Provided is a production system including: a first industrial machine; and a second industrial machine configured to periodically communicate to and from the first industrial machine. The second industrial machine is configured to transmit its data to the first industrial machine through use of each of a plurality of periodic regions included in one period.

A system for recommending a maximum quantity of work in process, in which one or more processors of a distributed storage device are configured to execute: acquiring at least part of production data stored in the distributed storage device, the production data includes quantity records and cycle time records of a production line in time periods, and the cycle time record of each time period includes a cycle time at each process station of the production line in said each time period; clustering the quantity records to obtain a plurality of initial classifications, each initial classification includes at least one quantity record; determining a portion of the initial classifications as preferred classifications; determining the maximum quantity of work in process at each process station; and a display device is configured to display the maximum quantity of work in process at each process station determined by an analysis device.

A control system includes at least one field device, a first control apparatus, a second control apparatus, and a network. The first control apparatus has a first field device, included among the one or more field devices, directly connected thereto and includes a first access route controller and a first control application capable of controlling the first field device. The second control apparatus includes a second access route controller and a second control application capable of controlling the first field device. The first access route controller and the second access route controller are configured to work together to control an input/output route from the first control application and the second control application to the first field device.

A system and method are described herein for tracking and instructing assembly of flexible modular products on a single assembly line. The systems enable methods for tracking components and procedures as well as tools used in the assembly of components using various sensors and devices along the line. The systems also enable methods for instructing and tracking usage of tools for procedures. Data from various sensors, stations, nodes, and relating to each particular assembly item are stored in a distributed ledger that is verified and secured for use as a production log including each action taken on the assembly item which may later be used for audit purposes as well as to increase confidence in the assembly of product variations on the assembly line.

The invention relates to the field of industrial automation and process control systems. More specifically, the invention provides methods, systems and computer program products that optimize scheduling of parameter data retrieval from devices that are coupled with and controlled by a control system. In a particular embodiment, the invention provides methods, systems and computer programs for scheduled parameter data retrieval from one or more field devices implemented within a process control environment. In other embodiments, the invention additionally provides methods, systems and computer programs for retrievably storing a scheduling map for enabling scheduled parameter data retrieval from one or more field devices implemented within a process control environment.

A system for controlling automation includes a machine which collects data generated by performance of an operation by the machine. A user device displays a machine control interface (MCI) corresponding to the machine. The MCI displays the collected data to a touch interface of the user device, and defines at least one touch activated user interface element (UIE) for manipulating the data. The user device can be enabled as an automation human machine interface (HMI) device for controlling an operation performed by the machine, such that a touch action applied to a UIE of the MCI controls the operation. A prerequisite condition to enabling the user device as an automation HMI device can include activation of an enabling switch selectively connected to the user device. The MCI can be stored in a memory of the enabling switch and retrieved from the enabling switch by the user device.

The confidentiality of data is maintained in a case where analysis of an operation state of a facility is entrusted to the outside. Time difference information in operation between the manufacturing apparatuses (RB1), (RB2), . . . , arranged on the production line (LN) is stored for each of the apparatuses, in an inter-apparatus time difference information storage unit (33). At the occurrence of a failure in one of the manufacturing apparatuses (RB1), (RB2), . . . , the operation estimation unit (13) selects, from among the peripheral apparatuses on the upstream side and the downstream side with respect to the manufacturing apparatus concerned, one on the upstream side and one on the downstream side, estimates an operation period of each selected peripheral apparatus associated with the failure, reads log data corresponding to the estimated operation period from the operation history storage unit (31), and transmits the read piece to the external support center (SC).

A method for enabling access to process data for a food production plant can include receiving, by a central server, properties of the food production plant from the control system, generating a data model based on the properties, said data model comprising data model properties, wherein the data model is control system type independent, transmitting the data model properties to an application programming interface (API), receiving adapted data model properties from the API, updating the data model based on the adapted data model properties, receiving, by the central server, plant design data from a plant design tool, generating an API based on the data model and the plant design data, and transmitting the API to a monitoring device, thereby providing for that the monitoring device is enabled to receive the process data from the food production plant.

Industrial production facilities (such as can making factories) may tag with radio frequency near proximity devices their tooling (knockouts, dies, punches, etc) so that the tooling may be instantly located on any particular machine or location in the facility, by known critical characteristics of the tooling, particularly diameter. This is possible because each machine will also have a reader for the tags, and other areas such as inventory shelves, inspection stations, doors, loading docks, shipping departments and even vendors may also have the reading devices. Passive RFID tags and readers may be used for this purpose. The invention may be open to other businesses so inventory may be located across manufacturing systems and/or businesses.

A processing system for processing objects using a programmable motion device is disclosed. The processing system a perception unit for perceiving identifying indicia representative of an identity of an object associated with an input conveyance system, and an acquisition system for acquiring the object from a plurality of objects at an input area using an end effector of the programmable motion device, wherein the programmable motion device is adapted for assisting in the delivery of the object to an identified processing location. The identified processing location being associated with the identifying indicia and said identified processing location being provided as one of a plurality of processing locations. The processing system also includes a delivery system for receiving the object in a carrier and for delivering the object toward the identified processing location.