Method for Tracking a Component in a Production Line Comprising a Plurality of Processing Systems, and Computing Unit

Abstract

A method for tracking a component in a production line having a plurality of processing systems includes processing and/or testing, by each of the processing systems, the component, providing a processing signal characterizing the processing and/or testing for a higher-level electronic computing unit, and tracking, by the computing unit based on the received processing signals, the component through the production line. A query signal characterizing a component property of one of the processing systems of the production line is received by the computing unit. The component is ascertained by the computing unit and at least one component information signal characterizing the component property of the ascertained component is provided.

Claims

1.-7. (canceled)

8. A method for tracking a component in a production line comprising a plurality of process systems, the method comprising: at least one of processing or testing components by each of the process systems; providing, by each of the process systems, a processing signal characterizing the at least one of the processing or the testing for a superordinate electronic computing device, tracking, by the computing device, the component through the production line along the plurality of process systems based on the processing signals received by the computing device, receiving, by the computing device, a request signal, which characterizes a component property, from one of the process systems of the production line, determining, by the computing device, the component that is at least one of processed or tested in the process system, and providing, by the computing device, at least one component information signal characterizing the component property of the determined component for the process system.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: by using one of the process systems as a test system, determining a test result by testing the determined component, and based on the received component information signal, storing the test result in a memory device of the test system in a manner assigned to the determined component characterized by the component information signal.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein: a test result determined by the process system is received by the electronic computing device and is assigned to the determined component.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein: a serial number introduced into the determined component is captured as the determined component enters the production line and is provided for the computing device which assigns the captured serial number to the determined component, and the serial number is not tracked further inside the production line.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein: the component information signal characterizes at least one of a serial number or a test result of the determined component.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein: the determined component is tracked in the computing device by a shift register.

14. A computing device for tracking a component in a production line comprising a plurality of process systems, wherein the computing device is configured to: receive a processing signal which characterizes at least one of processing or testing of the component by each of a plurality of process systems of the production line, track the component through the production line along the plurality of process systems based on the received processing signals, receive a request signal, which characterizes a component property, from one of the process systems of the production line, determine the component that is at least one of processed or tested in the process system, and provide a component information signal characterizing the determined component for the process system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a production line having a plurality of process systems in which a component, in particular a motor vehicle component, can be respectively processed and/or tested, wherein the component passes through a plurality of process systems along the production line, and wherein an electronic computing device is provided and can be used to monitor the component passing through the production line.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a production line 1 in which a component 2, in particular a motor vehicle component, is processed and/or tested. The production line 1 comprises a plurality of process systems 3 which are each configured to test and/or process the component 2. As it passes through the production line 1, the component 2 is transferred between the respective process systems 3, with the result that the component 2 passes through a plurality of the process systems 3, in particular all process systems 3, of the production line 1.

[0018] An electronic computing device 4 is provided in order to be able to track particularly advantageous monitoring of a respective state of the component 2, in particular a position and/or a processing state and/or a test state. The processing state of the component 2 characterizes whether and, in particular, how the component 2 has been processed. The test state of the component 2 characterizes whether and, in particular, how the component 2 has been tested. In this case, the test state may comprise, in particular, a test result of the test. The electronic computing device 4 is configured to communicate with the process systems 3 of the production line 1 in a wireless manner and/or via cabling. In order to ensure that the electronic computing device 4 is informed at all times of where the component 2 is situated in the production line 1 and what a respective processing state and/or test state of the component 2 is like, the respective process systems 3 provide respective processing signals 5 characterizing the processing and/or the testing of the component 2 for the electronic computing device 4. The processing signals 5 may characterize the fact that the component 2 has been transferred from a first process system to a second process system and/or the fact that the component 2 has been subjected to a defined processing step inside one of the process systems 3 and/or the fact that the component 2 has been subjected to a check in the respective process system 3. In addition, the test result of the component 2, which is determined by way of the respective process system 3, can be provided for the electronic computing device 4 by way of the processing signal 5. The component 2 is tracked as it passes through the production line 1 via the plurality of process systems 3 by way of the computing device 4 using a register, in particular an electronic shift register. In particular, the electronic computing device 4 can assign the processing state and/or test state received via the respective processing signals 5 and/or the received test result to the tracked component 2 in the register and can store it in a manner assigned to the component 2.

[0019] In order to make it possible to track the component 2 along the production line 1 in a particularly advantageous manner, a capture device 6 is provided at the entrance of the production line 1. The component 2 can be uniquely identified by way of the capture device 6. In the present case, a serial number of the component 2 entering the production line 1 is captured by way of the capture device 6 and is provided for the electronic computing device 4. The electronic computing device 4 stores the captured serial number in the register in a manner assigned to the component 2, with the result that the tracked component 2 can be uniquely identified using the course of its movement through the production line 1. The serial number is not captured further inside the production line 1. In the present case, the serial number is an identification which is lasered into a surface of the component 2 and can be read by way of a camera device of the capture device 6.

[0020] In order to make it possible for a respective process system 3 processing and/or testing the component 2 to be informed of the component 2 in a particularly advantageous manner, provision is made for the electronic computing device 4 to provide a component information signal 8 for the process system 3 upon receiving a request signal 7, which characterizes a component property of the component 2, from the process system 3. This means that the process system 3 provides the request signal 7 for the electronic computing device 4, wherein the request signal 7 characterizes a request relating to the component property of the component 2 processed and/or tested or to be processed and/or tested by the process system 3. On account of the reception of the request signal 7, the electronic computing device 4 determines the component property of the component 2 characterized by the request signal 7. The component property may be a component type and/or a material of the component 2 and/or the serial number of the component 2 and/or an already determined test result of the component 2 and/or the processing state of the component 2 and/or the test state of the component 2. In order to inform the process system 3 of the component property, the electronic computing device 4 provides the component information signal 8 characterizing the component property of the determined component 2 for the process system 3 providing the request signal 7. On account of the reception of the component information signal 8, the process system 3 can store the component property of the component 2 in an internal memory of the process system 3. If the process system 3 is a test system which can be used to test the component 2, a test result characterizing the testing of the component 2 in the test system is determined by way of the test system and is stored in the internal memory in a manner assigned to the component property of the tested component 2. In addition, the test result determined in the course of testing the component 2 in the test system is provided for the electronic computing device 4 in the form of the processing signal 5. It is possible to track the component 2 along the production line 1 in a particularly simple manner by way of this interchange of data between the process systems 3 of the production line 1 and the electronic computing device 4, wherein the respective process systems 3 can be informed of respective component properties of the components 2 processed and/or tested in the respective process systems 3 in a particularly simple manner. This makes it possible to achieve particularly high process transparency.

[0021] The described method is based on the knowledge that circuit boards are already provided with unique coding, in particular the serial number, in a coil system by way of laser inscription in a pressing plant. All relevant information during production, for example material parameters, process parameters, quality features etc., are stored for this coding in a database. In order to assign further information within the production line 1, for example results from a crack detection system, to the serial number lasered onto the component 2, the serial number of the component 2 currently being tested or processed would have to be read out at each process system 3 in a production system of the prior art. This would respectively mean the use of a camera for each process system 3, which would give rise to high costs and is often not possible on account of a lack of installation space.

[0022] The electronic computing device 4 and the described method make it possible to logically track the component 2 through the production line 1, which may be a press line in particular, and to provide component information, in particular via the component information signal 8, for the process systems 3 via an open interface. The electronic computing device 4 may provide respective information relating to the component 2 for a superordinate server device which permanently stores the information.

[0023] In the method, the serial number or component coding of the component 2 is read out at the start of the production line 1. The serial number or the component 2, which may be a circuit board in particular, is logically carried along through the production line 1 in the electronic computing device 4. In this case, the electronic computing device 4 may comprise, in particular, a press controller for the production line 1 in the form of a press line, with the result that the component 2 can be tracked in a central press computing and control unit, in particular with the aid of a shift register. The component information signal 8 may be provided for any desired participants in the production line 1, for example a test system on a robot feeder. In this case, the test system on the robot feeder may send a request in the form of the request signal 7 to the electronic computing device 4, in particular to the register of the electronic computing device 4, which characterizes a request by which component 2 has just been tested. Feedback from the register, in particular the component property of the component 2 characterized by the component information signal 8, can be stored, together with the test result, in the internal memory of the test system, which is a database in particular. The shift register of the electronic computing device 4 can be enriched with information as the component 2 passes through the production line 1, which information can be read out from the register and processed further at another location in the production line 1, in particular by a process system 3 which does not provide the corresponding information via the processing signal 5. In particular, a crack testing system of the production line 1 can detect a crack in the component 2 and the computing device 4 stores the first test result characterizing the crack in the register in a manner assigned to the corresponding component 2. This first test result is carried along with the component 2 as it passes through the production line 1 by way of the register and can be evaluated by a removal robot of the production line 1. The removal robot therefore receives the component information signal 8 characterizing the first test result and can react differently in the case of a defective component than in the case of defect-free components. In particular, the defective component can be deposited in a scrap container or can be deposited on a discharge conveyor in a twisted manner so that the component stands out as defective to workers.

[0024] Component-classifying information relating to the component can be provided for the electronic computing device 4 from outside the production line 1. In particular, a steel manufacturer providing a starting material for the component could report a surface defect of a coil to be subdivided into the circuit boards in a defined longitudinal section of the coil to the electronic computing device. All circuit boards from this longitudinal section of the coil can be assigned to a corresponding note in the register during circuit board cutting and/or when applying the serial number. An item of defect information characterizing the surface defect may be provided for the process systems 3 of the production line 1. As soon as a serial number provided with the note in the register is captured by way of the capture device 6, the information in the shift register is carried along with the component through the production line 1. If appropriate, defined processing steps of the component 2 in the production line 1 can be adapted on the basis of the note.

[0025] Overall, embodiments of the invention show how a register can be provided for the purpose of tracking components in production lines 1, in particular press lines.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0026] 1 Production line [0027] 2 Component [0028] 3 Process system [0029] 4 Electronic computing device [0030] 5 Processing signal [0031] 6 Capture device [0032] 7 Request signal [0033] 8 Component information signal