Integrated software systems and methods that can control the design, emulation, testing and production activities of a conveyor based system. In embodiments, the control system implements an object-oriented like environment into a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) system and uses its software to define and control the operation of the PLC dynamically from a computer. In other embodiments, a hot backup method allows the conveyor system to continue to function on failure of one or more PLCs.

To provide a manufacturing system that is capable of still continuing work in a case in which a failure occurs in the network connection between the centralized management apparatus and a manufacturing line and a control method of the manufacturing system. When activation of all of the work machines (a screen printer, and the like) in a manufacturing line is completed, a line management device acquires, from a centralized management apparatus, material data and control data required in one day of manufacturing of the manufacturing line. Further, in a case in which a failure in a wide area network that connects the line management device and a centralized management apparatus is detected, the line management device causes a manufacturing work of mounting boards by a work machine to be continued on the basis of the control data, and the like, corresponding to one day, which is saved in advance.

A robot transferring system of a component and a transferring method thereof are provided. The robot transferring system of a component includes a hanger in which components including at least one of a cowl plate, a roof rail, and a package tray are disposed. A first sensor detects a reference position of the components disposed in the hanger to detect a shape of the component and a first loading robot capture each component based on a predetermined position determined by the sensor. A first loading jig is disposed at a location in which one of the components captured by the loading robot is disposed and a setting robot transfers the components disposed in the loading jig to a vehicle body to dispose the component to a predetermined position of the vehicle body.

A conveying system includes a robot apparatus, a second conveyor, and a controller. The robot apparatus has a holding unit configured to hold a package, and an arm configured to move the holding unit, and is located next to a first conveyor extending in a first direction, in a second direction, which is different from the first direction. The second conveyor is located next to the robot apparatus, in the first direction, and is configured to convey the package in the second direction toward the first conveyor. The controller is configured to control the robot apparatus so as to retrieve the package from an accumulation unit for the package and place the retrieved package on the second conveyor.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for optical inspection of the opened abdominal cavity (10) of gutted fish (11), comprising a conveying device (12) configured for conveying the fish (11) along a processing line in the longitudinal direction, pivotable ventral flaps holding elements (17) configured for holding open the abdominal cavity (10) of the fish, at least one optical imaging system (21, 22, 23) arranged along the processing line, said optical imaging system being designed and configured to take at least one sequence of images of abdominal cavity regions of one of the fish (11) in each case, said sequence comprising a plurality of single images, at least one illumination device (24, 25) configured for illuminating the abdominal cavity regions in each case with light of a predetermined spectral composition, in each case at the times the single images are taken, an evaluation unit (26) configured to evaluate the image sequence according to prescribed quality parameters, said evaluation unit being designed to activate an ejection device to remove the relevant fish (11) from the processing line by ejecting it, should the evaluation reveal any deviation from the prescribed quality parameters. The invention further relates to a corresponding method.

A process management device includes: a data input unit to input acquired information including operation data of a production facility as well as request instruction information; a control unit to output first display data of the work process management chart which includes work time lines showing work times by length and conveyance time lines showing conveyance times by inclination, both lines being arranged on the process management chart on the basis of the operation data, and serves as display data of the work process management chart, and when requested, to output second display data of the work process management chart obtained by visualizing the production status visualized by the first display data with a representation method of the work process management chart different from that of the work process management chart displayed based on the first display data; and a display unit to display the display data for outputting.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to receive a first dataset associated with a mover system having a track and a plurality of mover assemblies independently movable along the track, identify a subset of the first dataset associated with a normal operating state of the mover system based on state data associated with the mover system, receive a second dataset associated with the mover system after receiving the first dataset and having a first set of differences from the subset of the first dataset, determine whether the second dataset is indicative of an anomaly state of the mover system based on a relationship between an anomaly signature dataset and the second dataset, and adjusting operation of the mover system in response to determining that the second dataset corresponds to the anomaly signature dataset.

The invention relates to a modular conveyor system, comprising multiple individual conveyor modules, wherein an individual conveyor module comprises at least one conveyor device, at least one power supply, at least one actuator for driving the conveyor device, an output unit for the control of the actuator and an integrated control unit, wherein the integrated control unit has a computing unit for processing information and a communications unit, and wherein the communications unit is designed to carry out the communication of the individual conveyor modules with a central control system, on the one hand, and/or the communication of the individual conveyor modules with one another, on the other hand, in such a way that the communication of the individual conveyor modules with one another is implemented at two logical communication levels. The invention further relates to a method for controlling modular conveyor systems.

A system and an apparatus capable of independently driving movers are described herein. The system and apparatus includes: a track that forms a path for movers; a plurality of movers movably mounted on the track for moving along the path; and a plurality of drive elements fixedly arranged along the track. The drive elements each have a surface that is oriented to contact a driven member of the movers. The drive elements are configured to sequentially engage the driven member of a plurality of the movers to provide controlled independent motion of the movers along the track. The drive elements may be driven by rotary motors. A method of independently driving movers is also described herein.

A system and an apparatus capable of independently driving movers are described herein. The system and apparatus includes: a track that forms a path for movers; a plurality of movers movably mounted on the track for moving along the path; and a plurality of drive elements fixedly arranged along the track. The drive elements each have a surface that is oriented to contact a driven member of the movers. The drive elements are configured to sequentially engage the driven member of a plurality of the movers to provide controlled independent motion of the movers along the track. The drive elements may be driven by rotary motors. A method of independently driving movers is also described herein.