Production system and production method

Abstract

The present invention provides a production system capable of making a production plan according to changes in work contents and resources and quickly and reasonably distributing the resources. This production system comprises: a resource information unit that includes resource information in a factory which produces a product on the basis of a production plan; a production planning unit that arranges workers suitable for the production plan on the basis of the content of the resource information unit; a plan inference and determination unit that observes and analyzes the progress status of work after personnel arrangement by the production planning unit; and a resource redistribution unit that reviews the production plan and adjusts resources when a delay in the work occurs or the work content has been changed, on the basis of the progress status.

Description

Production System and Production Method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a production system and a production method.

[0002] In recent years, in production systems of various industries, a method has been used in which a production plan is made for an object (workpiece) using Excel (registered trademark) or the like, and personnel are arranged for each fixed team or process.

[0003] Conventionally, various proposals have been made for production systems that manufacture predetermined products based on a production plan.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-003723, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-013341

[0005] As described above, in production systems of various industries, a method has been used in which a production plan is made for an object and personnel are arranged for each fixed team or process.

[0006] However, in the case where a person in charge suddenly cannot come to work due to personal reasons or when support is needed from another team, for example, it is difficult to gather appropriate personnel or adjust personnel. Further, for example, in the case of performing small-lot production in various types, it is also difficult to quickly change the work content or redistribute resources to make a rapid work plan.

[0007] Therefore, there is a demand for providing a production system and a production method that can make a production plan according to changes in work content and resources and can quickly and reasonably distribute resources.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in a factory that manufactures products based on a production plan, a resource information unit including resource information, a production planning unit that arranges workers suitable for the production plan based on the content of the resource information unit, a plan estimation and judgment unit that observes and analyzes the progress of work after the personnel arrangement by the production planning unit, and a resource redistribution unit that adjusts resources by reviewing the production plan when there is a work delay or the work content is changed based on the progress are provided.

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the production system according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the production system according to this embodiment. Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the skills information unit in the production system shown in Figure 2.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the production system and production method according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In each drawing, identical or similar components are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. Furthermore, the embodiments described below do not limit the technical scope of the invention and the meaning of terms as described in the claims.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the production system according to this embodiment, illustrating how triangular prism, cylindrical, and rectangular parallelepiped-shaped components are assembled, placed in a product cover (rectangular parallelepiped-shaped cover), undergoes final inspection, and is then shipped.

[0012] In Figure 1, reference numeral 100 denotes a manufacturing plant (factory) that manufactures products based on a manufacturing plan, 1 denotes a resource information unit, 3 denotes a plan estimation and judgment unit, CAM denotes a camera, T denotes a tablet, t denotes a testing device, and W denotes a worker. As shown in Figure 1, the factory 100 is equipped with processing units classified into unit assembly, buffering, overall assembly, adjustment, final inspection, and shipping processes, and is assembled, adjusted, and inspected by multiple workers W before being shipped as a final product.

[0013] The planning estimation and judgment unit 3 (server) is configured as a PDCA server, which is a framework for improving business efficiency by repeatedly performing four processes: P (Plan), D (Do), C (Check), and A (Action) (P → D → C → A → P →…).

[0014] The resource information unit 1 includes a skills information unit 11, a tool and equipment information unit 12, and a production information unit 13. The outputs of the skills information unit 11, the tool and equipment information unit 12, and the production information unit 13 are input to the planning estimation and judgment unit 3 via the manufacturing planning unit 2. The planning estimation and judgment unit 3 functions as a PDCA server and repeatedly executes the four processes of PDCA. In Figure 1, a camera (CAM) and Wi-Fi (registered trademark), etc., are connected to the communication line 9 to exchange information about the factory 100 and various data.

[0015] Each worker W operates either a tablet T or a test device t, exchanging data with the planning estimation and judgment unit 3 or the resource information unit 1, etc., via a communication line 9 such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). In Figure 1, the "x" marks indicate temporary delays in the work process, illustrating how delays occur due to a shortage of target objects (small cylindrical members) in the buffer process and the absence of worker W in the shipping process.

[0016] Here, the acquired work data (such as the status of the tool (e.g., tablet T or test device t) and the operation performed by worker W) can be obtained based on signals emitted from the tool used by worker W, the usage status of the tool and the work performed by worker W as captured by the camera CAM, power on / off data of the tool, tool presence signals (e.g., signals indicating whether or not the tool is present in a designated location), and work content confirmed from the skeletal movements of worker W captured by the camera CAM.

[0017] Furthermore, it is possible to acquire work data by combining various conventionally known methods, such as using glasses with eye-tracking (gaze measurement) functionality (worn by worker W; not shown) to understand the work being done on an object in the worker's line of sight, or attaching a transmitter to worker W to estimate the work being done from worker W's location information. It goes without saying that the factory 100 shown in Figure 1 is merely an example, and various modifications and changes are possible.

[0018] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the production system according to this embodiment. In Figure 2, reference numeral 1 denotes the resource information unit described above, 2 denotes the manufacturing planning unit, 3 denotes the planning estimation and judgment unit, 4 denotes the resource redistribution unit, and 5 denotes the transmission unit.

[0019] The resource information unit 1 includes a skills information unit 11 containing information on human skills, a tools and equipment information unit 12 containing information on tools and equipment, and a production information unit 13 containing information on production. The output of the resource information unit 1 is input to the planning estimation and judgment unit 3 via the manufacturing planning unit 2. Here, the skills information unit 11 includes information such as the number of personnel, information on personnel, possible tasks and working hours, and the tools and equipment information unit 12 includes information such as the types owned, quantities and usable periods. Furthermore, the production information unit 13 includes information such as production models, quantities and delivery dates.

[0020] The manufacturing planning unit 2 allocates workers appropriately to the manufacturing plan based on the contents of the resource information unit 1, and the planning estimation and judgment unit 3 observes and analyzes the progress of the work after the personnel allocation by the manufacturing planning unit 2. The transmission unit 5 transmits work information to the next worker W when the work is progressing smoothly or when the work is behind schedule. The work information may also include information on the completion of the work. Furthermore, the system may estimate the expected completion time of the preceding process based on the capabilities of the worker W performing the preceding process and communicate the estimated expected completion time of the preceding process to the worker W performing the subsequent process.

[0021] The plan estimation and judgment unit 3 includes a production status check unit 31 and a current status analysis unit 32. The production status check unit 31 checks the production status and outputs the checked production status to the current status analysis unit 32. The current status analysis unit 32 receives the output from the production status check unit 31 and analyzes the current status. At this point, the plan estimation and judgment unit 3 outputs a signal to the resource redistribution unit 4 indicating delays, changes, or revisions to the plan, and outputs a signal to the transmission unit 5 indicating that things are going smoothly.

[0022] The resource redistribution unit 4 includes a manufacturing plan update unit 41 and a resource redistributor 42 for redistributing resources, and the transmission unit 5 includes a completion prediction unit 51 and a transmitter 52 for transmitting data to the next worker. In one embodiment of the production system according to this embodiment, the transmission unit 5 is not necessarily provided.

[0023] The Resource Information Unit 1 generates personnel skill information based on automatically acquired work data from each worker, and can reallocate resources based on the most recent work data. The Planning Estimation and Judgment Unit 3 grasps the progress of work in real time from the stored data, determines delays or overruns relative to the Manufacturing Planning Unit 2, and, based on personnel skill information and process progress, estimates who is best suited to be moved based on worker capability data in order to reduce personnel from overrun processes and add personnel to behind-the-run processes. The Resource Redistribution Unit 4 can calculate the optimal personnel allocation and required man-hours based on the work capacity and job content of the workers on duty that day.

[0024] In one embodiment of the production system according to this embodiment, the manufacturing planning unit 2 creates a manufacturing plan based on information from the resource information unit 1, and then the plan estimation and judgment unit 3 observes and analyzes (determines) the progress of the work. Based on the determination status by the plan estimation and judgment unit 3, the transmission unit 5 (transmitter 52) transmits to the next worker, or the resource redistribution unit 4 (resource redistributor 42) revises the work plan. In this way, according to one embodiment of the production system according to this embodiment, a work plan can be created based on changes in work content and resources, and resources can be distributed quickly and rationally.

[0025] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a skills information unit in the production system shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 3, the skills information unit 11 provides technical information to the skills recording unit 6 and the skills estimation unit 7. The skills recording unit 6 includes a photography unit 61, a work recording unit 62, and a time measurement unit 63, and the skills estimation unit 7 includes a skills estimation unit 71 for the person in charge and a work completion time estimation unit 72.

[0026] The skill recording unit 6 includes a photography unit 61, a work recording unit 62, and a time measurement unit 63. The outputs of the photography unit 61, the work recording unit 62, and the time measurement unit 63 are input to the skill estimation unit 7 via the server (server storage) 8. The skill estimation unit 7 includes a skill estimation unit 71 for the person in charge and a work completion time estimation unit 72.

[0027] A server 8 is provided between the skill recording unit 6 and the skill estimation unit 7, and stores data captured by the imaging unit 61, work records recorded by the work recording unit 62, and time measured by the time measurement unit 63. In other words, the skill recording unit 6, which has an imaging unit 61, a work recording unit 62, and a time measurement unit 63, acquires and stores the most recent data. In a manufacturing site where manual work is performed, it acquires data on the start and completion of work from the workers' work, and automatically acquires data for each worker's work and stores it in the server 8.

[0028] The personnel skill estimation unit 71 estimates the skills of the personnel (worker W) based on the data stored in the server 8, and the work completion time estimation unit 72 estimates the time it will take to complete the work based on the data stored in the server 8. It goes without saying that the skill recording unit 6 and skill estimation unit 7 shown in Figure 3 are merely examples and can be modified and changed in various ways.

[0029] It goes without saying that the production system according to the embodiment described above can also be implemented as a production method. As detailed above, the production system and production method according to the embodiment make it possible to create a manufacturing plan in accordance with changes in work content and resources, and to allocate resources quickly and rationally.

[0030] While this disclosure has been described in detail, it is not limited to the individual embodiments described above. These embodiments can be added, replaced, modified, partially deleted, etc., in any way that does not depart from the gist of this disclosure or from the spirit of this disclosure derived from the claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, these embodiments can be implemented in combination. For example, the order of operations and processes in the embodiments described above are given as examples only and are not limited thereto. The same applies when numerical values ​​or mathematical formulas are used in the description of the embodiments described above.

[0031] With respect to the above embodiments and modifications, the following additional notes are disclosed. [Addendum 1] A production system in a factory (100) that manufactures products based on a manufacturing plan, comprising: a resource information unit (1) containing resource information; a manufacturing planning unit (2) that assigns workers to a manufacturing plan suitable for the manufacturing plan based on the contents of the resource information unit (1); a planning estimation and judgment unit (3) that observes and analyzes the progress of work after the personnel assignment by the manufacturing planning unit (2); and a resource redistribution unit (4) that reviews the manufacturing planning unit (2) and adjusts resources when there is a delay in the work or when the work content is changed based on the progress. [Addendum 2] The production system according to Addendum 1, further comprising a transmission unit (5) that transmits work information to the next worker (W) when the work is progressing smoothly or when the work is delayed beyond a predetermined time. [Addendum 3] The production system according to Addendum 2, wherein the work information includes information at the completion of the work. [Note 4] A production system according to any one of Notes 1 to 3, wherein the system estimates the estimated completion time of the preceding process based on the capabilities of the worker (W) performing the preceding process, and communicates the estimated estimated completion time of the preceding process to the worker (W) performing the subsequent process. [Note 5] A production system according to any one of Notes 1 to 4, wherein the resource information unit (1) comprises a skills information unit (11) containing information on human skills, a tools and equipment information unit (12) containing information on tools and equipment, and a production information unit (13) containing information on production. [Note 6] A production system according to Note 5, wherein the skills information unit (11) comprises a skills record unit (6) having a work record unit (62) for recording the work of the person. [Note 7] A production system according to Note 6, wherein the skills record unit (6) acquires and stores the most recent data. [Note 8] The production system described in Note 7, wherein the skills record unit (6) acquires data on the start and completion of work from human work in a manufacturing site where manual work is performed, and automatically acquires data for each worker's work and stores it in the server (8).[Note 9] The production system described in any one of Notes 1 to 8, wherein the personnel skill information in the resource information unit (1) is created based on the work data of each worker (W) acquired automatically, and resources are reallocated based on the most recent work data. [Note 10] The production system described in any one of Notes 1 to 9, wherein the plan estimation and judgment unit (3) grasps the progress of work in real time from the stored data, determines whether it is behind or ahead of the manufacturing plan unit (2), estimates who is best moved based on the worker's ability data in order to reduce personnel from processes that are ahead and add personnel to processes that are behind, based on the personnel skill information and the progress of the processes, and the resource reallocation unit (4) calculates the optimal personnel allocation and required man-hours from the work capacity and work content of the workers on duty that day. [Note 11] The production system described in any one of Notes 1 to 10, wherein the acquired work data is obtained by combining methods such as the worker (W) transmitting a signal from the tool used by the worker (W), determining the usage status of the tool using a camera (CAM), confirming the work content from the power on / off data of the tool and the presence signal of the tool, the movement of the worker's (W) skeleton using the camera (CAM), grasping the work content from the object in the line of sight of the worker (W) using glasses with eye-tracking functionality, attaching a transmitter to the worker (W), and estimating the work from the worker's (W) position information. [Note 12] A production method for manufacturing products based on a manufacturing plan, comprising: arranging personnel appropriately for the manufacturing plan based on resource information; observing and analyzing the progress of the work after the personnel arrangement; and reviewing the manufacturing plan and adjusting resources when there are delays in the work or when the work content is changed based on the progress.

[0032] 1 Resource Information Unit 2 Manufacturing Planning Unit 3 Planning Estimation and Judgment Unit 4 Resource Redistribution Unit 5 Transmission Unit 6 Skill Recording Unit 7 Skill Estimation Unit 8 Server (Server Storage) 9 Communication Line 11 Skill Information Unit 12 Tool and Equipment Information Unit 13 Production Information Unit 31 Production Status Check Unit 32 Current Situation Analysis Unit 41 Manufacturing Plan Update Unit 42 Resource Redistributor 51 Completion Prediction Unit 52 Transmitter 61 Photography Unit 62 Work Recording Unit 63 Time Measurement Unit 71 Personnel Skill Estimation Unit 72 Work Completion Time Estimation Unit 100 Manufacturing Plant (Factory) A Improvement (Action) C Evaluation (Check) CAM Camera D Execution (Do) P Plan T Tablet t Testing Equipment W Worker

Claims

1. A production system in a factory that manufactures products based on a manufacturing plan, comprising: a resource information unit containing resource information; a manufacturing plan unit that allocates workers to suit the manufacturing plan based on the contents of the resource information unit; a plan estimation and judgment unit that observes and analyzes the progress of work after the personnel allocation by the manufacturing plan unit; and a resource redistribution unit that reviews the manufacturing plan and adjusts resources when there are delays in work or when the work content is changed based on the progress.

2. The production system according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission unit that transmits work information to the next worker when the work is progressing smoothly or when the work is delayed beyond a predetermined time.

3. The production system according to claim 2, wherein the work information includes information at the time of completion of the work.

4. A production system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the system estimates the estimated completion time of the preceding process based on the capabilities of the worker performing the preceding process, and communicates the estimated estimated completion time of the preceding process to the worker performing the subsequent process.

5. The resource information unit includes a skills information unit containing information on human skills, a tools and equipment information unit containing information on tools and equipment, a production information unit containing information on production, and the production system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The production system according to claim 5, wherein the skills information unit comprises a skills recording unit having a work recording unit for recording the work of the person.

7. The production system according to claim 6, wherein the skills recording unit acquires and stores the most recent data.

8. The production system according to claim 7, wherein the skills recording unit acquires data on the start and completion of work from human work in a manufacturing site where manual work is performed, and automatically acquires data for each worker's work and stores it on a server.

9. The production system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the human skill information in the resource information unit is created based on the work data of each worker that is automatically acquired, and resources are reallocated based on the most recent work data.

10. The production system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the plan estimation and judgment unit grasps the progress of work in real time from stored data, determines whether there is a delay or overrun with the manufacturing plan, estimates who is best to move based on the worker's ability data in order to reduce the number of people from overrun processes and add people to behind-the-time processes, and the resource redistribution unit calculates the optimal personnel allocation and required man-hours from the work capacity and job content of the workers on duty that day.

11. The production system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the acquired work data is obtained by combining methods such as the worker emitting a signal from the tool they use, determining the usage status of the tool using a camera, confirming the work content from the power on / off data and the tool's presence signal, the worker's skeletal movements using the camera, understanding the work content from the object in the worker's line of sight using glasses with eye-tracking functionality, attaching a transmitter to the worker, and estimating the work from the worker's location information.

12. A production method for manufacturing products based on a manufacturing plan, comprising: assigning personnel to the manufacturing plan based on resource information; observing and analyzing the progress of the work after the personnel assignment; and reviewing the manufacturing plan and adjusting resources when there are delays in the work or when the work content is changed based on the progress.

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