Automated manufacturing facility and methods
A manufacturing system ( 20 ) comprises: one or more stores ( 84; 80 A- 80 C; 92 ) for raw materials, work-in-progress (WIP), and finished goods; a plurality of manufacturing cells ( 40 A 40 F), each cell includes: one or more machines ( 42 A- 42 C) for manufacturing an assembly; and a programmable logic controller (PLC) ( 44 ) for controlling the machines; one or more devices ( 60, 70 ) for moving raw material, WIP, and finished goods; and one or more servers ( 32 ) for communicating with the PLCs and the devices. The one or more servers further have programming for: instructing ( 642 ) the plurality of manufacturing cells to assemble finished goods from the raw materials; instructing ( 628, 632 ) the one or more devices to move said raw materials and finished goods; and just in sequence (JIS) skipped assembly recovery steps ( 730 ) for the manufacturing cells and devices.
1. A manufacturing system ( 20 ) comprising:
one or more stores ( 84 ; 80 A- 80 C; 92 ) for raw materials, work-in-progress (WIP), and finished goods;
a plurality of manufacturing cells ( 40 A- 40 F), each cell including:
one or more machines ( 42 A- 42 C) for manufacturing an assembly; and
a programmable logic controller (PLC) ( 44 ) for controlling the machines;
one or more devices ( 60 , 70 ) for moving raw material, WIP, and finished goods; and
one or more servers ( 32 ) for:
communicating with the PLCs and the devices, wherein the one or more servers further have programming for:
instructing ( 642 ) the plurality of manufacturing cells to assemble finished goods from the raw materials;
instructing ( 628 , 632 ) the one or more devices to move said raw materials and finished goods; and
just in sequence (JIS) skipped assembly recovery steps ( 730 ) for the manufacturing cells and devices,
wherein the just in sequence (JIS) skipped assembly recovery steps comprise:
instructing ( 728 , 730 ) a manufacturing cell to skip manufacture of an assembly in a sequence of assemblies while manufacturing remaining assemblies in the sequence;
instructing ( 728 , 730 ) the loading of a shipping container with the remaining assemblies while leaving vacant a designated space in the container; and
instructing ( 728 , 730 ) one of the devices to take the shipping container with vacant space to a WIP store.
2. The manufacturing system of claim 1 wherein the just in sequence (JIS) skipped assembly recovery steps comprise:
instructing ( 642 ) a manufacturing cell, optionally the same cell that made the remaining assemblies, to make the skipped assembly; and
loading ( 728 , 730 ) the skipped assembly into the vacant space.
3. The manufacturing system of claim 2 further comprising:
a tool maintenance and spare parts area ( 100 ) containing tools, spare parts for tools, equipment for repairing and maintaining the tools, and means ( 124 ) for communicating with the one or more servers.
4. The manufacturing system of claim 1 further comprising:
a tool maintenance and spare parts area ( 100 ) containing tools, spare parts for tools, equipment for repairing and maintaining the tools, and means ( 124 ) for communicating with the one or more servers.
5. A method for operating a manufacturing system ( 20 ), the manufacturing system comprising:
one or more stores ( 84 ; 80 A- 80 C; 92 ) for raw materials, work-in-progress (WIP), and finished goods;
a plurality of manufacturing cells ( 40 A- 40 F), each cell including:
one or more machines ( 42 A- 42 C) for manufacturing an assembly;
a programmable logic controller (PLC) for controlling the machines;
one or more devices ( 60 , 70 ) for moving raw material, WIP, and finished goods; and
one or more servers ( 32 ) for:
communicating with the PLCs and the one or more devices,
wherein the method comprises:
using ( 642 ) the plurality of manufacturing cells to assemble finished goods from the raw materials;
using ( 628 , 632 ) one or more devices to move said raw materials and finished goods ( 632 );
communication and tracking ( 728 or 730 ) by the one or more servers of just in sequence (JIS) skipped assembly recovery steps for the manufacturing cells;
instructing ( 728 , 730 ) a manufacturing cell to skip manufacture of an assembly in a sequence of assemblies while manufacturing remaining assemblies in the sequence;
instructing ( 728 , 730 ) the loading of a shipping container with the remaining assemblies while leaving vacant a designated space in the container; and
instructing ( 728 , 730 ) one of the devices to take the shipping container with vacant space to a WIP store.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the communication and tracking of just in sequence (JIS) skipped assembly recovery steps further comprises:
instructing ( 642 ) a manufacturing cell, optionally the same cell that made the remaining assemblies, to make the skipped assembly; and
loading ( 728 , 730 ) the skipped assembly into the vacant space.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
automatic cell inventory tracking ( 720 , 632 ) from the PLC to a data base; and
automatic real time inventory verification ( 724 , 726 ) to the PLC.
8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
automatic cell health assessments ( 722 ) of the manufacturing cells;
automatic maintenance scheduling ( 650 ) for the manufacturing cells.
9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
automatic change over planning for conversion ( 650 ) of the manufacturing cells.
10. The method of claim 6 wherein:
the one or more devices comprise driver-operated fork trucks with operator interface tablets communicating with the one or more servers.
11. The method of claim 6 further comprising one or more of:
the one or more servers communicating ( 642 ) predetermined assembly sequencing to the PLC;
the one or more servers communicating ( 642 ) target assembly parameters to the PLC;
the one or more servers communicating ( 720 ) unique assembly identification numbers to the PLC;
the one or more servers recording ( 720 ) achieved assembly parameters in a data base; and
the one or more servers recording ( 722 ) cell level error codes from the PLC to a data base.
12. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
automatic cell inventory tracking ( 720 , 632 ) from the PLC to a data base; and
automatic real time inventory verification ( 724 , 726 ) to the PLC.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
automatic cell health assessments ( 722 ) of the manufacturing cells;
automatic maintenance scheduling ( 650 ) for the manufacturing cells.
14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
automatic change over planning for conversion ( 650 ) of the manufacturing cells.
15. The method of claim 12 wherein:
the one or more devices comprise driver-operated fork trucks with operator interface tablets communicating with the one or more servers.
16. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
automatic cell health assessments ( 722 ) of the manufacturing cells;
automatic maintenance scheduling ( 650 ) for the manufacturing cells.
17. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
automatic change over planning for conversion ( 650 ) of the manufacturing cells.
18. The method of claim 5 wherein:
the one or more devices comprise driver-operated fork trucks with operator interface tablets communicating with the one or more servers.
19. The method of claim 5 further comprising one or more of:
the one or more servers communicating ( 642 ) predetermined assembly sequencing to the PLC;
the one or more servers communicating ( 642 ) target assembly parameters to the PLC;
the one or more servers communicating ( 720 ) unique assembly identification numbers to the PLC;
the one or more servers recording ( 720 ) achieved assembly parameters in a data base; and
the one or more servers recording ( 722 ) cell level error codes from the PLC to a data base.