Distributed Unit Information Sharing for Component Mounter Feeders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for managing specific information of units in a networked production system are prone to failures due to reliance on centralized storage, high costs from non-volatile memory requirements, and human error from manual data entry.
Innovation Solution
A system where each unit has an ID recording section and each device has an ID reading section and a non-volatile storing section to store and update specific information, allowing devices to request and share the most recent information across the network, reducing the need for local non-volatile memory and minimizing manual input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If specific information of all feeders is saved on one storage device of the production management computer, then centralized management is achieved, but if that storage device breaks, none of the component mounters can acquire the specific information, leading to production stoppage
Solution Approach 1:
Each component mounter is equipped with local storage capability to store specific information of feeders. This allows each device to have its own copy of the information it needs, eliminating the single point of failure while maintaining centralized management through the production management computer that can update and synchronize information across all devices.
2Reliability
If non-volatile memory for saving specific information is provided on each feeder, then information availability is improved, but the feeders become more expensive
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of storing information in expensive non-volatile memory on each feeder, the system creates and maintains copies of the specific information on the storage devices of component mounters and the production management computer. This copying approach provides the same information availability without the high cost of distributed non-volatile memory.
3Adaptability or versatility
If an operator manually enters the specific information of the feeder, then flexibility is maintained, but it is troublesome and leads to human input errors
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic information management where component mounters automatically acquire specific information of feeders from the production management computer or from other mounters. This self-service mechanism eliminates manual operator intervention, preventing human input errors while maintaining the flexibility to update information as needed.
4Stability of the object's composition
If specific information is stored in centralized location, then data consistency is maintained, but access reliability deteriorates when storage device fails
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges centralized storage on the production management computer with distributed storage on multiple component mounters. Each mounter maintains copies of specific information locally, so that if one storage device fails, other devices can still provide the information. This merging approach maintains data consistency through synchronization while improving access reliability through redundancy.
Data Source
AI summary
Multiple component mounters connected via a network are able to have multiple units attached. A control device of each component mounter requests other component mounters to send the specific information and the update date and time of a unit corresponding to the unit ID read by an ID reading section from an ID recording section of the unit set on the component mounter, and in certain cases a request is sent to the other component mounters to send the specific information of the unit, and the specific information of the unit and the update date and time of the specific information sent from the other component mounter in accordance with the request are stored in the storing section of the component mounter that issued the request.