JP7640424B2 - Line design device and line design method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to manufacturing line design technology.

In the manufacturing industry, there is a demand for production formats that can manufacture a wide variety of products, and so there is a need for production lines that can be flexibly reconfigured. To guarantee the manufacturing quality of a production line after a configuration change, it is important to sequentially check whether work has been performed appropriately in each process and piece of equipment, i.e., to determine whether work has passed or failed.

JP 2018-158431 A (Patent Document 1) is an example of background technology in this technical field. Patent Document 1 describes the use of a definition of pass/fail judgment content for fastening that is specialized for screw fastening work, and a definition of a pass/fail judgment method (parameter setting) that is specialized for the use of an electric screwdriver.

There is also JP 2019-096232 A (Patent Document 2). Patent Document 2 describes the use of a predefined inspection device (means) and quality information (pass/fail judgment information) as a pass/fail judgment method.

There is also JP 2020-157317 A (Patent Document 3). Patent Document 3 describes that definitions are used for process design information and abnormality (pass/fail) judgment content specific to the welding process.

Here, the pass/fail judgment content can be rephrased as what information is used to judge pass/fail, and the pass/fail judgment method can be rephrased as how the pass/fail judgment is determined using the information used.

JP 2018-158431 A JP 2019-096232 A JP 2020-157317 A

Patent Document 1 does not anticipate application to processes other than fastening processes. Therefore, it is not possible to calculate pass/fail judgment content and pass/fail judgment methods suitable for various types of work included in the process design.

In addition, Patent Document 2 does not describe how to calculate pass/fail judgment content, and does not assume the use of process design information. Therefore, it is not possible to calculate pass/fail judgment content appropriate for each task type included in the process design.

In addition, in Patent Document 3, the device used for pass/fail judgment is limited to a sensor, and the selection of the device is not assumed. Therefore, it is not possible to calculate a pass/fail judgment method suitable for each work type included in the process design.

In a system that builds a manufacturing line by flexibly combining devices (equipment modules) with specific functions in accordance with the process design information, equipment information, and work allocation information required for product manufacturing, possible requirements for ensuring quality in the manufacture of a wide variety of products and satisfying constraints such as work time and equipment costs include determining the pass/fail judgment function, such as the pass/fail judgment content and pass/fail judgment method for determining the successful completion of each task in accordance with the net work and ancillary work in each process, and determining pass/fail judgment equipment, such as the necessary and sufficient equipment performance and equipment configuration for pass/fail judgment. In addition, automatic determination of the pass/fail judgment function and pass/fail judgment equipment can be considered as a requirement for reducing line design labor when building or reconstructing a manufacturing line.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a line design device that can determine the pass/fail judgment content for each process and the pass/fail judgment method for each module using process design information, equipment module information, work allocation information, and pass/fail judgment information as indicators, and can design a manufacturing line that includes a pass/fail judgment function.

In order to solve at least one of the above problems, the present invention provides, as an example, a line design device comprising a calculation unit and a storage unit, wherein the storage unit holds process design information that associates work included in each process of a line for manufacturing a product with an equipment module used for the work, equipment module information indicating the type of sensor that can be attached to the equipment module, pass/fail judgment information indicating measurement items required for pass/fail judgment to evaluate the completion state of the work, and sensor information that associates the type of sensor with a model of a sensor that can be applied to the line, and the sensor information includes information regarding the model of the sensor. and the type of the equipment module, and a template of a sensor control ladder that controls the sensor, and information that matches a combination of the type of the sensor and the type of the equipment module, and a template of a robot program for pass/fail judgment, the calculation unit generates pass/fail judgment content information that matches the work of the process with the equipment module that is used for the work and is the subject of pass/fail judgment based on the process design information and the pass/fail judgment information, and generates pass/fail judgment content information that matches the work of the process with the equipment module that is used for the work and is the subject of pass/fail judgment based on the equipment module information and the pass/fail judgment content information, the step of generating pass/fail determination method information that matches an equipment module used in the work and subject to pass/fail determination with the type of sensor used for the pass/fail determination for the equipment module; outputting information including the work included in the process, the equipment module used for the work, and the type of sensor associated with the equipment module; assigning to the equipment module, based on the pass/fail determination method information and the sensor information, a sensor of a type that can be attached to the equipment module and is of a model that can be applied to the line, as a sensor to be used for pass/fail determination; based on the sensor information, generating at least one of a sensor control ladder that controls the sensor for pass/fail determination for the equipment module and a robot program template that corresponds to a combination of the type of the equipment module and the model of the sensor assigned to the equipment module, and calculating a work time for pass/fail determination for the equipment module based on the sensor control ladder and at least one of the robot program .

According to one aspect of the present invention, in a manufacturing line configured by flexibly combining equipment modules with specific functions, the contents of pass/fail judgment for each process and the pass/fail judgment method for each module can be determined, and a manufacturing line can be designed that includes a pass/fail judgment function so that each process is self-contained and has control specifications and equipment specifications that do not pass defects to the next process.

Other issues, configurations, and advantages will become clear from the description of the embodiments below.

1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a line design device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process in which the line design device according to the first embodiment of the present invention generates a pass/fail determination method. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a process design and task allocation information management table 300 stored in a process design and task allocation information storage area in Example 1 of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an equipment module information management table 400 stored in an equipment module information storage area in Example 1 of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a pass/fail determination information management table 500 stored in a pass/fail determination information storage area in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a pass/fail determination content management table held by the line design device according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a pass/fail determination method management table held by the line design device in the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of details of a process in which a pass/fail decision content calculation unit generates a pass/fail decision content in the first embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of details of a process in which an acceptance/rejection determination method calculation unit generates an acceptance/rejection determination method in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an output screen of the line design device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an output screen of the line design device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a line design device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for generating an assignment of pass/fail determination sensors by the line design device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a sensor information management table stored in a sensor information storage area according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a pass/fail determination sensor allocation management table held by the line design device in the second embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of details of a process in which a pass/fail determination sensor allocation unit allocates pass/fail determination sensors in Example 2 of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an output screen of the line design device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an output screen of the line design device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a line design device according to first and second embodiments of the present invention.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

As a first embodiment of the present invention, an example of generating a pass/fail judgment method from process design/task allocation information, equipment module information, and pass/fail judgment information will be described.

First, an example of the configuration in this embodiment will be described using Figures 1 to 7.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a line design device in Example 1 of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the line design device 100 includes an input unit 110, a memory unit 120, an output unit 130, a display unit 140, and a calculation unit 150.

The input unit 110 accepts input from the user to the line design device 100.

The memory unit 120 includes a process design and work allocation information storage area 121, an equipment module information storage area 122, and a pass/fail judgment information storage area 123.

Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a process design and work allocation information management table 300 stored in the process design and work allocation information storage area 121 in Example 1 of the present invention.

The process design and work allocation information management table 300 has a process number 300a, work content 300b, target part 300c, part information 300d, equipment module type (robot) 300e, equipment module type (tool) 300f, equipment module type (part supply) 300g, equipment module type (transport) 300h, and equipment module type (table) 300i.

The process number 300a is a number that identifies each process. The work content 300b is information that identifies each task in each process. The value of the work content 300b is information that identifies each task, but may also include information that indicates the type of each task (e.g., assembly, screw tightening, visual inspection, inspection, etc.). The target part 300c is information that identifies the target part of each task. The part information 300d is information that indicates the characteristics, properties, etc. (e.g., dimensions, shape, length, material, etc.) of the target part of each task. The equipment module type (robot) 300e to the equipment module type (table) 300i are information that identifies the equipment module for each type of equipment module. In this example, the types of equipment modules include a robot, a tool attached to a robot, part supply, transport, and a table.

Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an equipment module information management table 400 stored in the equipment module information storage area 122 in Example 1 of the present invention.

The equipment module information management table 400 has a module type 400a, a module detail type 400b, and attachable sensor type 1_400c to attachable sensor type N_400f.

The module type 400a is information that identifies the type of equipment module. The detailed module type 400b is information that identifies the equipment module type by subdividing it. For example, a robot, which is a type of equipment module, is further classified into detailed types such as an arm robot, a parallel link robot, and a SCARA robot. The attachable sensor types 1 to N 400c to 400f are information that identifies the types of sensors that can be attached to each type of robot. In this example, the sensor types include a position sensor, a camera, and a force sensor.

Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a pass/fail judgment information management table 500 stored in the pass/fail judgment information storage area 123 in Example 1 of the present invention.

The pass/fail judgment information management table 500 has a task type 500a, an operation element number 500b, an operation element 500c, a pass/fail judgment number 500d, a pass/fail judgment timing 500e, a pass/fail judgment equipment module type 500f, a pass/fail judgment content 500g, and a pass/fail judgment accuracy 500h.

Task type 500a is information that identifies each task type. Action element number 500b and action element 500c are information that identifies action elements in each type of task. Pass/fail judgment number 500d is information that identifies the pass/fail judgment. Pass/fail judgment timing 500e, pass/fail judgment equipment module type 500f, pass/fail judgment content 500g, and pass/fail judgment accuracy 500h indicate the pass/fail judgment timing, the equipment module type subject to the pass/fail judgment, the pass/fail judgment content, and the pass/fail judgment accuracy for each pass/fail judgment identified by the pass/fail judgment number.

For example, the first row of the pass/fail determination information management table 500 shown in FIG. 5 indicates that the workpiece pull-in operation for assembly work in the transport module is determined to be pass if it is detected that the workpiece is present at the time when it should be present.

In addition, the eighth and ninth rows of the pass/fail determination information management table 500 shown in FIG. 5 indicate that a child part assembly operation in an assembly task using a tool is determined to be pass if a position is detected that satisfies the accuracy shown in the pass/fail determination accuracy 500h in the eighth row, or if a force is detected that satisfies the condition shown in the pass/fail determination accuracy 500h in the ninth row.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the output unit 130 outputs the results of the calculation by the calculation unit 150 to the memory unit 120 and the display unit 140.

The display unit 140 presents the output contents from the line design device 100 to the user.

The calculation unit 150 includes a pass/fail judgment content calculation unit 151 and a pass/fail judgment method calculation unit 152.

The pass/fail judgment content calculation unit 151 generates pass/fail judgment content from the process design/task allocation information (e.g., FIG. 3) stored in the process design/task allocation information storage area 121 and the pass/fail judgment information (e.g., FIG. 5) stored in the pass/fail judgment information storage area 123, and outputs the information according to the pass/fail judgment content management table 600. The generated pass/fail judgment content management table 600 is stored in the storage unit 120, for example.

Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a pass/fail judgment content management table 600 held by the line design device 100 in Example 1 of the present invention.

The pass/fail judgment content management table 600 has a process number 600a, a task content 600b, a target part 600c, an operation element number 600d, an operation element 600e, a pass/fail judgment number 600f, a pass/fail judgment timing 600g, an equipment module type 600h, a pass/fail judgment content 600i, and a pass/fail judgment accuracy 600j.

Each row of the pass/fail judgment content management table 600 corresponds to a combination of a row of the process design and work allocation information management table 300 and one or more rows of the pass/fail judgment information management table 500 that have a value of the work type 500a that corresponds to the value of the work content 300b of that row. The process number 600a, the work content 600b, and the target part 600c correspond to the process number 300a, the work content 300b, and the target part 300c of the process design and work allocation information management table 300, respectively. The motion element number 600d, motion element 600e, pass/fail judgment number 600f, pass/fail judgment timing 600g, pass/fail judgment content 600i, and pass/fail judgment accuracy 600j correspond to the motion element number 500b, motion element 500c, pass/fail judgment number 500d, pass/fail judgment timing 500e, pass/fail judgment content 500g, and pass/fail judgment accuracy 500h in the row corresponding to the type of work content specified by the value of work content 600b in the pass/fail judgment information management table 500. The equipment module type 600h corresponds to the type specified by the value of pass/fail judgment equipment module type 500f among the values of equipment module type (robot) 300e to equipment module type (table) 300i.

6 corresponds to a combination of the first row of the process design and work allocation information management table 300 and the first row of the pass/fail judgment information management table 500. In this case, the process number 600a, work content 600b, and target part 600c in the first row of the pass/fail judgment content management table 600 store the values of the process number 300a, work content 300b, and target part 300c in the first row of the process design and work allocation information management table 300, respectively. The action element number 600d, action element 600e, pass/fail judgment number 600f, pass/fail judgment timing 600g, pass/fail judgment content 600i, and pass/fail judgment accuracy 600j in the first row of the pass/fail judgment content management table 600 store the values of the action element number 500b, action element 500c, pass/fail judgment number 500d, pass/fail judgment timing 500e, pass/fail judgment content 500g, and pass/fail judgment accuracy 500h in the first row of the pass/fail judgment information management table 500, respectively. The equipment module type 600h in the first row of the pass/fail judgment content management table 600 stores the value "Conveyor A" of the equipment module type (transport) 300h, which corresponds to the value "Transport" of the pass/fail judgment equipment module type 500f in the first row of the pass/fail judgment information management table 500, among the values of the equipment module type (robot) 300e to the equipment module type (table) 300i in the first row of the process design and work allocation information management table 300.

Similarly, the second row of the pass/fail judgment content management table 600 shown in FIG. 6 corresponds to a combination of the first row of the process design and work allocation information management table 300 and the second row of the pass/fail judgment information management table 500. In this case, the equipment module type 600h in the second row of the pass/fail judgment content management table 600 stores the value "suction hand A" of the equipment module type (transport) 300h, which corresponds to the value "tool" of the pass/fail judgment equipment module type 500f in the second row of the pass/fail judgment information management table 500, among the values of the equipment module type (robot) 300e to the equipment module type (table) 300i in the first row of the process design and work allocation information management table 300. The values of the other columns in the second row of the pass/fail judgment content management table 600 are the same as those in the first row.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the pass/fail determination method calculation unit 152 generates a pass/fail determination method from the equipment module information (e.g., FIG. 4) stored in the equipment module information storage area 122 and the pass/fail determination content (e.g., FIG. 6) generated by the pass/fail determination content calculation unit 151, and outputs information according to the pass/fail determination method management table 700. The generated pass/fail determination method management table 700 is stored in the storage unit 120, for example.

Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a pass/fail determination method management table 700 held by the line design device 100 in Example 1 of the present invention.

The pass/fail judgment method management table 700 has a process number 700a, a task content 700b, a target part 700c, an operation element number 700d, an operation element 700e, a pass/fail judgment number 700f, a pass/fail judgment timing 700g, an equipment module type 700h, a pass/fail judgment content 700i, a pass/fail judgment accuracy 700j, and a pass/fail judgment method 700k.

Each row of the pass/fail determination method management table 700 corresponds to a combination of a row of the pass/fail determination content management table 600 and a row of the equipment module information management table 400 for a module type that corresponds to the value of the equipment module model number 700h. For example, the first to fourth rows of the pass/fail determination method management table 700 shown in FIG. 7 correspond to a combination of the first row of the pass/fail determination content management table 600 shown in FIG. 6 and the eleventh row of the equipment module information management table 400 shown in FIG. 4.

More specifically, for example, the process number 700a to the pass/fail judgment accuracy 700j in the first row of the pass/fail judgment method management table 700 respectively store the values of the process number 600a to the pass/fail judgment accuracy 600j in the first row of the pass/fail judgment content management table 600. The pass/fail judgment accuracy 700j in the first row of the pass/fail judgment method management table 700 stores the value "position sensor" of the attachable sensor type 1_400c in the 11th row of the equipment module information management table 400. Similarly, the pass/fail judgment accuracy 700j in the second and third rows of the pass/fail judgment method management table 700 respectively store the value "camera" of the attachable sensor type 2_400d and the value "force sensor" of the attachable sensor type 3_400e in the 11th row of the equipment module information management table 400.

Next, an example of processing in this embodiment will be described using Figures 2, 8, and 9.

Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a process in which the line design device 100 in the first embodiment of the present invention generates a pass/fail determination method.

In step S201 of FIG. 2, the pass/fail judgment content calculation unit 151 generates the pass/fail judgment content from the process design/task allocation information and the pass/fail judgment information.

In step S202, the pass/fail judgment method calculation unit 152 generates a pass/fail judgment method from the equipment module information and the pass/fail judgment content.

By following these steps, a pass/fail judgment method can be generated from process design/work allocation information, equipment module information, and pass/fail judgment information.

Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of details of the process (step S201) in which the pass/fail judgment content calculation unit 151 generates the pass/fail judgment content in Example 1 of the present invention.

In step S801 of FIG. 8, the pass/fail judgment content calculation unit 151 reads the process design and work allocation information stored in the process design and work allocation information storage area 121 according to the process design and work allocation information management table 300.

In step S802, the pass/fail judgment content calculation unit 151 reads the pass/fail judgment information stored in the pass/fail judgment information storage area 123 according to the pass/fail judgment information management table 500.

In step S803, the pass/fail judgment content calculation unit 151 identifies the corresponding work type for the work content 300b in the process design and work allocation information management table 300 from the work type 500a in the pass/fail judgment information management table 500. The process number 300a and target part 300c corresponding to the work content 300b in the process design and work allocation information management table 300 are output to the pass/fail judgment content management table 600 together with the work content 300b. Furthermore, the pass/fail judgment content calculation unit 151 outputs the operation element number 500b, operation element 500c, pass/fail judgment number 500d, pass/fail judgment timing 500e, pass/fail judgment content 500g, and pass/fail judgment accuracy 500h corresponding to the work type 500a in the pass/fail judgment information management table 500 to the pass/fail judgment content management table 600.

In step S804, the pass/fail judgment content calculation unit 151 identifies only one equipment module type from 300e to 300i in the process design and work allocation information management table for the pass/fail judgment equipment module type 500f in the pass/fail judgment information management table 500. Then, the pass/fail judgment content calculation unit 151 outputs the identified equipment module type to the pass/fail judgment content management table 600.

In step S805, the pass/fail judgment content calculation unit 151 outputs the information generated up to step S804 as the pass/fail judgment content according to the pass/fail judgment content management table 600.

By the above steps, pass/fail judgment content including the timing for performing pass/fail judgment, the module, judgment content, and candidates for judgment accuracy for each operation element constituting the work content in each process can be generated from the process design/work allocation information stored in the process design/work allocation information storage area 121 and the pass/fail judgment information stored in the pass/fail judgment information storage area 123, and the pass/fail judgment content information can be output according to the pass/fail judgment content management table 600.

Here, for one particular pass/fail judgment timing for each operational element that constitutes the work content, the combination of the module that performs the pass/fail judgment, the judgment content, the judgment method, and the judgment accuracy may be either singular or multiple.

For example, in the example of FIG. 5, the 8th and 9th rows of the pass/fail judgment information management table 500 indicate that a child part assembly operation in an assembly task using a tool may be judged as pass if a position that satisfies the accuracy shown in the pass/fail judgment accuracy 500h in the 8th row is detected, or may be judged as pass if a force that satisfies the condition shown in the pass/fail judgment accuracy 500h in the 9th row is detected. Both of these may be registered in the pass/fail judgment content management table 600 as shown in the 8th and 9th rows of the pass/fail judgment content management table 600 in the example of FIG. 6, or only one of them may be registered.

Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of details of the process (step S202) in which the pass/fail determination method calculation unit 152 generates a pass/fail determination method in Example 1 of the present invention.

In step S901 of FIG. 9, the pass/fail determination method calculation unit 152 reads the equipment module information stored in the equipment module information storage area 122 according to the equipment module information management table 400.

In step S902, the pass/fail judgment method calculation unit 152 reads the pass/fail judgment content generated by the pass/fail judgment content calculation unit 151 and managed according to the pass/fail judgment content management table 600.

In step S903, the pass/fail judgment method calculation unit 152 identifies the corresponding module detailed type from the module detailed type 400b in the equipment module information management table 400 for the equipment module type 600h in the pass/fail judgment content management table 600. The pass/fail judgment method calculation unit 152 then outputs the process number 600a, task content 600b, target part 600c, operation element number 600d, operation element 600e, pass/fail judgment number 600f, pass/fail judgment timing 600g, pass/fail judgment content 600i, and pass/fail judgment accuracy 600j that correspond to the equipment module type 600h in the pass/fail judgment content management table 600, together with the equipment module type 600h, to the pass/fail judgment method management table 700.

In step S904, the pass/fail determination method calculation unit 152 identifies all of the attachable sensor types 400c to 400f for the module detailed type 400b in the equipment module information management table 400 as pass/fail determination methods. The pass/fail determination method calculation unit 152 then outputs the identified pass/fail determination methods to the pass/fail determination method management table 700.

In step S905, the pass/fail determination method calculation unit 152 outputs the information generated up to step S904 as the pass/fail determination method in accordance with the pass/fail determination method management table 700.

By performing the above steps, a pass/fail judgment method can be generated from the equipment module information stored in the equipment module information storage area 122 and the pass/fail judgment content generated by the pass/fail judgment content calculation unit 151, and information can be output according to the pass/fail judgment method management table 700.

Next, an example of output in this embodiment will be explained using Figures 10A and 10B.

Figures 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing an example of an output screen of the line design device 100 in Example 1 of the present invention.

The output screen 1000 shown in Figures 10A and 10B is an example of a screen displayed by the display unit 140 of the line design device 100.

In Figures 10A and 10B, the line configuration display section 1000a is a section that displays the entire line configuration. For example, the entire line configuration is displayed based on process design information identified by the process number 300a and work content 300b in the process design and work allocation information management table 300, and equipment information identified by the equipment module types 300e to 300i. For example, a block diagram showing the connection relationships between modules for all modules that make up the line may be displayed.

The module display section 1000b is a section that displays a specific module in the line configuration. The user can select a specific module from among the modules that make up the entire line. For example, when a user of the line design device 100 selects one module from the overall configuration of the line configuration display section 1000a via the input section 110, an overview of the module is displayed, including process design information identified by the process number 300a and work content 300b in the process design and work allocation information management table 300, and equipment information identified by the equipment module types 300e to 300i. For example, a block diagram showing the connection relationships between modules may be displayed for multiple modules selected by the user from among the modules that make up the line.

The process display section 1000c displays the processes and the work assigned to the module displayed in the module display section 1000b. The user can select a specific process from among the processes assigned to the module. For example, for the module selected and displayed in the module display section 1000b, details of the process design information such as process information specified by the process number 300a, work content 300b, and target part 300c in the process design and work allocation information management table 300 are displayed.

The pass/fail judgment method display section 1000d is a section that displays the pass/fail judgment method for the work displayed in the process display section 1000c. The user can select the equipment module type and pass/fail judgment method to be used for pass/fail judgment for each operation element and pass/fail judgment timing that constitutes the work. For example, for a module selected and displayed in the module display section 1000b, candidates for pass/fail judgment methods including the operation element number 700d, operation element 700e, pass/fail judgment number 700f, pass/fail judgment timing 700g, equipment module type 700h, pass/fail judgment content 700i, and pass/fail judgment accuracy 700j of the pass/fail judgment method management table 700 are displayed. In addition, the user of the line design device 100 selects a specific pass/fail judgment method by selecting the equipment module type and pass/fail judgment content from among multiple candidates for the pass/fail judgment method via the input section 110.

The above description enables the user of the line design device 100 to manually select the equipment module type and pass/fail judgment method to be used for pass/fail judgment for the line configuration.

Here, the equipment module types and pass/fail determination method configurations used for pass/fail determination for the line configuration may all be determined by automatic selection, all may be determined by manual selection, or some may be determined by automatic selection and the rest may be determined by manual selection.

According to the above-described first embodiment, a pass/fail determination method can be generated, which is a means for evaluating the pass/fail determination content for each process in each module, based on the equipment module information used when manufacturing the target product, the process information when manufacturing the product, the process design/work allocation information that associates the equipment modules, and the pass/fail determination information for evaluating the completion state of each work, etc.

As a second embodiment of the present invention, an example of generating a sensor assignment from pass/fail judgment information, sensor information, and a pass/fail judgment method will be described. Except for the differences described below, each part of the system in the second embodiment has the same function as each part in the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 10B with the same reference numerals, and therefore the description of those parts will be omitted.

First, an example of the configuration in this embodiment will be described using Figures 11 to 14.

Figure 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a line design device in Example 2 of the present invention.

In FIG. 11, the line design device 1100 includes an input unit 1110, a memory unit 1120, an output unit 1130, a display unit 1140, and a calculation unit 1150.

The input unit 1110 accepts input from the user to the line design device 1100.

The memory unit 1120 includes a process design and work allocation information storage area 1121, an equipment module information storage area 1212, a pass/fail judgment information storage area 1123, and a sensor information storage area 1124.

The process design and work allocation information storage area 1121 stores process design and work allocation information according to the process design and work allocation information management table 300 (Figure 3).

The equipment module information storage area 1122 stores equipment module information according to the equipment module information management table 400 (Figure 4).

The pass/fail judgment information storage area 1123 stores pass/fail judgment information according to the pass/fail judgment information management table 500 (Figure 5).

Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a sensor information management table 1300 stored in the sensor information storage area 1124 in Example 2 of the present invention.

The sensor information management table 1300 includes a sensor type 1300a, a sensor model 1300b, a sensor specification 1300c, a task type 1300d, an operation element 1300e, a pass/fail judgment timing 1300f, an equipment module type 1300g, a pass/fail judgment content 1300h, a ladder template 1300i, and a robot program template 1300j.

The sensor type 1300a indicates the type of each sensor (e.g., position sensor, camera, force sensor, torque sensor, etc.). The sensor type 1300b indicates the type of each sensor. This may be, for example, the type of the various sensors indicated by the sensor type 1300a that can be applied to the equipment module of the line (e.g., a sensor owned by a factory having the line). The sensor specifications 1300c indicate the specifications of each sensor, such as measurement accuracy and measurement range. The work type 1300d and the operation element 1300e indicate the work type and operation element of the target for which measurement is performed by each sensor. The pass/fail judgment timing 1300f indicates the timing at which the pass/fail judgment is performed using each sensor. The equipment module type 1300g indicates the type of the equipment module for which measurement is performed by each sensor. The pass/fail judgment content 1300h indicates the content of the pass/fail judgment using each sensor. The ladder template 1300i indicates a template of a sensor control ladder for pass/fail judgment corresponding to each sensor. Robot program template 1300j shows a template for a robot program for pass/fail judgment corresponding to each sensor.

The sensor information management table 1300 may also include information indicating the cost of each type of sensor.

Referring again to FIG. 11 . The output unit 1130 outputs the results of the calculation by the calculation unit 1150 to the memory unit 1120 and the display unit 1140.

The display unit 1140 presents the output content from the line design device 1100 to the user.

The calculation unit 1150 includes a pass/fail judgment content calculation unit 1151, a pass/fail judgment method calculation unit 1152, a pass/fail judgment sensor allocation unit 1153, a sensor control ladder generation unit 1154, a robot program generation unit 1155, an operation time calculation unit 1156, and an equipment cost calculation unit 1157.

The pass/fail judgment content calculation unit 1151 generates pass/fail judgment content from the process design/task allocation information (e.g., FIG. 3) stored in the process design/task allocation information storage area 1121 and the pass/fail judgment information (e.g., FIG. 5) stored in the pass/fail judgment information storage area 1123, and outputs the information according to the pass/fail judgment content management table 600.

The pass/fail judgment method calculation unit 1152 generates a pass/fail judgment method from the equipment module information (e.g., FIG. 4) stored in the equipment module information storage area 1122 and the pass/fail judgment content (e.g., FIG. 6) generated by the pass/fail judgment content calculation unit 1151, and outputs the information according to the pass/fail judgment method management table 700.

The pass/fail determination sensor allocation unit 1153 generates a sensor allocation from the sensor information (e.g., FIG. 13) stored in the sensor information storage area 1124 and the pass/fail determination method (e.g., FIG. 7) generated by the pass/fail determination method calculation unit 1152, and outputs information according to the pass/fail determination sensor allocation management table 1400.

The sensor control ladder generation unit 1154 generates a sensor control ladder for pass/fail judgment from the pass/fail judgment information stored in the pass/fail judgment information storage area 1123 and the sensor assignment generated by the pass/fail judgment sensor assignment unit 1153, and outputs information according to the pass/fail judgment sensor assignment management table 1400.

The robot program generation unit 1155 generates a robot program for pass/fail judgment from the pass/fail judgment information stored in the pass/fail judgment information storage area 1123 and the sensor allocation generated by the pass/fail judgment sensor allocation unit 1153, and outputs information according to the pass/fail judgment sensor allocation management table 1400. For example, when a robot is used to perform measurements for pass/fail judgment using sensors, a program is generated to control the robot to perform the measurements.

The work time calculation unit 1156 calculates the work time from the sensor allocation generated by the pass/fail sensor allocation unit 1153, the sensor control ladder generated by the sensor control ladder generation unit 1154, and the robot program generated by the robot program generation unit 1155, and outputs the information according to the pass/fail sensor allocation management table 1400.

The equipment cost calculation unit 1157 calculates equipment costs from the sensor allocation generated by the pass/fail sensor allocation unit 1153, the sensor control ladder generated by the sensor control ladder generation unit 1154, and the robot program generated by the robot program generation unit 1155, and outputs information according to the pass/fail sensor allocation management table 1400.

Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a pass/fail determination sensor allocation management table 1400 held by the line design device 1100 in Example 2 of the present invention.

The pass/fail judgment sensor allocation management table 1400 includes a process number 1400a, an operation content 1400b, a target part 1400c, an operation element number 1400d, an operation element 1400e, a pass/fail judgment number 1400f, a pass/fail judgment timing 1400g, an equipment module type 1400h, a pass/fail judgment content 1400i, a pass/fail judgment method 1400j, a pass/fail judgment accuracy 1400k, a sensor type 1400l, a ladder 1400m, a robot program 1400n, an operation time 1400o, and an equipment cost 1400p.

The process number 1400a to the pass/fail judgment content 1400i are the same as the process number 700a to the pass/fail judgment content 700i in the pass/fail judgment method management table 700. The pass/fail judgment method 1400j and the pass/fail judgment accuracy 1400k are the same as the pass/fail judgment method 700k and the pass/fail judgment accuracy 700j in the pass/fail judgment method management table 700. The sensor type 1400l indicates the type of the sensor type specified by the value of the pass/fail judgment method 1400j among the sensors used to judge the pass/fail of the operation of each task in each process. The ladder 1400m and the robot program 1400n are information (for example, the file names of the sensor control ladder and the program) that identify the sensor control ladder and the robot program for judging the pass/fail of the operation of each task in each process using the sensor of the type specified by the value of the sensor type 1400l. The work time 1400o and the equipment cost 1400p respectively indicate the work time and the equipment cost required to determine the pass/fail status of each operation in each process using a sensor of a type specified by the value of the sensor type 1400l.

Next, an example of processing in this embodiment will be described using Figures 12 and 15.

Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a process in which the line design device 1100 generates a pass/fail determination sensor assignment in Example 2 of the present invention.

In step S1201 of FIG. 12, the pass/fail judgment content calculation unit 1151 generates the pass/fail judgment content from the process design/task allocation information and the pass/fail judgment information.

In step S1202, the pass/fail judgment method calculation unit 1152 generates a pass/fail judgment method from the equipment module information and the pass/fail judgment content.

In step S1203, the pass/fail determination sensor allocation unit 1153 generates a pass/fail determination sensor allocation to be used for pass/fail determination based on the pass/fail determination method and sensor information.

In step S1204, the sensor control ladder generation unit 1154 and the robot program generation unit 1155 generate a sensor control ladder and a robot program for pass/fail judgment, respectively, from the pass/fail judgment information and the pass/fail judgment sensor assignment.

In step S1205, the operation time calculation unit 1156 and the equipment cost calculation unit 1157 calculate the operation time including pass/fail judgment and the equipment cost including the sensor from the pass/fail judgment sensor allocation including the sensor control ladder and the robot program, respectively. For example, the operation time calculation unit 1156 may refer to the sensor control ladder and the robot program to calculate the time required to perform measurements for pass/fail judgment using a sensor. Furthermore, when the sensor information management table includes information indicating the cost of the sensor, the equipment cost calculation unit 1157 may calculate the equipment cost based on that information.

In step S1206, the user selects whether or not pass/fail judgment is required for each process based on the pass/fail judgment sensor allocation, including ladder, robot program, work time, and equipment cost.

By following these steps, a pass/fail judgment sensor assignment can be generated from the pass/fail judgment information, pass/fail judgment method, and sensor information, and the sensors required for pass/fail judgment can be selected.

In step S1201, the pass/fail judgment content calculation unit 1151 performs processing according to the detailed flowchart of pass/fail judgment content calculation shown in Figure 8.

In step S1202, the pass/fail determination method calculation unit 1152 performs processing according to the detailed flowchart of pass/fail determination method calculation shown in FIG. 9.

Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example of details of the process (step S1203) in which the pass/fail determination sensor allocation unit 1153 allocates pass/fail determination sensors in Example 2 of the present invention.

In step S1501 of FIG. 15, the pass/fail determination sensor allocation unit 1153 reads the pass/fail determination method generated by the pass/fail determination method calculation unit 1152 in accordance with the pass/fail determination method management table 700.

In step S1502, the pass/fail determination sensor allocation unit 1153 reads the sensor information stored in the sensor information storage area 1124 according to the sensor information management table 1300.

In step S1503, the pass/fail judgment sensor allocation unit 1153 identifies the corresponding sensor information for the work content 700b, the operation element 700e, and the equipment module type 700h in the pass/fail judgment method management table 700 based on the sensor information management table 1300. Then, the pass/fail judgment sensor allocation unit 1153 outputs the process number 700a, the target part 700c, the operation element number 700d, the operation element 700e, the pass/fail judgment number 700f, the pass/fail judgment timing 700g, the equipment module type 700h, the pass/fail judgment content 700i, the pass/fail judgment accuracy 700j, and the pass/fail judgment method 700k corresponding to the work content 700b, the operation element 700e, and the equipment module type 700h in the pass/fail judgment method management table 700 to the pass/fail judgment sensor allocation management table 1400 together with the work content 700b, the operation element 700e, and the equipment module type 700h.

In step S1504, the pass/fail determination sensor allocation unit 1153 identifies the sensor type corresponding to the pass/fail determination method 700k in the pass/fail determination method management table 700 from the sensor type 1300a in the sensor information management table 1300, among the sensor information identified in step S1503. Then, the pass/fail determination sensor allocation unit 1153 outputs the sensor model 1300b in the sensor information management table 1300 to the pass/fail determination sensor allocation management table 1400.

In step S1505, the information generated up to step S1504 is output as a pass/fail determination sensor allocation according to the pass/fail determination sensor allocation management table 1400.

By performing the above steps, a pass/fail judgment sensor allocation can be generated from the sensor information stored in the sensor information storage area 1124 and the pass/fail judgment method generated by the pass/fail judgment method calculation unit 1152, and the information can be output according to the pass/fail judgment sensor allocation management table 1400.

Here, for a combination of work content, operating element, and equipment module type, the sensor type that serves as the pass/fail determination method may be single or multiple.

In step S1205 of FIG. 12, the sensor control ladder generation unit 1154 generates a ladder based on the ladder template 1300i corresponding to the sensor type 1400l output to the pass/fail sensor allocation management table 1400 in step S1204, and outputs it to ladder 1400m of the pass/fail sensor allocation management table 1400. The robot program generation unit 1155 generates a robot program based on the robot program template 1300j corresponding to the sensor type 1400l output to the pass/fail sensor allocation management table 1400 in step S1204, and outputs it to robot program 1400n of the pass/fail sensor allocation management table 1400.

In step S1206, the work time calculation unit 1156 calculates the work time from the ladder 1400m and the robot program 1400n output to the pass/fail sensor allocation management table 1400, and outputs it to the work time 1400o of the pass/fail sensor allocation management table 1400. The equipment cost calculation unit 1157 calculates the equipment cost from the equipment module type 1400h and the sensor type 1400l output to the pass/fail sensor allocation management table 1400, and outputs it to the equipment cost 1400p of the pass/fail sensor allocation management table 1400.

Next, an example of output in this embodiment will be explained using Figures 16A and 16B.

Figures 16A and 16B are explanatory diagrams showing an example of an output screen of the line design device 1100 in Example 2 of the present invention.

The output screen 1600 shown in Figures 16A and 16B is an example of a screen displayed by the display unit 1140 of the line design device 1100.

In Figures 16A and 16B, the line configuration display section 1600a is a section that displays the entire line configuration. The line configuration display section 1600a can display, for example, the same content as the line configuration display section 1000a in Figure 10A. For example, the entire line configuration is displayed based on process design information identified by the process number 300a and work content 300b in the process design and work allocation information management table 300, and equipment information identified by the equipment module types 300e to 300i.

The module display section 1600b is a section that displays a specific module in the line configuration. The user can select a specific module from among the modules that make up the entire line. For example, the module display section 1600b can display the same content as the module display section 1000b in FIG. 10A. For example, when a user of the line design device 1100 selects one module from the overall configuration of the line configuration display section 1000a via the input section 1110, an overview of the module is displayed, including process design information identified by the process number 300a and work content 300b in the process design and work allocation information management table 300, and equipment information identified by the equipment module types 300e to 300i.

The process display section 1600c is a section that displays the processes and the work assigned to the module displayed in the module display section 1600b. The user can select a specific process from among the processes assigned to the module. For example, the process display section 1600c can display the same content as the process display section 1000c in FIG. 10B. For example, for the module selected and displayed in the module display section 1600b, details of the process design information such as process information identified by the process number 300a, work content 300b, and target part 300c in the process design and work allocation information management table 300 are displayed.

The pass/fail judgment method display section 1600d is a section that displays the pass/fail judgment method and sensor allocation for the work displayed in the process display section 1600c. The user can select the equipment module type, pass/fail judgment method, and sensor type to be used for pass/fail judgment for each operation element and pass/fail judgment timing that constitutes the work. For example, for a module selected and displayed in the module display section 1600b, candidates for pass/fail judgment sensor allocation including the operation element number 1400d, operation element 1400e, pass/fail judgment number 1400f, pass/fail judgment timing 1400g, equipment module type 1400h, pass/fail judgment content 1400i, pass/fail judgment method 1400j, pass/fail judgment accuracy 1400k, sensor type 1400l, operation time 1400o, and equipment cost 1400p of the pass/fail judgment sensor allocation management table 1400 are displayed. In addition, the user of the line design device 1100 selects a specific pass/fail sensor assignment by selecting the equipment module type, pass/fail judgment content, sensor type, etc. from multiple candidates for pass/fail sensor assignment via the input unit 1110.

The above description enables the user of the line design device 1100 to manually select the equipment module type, pass/fail judgment method, and sensor type to be used for pass/fail judgment for the line configuration.

Here, the configuration of the equipment module type, pass/fail judgment method, and sensor type used for pass/fail judgment for the line configuration may all be determined by automatic selection, all may be determined by manual selection, or some may be determined by automatic selection and the rest may be determined by manual selection. Furthermore, the selection criteria for the configuration of the equipment module type, pass/fail judgment method, and sensor type used for pass/fail judgment for the line configuration may be to minimize the equipment cost or to minimize the operation time.

According to the second embodiment described above, a sensor assignment including the equipment module type, pass/fail judgment method, and sensor type used for pass/fail judgment for the line configuration can be generated based on pass/fail judgment information for evaluating the completion state of each task constituting a process, a pass/fail judgment method which is a means for evaluating the pass/fail judgment content for each process in each module, and sensor information associated with the pass/fail judgment content indicating the measurement content for evaluating the completion state of the task in each process.

Figure 17 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the line design devices 100 and 1100 in the first and second embodiments of the present invention.

The line design devices 100 and 1100 can be realized as a general computer 1700 equipped with a central processing unit CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1701, memory 1702, an external storage device 1703 such as a hard disk device HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an input device 1704 such as a keyboard, mouse, or barcode reader, an output device 1705 such as a display, and a communication device 1706 that communicates with other computers via a communication network such as the Internet or a dedicated line, or as a network system equipped with multiple such computers 1700.

For example, the storage units 120 and 1120 can be realized by the CPU 1701 using the memory 1702 or the external storage device 1703, the calculation units 150 and 1150 can be realized by the CPU 1701 loading a specific program stored in the external storage device 1703 into the memory 1702 and executing it, the input units 110 and 1110 can be realized by the CPU 1701 using the input device 1704, and the output units 130 and 1130 can be realized by the CPU 1701 using the output device 1705.

In addition, the programs and data stored in the memory units 120 and 1120, the calculation units 150 and 1150, and the external storage device 1703 may be stored in advance inside the computer 1700, or may be obtained by reading from an external storage medium or downloading via communication.

According to the embodiment of the present invention described above, in a manufacturing line configured by flexibly combining equipment modules with specific functions, the contents of the pass/fail judgment for each process and the pass/fail judgment method for each module can be determined using process design information, equipment module information, work allocation information, and pass/fail judgment information as indicators, making it possible to realize a manufacturing line design that includes a pass/fail judgment function, with control specifications and equipment specifications that are self-contained and do not pass defects to the next process.

The system of the present invention may also be configured as follows:

(1) A line design device (e.g., line design device 100 or 1100) that includes a calculation unit (e.g., calculation unit 150 or 1150) and a memory unit (e.g., memory unit 120 or 1120). The memory unit holds process design information (e.g., process design and work allocation information management table 300) that associates work included in each process of a line for manufacturing a product with an equipment module used for the work, equipment module information (e.g., equipment module information management table 400) that indicates the type of sensor that can be attached to the equipment module, and pass/fail judgment information (e.g., pass/fail judgment information management table 500) that indicates the measurement items required for pass/fail judgment to evaluate the completion state of the work. The calculation unit stores the process design information and the pass/fail judgment information. Based on the information, it generates pass/fail judgment content information (e.g., pass/fail judgment content management table 600) that matches the work of the process with the equipment module used in the work and that is the subject of pass/fail judgment, and based on the equipment module information and pass/fail judgment content information, it generates pass/fail judgment method information (e.g., pass/fail judgment method management table 700 or pass/fail judgment sensor allocation management table 1400) that matches the work of the process with the equipment module used in the work and that is the subject of pass/fail judgment, and the type of sensor used for pass/fail judgment for the equipment module, and outputs information (e.g., the information shown in FIG. 10 or FIG. 16) that includes the work included in the process, the equipment module used for the work, and the type of sensor associated with the equipment module.

This allows the content of pass/fail judgment at each process and the pass/fail judgment method for each module to be determined in a production line that is composed of a flexible combination of equipment modules with specific functions, making it possible to design a production line that includes a pass/fail judgment function, with control specifications and equipment specifications that are self-contained and do not pass defects to the next process.

(2) In the above (1), the memory unit holds sensor information (e.g., sensor information management table 1300) that associates the type of sensor with the model of the sensor that can be applied to the line, and the calculation unit assigns to the equipment module, based on the pass/fail determination method information and the sensor information, a sensor of a type that can be attached to the equipment module and is applicable to the line, as a sensor to be used for pass/fail determination (e.g., step S1203).

This allows production lines to be designed where each equipment module is assigned the appropriate sensor for pass/fail determination.

(3) In the above (2), the sensor information includes information (e.g., ladder template 1300i) that associates a combination of a sensor model and an equipment module type with a template of a sensor control ladder that controls the sensor, and the calculation unit generates a sensor control ladder that controls the sensor for pass/fail judgment of the equipment module based on the sensor information, using a template of a sensor control ladder that corresponds to the combination of the equipment module type and the sensor model assigned to the equipment module (e.g., step S1204).

This allows the generation of an appropriate sensor control ladder for pass/fail determination.

(4) In (2) above, the sensor information includes information (e.g., robot program template 1300j) that associates a combination of a sensor model and an equipment module type with a robot program template for pass/fail judgment, and the calculation unit generates a robot program for pass/fail judgment targeting the equipment module based on the sensor information using a robot program template that corresponds to the combination of the equipment module type and the sensor model assigned to the equipment module (e.g., step S1204).

This allows the generation of an appropriate robot program for pass/fail determination.

(5) In the above (2), the sensor information includes at least one of information associating a combination of a sensor type and an equipment module type with a template of a sensor control ladder that controls the sensor, and information associating a combination of a sensor type and an equipment module type with a template of a robot program for pass/fail judgment, and the calculation unit generates at least one of a sensor control ladder that controls the sensor for pass/fail judgment for the equipment module and a robot program for pass/fail judgment for the equipment module using at least one of a sensor control ladder template and a robot program template that correspond to the combination of the equipment module type and the sensor type assigned to the equipment module based on the sensor information, and calculates the work time for pass/fail judgment for the equipment module based on at least one of the sensor control ladder and the robot program (e.g., step S1205).

This allows the work time for the process to be calculated, including the time required for pass/fail determination.

(6) In (2) above, the calculation unit calculates the cost of the equipment for pass/fail judgment of the equipment module based on the assignment of the sensor type to the equipment module (e.g., step S1205).

This allows the cost of the production line to be calculated, including the cost of sensors for pass/fail determination.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes various modified examples. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to provide a better understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all of the configurations described. It is also possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. It is also possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

The above configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in hardware, in part or in whole, for example by designing them as integrated circuits. The above configurations, functions, etc. may be realized in software, by a processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function. Information on the programs, tables, files, etc. that realize each function can be stored in storage devices such as non-volatile semiconductor memory, hard disk drives, and SSDs (Solid State Drives), or in computer-readable non-transitory data storage media such as IC cards, SD cards, and DVDs.

In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those considered necessary for the explanation, and not all control lines and information lines on the product are necessarily shown. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected.

100...line design device, 110...input section, 120...storage section, 121...process design/work allocation information storage area, 122...equipment module information storage area, 123...pass/fail judgment information storage area, 130...output section, 140...display section, 150...calculation section, 151...pass/fail judgment content calculation section, 152...pass/fail judgment method calculation section, 300...process design/work allocation information management table, 400...equipment module information management table, 500...pass/fail judgment information management table, 600...pass/fail judgment content management table, 700...pass/fail judgment method management table, 1000...line design device output screen, 1100...line design device, 1110...input section, 11 20...Memory unit, 1121...Process design/work allocation information storage area, 1122...Equipment module information storage area, 1123...Pass/fail judgment information storage area, 1124...Sensor information storage area, 1130...Output unit, 1140...Display unit, 1150...Calculation unit, 1151...Pass/fail judgment content calculation unit, 1152...Pass/fail judgment method calculation unit, 1153...Pass/fail judgment sensor allocation unit, 1154...Sensor control ladder generation unit, 1155...Robot program generation unit, 1156...Work time calculation unit, 1157...Equipment cost calculation unit, 1300...Sensor information management table, 1400...Pass/fail judgment sensor allocation management table, 1600...Line design device output screen

Claims (4)

A line design device, comprising:
The apparatus includes a calculation unit and a storage unit,
The storage unit is
process design information that associates operations included in each process of a line for manufacturing a product with equipment modules used for the operations;
Equipment module information indicating the types of sensors that can be attached to the equipment module;
Pass/fail judgment information indicating measurement items required for pass/fail judgment to evaluate the completion state of the work;
storing sensor information that associates the type of the sensor with a model of a sensor that can be applied to the line ;
The sensor information includes at least one of information associating a combination of the sensor type and the equipment module type with a template of a sensor control ladder that controls the sensor, and information associating a combination of the sensor type and the equipment module type with a template of a robot program for pass/fail judgment,
The calculation unit is
generating pass/fail judgment content information that associates the work of the process with the equipment module that is used in the work and is the subject of pass/fail judgment based on the process design information and the pass/fail judgment information;
generating pass/fail judgment method information that associates the work of the process, the equipment module that is used in the work and is the subject of pass/fail judgment, and the type of the sensor that is used for the pass/fail judgment of the equipment module based on the equipment module information and the pass/fail judgment content information;
Outputting information including a task included in the process, the equipment module used for the task, and the type of the sensor associated with the equipment module;
assigning, to the equipment module, a type of sensor that can be attached to the equipment module and is applicable to the line based on the pass/fail determination method information and the sensor information, as a sensor to be used for pass/fail determination;
Based on the sensor information, at least one of a sensor control ladder template and a robot program template corresponding to a combination of the type of the equipment module and the model of the sensor assigned to the equipment module is used to generate at least one of a sensor control ladder that controls the sensor for pass/fail judgment of the equipment module and a robot program for pass/fail judgment of the equipment module;
A line design device, comprising: a processing unit that calculates a work time for pass/fail judgment of the equipment module based on at least one of the sensor control ladder and the robot program . The line design device according to claim 1,
The line design device is characterized in that the calculation unit calculates an equipment cost for pass/fail judgment for the equipment module based on the assignment of the sensor type to the equipment module. A line design method executed by a line design device, comprising:
The line design device includes a calculation unit and a storage unit,
The storage unit is
process design information that associates operations included in each process of a line for manufacturing a product with equipment modules used for the operations;
Equipment module information indicating the types of sensors that can be attached to the equipment module;
Pass/fail judgment information indicating measurement items required for pass/fail judgment to evaluate the completion state of the work;
storing sensor information that associates the type of the sensor with a model of a sensor that can be applied to the line;
The sensor information includes at least one of information associating a combination of the sensor type and the equipment module type with a template of a sensor control ladder that controls the sensor, and information associating a combination of the sensor type and the equipment module type with a template of a robot program for pass/fail judgment,
The line design method includes:
a step of generating pass/fail judgment content information by the calculation unit, which associates the work of the process with the equipment module that is used in the work and is the subject of pass/fail judgment based on the process design information and the pass/fail judgment information;
a step in which the calculation unit generates pass/fail judgment method information that associates the work of the process, an equipment module that is used in the work and is the subject of pass/fail judgment, and a type of the sensor that is used for the pass/fail judgment of the equipment module, based on the equipment module information and the pass/fail judgment content information;
a step in which the calculation unit outputs information including a task included in the process, the equipment module used for the task, and the type of the sensor associated with the equipment module;
a step of the calculation unit assigning, to the equipment module, a type of sensor that can be attached to the equipment module and is applicable to the line, as a sensor to be used for pass/fail judgment, based on the pass/fail judgment method information and the sensor information;
a step in which the calculation unit generates, based on the sensor information, at least one of a sensor control ladder for controlling the sensor for pass/fail judgment of the equipment module and a robot program template for the equipment module, using at least one of the sensor control ladder template and the robot program template corresponding to a combination of the type of the equipment module and the model of the sensor assigned to the equipment module;
a step of the calculation unit calculating a work time for pass/fail judgment of the equipment module based on at least one of the sensor control ladder and the robot program. The line design method according to claim 3,
The line design method further comprises a step of calculating a cost of equipment for pass/fail judgment for the equipment module based on the assignment of the sensor type to the equipment module by the calculation unit.

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