A production control system includes a terminal server and a manufacturing execution server. The terminal server is configured to transmit a control message. The manufacturing execution server is configured to receive the control message through a first communications protocol and a second communications protocol and to execute a first application module and a second application module according to the control message. The terminal server judges whether a quantity of the control message is greater than a predetermined value; if the quantity of the control message is judged to be greater than the predetermined value, then the terminal server transmits the control message through the first communications protocol; and if the quantity of the control message is judged to be less than or equal to the predetermined value, then the terminal server transmits the control message through the second communications protocol.

A data control apparatus includes an analog signal input interface for receiving an analog signal from a first device, a communication interface for receiving correlation information indicating addresses of storage areas in a storage and conditional values associated with the storage areas, and a data controller for writing a digital value generated from the analog signal into one of the storage areas. The data controller includes a cam switch block for acquiring a reference signal generated from an input signal input from a second device and comparing a value of the reference signal with at least one of the conditional values, and a logger block for switching the storage area into which the digital value is written, on the basis of the comparison in the cam switch block, and writing the digital value into the storage area.

A manufacturing system is disclosed herein. The manufacturing system includes one or more stations, a monitoring platform, and a control module. Each station of the one or more stations is configured to perform at least one step in a multi-step manufacturing process for a component. The monitoring platform is configured to monitor progression of the component throughout the multi-step manufacturing process. The control module is configured to dynamically adjust processing parameters of each step of the multi-step manufacturing process to achieve a desired final quality metric for the component.

Various embodiments include a control device for setting up and/or providing a working environment with at least one performance unit to perform at least one factory task by means of machines comprising: a resource management unit programmed to request resources necessary for the working environment; and a comparison unit programmed to compare the requested resources with at least one resource agreed upon in a binding agreement stored in a distributed database and to approve the requested resource in dependence on the comparison result. The control device is programmed to set up and/or provide the working environment with at least one compared and approved resource. The at least one performance unit is programmed to coordinate the checking for complete factory task performance by one or more units involved in the working environment.

Methods and systems include ways to synchronize a press machine and tending robots, including a pick robot and a drop robot, where the press machine includes an operating area for pressing a blank into a part. The pick robot and the part are moved out of the operating area while the drop robot carrying the blank is moved into the operating area. At least a portion of the pick robot and/or the part resides within the operating area at the same time at least a portion of the drop robot and/or the blank resides within the operating area. The pick robot is in communication with the drop robot and the movement of the pick robot is synchronized with the movement of the drop robot to prevent the pick robot or part from colliding with the drop robot or the blank.

Embodiments are directed to apparatuses and methods for managing and producing equipment within an operational environment. In one scenario, a method is performed that includes generating an organizational database structure that maintains information associated with equipment that is part of an operational environment. The organizational database structure includes information indicating which packable items are associated with the piece of equipment. The method further includes accessing the generated organizational database structure to identify physical operational environment factors that affect which pieces of equipment are to be currently produced within the operational environment. The method then evaluates the identified physical operational environment factors to determine whether the specified piece of equipment is to be currently produced within the operational environment and, upon determining that the specified piece of equipment is to be currently processed within the operational environment, the specified piece of equipment is produced and provided to the operational environment.

An information processing apparatus includes a processor configured to acquire process information indicating a plurality of processes of manufacturing a product by a worker using a device, acquire terminal information in which the worker in each of the plurality of processes is associated with a terminal carried by the worker, acquire at least one of a status indicating a state of any of a plurality of the devices or a status indicating a state of any of the plurality of processes, specify the worker who uses a device related to the acquired status by using the process information, and provide a notification of the acquired status to the terminal associated with the specified worker in the terminal information.

This control device comprises a communication unit, one or more functional units, and communication lines that connect the communication unit and the one or more functional units and are independent of each other. The communication unit is configured to execute a first task of sending out, with a first cycle, a first communication frame for executing transmission of data collected by the functional unit to the communication unit and/or transmission of data held by the communication unit to the functional unit via a first communication line among the communication lines, and a second task of sending out, with a second cycle different from the first cycle, a second communication frame for executing transmission of the data collected by the functional unit to the communication unit and/or transmission of the data held by the communication unit to the functional unit via a second communication line among the communication lines.

Multiple versions of a process element in a process plant may run at the same time in different sub-systems of the plant such as configuration system, display system, and run time system. The ability to run multiple versions of process elements allows for more flexibility in production and reduces the time and costs in changes in product production. It is now possible to reduce auditing costs by performing an audit only on differences between versions instead of the entire process element.

An electronic device is disclosed. According to an embodiment of this disclosure, an electronic device may include a communication circuit receiving data from at least one external device or to transmit data to the at least one external device, a driving unit, a camera, a memory, a display, and a processor. The memory may store instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to obtain an image of an object through the camera, identify a type of the object, based on the image of the object, obtain customer data including movement information of the object and a head direction of the object through the camera based on the type of the object, determine a movement of the electronic device based on the customer data, and control the driving unit to move the electronic device depending on the determined movement of the electronic device.