Adjacent Wireless Equipment Setting for Cell Production Changeovers
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Solution Overview
Problem
In cell production, workers easily make mistakes during equipment setup due to the large number of processes involved, and the insertion/extraction of wirings required for equipment replacement or rearrangement can lead to errors.
Innovation Solution
A production equipment system where each piece of equipment receives setting data from adjacent equipment, allowing all settings to be performed automatically, reducing the number of worker processes and eliminating the need for wiring insertion/extraction during replacements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If workers manually check and set each piece of production equipment individually, then the equipment can be properly configured, but the number of work processes increases and mistakes easily occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses HMI setting data as a template or copy that can be transferred to multiple production equipments. Instead of manually configuring each equipment individually, the setting data is copied and applied across multiple equipments, reducing the number of work processes while maintaining setting accuracy through automated transfer of the master setting data.
Solution Approach 2:
The production equipments automatically receive and apply setting data through automated data transfer mechanisms. The system enables self-service configuration where equipments can be set up by automatically transferring setting data from the HMI, reducing the need for manual intervention and minimizing human errors in the configuration process.
2Adaptability or versatility
If production equipment is replaced or rearranged with wiring connections, then the equipment can be connected and operated, but insertion/extraction of wirings increases work processes and mistakes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wiring connection system with a wireless communication system. Production equipments communicate setting data and operational information wirelessly, eliminating the need for physical wiring insertion and extraction during equipment replacement or rearrangement. This substitution reduces the complexity of adaptation processes while maintaining full equipment connectivity and operational capability.
3Reliability
If setting data is transferred through multiple pieces of production equipment sequentially, then all equipment can be configured uniformly, but data transfer time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the data transfer approach from sequential one-dimensional transfer to parallel multi-dimensional transfer. Multiple equipments can receive setting data simultaneously through wireless communication channels, rather than transferring data sequentially through each equipment. This dimensional change in the data transfer process maintains setting consistency across all equipments while significantly reducing the total data transfer time.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach minimizes setup mistakes by automating the setting process across multiple equipment units, reducing the likelihood of human error and eliminating wiring-related issues during equipment changes.
Implementation Method 1
a proximity wireless communication unit 6 having a communication distance that is equal to or smaller than a half a distance between centers of the pieces of production equipment in a state of being adjacently installed
Data Source
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AI summary
Realized is a production equipment system in which erroneous setting of production equipment is unlikely to occur. Among a plurality of pieces of movable production equipment (1 - 3), each of at least some of the pieces comprises: a proximity wireless communication unit (6); and a setting processing unit (7) that carries out operation setting for the host production equipment, using setting data received by the proximity wireless communication unit (6) from a piece of production equipment that is disposed adjacent to the host production equipment.