MANUFACTURING ABNORMALITY TRACKING AND REPAIR TOOL WITH GRAPHIC USER INTERFACE AND DATA PROCESSOR
An abnormality tracking and repair tool includes a tool performance database for storing information concerning tracking and repair of a manufacturing abnormality occurring in a product caused by at least one tool on an assembly line. The abnormality tracking and repair tool includes an abnormality management system in communication with the tool performance data base. The abnormality management system includes a programmable controller operable to scan the tool performance database for detecting occurrence of the manufacturing abnormality in the product. A graphic user interface in communication with the programmable controller includes a virtual assembly line with virtual workstations corresponding to each of the workstations of the assembly line. Each virtual workstation includes a manufacturing abnormality indicator identifying whether the workstation includes a product with a manufacturing abnormality.
1 . An abnormality tracking and repair tool for coordinating correction of a manufacturing abnormality occurring in a product assemble on an assembly line, the assembly line including at least one workstation sequentially arranged so as to progressively assemble the product, each workstation equipped with at least one tool for performing a predetermined task on the product, the abnormality tracking and repair tool comprising:
a tool performance database for storing information concerning an occurrence and repair of a manufacturing abnormality in the product caused by the at least one tool; and
an abnormality management system in communication with the tool performance database, the abnormality management system including:
a programmable controller operable to scan the tool performance database for detecting occurrence of the manufacturing abnormality in the product; and
a graphic user interface in communication with the programmable controller, the graphic user interface including a virtual assembly line including at least one virtual workstation corresponding to each of the one or more workstations of the assembly line, whereas each virtual workstation includes a manufacturing abnormality indicator identifying whether the at least one workstation includes a product with a manufacturing abnormality.
2 . The abnormality tracking and repair tool of claim 1 , wherein the graphic user interface further comprises a workstation tool list identifying each of the at least one tool operable within the at least one workstation.
3 . The abnormality tracking and repair tool of claim 2 , wherein each tool in the workstation tool list comprises a tool status indicator identifying whether the tool caused the manufacturing abnormality.
4 . The abnormality tracking and repair tool of claim 3 , wherein the graphic user interface further comprises a first tool status indicator identifying each tool in the workstation tool list that is operating properly and a second tool status indicator identifying each tool in the workstation tool list that caused a manufacturing abnormality to occur.
5 . The abnormality tracking and repair tool of claim 4 , wherein the first tool status indicator comprises a first color and the second tool status indicator comprises a second color different from the first color.
6 . The abnormality tracking and repair tool of claim 1 , wherein the graphic user interface further comprises a product assembly image identifying a location of the manufacturing abnormality on the product.
7 . The abnormality tracking and repair tool of claim 6 , wherein the product assembly image comprises an abnormality position locator identifying a location on the product where the manufacturing abnormality occurred.
8 . The abnormality tracking and repair tool of claim 7 , wherein the abnormality position locator may be alternately displayed as a first abnormality position locator indicating the manufacturing abnormality has been corrected and a second abnormality position locator indicating that the manufacturing abnormality has not been corrected.
9 . The abnormality tracking and repair tool of claim 8 , wherein the first abnormality position locator comprises a first color and the second abnormality position locator comprises a second color different from the first color.
10 . The abnormality tracking and repair tool of claim 1 , wherein the manufacturing abnormality indicator comprises a first manufacturing abnormality indicator identifying each workstation of the at least one workstation that does not include a product with a manufacturing abnormality and a second manufacturing abnormality indicator identifying each workstation of the at least one workstation that include a product with a manufacturing abnormality.
11 . The abnormality tracking and repair tool of claim 10 , wherein the first manufacturing abnormality indicator comprises a first color and the second manufacturing abnormality indicator includes a second color different from the first color.
12 . The abnormality tracking and repair tool of claim 10 , wherein the programmable controller is operable to cause the graphic user interface to change the first manufacturing abnormality indicator to the second manufacturing abnormality indicator in response to the programmable controller detecting repair of the manufacturing abnormality.
13 . The abnormality tracking and repair tool of claim 1 , wherein the programmable controller is operable to cause the graphic user interface to update the virtual assembly line in response to movement of the product along the assembly line.
14 . The abnormality tracking and repair tool of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one virtual workstation comprises an assembly sequence code identifying a particular product present at the workstation.
15 . An abnormality tracking and repair tool for coordinating correction of a manufacturing abnormality occurring in a product assemble on an assembly line, the assembly line including at least one workstation sequentially arranged so as to progressively assemble the product, each workstation equipped with at least one tool for performing a predetermined task on the product, the abnormality tracking and repair tool comprising:
a graphic user interface; and
a programmable controller for controlling operation of the graphic user interface, the controller operable to cause a virtual assembly line having at least one virtual workstation to be displayed on the graphic user interface, whereas the controller causes each of the at least one virtual workstation to display one of a first manufacturing abnormality indicator identifying the workstation as including a product without a manufacturing abnormality and a second abnormality indicator identifying the workstation as including a product with a manufacturing abnormality.
16 . The abnormality tracking and repair tool of claim 15 , wherein the graphic user interface further comprises:
a workstation tool list including a tool status indicator identifying which tools listed in the workstation tool list caused a manufacturing abnormality in the product; and
a product assembly image including an abnormality position locator identifying a location on the product where the manufacturing abnormality occurred.
17 . The abnormality tracking and repair tool of claim 16 , wherein the programmable controller is operable to selectively modify a configuration of at least one of the tool status indicator and the abnormality position locator in response to information retrieved from a tool performance database.
18 . The abnormality tracking and repair tool of claim 17 , wherein the tool performance database includes information concerning occurrence and repair of a manufacturing abnormality in the product caused by the at least one tool.