above, the guard band is set on the sum of the power consumption measured in each individual power consumption unit, that is, on power consumption that can be separated into individual power consumption units, or on power consumption that can be identified as the power consumption of individual power consumption units. This has the effect of making it easier to determine which power consumption unit's control state should be adjusted when the power consumption waveform exceeds the upper limit of the guard band. For example, if the power consumption waveform exceeds the guard band, the user can be made aware that they need to adjust the control state of the power consumption unit corresponding to the exceptionally high power consumption by looking at the power consumption configuration at that point.

[0106] Patent Document 1 shows the permissible range of power consumption. However, Patent Document 1 uses the permissible increase amount, which is the maximum amount of power demand that can be increased by changing the operating status of various equipment at multiple consumers, and the permissible decrease amount, which is the maximum amount of power demand that can be decreased, to calculate the permissible upper and lower limits for a time in the future from the present. In other words, the permissible upper and lower limits in Patent Document 1 indicate the expected range of power demand at multiple consumers, and do not set a range within which the power consumption of multiple consumers should be contained.

[0107] The band adjustment unit 63 increases the amount the guard band is lowered as the difference between the power consumption waveform and the upper limit of the guard band increases. This increases the probability of power anomalies occurring in the production equipment 10 compared to before the correction, and places the production equipment 10 in an environment where energy-saving tuning to reduce power consumption is more easily implemented. As a result, energy saving in the production equipment 10 can be advanced.

[0108] The energy-saving device 50 further includes a control status display processing unit 59 that outputs a control status display screen 590 including a time chart showing whether multiple power consumption units are operating or not at each time. The operation adjustment unit 61 extracts power consumption units that are operating during the period in which a power anomaly is detected as candidates for adjustment. The control status display processing unit 59 outputs a control status display screen 590 including information indicating the candidate power consumption units for adjustment, and adjusts the control information using adjustment content information indicating the adjustment content of the control status of the candidate power consumption units for adjustment, which is entered by the user. This makes it possible to present to the user power consumption units that can reduce the power consumption of the production equipment 10 when a power anomaly occurs. Based on the presented information, the user can adjust the control status of the power consumption units that can advance energy saving of the production equipment 10.

[0109] The operation adjustment unit 61 is configured to estimate whether, when the user adjusts the control state of a power consumption unit that is a candidate for adjustment, other power consumption units that operate in a later process than the power consumption unit being adjusted will be affected by the delay in processing at the controlled object. This makes it possible to alert the user if the adjustment of the control state causes a delay in processing at other power consumption units that operate in a later process. As a result, it is possible to change the program operation to reduce power consumption without changing the manufacturing work time at the controlled object, thereby achieving energy savings at the power consumption unit level. In particular, when the controlled object is production equipment 10, it is possible to produce the processed object within the scheduled time specified in the production schedule information.

[0110] The control status display processing unit 59 allows adjustment of the rise and fall times of the time chart on the control status display screen 590. The operation adjustment unit 61 uses the rise or fall time of the time chart adjusted by the user as adjustment information. This allows the user to generate adjustment information by adjusting the rise or fall time of the time chart of the controlled device displayed on the control status display screen 590. In other words, it becomes possible to adjust the control status without changing the timing of the control status in the control program. This enables even users unfamiliar with the control program to adjust the control status in a way that reduces power consumption.

[0111] The energy-saving device 50 further includes a power consumption display processing unit 58 that outputs a power consumption display screen 580 in which the power consumption waveform and a guard band indicating the permissible range of the power consumption of the controlled object at each time point are superimposed, and a power-control state information storage unit 55 that stores power-control state information that associates the power consumption of the power consumption unit with the control state. The device management unit 54 stores the power-control state information in the power-control state information storage unit 55. The power consumption display processing unit 58 generates the power consumption display screen 580 from the power-control state information acquired from the power-control state information storage unit 55, and the control state display processing unit 59 generates a control state display screen 590 from the power-control state information acquired from the power-control state information storage unit 55. As a result, after the processing of the workpiece on the controlled object is completed, the presence or absence of a power anomaly can be detected using the stored power-control state information. If a power anomaly occurs, the power anomaly can be resolved in the next processing operation performed on the controlled object.

[0112] The energy-saving device 50 further includes a power consumption display processing unit 58 that outputs a power consumption display screen 580 in which the power consumption waveform and guard bands indicating the permissible range of the power consumption of the controlled object at each time point are superimposed, and a simulation unit 62 that simulates the power consumption waveform when the control information is adjusted using adjustment content information with power-control state information and generates power consumption estimation data for the controlled object. The power consumption display processing unit 58 generates a power consumption display screen 580 in which the power consumption waveform, guard bands and power consumption estimation data are superimposed. This makes it possible to visually confirm the difference in power consumption of the controlled object before and after adjustment of the control state. In other words, the user can know in advance the energy-saving effect of adjusting the control state. Therefore, it is possible to reliably obtain the energy-saving effect compared to adjusting the control state in a way that results in a reduction in power consumption.

[0113] The energy-saving device 50 further includes a current-voltage information collection unit 52 that collects current-voltage information, including current and voltage values, from each of the multiple power-consuming units, and a control state information collection unit 53 that collects control state information indicating the control state from each of the multiple power-consuming units. The device management unit 54 calculates the power consumption of each of the multiple power-consuming units from the current-voltage information, generates power-control state information that associates the power consumption with the control state information, and stores it in the power-control state information storage unit 55. The timing of current-voltage information collection by the current-voltage information collection unit 52 and the timing of control state information collection by the control state information collection unit 53 are synchronized. As a result, the power information and the control state information become linked information. It is possible to extract power-consuming units that are operating during the period when the power consumption of the production equipment 10 exceeds the guard band, making it easy to extract targets for power consumption management, in this case targets for reduction.

[0114] The operational adjustment unit 61 adjusts the control state in response to new power anomalies occurring in the downwardly adjusted guard band when the guard band is downwardly adjusted by the band adjustment unit 63. By using downward adjustment of the guard band and adjustment of the control state of the power consumption unit using the guard band, it becomes possible to achieve energy savings while maintaining the power consumption of the controlled object within the range of the guard band. Furthermore, the guard band can be used as an indicator for achieving energy savings.

[0115] The band adjustment unit 63 adjusts the guard band downward when the power consumption waveform falls below the upper limit of the guard band, and the operation adjustment unit 61 repeatedly adjusts the content of the control state for new power anomalies that occur in the downwardly adjusted guard band. As a result, energy saving can be achieved in the controlled object even when the guard band is adjusted downward in a way that intentionally increases the frequency of power anomalies.

[0116] Furthermore, the energy-saving system 1 includes the energy-saving device 50 described above, and an external device having a display unit that displays information output from the energy-saving device 50. This allows for energy savings in the controlled object when a power anomaly occurs in the downwardly modified guard band. The control state of the power consumption unit is adjusted to resolve the power anomaly, and the control program or control conditions are modified using the adjusted control state. Conventionally, the guard band was used for monitoring and maintaining the production equipment 10. However, in Embodiment 1, the guard band is also used for the purpose of energy saving in the production equipment 10. That is, if the power consumption waveform does not exceed the upper limit of the guard band waveform for a predetermined period, the guard band is modified downward, deliberately creating an environment where power anomalies are more likely to occur. If the power consumption waveform exceeds the modified guard band, the control state is adjusted to reduce the power consumption of the production equipment 10, thereby achieving further energy savings. Furthermore, information for achieving energy savings can be provided to the user in the form of visualization.

[0117] Furthermore, the energy-saving method is an energy-saving method for managing the power consumption of a controlled object having multiple power-consuming units that operate according to control information, and includes a management step, a detection step, an adjustment step, and a correction step. In the management step, the power consumption and control state of each of the multiple power-consuming units are managed in association. In the detection step, a power anomaly is detected in which the power consumption waveform, which shows the change in the power consumption of the controlled object at each time, exceeds the upper limit of a guard band that indicates the allowable range of the power consumption of the controlled object at each time, based on the power consumption of each of the multiple power-consuming units. In the adjustment step, when a power anomaly is detected, the control information that determines the control state for at least one of the multiple power-consuming units is adjusted to reduce the power consumption of the controlled object. In the correction step, if no power anomaly is detected for a predetermined period, the guard band is adjusted downward. As a result, if a power anomaly occurs in the downwardly adjusted guard band, the control state of the power-consuming unit is adjusted so that the power anomaly is resolved, and the control program or control conditions are modified using the adjusted control state, thereby enabling energy saving in the controlled object. In addition, conventionally, the guard band was intended for the purpose of monitoring and maintaining the production equipment 10. However, in Embodiment 1, the guard band is also used for the purpose of saving energy in the production equipment 10. That is, if the power consumption waveform does not exceed the upper limit of the guard band waveform for a predetermined period, the guard band is adjusted downward, deliberately creating an environment where power anomalies are more likely to occur. If the power consumption waveform exceeds the adjusted guard band, the control state is adjusted to reduce the power consumption of the production equipment 10, thereby achieving further energy savings.

[0118] Embodiment 2. Embodiment 1 shows an example in which the operation adjustment unit 61 generates adjustment candidate device information including a control target device whose control information can be adjusted, presents the adjustment candidate device information to the user, and the user adjusts the control state of the control target device corresponding to the presented adjustment candidate device information. Embodiment 2 describes a case in which the operation adjustment unit 61 adjusts the control information.

[0119] The configuration of the energy-saving system 1 according to Embodiment 2 is the same as that of Embodiment 1. The configuration of the energy-saving device 50 is also the same as that of Embodiment 1, but there is a processing unit with a different function. The processing unit with a different function from that of Embodiment 1 will be described below.

[0120] The power consumption display processing unit 58 acquires power information, including the current power consumption of all controlled devices constituting the target production equipment 10, from the power-control status information of the power-control status information storage unit 55 while the production equipment 10 is in operation. The power consumption display processing unit 58 then generates production equipment power information by calculating the sum of the power consumption of all controlled devices at each time point. In other words, the power consumption display screen 580 is a screen that shows the change in power consumption over time during the cycle in which the production equipment 10 is currently operating.

[0121] The control status display processing unit 59 acquires control status information, including the current control status of all controlled devices constituting the production equipment 10, from the power-control status information storage unit 55 while the production equipment 10 is in operation. The control status display processing unit 59 then generates a time chart, which is a control status waveform showing the control status of the controlled devices at each time point, specifically whether or not they are in operation. In other words, the control status display screen 590 is a screen that shows the change in the control status of the production equipment 10 over time during the currently operating cycle.

[0122] When the operation adjustment unit 61 acquires abnormality detection information from the power abnormality detection unit 60, it extracts the abnormality detection range and extracts the controlled devices that are in operation within the abnormality detection range from the control state information. Using the power-control state information, the operation adjustment unit 61 selects the controlled device with the highest power consumption among the extracted controlled devices that are in operation. After adjusting the control state of the selected controlled device, the operation adjustment unit 61 estimates the impact on controlled devices used in processes later than the selected controlled device and makes further adjustments to those controlled devices based on the estimation results. In other words, the operation adjustment unit 61 adjusts the control state of each controlled device while considering the control states between the corresponding controlled devices. The operation adjustment unit 61 outputs adjustment content information indicating the adjustment content to the simulation unit 62.

[0123] The operation adjustment unit 61 receives power consumption estimation data from the simulation unit 62 and determines whether the power consumption estimation data falls within the range of the guard band. If the power consumption estimation data does not fall within the range of the guard band, the operation adjustment unit 61 readjusts the control information. If the power consumption estimation data falls within the range of the guard band, the operation adjustment unit 61 determines the adjustment content information. If the simulation has determined multiple adjustment content for the control information, the adjustment content information is the one that brings the power consumption estimation data within the range of the guard band and results in the lowest power consumption within the abnormality detection range. Then, the operation adjustment unit 61 adjusts the control program and control conditions according to the adjustment content information.

[0124] The band adjustment unit 63 adjusts the guard band downward if, during the operation of the production equipment 10, the power consumption of the production equipment 10 remains below the upper limit of the guard band UGB for a predetermined period. The method of adjusting the guard band downward is the same as that described in Embodiment 1, so the explanation will be omitted. In addition, the determination may be made by adjusting the guard band downward if the power consumption of the production equipment 10 remains within the range of the guard band for a predetermined period.

[0125] Furthermore, the simulation unit 62 may simulate the impact of adjusting the control information on subsequent processes during the simulation.

[0126] As described above, in Embodiment 2, it is possible to adjust the control information or the guard band in real time using power-control state information obtained in real time.

[0127] Next, the energy-saving method will be described. The same processes as in Embodiment 1 will be omitted from the description, and only the parts that differ from Embodiment 1 will be described. Figures 17 and 18 are flowcharts showing an example of the procedure for the energy-saving method according to Embodiment 2. Note that the processes up to step S40 are the same as in Embodiment 1.

[0128] After step S40, the operation adjustment unit 61 selects the control target device with the highest power consumption among the extracted control target devices within the abnormality detection range and adjusts the control state of the selected control target device (step S111). Next, the operation adjustment unit 61 estimates the impact on the production process delay of control target devices used in processes later than the selected control target device by adjusting the control state of the selected control target device (step S112). The operation adjustment unit 61 determines whether there is an impact on the later process (step S113). If there is an impact on the later process (if Yes in step S113), the operation adjustment unit 61 readjusts the control state of the selected control target device (step S114). Then, the process returns to step S112.

[0129] Furthermore, if there is no impact on subsequent processes (the answer is No in step S113), the operation adjustment unit 61 selects additional adjustment candidate devices, which are control target devices that can be further adjusted within a range that does not cause delays in the production process in subsequent processes, and adjusts the control state of the selected additional adjustment candidate devices (step S115). After that, the operation adjustment unit 61 estimates the impact on the production process delay of control target devices used in processes even later than the additional adjustment candidate devices by adjusting the control state of the additional adjustment candidate devices (step S116). The operation adjustment unit 61 determines whether there is an impact on subsequent processes (step S117). If there is an impact on subsequent processes (the answer is Yes in step S117), the operation adjustment unit 61 readjusts the control state of the selected additional adjustment candidate devices (step S118). After that, the process returns to step S116.

[0130] Furthermore, if there is no impact on subsequent processes (the answer is No in step S117), the operation adjustment unit 61 acquires adjustment information, which is the content of the operation adjustment (step S119). After that, the processing from step S42 onwards is executed. However, in the second embodiment, since the energy-saving device 50 automatically adjusts the control information without requiring adjustment by the user, step S44 is omitted.

[0131] In this example, the power consumption display processing unit 58 displays the power consumption display screen 580 on the display unit, and the control status display processing unit 59 displays the control status display screen 590 on the display unit. However, in Embodiment 2, the user does not adjust the control status. Therefore, it is possible to omit the process by which the power consumption display processing unit 58 displays the power consumption display screen 580 on the display unit, and the process by which the control status display processing unit 59 displays the control status display screen 590 on the display unit.

[0132] Here, an example of processing in the energy-saving device 50 according to Embodiment 2 will be described. The production equipment 10 is assumed to have a conveying device, a processing device, and a welding device. Reducing power consumption by adjusting the control information in such production equipment 10 means reducing the amount of conveyed in the case of conveying, reducing the waiting time for processing and welding, i.e., standby power, in the case of processing and welding, or stopping the malfunctioning device if power is being consumed unnecessarily due to a malfunction.

[0133] The operation adjustment unit 61 reduces the amount of workpieces transported in order to reduce the amount of electricity used in the production equipment 10. At this time, in order to reduce standby power consumption during processing and welding, the operation adjustment unit 61 adjusts the processing device and welding device to start processing and welding after a predetermined amount of workpieces are on standby, i.e., held in reserve.

[0134] The transport volume is managed by the production plan or the shipping plan managed by another system. Therefore, when the transport volume needs to be reduced, the operation adjustment unit 61 adjusts the production plan or the shipping plan. The waiting time can be determined from the production schedule information, etc. Therefore, when the waiting time needs to be reduced, the operation adjustment unit 61 adjusts the timing of the control status of the processing equipment and welding equipment according to the production schedule information, etc. A malfunction of a controlled device can be determined from an error signal from the controlled device, the inspection results of the production equipment 10, and the analysis results. Therefore, based on the above information, the operation adjustment unit 61 determines that there is a malfunctioning controlled device, and if there is information that the power consumption is high, it stops the malfunctioning controlled device.

[0135] Here, the operation adjustment unit 61 refers to the production equipment information and adjusts the control state of each controlled device after considering the control states between the corresponding controlled devices. In the example above, this corresponds to having the processing device and welding device wait until a predetermined amount of workpieces have been transported.

[0136] The energy-saving device 50 according to Embodiment 2 further includes a power consumption display processing unit 58 that outputs a power consumption display screen 580 in which a power consumption waveform and a guard band indicating the permissible range of the power consumption of the controlled object at each time point are superimposed. The power consumption display processing unit 58 generates a power consumption display screen 580 that includes a power consumption waveform including the latest power consumption of the controlled object. The control status display processing unit 59 generates a control status display screen 590 that includes a time chart including the latest operating status. When a power anomaly is detected, the operation adjustment unit 61 selects the power consumption unit with the highest power consumption among the power consumption units that are in operation during the period in which the power anomaly was detected, adjusts the control information of the selected power consumption unit, estimates the impact of processing delays on other power consumption units used in processes later than the selected power consumption unit, and makes adjustments to the other power consumption units based on the estimation results. This makes it possible to resolve power anomalies when they occur while the controlled object is in operation, i.e., in real time.

[0137] In the above explanation, a production facility 10 having multiple mounting devices 11 as shown in Figure 1 was used as an example. An example of such a production facility 10 is a production line. Figure 19 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a production line to which embodiments 1 and 2 are applied. The production line 102 is a production facility 10 having equipment for processing parts and equipment for assembling the processed parts. In the example in Figure 19, an example is shown in which multiple robots are arranged along a belt conveyor that carries processed products. Here, each of the production facilities 10A, 10B, and 10C has mounting devices 11 such as robots and control devices such as programmable controllers that control the robots. Although robots are shown as an example here, other devices with configurations controlled by control devices may also be used.

[0138] The energy-saving system 1 according to Embodiments 1 and 2 can be applied not only to production equipment 10 such as a production line 102, but also to a single device that constitutes the production equipment 10. Figure 20 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an energy-saving system to which Embodiments 1 and 2 are applied. Energy-saving system 1A includes a single device 80 instead of the production equipment 10 in Figure 1. The device 80 generally consists of a plurality of drive components 81A, 81B, 81C, ... such as servo motors. Therefore, each individual drive component 81A, 81B, 81C, ... can be considered as a controlled device, and the single device 80 can be considered as the production equipment 10. In other words, in order to reduce the power consumption of a single device 80, the power consumption of each individual drive component 81A, 81B, 81C, ... that constitutes the device 80 can be reduced by the method shown in Embodiments 1 and 2. In Figure 20, the drive components 81A, 81B, 81C, ... correspond to the power consumption section of this disclosure, and the device 80 corresponds to the controlled object of this disclosure.

[0139] Next, the hardware configuration of the energy-saving device 50 according to Embodiments 1 and 2 will be described. The device control unit 51, current and voltage information collection unit 52, control state information collection unit 53, device management unit 54, power-control state information storage unit 55, guard band information storage unit 56, production equipment information storage unit 57, power consumption display processing unit 58, control state display processing unit 59, power abnormality detection unit 60, operation adjustment unit 61, simulation unit 62, and band adjustment unit 63 are implemented by processing circuits. These processing circuits may be implemented by dedicated hardware or by control circuits using a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

[0140] When the above processing circuits are implemented using dedicated hardware, they are implemented by the processing circuit 510 shown in Figure 21. Figure 21 is a diagram showing dedicated hardware for realizing the functions of the energy-saving device according to Embodiments 1 and 2. The processing circuit 510 may be a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof.

[0141] When the above processing circuit is implemented using a CPU-based control circuit, this control circuit is, in one example, a control circuit 520 with the configuration shown in Figure 22. Figure 22 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control circuit for realizing the functions of the energy-saving device according to Embodiments 1 and 2. As shown in Figure 22, the control circuit 520 comprises a processor 521 and a memory 522. The processor 521 is a CPU, also called a processing unit, arithmetic unit, microprocessor, microcomputer, DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc. The memory 522 is, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Registered Trademark) (Electrically EPROM), magnetic disk, flexible disk, optical disk, compact disk, minidisc, DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), etc.

[0142] When the above processing circuit is implemented by the control circuit 520, the processor 521 reads and executes the program corresponding to the processing of each component stored in the memory 522. The memory 522 is also used as temporary memory for each process executed by the processor 521.

[0143] As described above, the energy-saving program according to Embodiments 1 and 2 is an energy-saving program that manages the power consumption of a controlled object having a plurality of power-consuming units that operate according to control information, and causes a computer to execute a management step, a detection step, an adjustment step, and a correction step. In the management step, the power consumption and control state of each of the plurality of power-consuming units are managed in association. In the detection step, a power anomaly is detected in which the power consumption waveform, which shows the change in power consumption of the controlled object at each time, exceeds the upper limit of a guard band that indicates the allowable range of power consumption of the controlled object at each time, based on the power consumption of each of the plurality of power-consuming units. In the adjustment step, when a power anomaly is detected, the control information that determines the control state for at least one of the plurality of power-consuming units is adjusted to reduce the power consumption of the controlled object. In the correction step, if no power anomaly is detected for a predetermined period, the guard band is revised downward. As a result, if a power anomaly occurs in the downwardly revised guard band, the control state of the power-consuming unit is adjusted so that the power anomaly is resolved, and the control program or control conditions are modified using the adjusted control state, thereby enabling energy saving in the controlled object. Furthermore, conventionally, guard bands were used for the purpose of monitoring and maintaining the production equipment 10. However, in the energy-saving programs according to Embodiments 1 and 2, guard bands are also used for the purpose of saving energy in the production equipment 10. In other words, if the power consumption waveform does not exceed the upper limit of the guard band waveform for a predetermined period, the guard band is adjusted downward, deliberately creating an environment where power anomalies are more likely to occur. If the power consumption waveform exceeds the adjusted guard band, the control state is adjusted to reduce the power consumption of the production equipment 10, thereby achieving further energy savings.

[0144] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are examples only, and it is possible to combine them with other known technologies, combine different embodiments, and omit or modify parts of the configuration without departing from the gist of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0145] 1, 1A Energy-saving systems, 10, 10A, 10B, 10C Production equipment, 11, 11A, 11B, 11C Mounting equipment, 20 Displays, 30 Engineering tools, 50 Energy-saving devices, 51 Device control unit, 52 Current / voltage information acquisition unit, 53 Control status information acquisition unit, 54 Device management unit, 55 Power-control status information storage unit, 56 Guard band information storage unit, 57 Production equipment information storage unit, 58 Power consumption display processing unit, 59 Control status display processing unit, 60 Power anomaly detection unit, 61 Operation adjustment unit, 62 Simulation unit, 63 Band adjustment unit, 70 Control panel, 71 Main circuit breaker, 72 Current / voltage sensors, 73 Programmable display unit, 74 Sequencer, 75 Power lines, 80 Devices, 81A, 81B, 81C Drive components, 100 Production systems, 102 Production lines, 580 Power consumption display screen, 590 control status display screen.

Claims

1. An energy-saving device for managing power consumption in a controlled object having multiple power-consuming units that operate according to control information, A device management unit manages the power consumption and control status of each of the multiple power consumption units in association with each other. A power anomaly detection unit detects a power anomaly in which the power consumption waveform, which shows the change in power consumption of the controlled object at each time point from the power consumption of each of the multiple power consumption units, exceeds the upper limit of a guard band that indicates the allowable range of the power consumption of the controlled object at each time point. When the power anomaly detection unit detects the power anomaly, the operation adjustment unit adjusts the control information that determines the control state for at least one of the plurality of power consumption units in order to reduce the power consumption of the controlled object. If the power anomaly detection unit does not detect the power anomaly for a predetermined period of time, the band adjustment unit adjusts the guard band downward, An energy-saving device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. The energy-saving device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guard band is set for a power consumption waveform obtained by adding the power consumption of a plurality of power consumption units at the same time.

3. The energy-saving device according to claim 1, characterized in that the band adjustment unit increases the amount of reduction of the guard band as the difference between the power consumption waveform and the upper limit of the guard band increases.

4. The system further includes a control status display processing unit that outputs a control status display screen including a time chart showing whether or not multiple power consumption units are operating at each time point. The operation adjustment unit extracts the power consumption units that are in operation during the period in which the power abnormality was detected as candidates for adjustment. The energy-saving device according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that the control status display processing unit outputs a control status display screen that includes information indicating a power consumption unit that is a candidate for adjustment, and adjusts the control information using adjustment content information indicating the adjustment content of the control status of the power consumption unit that is a candidate for adjustment, which has been input by the user.

5. The energy-saving device according to claim 4, characterized in that when the user adjusts the control information of a power consumption unit that is a candidate for adjustment, the operation adjustment unit estimates whether the delay in processing in the controlled object will affect other power consumption units that operate in a later process than the power consumption unit that is a candidate for adjustment that is being adjusted.

6. The control status display processing unit allows adjustment of the rise time and fall time of the time chart on the control status display screen. The energy-saving device according to claim 4, characterized in that the operation adjustment unit uses the rise time or fall time of the time chart adjusted by the user as the adjustment content information.

7. A power consumption display processing unit outputs a power consumption display screen that superimposes the power consumption waveform and a guard band indicating the permissible range of the power consumption of the controlled object at each time point. A power-control state information storage unit stores power-control state information that associates the power consumption of the power consumption unit with the control state of the power consumption unit, Furthermore, The device management unit stores the power-control state information in the power-control state information storage unit. The power consumption display processing unit generates the power consumption display screen from the power-control state information acquired from the power-control state information storage unit. The energy-saving device according to claim 4, characterized in that the control state display processing unit generates the control state display screen from the power-control state information acquired from the power-control state information storage unit.

8. A power consumption display processing unit outputs a power consumption display screen that superimposes the power consumption waveform and a guard band indicating the permissible range of the power consumption of the controlled object at each time point. A simulation unit that simulates the power consumption waveform when the control information is adjusted using the power-control state information and generates power consumption estimation data for the controlled object, Furthermore, The energy-saving device according to claim 7, characterized in that the power consumption display processing unit generates the power consumption display screen by superimposing the power consumption waveform, the guard band, and the power consumption estimation data.

9. A current-voltage information collection unit collects current-voltage information, including current values ​​and voltage values, from each of the multiple power consumption units, A control state information collection unit collects control state information indicating the control state from each of the multiple power consumption units, Furthermore, The device management unit calculates the power consumption of each of the multiple power consumption units from the current and voltage information, generates power-control state information by associating the power consumption with the control state information, and stores it in the power-control state information storage unit. The energy-saving device according to claim 7, characterized in that the timing at which the current-voltage information acquisition unit acquires the current-voltage information and the timing at which the control state information acquisition unit acquires the control state information are synchronized.

10. The energy-saving device according to claim 4, characterized in that the operation adjustment unit adjusts the contents of the control state in response to a new power anomaly that occurs in the downwardly adjusted guard band when the guard band is downwardly adjusted by the band adjustment unit.

11. The band adjustment unit adjusts the guard band downward when the power consumption waveform falls below the upper limit of the guard band. The energy-saving device according to claim 4, characterized in that the operation adjustment unit repeatedly adjusts the content of the control state in response to new power anomalies that occur in the downwardly modified guard band.

12. The power consumption display processing unit further comprises outputting a power consumption display screen that superimposes the power consumption waveform and a guard band indicating the permissible range of the power consumption of the controlled object at each time point. The power consumption display processing unit generates the power consumption display screen including the power consumption waveform, which includes the latest power consumption of the controlled object. The control status display processing unit generates the control status display screen, which includes a time chart that includes the latest operating status. The energy-saving device according to claim 4, characterized in that, when the operation adjustment unit detects the power abnormality, it selects the power consumption unit with the highest power consumption among the power consumption units that are in operation during the period in which the power abnormality was detected, adjusts the control information of the selected power consumption unit, estimates the impact of processing delays on other power consumption units used in processes later than the selected power consumption unit, and makes adjustments to the other power consumption units based on the estimation results.

13. An energy-saving system comprising: an energy-saving device for managing the power consumption of a controlled object having multiple power-consuming units that operate according to control information; and an external device having a display unit for displaying information output from the energy-saving device, The energy-saving device is A device management unit manages the power consumption and control status of each of the multiple power consumption units in association with each other. A power anomaly detection unit detects a power anomaly in which the power consumption waveform, which shows the change in power consumption of the controlled object at each time point from the power consumption of each of the multiple power consumption units, exceeds the upper limit of a guard band that indicates the allowable range of the power consumption of the controlled object at each time point. When the power anomaly detection unit detects the power anomaly, the operation adjustment unit adjusts the control information that determines the control state for at least one of the plurality of power consumption units in order to reduce the power consumption of the controlled object. If the power anomaly detection unit does not detect the power anomaly for a predetermined period of time, the band adjustment unit adjusts the guard band downward, An energy-saving system characterized by comprising the following features.

14. An energy-saving method for managing the power consumption of a controlled object having multiple power-consuming units that operate according to control information, A management process in which a computer manages the power consumption and control status of each of the multiple power consumption units in association with each other, The computer performs a detection step in which it detects a power anomaly in which the power consumption waveform, which shows the change in power consumption of the controlled object at each time point from the power consumption of each of the multiple power consumption units, exceeds the upper limit of a guard band that indicates the permissible range of the power consumption of the controlled object at each time point. When the computer detects the power anomaly, an adjustment step is made to adjust the control information that determines the control state for at least one of the plurality of power consumption units in order to reduce the power consumption of the controlled object. If the computer does not detect the power anomaly for a predetermined period of time, a correction step is made to lower the guard band. An energy-saving method characterized by including [a certain element].

15. An energy-saving program for managing power consumption in a controlled object having multiple power-consuming units that operate according to control information, On the computer, A management process for managing the power consumption and control status of each of the multiple power consumption units in association with each other, A detection step for detecting a power anomaly in which the power consumption waveform, which shows the change in power consumption of the controlled object at each time point from the power consumption of each of the multiple power consumption units, exceeds the upper limit of a guard band that indicates the permissible range of the power consumption of the controlled object at each time point; When the aforementioned power anomaly is detected, an adjustment step is made to adjust the control information that determines the control state for at least one of the plurality of power consumption units in order to reduce the power consumption of the controlled object. If the aforementioned power anomaly is not detected for a predetermined period, a correction step is made to lower the guard band, An energy-saving program characterized by executing an action.

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