Modular Production Machine Control via Database-Driven Object Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for controlling modular production machines face challenges in efficiently managing configuration variants, leading to resource wastage and high costs due to overloading with unnecessary data and difficulties in handling machine object replacements.
Innovation Solution
The method involves assigning multiple machine objects to arrangement locations within a project, allowing for variable classification and selection of appliances/components, with attributes defining roles and relationships to facilitate efficient administration and replacement, enabling the control system to activate production machines with permissible configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fictitious maximum configuration including all embodiment variants is planned, then all possible machine objects can be accommodated, but memory is overloaded with large amounts of unnecessary data and field busses are dimensioned too large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary machine objects and data required for the actual production machine configuration, rather than including all possible embodiment variants. This selective extraction reduces memory overload and field bus dimensioning while maintaining support for all needed configuration variants through on-demand data retrieval from the database.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary organization of machine objects and their relationships in a database structure, where machine objects are stored with their attributes and associations to arrangement locations. This preliminary structuring enables efficient data retrieval and reduces the need to transfer and store all possible configuration data simultaneously.
2Adaptability or versatility
If alternate project variants are maintained to manage different configuration levels, then different configurations can be supported, but versions and variants can be managed with great difficulty and carry-over parts occur in different projects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal project structure where a single project can accommodate multiple configuration variants through the assignment of multiple machine objects to arrangement locations. This universal approach eliminates the need for separate alternate project variants, as the same project framework can dynamically support different configurations by selecting appropriate machine objects from the database.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic selection of machine objects at arrangement locations, where the specific machine object instantiated can vary based on the desired configuration variant. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to different configurations without maintaining multiple static project variants, reducing management complexity and eliminating carry-over part issues.
3Ease of repair
If machine objects are frequently replaced during machine repairs, then service flexibility is improved, but the fictitious maximum configuration discovers its weaknesses and replacement handling becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables self-service replacement of machine objects through the database-driven architecture, where replacement machine objects can be automatically selected and instantiated based on the arrangement location and configuration requirements. This automated self-service approach simplifies the replacement process during repairs, eliminating the need for complex manual management of replacement objects in a fictitious maximum configuration.
4Adaptability or versatility
If external control interfaces and special software tools are used to handle variants outside engineering tools, then variant management is possible, but the engineering system must always be available at the machine and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the variant management functionality directly into the engineering system through the database-driven project structure, eliminating the need for external control interfaces and special software tools. By combining the engineering system's project capabilities with a centralized database of machine objects, the system achieves comprehensive variant management using only the existing engineering tools, reducing overall system costs while maintaining adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
Modular production machines with appliances and components, controlled by means of projects. A project is the establishment of an arrangement of appliances and modules. A plurality of machine objects is associated with the determined arrangement locations in the project. In this way, the projects have a variability in terms of different machine objects, which is enabled by an engineering system. A control system (a run-time system) can affect a corresponding selection from the options. To enable an economical control of production machines some appliances or components can be selectively replaced by other appliances or modules.