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.

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.

A method adapts an apparatus to a motor-driven tool from a set of different types of motor-driven tools. The apparatus is arranged on the tool. The method has the steps of: capturing an identifier of the tool by way of the apparatus, and transmitting an item of type-specific configuration information from a database to the apparatus on the basis of the captured identifier in such a manner that the apparatus is designed to process operating data of the tool in a type-specific manner.

A production line for manufacturing a building block, which includes at least one component, the production line including: a central conveyor line; at least one feeding line for feeding the at least one component to the central conveyor line; a manufacturing tool set for processing the at least one component; and a control unit for controlling the central conveyor line, the feeding line, and/or the manufacturing tool set. The controlling at least one of the central conveyor line, the feeding line, and/or the manufacturing tool set includes: retrieving an asset-information about the at least one component and/or the manufacturing tool set, conveying the at least one component according to the asset-information by the feeding line to the central conveyor line, retrieving a processing-information and/or a manufacturing tool set information about processing the at least one component, and processing the at least one component by the manufacturing tool set.

A food processing machine includes a plurality of tool parts which are exchangeable and which each comprise at least one electronic data storage in which a tool identification is stored for identifying the respective tool parts, and a controlling system for reading the tool identifications. The controlling system is configured to determine, based on the tool identification read by it from the at least one data storage of an exchangeable tool part installed at the food processing machine, processes basically implementable with this tool part which are possible for an operation of the tool part, and to determine an intersection of detailed processes by a comparison of these processes with processes basically performable by the food processing machine based on machine equipment employed for the tool part and firmly installed in the food processing machine, by which the tool part can be controlled by the machine equipment provided for it.

A method adapts an apparatus to a motor-driven tool from a set of different types of motor-driven tools. The apparatus is arranged on the tool. The method has the steps of: capturing an identifier of the tool by way of the apparatus, and transmitting an item of type-specific configuration information from a database to the apparatus on the basis of the captured identifier in such a manner that the apparatus is designed to process operating data of the tool in a type-specific manner.

A control data creation device includes a specifying unit configured to change suction positions at which carrying-out arms suction a product P by moving the carrying-out arms on product data so as to specify an index for evaluating a suction state for each of the suction positions, and a layout setting unit configured to create control data in which the suction position is laid out to the product P based on each index specified for each of the suction positions.

A data processing and transmission system (1) for a numerical control unit (2) adapted to control a machine tool (3), comprises at least one input channel (4) adapted to a transit of operational signals from or to devices present in the machine tool, electronic circuits configured to process the operational signals to make available on an output interface (5) control signals for the numerical control unit, a multipolar cable (8) having a first and a second end, each provided with a multipolar connector (9), a master unit having the output interface, a main processor, a memory and at least one socket (7A) configured to be coupled to one of the multipolar connectors, one or more slave units (6), each provided with at least one external port (6A) defining the input channel, a memory, a secondary processor, and provided also with a first socket (6B) and a second socket (6C), configured to be coupled at least to a first or a second connector of the multipolar connectors in order to interconnect the slave unit at least with the master unit. The master unit has a clock and each slave unit has its own clock. The main processor divides a data transmission time interval into a plurality of time slots an uniquely assigns to each slave unit a corresponding time slot of said plurality of time slots. The secondary processor of each slave unit is set to transmit data through the multipolar cable only within the respective time slot. Each slave unit can be connected to another slave unit to define a modular structure.