Yarn Spindle Station-Passing Control Through PLC Offline Caching

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Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge in chemical fiber production is the inefficient station-passing of yarn spindles, which affects overall production pace and efficiency, leading to a bottleneck in output capacity.

Innovation Solution

A system involving a Manufacturing Execution System (MES), a first Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), and multiple second PLCs, where the first PLC acts as an intermediate layer to manage communication and data synchronization, ensuring seamless station-passing even during network disruptions by using an offline cache mechanism and automatic data synchronization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the first PLC operates in offline mode to maintain production continuity during network disruptions, then production stability is improved, but data synchronization and real-time monitoring deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction stabilityVSAvoiddata synchronization
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by storing station-passing records locally in the first PLC's memory before network disruptions occur. This allows the PLC to continue operating in offline mode with pre-stored data, maintaining production stability while preserving data integrity for later synchronization when the network is restored.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The first PLC acts as an intermediary between the second PLCs and the MES system. During network disruptions, it mediates by locally processing and storing station-passing records, then automatically synchronizing this data with the MES once connectivity is restored, thus bridging the information gap caused by network failures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the system implements automatic data synchronization upon network restoration, then data integrity is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements self-service through automatic detection and synchronization mechanisms. The first PLC automatically detects when the control button switches from offline to online mode and when communication with the MES is restored, then autonomously synchronizes the stored station-passing records without requiring manual intervention, thereby maintaining data integrity while minimizing operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring the operational mode of the first PLC and the status of communication with the MES. This feedback enables the system to automatically trigger data synchronization when appropriate conditions are met, ensuring data integrity through a self-regulating process that does not add significant complexity to the control architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Device complexity

If manual monitoring and data entry are used during offline operations, then system simplicity is maintained, but productivity and accuracy deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem simplicityVSAvoidstation-passing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system eliminates manual monitoring and data entry by implementing automatic station-passing record generation and storage. The first PLC automatically captures and stores station-passing data from the second PLCs during offline operations, maintaining system simplicity while dramatically improving productivity and accuracy compared to manual processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Measurement precision

If the first PLC continuously synchronizes data with the MES, then data real-time accuracy is improved, but network bandwidth consumption and system responsiveness worsen during network disruptions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata real-time accuracyVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements periodic action by synchronizing data only when specific conditions are met - namely, when the control button switches from offline to online mode and communication with the MES is restored. This conditional periodic synchronization maintains data real-time accuracy when needed while minimizing network bandwidth consumption during disruptions, avoiding continuous unnecessary data transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP4718186A1Method and apparatus for controlling station-passing of yarn spindle, electronic device and storage medium
Publication Date: 2026.04.01 ZHEJIANG HENGYI PETROCHEMICAL CO LTD
  • EP4718186A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4718186A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4718186A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The disclosure provides a method and apparatus for controlling automatic station-passing of a yarn spindle, an electronic device and a storage medium, and relates to the technical field of chemical fiber intelligent manufacturing. The system for controlling automatic station-passing of the yarn spindle includes an MES, a first PLC and second PLCs. The method for controlling automatic station-passing of the yarn spindle included: synchronizing (S202) offline data to the MES if it is detected that an offline cache area stores the offline data, responsive to determining that the control button of the first PLC is switched from the offline mode to the online mode and the communication between the first PLC and the MES is restored, where the offline data is a station-passing record which is stored when the first PLC and the MES are disconnected and which needs to be synchronized to the MES.