Patent ID: 6434446
Filing Date: 2002-08-13
Classification: B23Q,B65G,G05B,Y02P

Abstract:
A method for adjusting the workpiece flow in a production system, including a plurality of workpieces and a plurality of workpiece agents associated with the plurality of workpieces, a plurality of machines for machining the plurality of workpieces, a plurality of machine agents associated with the plurality of machines, and at least a first transportation means for transporting the plurality of workpieces between the plurality of machines, comprising the steps of:transferring a destination machine address (Mz) from one of the plurality of workpiece agents to a transport agent controlling a second transport means; comparing the destination machine address (Mz) transferred from one of the workpiece agents to the transport agent with a local machine address (Mn) assigned to the transport agent; transporting one of the plurality of workpieces to the at least a first transportation means by controlling the second transport means by the transport agent, wherein one of the plurality of workpieces is shunted out at the local machine if the destination machine address (Mz) matches the local machine address (Mn) or the workpiece is transported by the at least a first transportation means either in the direction of the plurality of machines with a machine address (Mz=M(n+x)) being larger than the local machine address, or in the direction of the plurality of machines with a machine address (Mz=M(nâˆ’x)) being smaller than the local machine address.