Industrial Machine Variable Conversion for Reliable Sequence Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In industrial production systems, managing and coordinating the variables between controllers and industrial machines is complex, as each entity independently manages its variables, requiring efficient conversion and communication to operate in a predetermined execution order, which existing technologies do not adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A production system comprising a program creation device, a controller, industrial machines, and a server, where a conversion table is used to convert between machine variables and system variables, allowing the controller to operate industrial machines in a specified execution order by performing refer or change operations on system variables, facilitating efficient programming and operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the controller directly manages machine variables of each industrial machine, then the control precision and reliability are improved, but the device complexity and programming difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a conversion table as an intermediary mechanism between the controller and industrial machines. The conversion table stores correspondence relationships between system variables (managed by controller) and machine variables (managed by industrial machines), enabling automatic translation without direct complex interactions. This mediator resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliable control through systematic variable translation while reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the variable management system into two independent parts: system variables managed by the controller and machine variables managed by individual industrial machines. Each entity independently manages its own variables without needing to understand the other's internal structure. The conversion table bridges these segmented systems, allowing the controller to maintain reliable control while avoiding the complexity of direct machine variable management.
2Measurement precision
If the controller is made aware of specific machine variables, then the control precision is improved, but the ease of operation and programming simplicity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The conversion table serves as an intermediary that automatically translates between system variables and machine variables. The controller operates with simple system variables without needing to understand complex machine-specific variables. This intermediary mechanism maintains control precision through accurate variable translation while dramatically improving programming simplicity by abstracting away machine-specific details.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of machine variables in the form of system variables that the controller can manage easily. Instead of directly manipulating complex machine variables, the controller works with simplified system variable copies that mirror the essential control functions. The conversion table ensures these copies accurately represent the actual machine states, maintaining precision while improving operability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If each industrial machine independently manages its variables, then the adaptability and modularity are improved, but the difficulty of coordinate management and communication increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conversion table acts as a centralized intermediary that manages the communication between independently variable-managing industrial machines and the controller. Each machine maintains its independence and adaptability by managing its own machine variables, while the conversion table handles the coordination and translation to system variables. This eliminates the need for complex direct communication protocols between machines and the controller.
Solution Approach 2:
The conversion table provides a universal interface that works with any industrial machine regardless of its specific variable structure. By translating diverse machine-specific variables into a unified system variable format, the conversion table enables universal communication and coordination. This allows each machine to maintain its independence and adaptability while simplifying overall system communication through a single universal translation mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a production system including: a plurality of industrial machines each configured to execute a process program for executing a predetermined process, and to perform at least one of refer or change of a machine variable; a controller configured to execute a system program for causing each of the plurality of industrial machines to operate based on an execution order specified for a plurality of predetermined processes, and to perform at least one of refer or change of a system variable; a storage configured to store conversion data for converting between the machine variable of each of the plurality of industrial machines and the system variable; and a circuitry configured to perform conversion between the machine variable of the each of the plurality of industrial machines and the system variable based on the conversion data of the each of the plurality of industrial machines.