SYSTEM FOR REMOTE CONTROL OF PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT AND MANAGEMENT METHOD THEREFOR

Abstract

A system checks for abnormality in a machine tool and regardless of power interruption of the machine tool. A system for remote control of production equipment is installed in a management apparatus for the production equipment by receiving operational state information of a machine tool and transmitting the data thereof to a server. The system includes at least one sensor installed in the main body of the machine tool to collect operational information data thereof and transmit the same to the server. The sensor includes a dual power supply having a first external power source supplied with external power in communication with the machine tool and a second power source formed of a battery independent of the external power. A sensor communication network transmits the collected data to the server, whereby causes of failure may be judged by determining whether data communication with the server is executed.

Claims

1. A system for remote control of production equipment, which is installed in a management apparatus for the production equipment to receive operational state information of a machine tool and transmit data to a server so as to manage the production equipment, comprising: at least one sensor which is provided in a main body of the machine tool to collect operational information of the machine tool in real time and transmit the same to the server, wherein the at least one sensor includes: a dual power supply including a first external power source supplied with external power in communication with the machine tool, and a second power source having a battery independent of the external power; and a sensor communication network to transmit the collected data to the server through wire or wirelessly, whereby causes of a failure are judged by determining whether data communication with the server is executed or not.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the dual power supply supplies power to a board by activating a switch depending on the power source.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor communication network includes: a detection sensor to receive the operational state information of the machine tool; a converter ADC; and a wired/wireless transmission unit for communicating with the server.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor communication network allows: transmission of data from the detection sensor, which receives the operational state information of the machine tool, through wire by the wired/wireless transmission unit, when power is supplied by the first external power source; and wireless transmission of data from the detection sensor, which receives the operational state information of the machine tool, by the wired/wireless transmission unit, when power is supplied by the second power source.

5. A management method for remote control of production equipment, comprising: determining whether power is supplied by an external power source to supply power to the machine tool or by an internal battery; when the power is supplied by the external power source, transmitting data from the detection sensor provided with the operational information of the machine tool to the server by wire; and when the power is supplied by the internal battery, wirelessly transmitting data from the detection sensor provided with the operational information of the machine tool, thereby determining whether there is data communication of the server.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein the sensor communication network allows: transmission of data from the detection sensor, which receives the operational state information of the machine tool, through wire by the wired/wireless transmission unit, when power is supplied by the first external power source; and wireless transmission of data from the detection sensor, which receives the operational state information of the machine tool, by the wired/wireless transmission unit, when power is supplied by the second power source.

7. The system according to claim 3, wherein the sensor communication network allows: transmission of data from the detection sensor, which receives the operational state information of the machine tool, through wire by the wired/wireless transmission unit, when power is supplied by the first external power source; and wireless transmission of data from the detection sensor, which receives the operational state information of the machine tool, by the wired/wireless transmission unit, when power is supplied by the second power source.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of data communication between a machine tool and a server according to the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a sensor for data communication according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, configurations and operations of embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a pathway of data acquisition of a sensor 200 in a machine tool 100 according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a H/W structure of a sensor module according to the present invention.

[0020] As shown in the figures, a sensor 200 for collecting various operational information values, which are basically represented in a machine tool 100, may have a configuration of being connected to the machine tool 100 and a power line 400 to receive power, and further transmitting the received information to a server 300. Therefore, the sensor is shown as a single structure in view of outward appearance.

[0021] However, in an aspect of inner configuration, the sensor comprises a power supply 210 and a sensor communication network 220 for operation of the sensor 200, which are differently configured and separately activated. These will be described in detail below.

[0022] First, the power supply 210 will be described.

[0023] The power supply 210 may include a first external power source 212 electrically connected to external power for driving the machine tool 100, and a second power source composed of a battery 214. Further, the power supply 210 may be selectively operated by activation of a switch 216, thereby making it possible to accurately diagnose causes of failure such as inability to collect data by the sensor 200 due to power cut-off of the machine tool.

[0024] In other words, in case of normal operation, the sensor 200 is driven by the first power source 212 as a source of power supplied to the machine tool and may use a pathway to collect and transmit data to the server. If the first power source 212 is cut off, the power is supplied from the second power source 214 composed of a battery to thus conduct communication with the server. Such conversion of power source may be implemented by the switch 216. In this regard, the switch 216 may supply power to the board on the basis of the supplied power.

[0025] Further, as will be described later, when the power is supplied by the first power source 212, a communication network 220 in the sensor 200 may be connected to the server through wire and thus collect data by wire. This is substantially the same as the conventional one, and may be distinguishable from other communication, which will be described later.

[0026] Next, the sensor communication network 220 will be described. The sensor communication network 220 may include a detection sensor 222 for receiving operational information of the machine tool, an ADC 224 and a wired/wireless transmission unit 226 for receiving operation information of the machine tool.

[0027] First, the detection sensor 222 may collect information on activation of the machine tool such as power consumption and instantaneous power consumption due to the activation of the machine tool, and the information may be converted by the ADC 224 and transmitted to the wired/wireless transmission unit 226.

[0028] The wired/wireless transmission unit 226 may communicate with the data server 300 through wire or wirelessly so as to transmit data thereto. This serves to accurately judge if data collection by the server 300 is impossible.

[0029] That is, as described above, according to the related art, there are different cases where data collection of the server 300 is impossible. Such cases may be classified into: first, self-failure of the machine tool; second, network blocking at a production site; third, network blocking at server; and fourth, self-failure of a management apparatus. In consideration of respective cases, data collection failure may be accurately diagnosed by changing a transmission method to transmit data from the communication network 224 to the server 300.

[0030] For this purpose, in a wired manner, a wired/wireless communication network 224 may communicate with the server 300 when the sensor 200 is supplied and activated with power from the first power source 212 of the machine tool 110, as the conventional case. In a wireless manner, communication may be wirelessly executed between the production site and a network of the server. The wireless communication may use various wireless communication modes such as Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Ethernet, etc. In the present invention, networking with the production site and using the server's own network are distinguishable and executed by different types of wireless communication. For example, networking with the production site may be conducted through Wi-Fi signals, whereas the server's own network may be used in the form of ZigBee, whereby both of these networks are distinguishable from each other.

[0031] As described above, with regard to communication with the server, the machine tool uses wired communication; the network in the production site uses first wireless communication; and the server's own network uses second wireless communication, respectively. Therefore, unsuccessful data collection can be checked in different communication modes to thus solve a problem immediately. Of course, in case of self-failure of the sensor 200, no data is transmitted and this problem can also be surely recognized.

[0032] Next, a process of activating the sensor according to the present invention will be described later.

[0033] In case of normal activation, power supplied from the power supply for operation of the machine tool 100 may be transmitted to the first power source 212 in the sensor 200 to execute normal operation. Then, data of the machine tool transmitted to the detection sensor 222 may be converted by the ADC 224 and transmitted to the wired/wireless transmission unit 226. At this time, the wired/wireless transmission unit 226 may transmit the data to the server by wire. The server may judge the data transmitted by wire, recognize the same as data received from the machine tool, and then conduct normal operation.

[0034] If power supplied to the machine tool is cut-off, power supply from the first external power source 212 of the sensor may be stopped and the sensor may detect the same. Thereafter, a battery as the second power source 214 may be driven by a switching motion of the switch 216. In this case, since the sensor 200 is normally activated by the battery but operation of the machine tool 100 is stopped, no data may be transmitted from the detection sensor 222 and no data may be further transmitted to the server by wire. As a result, the server 300 can immediately determine this state as abnormality due to power cut-off of the machine tool 100 and take a corresponding measure.

[0035] Meanwhile, when the machine tool is in normal operation, or communication with the server is impossible due to network failure at the production site or due to a failure of the server's own network, data communication is wirelessly executed between the sensor 200 and the server 300. In this case, since data transmission depends on the wireless communication mode, it is immediately determined whether the failure is network failure at the production site or failure of the server's own communication network, thereby taking a proper measure.

[0036] On the other hand, in the case of self-failure of the sensor, communication with the server is never executed even in either a wired mode or a wireless mode, and therefore, this case may be recognized as self-failure of the sensor 200 and proper measures may be taken.

[0037] As illustrated in the above description, power supply to the sensor 200 may be configured in a dual manner including external power and internal power, selective operation thereof may be ensured, and communication with the server may be configured in a dual mode of wired/wireless communication. Further, since the wireless communication includes different communication modes, it is possible to determine in time which device has failed and prevents data collection by the server, thereby quickly managing the situation.

[0038] Further, it can be understood that the system of the present invention is activated regardless of power interruption of the machine tool itself, thereby maximizing a lifespan of the management apparatus for production equipment.

[0039] Although the concrete embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it will be obviously understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations may be possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which are as defined by the appended claims.