Patent Application
20140172331
The present invention relates to a manufacturing device network comprising a power supply line having a plurality of supply connectors, at least one manufacturing device provided with a device supply line, the device supply line having a device connector at the end of the device supply line remote from the manufacturing device for connecting the manufacturing device with one of said supply connectors, said supply connectors and said device connector being adapted to be detachably coupled with each other.
The power supply line and the device supply line may preferably comprise an electric cable, a hydraulic tube, or a pneumatic tube. Preferably, each supply connector of the power supply line is connected to a separate manufacturing device through a separate device supply line, each device supply line having an associated device connector detachably coupled to a respective supply connector. By connecting the device connector to the supply connector the manufacturing device may be connected to the power supply line supplying power to said manufacturing device. However, if the manufacturing device is intended to be displaced, the device connector may be disconnected from the supply connector.
Various manufacturing device networks are known in the art including one or more manufacturing devices each connected to a power supply line by a device supply line transmitting power from the power supply line to the associated manufacturing device. For example in an assembly line a plurality of electrically or compressed air driven tools are selectively connected to a corresponding supply line.
For issues of quality control it is desired to monitor exactly when which amount of power has been supplied to which manufacturing device by which device supply line.
Therefore, it is commonly known in the art to provide any manufacturing device with a monitoring unit comprising sensor means for monitoring the power required by the manufacturing device, and identification means for identifying the particular manufacturing device in the associated power supply network. However, such monitoring units, i.e. such sensor means and such identification means, integrated into the manufacturing device usually have a specific design of the producer of the manufacturing device, whereas monitoring units of different producers are usually not compatible with one another, so that for different manufacturing devices different power supply network interfaces, i.e. different device supply lines, become necessary and not every manufacturing device may be used with any device supply line. Thereby, efficiency of the manufacturing device network is reduced and unpleasant costs are generated.
Moreover, not even all manufacturing devices commonly used are provided with such monitoring units. However, in particular for quality control reasons, it is considerably advantageous for a manufacturer having multiple manufacturing devices to be able to monitor which manufacturing device is connected to which of the device supply lines and at which specific connector thereof and how much power has been transmitted to the manufacturing device at which time.
Thus, the object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing device network, wherein the consumption of power by the manufacturing device is monitored and each manufacturing device may be identified in the associated power supply network, independent from the producer or the design of the manufacturing device.
This object is achieved in that the supply connectors and/or said device connector are provided with a monitoring unit comprising sensor means and communication means, a receiving unit is provided for receiving data from the communication means, the device connector is provided with an identifying unit being adapted to transmit an identification signal to the receiving unit, said identification signal identifying the manufacturing device, said sensor means being adapted to monitor a parameter being related to the transfer of power through said device connector to the manufacturing device and to transmit a signal representing said parameter to the communication means, and said communication means being adapted to transmit a signal representing said parameter to the receiving unit.
Thus, the monitoring unit including sensor means and communication means is provided not on the manufacturing device itself but on the device supply line or on the power supply line, more detailed on the device connector or on the supply connector. Further, the identifying unit is arranged on the device connector so as to allow identifying which devices are connected to the power supply line.
In such a manner the monitoring unit and the identifying unit are decoupled from the respective manufacturing device and their design is not necessarily determined by the producer of the manufacturing device itself, as the monitoring unit and the identifying unit may be produced and provided, i.e. arranged on the supply connector or on the device connector, independent from the manufacturing device to which power is transmitted through said device and supply connectors.
The monitoring unit may be formed either integrally with the supply connector or the device connector, or it may be detachably connected to said supply connector or device connector. Further, the device connector may be detachably coupled to the device supply line and/or the device supply line may be detachably coupled to the manufacturing device.
There may be either one common receiving unit receiving data from all monitoring units, or multiple receiving units each receiving data from a separate associated monitoring unit. However, regardless of the number of receiving units in a network according to the present invention it is possible to store the data received by the receiving unit(s) in single memory means.
The monitoring unit and the identifying unit may be arranged in such a manner that either the monitoring unit and the identifying unit are arranged together on the device connector or the monitoring unit is arranged on the supply connector and the identifying unit is arranged on the device connector. In addition, it is also possible that monitoring units may be arranged on both the device connector and the supply connector, such that sensor means are arranged on both connectors.
The network according to the present invention allows to monitor the use and to record use related data, inter alia by detecting the power consumption via the sensor means, and transmitting the respective parameters to the receiving unit so that these parameters may be stored in corresponding memory means. Moreover, the identifying unit on the device connector enables the receiving unit to identify those manufacturing devices which are currently connected to the network and the power consumption of which is monitored. Based on these data it is possible that the relevant parameters of the single steps of a complex manufacturing process may be recorded. In addition, as the units required for this purpose are part of the connectors and not integrated in the manufacturing devices, such devices may easily be integrated in the network.
In a preferred embodiment the monitoring unit is provided on the device connector, the identifying unit is included in the monitoring unit, and the identification signal is transmitted via the network communication means. In such a way a plain power supply line without any monitoring unit or identifying unit may be provided, wherein the device supply line may be separately produced with or equipped with a monitoring unit comprising an identifying unit integrated therein. Such construction is particularly simple and cost effective.
In another preferred embodiment each supply connector is provided with an identification sensor adapted to receive an identification signal transmitted from an identifying unit on a device connector connected to said supply connector, and said identification sensor is adapted to transmit a network identification signal to said receiving unit, said network identification signal identifying the manufacturing device connected to said supply connector. By means of such identification sensor the identification signal transmitted from the identifying unit may be detected and read, whereupon the information of the identification signal together with the identity information of the supply connector to which the manufacturing device is connected is transmitted to the receiving unit in form of a network identification signal. In such a way the receiving section obtains concentrated information about which manufacturing device is connected at which time to which supply connector of the power supply line.
In yet another preferred embodiment each supply connector is provided with a network monitoring unit comprising network sensor means and network communication means, said network sensor means being adapted to monitor a parameter being related to the transfer of power through said device connector to the manufacturing device and to transmit a signal representing said parameter to the network communication means, said network communication means being adapted to transmit a signal representing said parameter to the receiving unit. The network monitoring unit may be provided in addition to or instead of a monitoring unit provided on the device connector.
In a further preferred embodiment a monitoring unit is provided on the device connectors and an additional network monitoring unit as described before is employed, wherein the network monitoring unit is provided with a network identifying unit being adapted to transmit a network identification signal, preferably via the network communication means, to the receiving unit said network identification signal identifying the supply connector.
If the monitoring unit and the network monitoring unit are adapted such that both the identifying unit and the network identifying unit transmit a identification signal to the receiving unit immediately upon detection of a transfer of power through the device and supply connectors by the respective sensor means, these signal will be received simultaneously so that the receiving unit will recognize that the supply connector and the device connector identified by the respective signals are coupled with each other and this information can be stored.
Further, if more than two identification signals are received at the same time by the receiving unit which would not allow to unambiguously identify which connectors are coupled with each other, the actuator means which are described below and allow to interrupt and open the transfer of power through a pair of supply and device connectors, are activated on those supply connectors which have simultaneously transmitted a signal to stop the transfer of power. Subsequently, these actuators are deactivated one after the other with a time interval in between. As the identifying units will again immediately transmit signals when power starts to be transferred, this results in subsequent pairs of identification signals which will allow to identify which supply connectors are coupled with which device connectors.
Thus, in this preferred embodiment it is possible to detect which connectors are coupled without the need to provide receiving means on the supply connectors or the device connectors.
As an alternative, it is preferred that the afore-mentioned identification sensor is included in the network monitoring unit and that said network identification signal is transmitted via said network communication means. In such a way a compact and cost effective construction of the network monitoring unit and of the entire manufacturing device network is provided.
Actuator means adapted to stop operation of the manufacturing device are provided in a further preferred embodiment. In particular, it is preferred that said actuator means are provided on said monitoring unit and are adapted to stop power from being supplied to the manufacturing device through said device supply line. Further, it is preferred that control means are provided in signal connection to said sensor means and said actuator means, said control means being adapted to output a control signal to the actuator means in dependence of a sensor signal provided by the sensor means. However, the actuator means may also be provided on the network monitoring unit, wherein the control means being adapted to output a control signal to the actuator means in dependence of a network sensor signal provided by the network sensor means.
It is also preferred that said control means are provided on said receiving unit, and said sensor signal is represented by said parameter related to the transfer of power through said device connector to the manufacturing device. In such a case the sensor signal may be transmitted to the receiving unit, i.e. to the control means, by the communication means in the form of a communication signal also representing said parameter related to the transfer of power through said device connector to the manufacturing device, and the control signal may be transmitted from the control means to the actuator means via the communication means. However, the control means may also be provided separately from the receiving unit.
The control means preferably control the actuator means in such a manner that when the parameter related to the transfer of power through the device connector to the manufacturing device monitored by the sensor means overruns or underruns a predetermined threshold value of said parameter, the actuator means are activated in order to stop operation of the manufacturing device by stopping the transfer of power from the supply connector to the manufacturing device. In such a manner overload conditions or emergency conditions of the manufacturing device may be anticipated and prevented.
According to a preferred embodiment said receiving unit is arranged remote from said monitoring unit. In such a case a single common receiving unit including control means adapted to control the actuator means in all monitoring units may preferably be employed. In particular, it is preferred that said receiving unit is connected to said monitoring unit via a wireless data connection. Such wireless data connection appears most convenient and allows high flexibility of the position of the receiving unit and the monitoring unit or units. Further, by employing only one common receiving unit space and costs necessary for employing multiple receiving units may be saved.
Alternatively, it is preferred that said receiving unit is connected to said monitoring unit via a data cable. The connection via data cable might be the most reliable alternative.
According to a further embodiment memory means are provided on said receiving unit. Such memory means may store the recorded data of the monitoring unit or network monitoring unit, i.e. e.g. the history of the parameter related to the transfer of power through the device connector to the manufacturing device, the history of the identification signals received by the identification sensor, or the history of the initiation of the actuator means.
Said device supply line according to yet a further embodiment is detachably connected to said manufacturing device. In such a way the device supply line and the device connector together with a monitoring unit do not form part of the manufacturing device, i.e. they may be produced, provided, and replaced individually and separate from the manufacturing device, so that the compatibility of such monitoring units and device supply lines is not depending on the specific producer of the manufacturing device.
In the following a preferred embodiment of the manufacturing device network according to the present invention is described by means of a drawing. Said drawing shows in
In
The power supplied to the manufacturing device 7a, 7b, 7c through said power supply line 3 and said device supply lines 9a, 9b, 9c may be various kinds of power, such as hydraulic power or pneumatic power, i.e. compressed air, but in the current embodiment is electric power, wherein the power supply line 3 and the device supply 9a, 9b, 9c lines are formed as electric cables.
The number of three manufacturing devices 7a, 7b, 7c and three supply connectors 5a, 5b, 5c, respectively, is intended to be understood as an example only, wherein a higher or lower number is also possible. As in the present embodiment the connection of said three manufacturing devices 7a, 7b, 7c to the respective three supply connectors 5a, 5b, 5c of the power supply line 3 is formed identically, the following description of the first embodiment refers to only one device 7a of said manufacturing devices 7a, 7b, 7c connected to one connector 5a of said supply connectors 5a, 5b, 5c.
The device connector 11a according to the first embodiment is detachably connected to the device supply line 9a, and the device supply line 9a is detachably connected to the manufacturing device 7a. Further, the device connector 11a comprises a monitoring unit 13 and the supply connector 5a comprises a network monitoring unit 15.
Additionally, a receiving unit 17 is provided in the manufacturing device network 1 including control means 19 and memory means 21, said receiving unit 17 being arranged remote from the monitoring unit 13 and being connected to said monitoring unit 13 via a wireless data connection 23 (see
As shown in
Said communication means 27 in turn are adapted to transmit a communication signal 31 representing said parameter to the receiving unit 17, i.e. to the memory means 21 and to the control means 19 provided on said receiving unit 17. Said memory means 21 are adapted to store the history of said parameter monitored by the sensor means 25. Said control means 19 are adapted to output a control signal 33 in dependence of said communication signal 31 and said sensor signal 29 included in said communication signal 31, respectively, i.e. in dependence of said parameter related to the transfer of power through the device connector 11a to the manufacturing device 7a.
The monitoring unit 13 further comprises actuator means 35 adapted to stop operation of the manufacturing device 7a in response to a control signal 33 received from the control means 19, by stopping the power from being transferred to the manufacturing device 7a through the device supply line 9a.
Moreover, the monitoring unit 13 comprises an identifying unit 37 adapted to transmit an identification signal 39 to the receiving unit 17, in particular to the memory means 21 provided on said receiving unit 17, by the communication means 27, and adapted to transmit an identification signal 39 to the supply connector 5a. Said identification signals 39 identifying the manufacturing device 7a connected to the device connector 11a provided with the monitoring unit 13 including the identifying unit 37 transmitting said identification signals 39.
As also shown in
The network monitoring unit 15 further comprises an identification sensor 49 adapted to receive an identification signal 39 transmitted from the identifying unit 37 of the monitoring unit 13 on the device connector 11a when connected to the supply connector 5a. In response to the identification signal 39 received from the identifying unit 37 said identification sensor 49 is adapted to transmit a network identification signal 51 to the receiving unit 17, in particular to the memory means 21 provided on said receiving unit 17, wherein said network identification signal 51 identifies the manufacturing device 7a connected to the supply connector 5a. According to the present embodiment the network identification signal 51 is transmitted to the receiving unit 17 via the network communication means 43.
The memory means 21 are preferably adapted to store the history of all signals received or transmitted by the receiving unit 17, in particular the history of the communication signal 31 and the network communication signal 47, or the parameter related to the transfer of power through said device connector 11a to the manufacturing device 7a, the control signal 33, the identification signal 39, and the network identification signal 51. In the present embodiment the communication signal 31, the network communication signal 47, the control signal 33, the identification signal 39, and the network identification signal 51 are transmitted to or from the receiving unit 17 via a wireless data connection 23. In the present embodiment the identifying unit 37 further being adapted to transmit an identification signal 39 to both the receiving unit 17 and the identification sensor 49, and the receiving unit 17 is adapted to receive both the identification signal 39 from the identifying unit 37 and the network identification signal 51 from the identification sensor 49. However, it may also be advantageous, when either the identification signal 39 is transmitted to the receiving unit 17, or the network identification signal 51 is transmitted from the identification sensor 49 to the receiving unit 17 in response to the identification signal 39 received from the identifying unit 37.
The first embodiment of the manufacturing device network 1 according to the present invention as described before is operated as follows.
Firstly, the manufacturing device 7a is connected to the power supply line 3 by connecting the device connector 11a of the device supply line 9a provided on said manufacturing device 7a to one of the supply connectors 5a provided on said power supply line 3. Subsequently, the manufacturing device 7a is operated, while power is supplied to said manufacturing device 7a from the power supply line 3 via the device supply line 9a.
Meanwhile, a parameter related to this transfer of power through the device connector 11a to the manufacturing device 7a is monitored by the sensor means 25 provided on the monitoring unit 13 on the device connector 11a and by the network sensor means 41 provided on the network monitoring unit 15 on the supply connector 5a. The sensor means 25 transmit a sensor signal 29 representing said parameter to the communication means 27 and the communication means 27 transmit a communication signal 31 representing said parameter to the receiving unit 17, in particular to the memory means 21 and to the control means 19, by a wireless data connection 23. The network sensor means 41 transmit a network sensor signal 45 representing said parameter to the network communication means 43 and the network communication means 43 transmit a network communication signal 47 representing said parameter to the receiving unit 17 as well, in particular to the memory means 21, by a wireless data connection 23.
In the memory means 21 the history of said parameter is stored in order to be analysed for quality control issues. By the control means 19 in response to the received communication signal 31 a control signal 33 is transmitted to the communication means 27 by a wireless data connection 23, and from there transmitted to the actuator means 35 which in turn stop the power supplied to the manufacturing device 7a through the device supply line 9a in order to stop operation of said manufacturing device 7a, when said parameter monitored by said sensor means overruns or underruns a predetermined threshold value of said parameter corresponding to a critical operating condition of the manufacturing device 7a. In such a manner the manufacturing device 7a is for example prevented from defective operation or from being damaged.
The identifying unit 37 provided on the monitoring unit 13 on the device connector 11a transmits an identification signal 39 identifying the manufacturing device 7a via the communication means 27 and a wireless data connection 23 to the receiving unit 17 in order to be stored in the memory means 21, and to the identification sensor 49 on the network monitoring unit 15 on the supply connector 5a, said identification sensor 49 in turn transmitting a network identification signal 51 identifying the manufacturing device 7a connected to this particular supply connector 5a, via the network communication means 43 and a wireless data connection 23 to the receiving unit 17 in order to be stored in the memory means 21 and may be analysed for quality control issues. Thus, it is also possible to store in the memory means which manufacturing device 7a, 7b, 7c is connected to which particular supply connector 5a, 5b, 5c.
In
As shown in
Said communication means 27 in turn are adapted to transmit a communication signal 31 representing said parameter to the receiving unit 17. Said control means 19 are adapted to output a control signal 33 in dependence of said communication signal 31 and said sensor signal 29 included in said communication signal 31, respectively, i.e. in dependence of said parameter related to the transfer of power through the device connector 11a to the manufacturing device 7a.
Moreover, the monitoring unit 13 comprises an identifying unit 37 adapted to transmit an identification signal 39 to the receiving unit 17, in particular to the memory means 21 provided on said receiving unit 17, by the communication means 27. Said identification signal 39 identifies the manufacturing device 7a connected to the device connector 11a provided with the monitoring unit 13 including the identifying unit 37 transmitting said identification signals 39.
As also shown in
The network monitoring unit 15 further comprises a network identifying unit 53 adapted to transmit a network identification signal 55 to the receiving unit 17, in particular to the memory means 21 provided on said receiving unit 17, wherein said network identification signal 55 identifies the supply connector 5a. According to the second embodiment the network identification signal 55 is transmitted to the receiving unit 17 via the network communication means 43.
The network monitoring unit 15 further comprises network actuator means 57 adapted to stop operation of the manufacturing device 7a in response to a control signal 33 received from the control means 19, by stopping the power from being transferred to the manufacturing device 7a through the device supply line 9a.
The memory means 21 are preferably adapted to store the history of all signals received or transmitted by the receiving unit 17, in particular the history of the communication signal 31 and the network communication signal 47, or the parameter related to the transfer of power through said device connector 11a to the manufacturing device 7a, the control signal 33, the identification signal 39, and the network identification signal 55. In the second embodiment the communication signal 31, the network communication signal 47, the control signal 33, the identification signal 39, and the network identification signal 55 are transmitted to or from the receiving unit 17 via a wireless data connection 23 as well.
The second embodiment of the manufacturing device network 1 according to the present invention as described before is operated as follows.
Firstly, the manufacturing device 7a is connected to the power supply line 3 by connecting the device connector 11a of the device supply line 9a provided on said manufacturing device 7a to one of the supply connectors 5a provided on said power supply line 3. Subsequently, the manufacturing device 7a is operated, while power is supplied to said manufacturing device 7a from the power supply line 3 via the device supply line 9a.
A parameter related to this transfer of power through the device connector 11a to the manufacturing device 7a is monitored by the sensor means 25 provided on the monitoring unit 13 and by the network sensor means 41 provided on the network monitoring unit 15. The sensor means 25 transmit a sensor signal 29 representing said parameter to the communication means 27 and the communication means 27 transmit a communication signal 31 representing said parameter to the receiving unit 17. The network sensor means 41 transmit a network sensor signal 45 representing said parameter to the network communication means 43 and the network communication means 43 transmit a network communication signal 47 representing said parameter to the receiving unit 17 as well.
In the memory means 21 the history of said parameter is stored in order to be analysed for quality control issues. By the control means 19 in response to the received communication signal 31 a control signal 33 is transmitted to the network communication means 43, and from there transmitted to the network actuator means 57 which in turn stop the power supplied to the manufacturing device 7a through the device supply line 9a in order to stop operation of said manufacturing device 7a, when said parameter monitored by said sensor means overruns or underruns a predetermined threshold value of said parameter.
The identifying unit 37 provided on the monitoring unit 13 on the device connector 11a transmits an identification signal 39 identifying the manufacturing device 7a via the communication means 27 upon detection of transfer of power by the sensor means 25. At the same time the network identifying unit 53 will send a network identification signal 55 identifying the supply connector 5a to the receiving unit 17. As these two signals 39, 55 will be received at the same time at the receiving unit, it can be concluded that the respective supply connector 5a and the device connector 11a are coupled and a corresponding entry is made in the memory means 21.
However, if more than two identification signals 39, 55 are received at the same time by the receiving unit 17 which would not allow to unambiguously identify which connectors 5a, 11a are connected to each other, the network actuator means 57 are activated on those supply connectors 5a which have simultaneously transmitted a network identification signal 55 to stop the transfer of power. Subsequently, these actuators 57 are deactivated one after the other with a time interval in between. As the network identifying units 53 will again immediately transmit signals 55 when power starts to be transferred, this results in subsequent pairs of identification signals 39, 55 which will allow to identify which supply connectors 5a are coupled with which device connectors 11a.
Thus, in this second embodiment it is possible to detect which connectors 5a, 11a are coupled without the need to provide any receiving means on the supply connectors or the device connectors.
In conclusion with the afore-mentioned construction of the manufacturing device network 1 the monitoring unit 13 and the network monitoring unit 15 are provided independent and decoupled from the manufacturing device 7a, on the device connector 11a and on the supply connector 5a, respectively, which might be disconnected from the manufacturing device 7a and thus may be produced and provided individually from the manufacturing device 7a. This allows to easily adapt different types of devices, possibly from different suppliers for being integrated in the network, as it is not necessary to make modifications on the device itself but only to mount at the identifying unit (37) on the device connector (11a, 11b, 11c).
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12196009.0 | Dec 2012 | EP | regional |
This application claims priority to and the benefit of European Patent Application No. EP 12196009.0 and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/734,615, both of which were filed on Dec. 7, 2012, the disclosures of which are both incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61734615 | Dec 2012 | US |
