Visual Process Sequencing for Industrial Machine Control Programs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing program creation devices for industrial machines lack an efficient method to specify and manage the order of processes, leading to complex programming requirements and increased time for creating control programs.
Innovation Solution
A program creation device that acquires process information from industrial machines, controls a specification screen to specify pre-processes and post-processes, and creates a control program to execute processes in the specified order, simplifying the programming process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional programming methods using ladder languages or robot languages are used, then the control program can be created with detailed control logic, but the programming complexity and time required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses drag-and-drop copying of process blocks from a palette to the program canvas, allowing users to create control programs by copying pre-defined process templates rather than writing complex programming code from scratch. This significantly reduces programming complexity and creation time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a visual programming interface with drag-and-drop functionality as an intermediary between the user and the control program. Users interact with visual process blocks instead of directly writing ladder language or robot language code, simplifying the programming process while maintaining full control capability.
2Ease of operation
If the specification screen displays all process information simultaneously, then complete process control can be achieved, but the screen complexity and user interface difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The specification screen is segmented into multiple functional areas: a process block palette, a program canvas, and property editing panels. Each section displays specific information relevant to its function, preventing information overload while maintaining access to all necessary process control capabilities through organized distribution of information across different screen regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent organizes process information across multiple dimensions rather than displaying everything in a single view. The process blocks can be arranged in sequential or parallel configurations on the canvas, and additional properties can be accessed through property panels, effectively using spatial arrangement to manage information complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A creation device includes processing circuitry that acquires process information about multiple processes executed by one or more industrial machines, controls display, based on the process information of the processes, of a specification screen in which at least one of a pre-process and a post-process of each of the processes is specified, and creates a control program of a control device that controls the one or more industrial machines such that the processes are executed in an order specified using the specification screen.