Patent Application
20060276924
The present invention relates to a method and system for remote controlling the current status of the production process of an article having a number of production process steps.
The present invention may be used to advantage in the metalworking industry for manufacturing mechanical parts, to which the following description refers purely by way of example.
A metalworking firm manufacturing complex articles, i.e. comprising numerous assembled parts, does not normally produce all the parts itself, but subcontracts production, or at least part of it, of some of the parts to outside firms. The decision to do this depends on various factors. For example, the firm may not have the machinery or personnel to handle certain jobs, and purchasing the machinery or acquiring additional personnel may prove difficult and/or economically unfeasible.
Subcontracting parts, however, may pose problems, by the firm losing direct control of the production process of the parts subcontracted out. That is, the firm no longer has direct control over progress and scheduling of the production process of the subcontracted parts, and must rely solely on agreements made with subcontractors.
In the past, to avoid problems caused by subcontractors failing to deliver on time, large stocks were maintained in contractors' warehouses. Given the rising cost of warehousing large stocks, however, metalworking firms currently implement a “just in time” warehousing policy, with stocks reduced to a bare minimum. Firms dealing with subcontractors are therefore currently faced with the problem of how to control the production process of subcontracted parts, so as to avoid, or at least predict in time, any delay in delivery on the part of the subcontractor.
To control the production process of subcontracted parts, one possible solution is for the subcontractor to be equipped with one of various currently marketed computerized production process control systems. This, however, is only feasible in the case of major subcontractors with advanced computer equipment, in that computerized production process control systems are expensive, are logistically complex, and call for connecting all the subcontractor work stations to a central data collection system.
EP-1164450-A1 discloses a monitoring device for at least one state parameter of an object; the monitoring device has at least one sensor for detecting the state parameters and at least one transmitter connected to the sensor for transmitting the state parameters or associated information. At least one converter converts the data received from the sensor into graphical representations and at least one mobile radio device wirelessly connected to the transmitter has a display for outputting the graphical representation.
DE10147744-A1 discloses a process visualization system connected to a mix of sensors and actuators by means of a field bus; the visualization system has distributed computers coupled by a communication unit to a server (connected with the Internet) via a local area network (LAN)
DE19962230-A1 discloses an industrial control system, in which devices for registering of reports or alarms for predefined operating conditions are available; these predefined operating conditions are processed through a converter so that they can be sent via a short message service report or an e-mail to a predefined distribution circuit according to the nature of the operating condition encountered. The report or alarm can be sent on one message circuit based on lists of personnel and locations, type of message to be sent, e.g. e-mail or SMS format and can include files for attachment to the message.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system of remote controlling the production process of an article, which provide for solving the aforementioned problems, and which at the same time are cheap and easy to implement.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method and a system of remote controlling the current status of the production process of an article having a number of production process steps as recited in the attached claims.
A number of non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Number 1 in
System 1 comprises a pickup device 5, which receives confirmation of completion of a production process step from a user; and a central control unit 6 connected to pickup device 5 and for storing the current status of the production process of part 2 in a database 7. Database 7 is of substantially known type, and comprises a series of records (not shown in detail), each of which relates to, and contains the history of, a respective part 2. Pickup device 5 and part 2 are obviously located physically at the plant of subcontractor 4 producing part 2, whereas control unit 6 is physically located at firm 3.
Pickup device 5 comprises a mobile telephone communication device 8, which communicates with central control unit 6 by sending SMS messages 9. More specifically, pickup device 5 codes confirmation of completion of a step in the production process of part 2 into an alphanumeric code 10, inserts code 10 into an SMS message 9, and sends the SMS message 9 to central control unit 6 over a mobile telephone network 11.
Code 10 preferably contains a sequence 12 identifying the completed production process step, and a sequence 13 identifying part 2. On receiving an SMS message 9 from pickup device 5, control unit 6 is therefore able to identify the part 2 in question, and the relative production process step that has been completed. Since subcontractor 4, in fact, actually produces a lot of parts 2 of the same type or a number of lots of parts 2 of different types simultaneously, control unit 6 must be able to identify not only the production process step that has been completed, but also the part 2 in question, or at least the lot to which part 2 refers.
In a preferred embodiment shown in more detail in
As shown in
Sequence 12 is communicated to pickup device 5 by pickup device 5 reading a relative bar code 20. Preferably, a sheet 21 is provided, on which is printed a series of bar codes 20, each relating to a given production process step. Next to each bar code 20 printed on sheet 21, a description 22 of the corresponding production process step is preferably also printed, and comprises verbal and/or pictorial information. Sheet 21 may also contain a drawing or the production cycle of part 2.
As shown in
On receiving an SMS message 9 containing a respective code 10 from pickup device 5, control unit 6 may send pickup device 5 a further SMS message confirming reception. In which case, pickup device 5 only eliminates an SMS message 9 containing a respective code 10 from its own memory on receiving the respective further SMS message confirming reception from control unit 6.
In actual use, on completing a step in the production process of part 2, an operator of subcontractor 4, using pickup device 5, reads bar code 18 identifying part 2, and then reads bar code 20 identifying the step in the production process of part 2. Obviously, the information in code 18 could also be contained in code 20. At this point, pickup device 5 sends an SMS message 9 containing code 10 to control unit 6; and, on determining correct reception of SMS message 9, control unit 6 sends pickup device 5 a further SMS message confirming reception.
On receiving an SMS message 9 containing a respective code 10, control unit 6 identifies the completed production process step by means of sequence 12 in code 10, identifies part 2 by means of sequence 13 in code 10, and accordingly updates database 7 by entering completion of the production process step in a record relative to the part 2 in question.
It should be pointed out that the term production process step of part 2 refers to any type of operation or sequence of operations relating to a part 2. For example, a production process step may even be a dimensional check or rejection of a ruined part (even as a result of a processing error).
In an alternative embodiment shown in
In a first embodiment, code 10 corresponds with the telephone number 28 keyed by the user. That is, on determining an incoming call to telephone number 28, control unit 6 is informed that a respective production process step of part 2 associated with the telephone number 28 called has been completed. Each production process step of part 2 is assigned a respective telephone number 28, i.e. a respective code 10 corresponding with telephone number 28, and a call made to telephone number 28 informs control unit 6 that the production process step of part 2 associated with the telephone number 28 called has been completed. It should be pointed out that, in known manner, control unit 6 can identify the telephone number of the telephone 27 from which the call is made, and so identify the caller.
In a second embodiment, code 10 is completely independent of the telephone number 28 keyed by the user. That is, on keying telephone number 28, the user connects respective telephone 27 to control unit 6, and, once the connection is made, transmits code 10 to control unit 6 by keying code 10 on the keyboard of telephone 27.
In a further embodiment, which is halfway between the two described above, a first part of code 10 corresponds with telephone number 28 keyed by the user.
Code 10 preferably comprises sequence 12 identifying the relative production process step, and sequence 13 identifying part 2. More specifically, sequence 13 is printed on a label 19 associated with part 2, and sequence 12 is printed on sheet 21 together with other sequences 12 relative to other production process steps.
System 1 described above allows a firm 3 complete, real-time control of the production process of part 2 carried out by a subcontractor 4 physically distant from firm 3. Moreover, system 1 described above is extremely cheap, and calls for no particular installation work at the subcontractor 4 plant: pickup devices 5 and sheets 21 may be supplied by firm 3 to subcontractor 4 for as long as required to produce one lot of parts 2, and then returned when production is completed. Logistically, production process control is run entirely by firm 3, who thus retains full control of the production process, with absolutely no burden being placed on subcontractor 4.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| BO2003A000500 | Aug 2003 | IT | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP04/51898 | 8/25/2004 | WO | 8/14/2006 |
