Abstract:
A material processing system includes an apparatus having a processing path. A saw station is located along the processing path. A positioner is configured to push a trailing end of a work piece along the processing path toward the saw station. A computer is connected to the apparatus, and programmed to provide a digital interface allowing an operator to control operation of the apparatus through the interface.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS 
   This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 and applicable foreign and international law of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/839,661 filed Aug. 22, 2006 and is hereby incorporated by reference. 
   This application incorporates the following patent application and patents by reference in their entireties: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/964,553 filed Oct. 12, 2004 titled “MULTI-STEP SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING WORKPIECES”; U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,886,462; 7,031,789; 491,307; 2,315,458; 2,731,989; 2,740,437; 2,852,049; 3,994,484; 4,111,088; 4,434,693; 4,658,687; 4,791,757; 4,805,505; 4,901,992; 5,251,142; 5,443,554; 5,444,635; 5,460,070; 5,524,514; and 6,216,574. 

   FIELD 
   The invention relates to product manufacturing. In particular, the invention involves digital management of manufacturing projects. 
   BACKGROUND 
   Production facilities typically need to process materials in batches. For example, it may be necessary to cut wood in varying dimensions to build a cabinet system or a furniture item. The list of wood dimensions required to build the product may be referred to as a “cut list” or a “cutting bill”. Optimization programs are typically used in the industry to determine efficient cutting routines to satisfy cut lists based on raw material dimensions, defects, etc. There is a need for further improvements in the controller interface features used by operators to perform repetitive processing steps and operations. 

   
     THE FIGURES 
       FIG. 1  is a flow chart showing components of a material processing system. 
       FIG. 2  is a view of an automated processing system. 
       FIG. 3  is a display view of a cut list in a spreadsheet format. 
       FIG. 4  is a display view of a control interface with customizable button fields. 
   

   DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1  is a flow chart showing relationships between various components of a material processing system  5 . Material processor  6  includes equipment configured to manipulate materials prior to assembling a final product. For example, material processor  6  includes any combination of components described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,886,462, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Processor  6  may include one or more processing stations. A processing station may include a saw for cutting lengths, widths, or features in a workpiece. Work stations may also include numerous other devices for manipulating a workpiece in accordance with the description in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/964,553, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
   Processor  6  may also include a pushing device for moving a workpiece along a processing path relative to one or more workstations. A mechanism for inputting data relating to location of features on a workpiece such as defects may also be provided. For example, marking devices such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,422 may be used. Alternatively, or in addition, a measuring device for inputting data may include an encoder-based measuring device that an operator can slide parallel to the length of a workpiece and selectively actuate, for example, by pushing a button, to send information about the relative position of the workpiece ends, one or more defects, and/or other workpiece features to the controller. 
   Material processor  6  receives instructions from an operator through process control interface  7 . Process controller  7  may include an interface which enables customizable button fields on a screen display, as described in more detail below. Process controller  7  may work in conjunction with work order spreadsheet display  8  which may be a digitally-generated display screen at least partially resembling a cut list on a conventional clipboard. Work order spreadsheet  8  may access pre-existing cut list data  9  from a digital storage device. 
   An example of an automated processing system constructed in accordance with the present invention is shown generally at  10  in  FIG. 2 . System  10  includes a marking assembly  12  positioned along a front portion of the system. Marking assembly  12  includes a marking station  14  to orient an article or material  16  relative to an optical measuring device  18 . The article may be a wood product, metal, plastic, ceramic, and/or the like. The article may have any suitable shape and size, and may be elongate to define a long axis, which also may be a processing axis. 
   Feature locations  20  along a processing axis  22  of material  16  may be input by a user to the optical measuring device  18 , which communicates the feature locations to a controller  24 . Another computer  24   a  may be used remotely from controller  24  to store, edit, combine, or modify cut lists prior to downloading one or more cut lists to controller  24 . Marking assembly  12  allows a user to virtually mark feature locations  20  of material  16  along processing axis  22  of the material. A “virtual mark” means a noted location on a material relative to a registration point such as an end of the material or an axis, without requiring an actual physical mark on the material. 
   Optical measuring device  18  may provide data input for processing. The optical measuring device may send a light beam along optical path  26 . As described in more detail below, this path may be altered for at least a portion of the light beam by placing an object into the light beam at a location corresponding to a perimeter region of feature location  20 . Alternatively, the object may be placed at a selected location that inputs data about other structural aspects of the material or about nonstructural aspects of material processing. Controller  24  may use one or more structural aspects of the material, such as feature locations  20  and/or overall length, among others, to determine cutting sites. Structural aspects may include dimensions, defect locations, grade of material, etc. One or more structural aspects may be input optically and/or with another user interface. 
   Processing station  28  may be configured to process the material automatically based on the optically input data. Material processing, as used herein, may include any structural alteration of an article (a material). The structural alteration may include removing or separating a portion of the article (such as by cutting, boring, punching, routing, mortising, sanding, drilling, shearing, etc.), adding another component (such as a fastener, a colorant, a sealing agent, a connected component, etc.), forming a joint (such as by tenoning), reshaping the article (such as by stamping, compression, bending, etc.), and/or altering the strength of the article (such as by heating, electromagnetic radiation exposure, radiation treatment, etc.), among others. 
   Station  28  may include a positioner assembly  29 , which may position previously-marked material  30 , relative to a material processing device, such as a saw  32 . Positioned material  30  may be processed at one or more discrete positions along processing axis  34  of material  30  by saw  32 . Material processing may be based on virtually-marked feature locations  20  or other processing data supplied by the user, by deflecting a light beam, as described below. Material processing also may be in accordance with a processing list, such as a cut list, which may be stored in or otherwise accessible to controller  24 . 
   In some embodiments, a material feeding or positioning device  37 , such as a roll feeder, may be used to feed material to a material processing device, such as a saw, in processing station  28 . Alternatively, a pusher mechanism may be employed to engage an end of the material and push the material relative to the processing station, particularly relative to a material processing device of the processing station. Movement of a material positioning device (and/or a material processing device) along a line defines a processing line for in-line processing of an article. Accordingly, an article may be processed at one position or a plurality of discrete positions arrayed parallel to the processing line. 
   As shown in the display view of  FIG. 3 , a work order is presented in spreadsheet format  8  in a readily understandable manner for the operator. A list of parts and quantities is organized in the same manner that an operator may be accustomed to receiving similar material in a paper format, for example, on a clipboard. 
   Additional features may be provided by the underlying program. For example, the operator may look at multiple conditions in a given set of columns and make calculations at the selected position. For example, a line of a cutting bill may include column headings such as: JOB NAMES, STYLE, MATERIAL, OUTSIDE EDGE, INSIDE EDGE, FINISH, PANEL RAISE, LENGTH, PART, WIDTH, QUANTITY. Based upon the style and the material width, the operator may write a function for a given part such as a rail to subtract a given value where the Material Width=x and Part Name=y, then subtract 2×Material Width. 
   The program also may allow sorting by columns; the ability to hide finished cuts, the ability to see progress in the cutting visually by a progressive bar at the right-hand end of each line item; the ability to touch a given line and then move to that position by hitting START; and/or the ability to see the remaining total length of parts to be cut. 
     FIG. 4  shows a display screen for process controller  7 . The screen provides for basic movement of the positioner in material processor  6 , with the following additional features. As shown in  FIG. 4 , screen  200  has a set of fields or “keys”  222 , a key customizing field  224 , and a numerical key Dad field  230 , for use in customizing the function and appearance of the keys. The operator may customize the function of key  222  in movement screen  200 . Keys  222  have the ability to be programmed for specific types of functionality using whole integers or Boolean math and integers. For example, a key may be customized to carry out a function relating to movement of the positioner (“a movement function”). Some examples of movement functions are explained below. 
   For example, key  222  may be given a value which the operator wants to store and recall. The operator may actuate the function key, and then press start button  226 , causing the positioner in processor  6  to move to an appropriate position. 
   Alternatively, key  222  may be given a selected value which the user wants to store and recall. However, instead of inputting just the value at the time of programming, the operator puts a “G” in front of the integer value. When the operator hits the “function” key, the machine immediately moves to that position. The “G” at the front tells the computer to move the positioner to the appropriate position without waiting for the operator to push start button  226 . 
   Alternatively, the operator may program a key to perform a math operand at the beginning of the string such as +⅔. The machine will pick up either the value entered in the movement screen or the current position if no value is entered and perform a math string on that value, and will then wait for the operator to push start button  226 , at which time the positioner moves to that position. 
   Alternatively, the operator may program key  222  to perform a math operand at the beginning of the string such as +⅔ and a G at the back of the string (+⅔G). The machine will pick up either the value entered in the movement screen or the current position if no value is entered and perform the math string on that value. The positioner will then move to that position, without the need for the operator to push start button  226 . 
   Alternatively, the operator may program a sequence of numbers such as 12, 34, 18, 23G, in which case the stop will move through those values on sequential pressing of the functioned key until all movements are completed. The key will visually notify the operator that it is in a series of positions, and then visually notify the operator when the last set is complete. 
   When the operator is programming the function key, you may have the option of doing a “Push Program” or “Pattern Program”. This will require the operator to enter the length of stop and then sequence of cuts requested. If the operator checks a “Kerf Option”, the computer will calculate the kerf and subtract it from the stock length remaining. As the lengths that the operator wants to cut from the stop are entered, a visual on-screen indicator shows the pattern as it is built up and the remaining length will also be indicated. 
   Other options may be enabled by the program. For example, the keys may be selected for custom colors. The keys may either show the inputted function or may display a symbol or label. The keys may have visual keys as to whether they require actuation of start button  226  to initiate movement. The keys may be arranged in any order desired. Multiple screens of keys may be programmed and accessed through a toggle. 
   The program has the ability to generate custom lengths to distinct data files allowing user to link to multiple different data sets or to make changes in this link to accommodate changes in the subject data files. The program may have the ability to read inputs from devices such as a bar code scanner or a linear digital measuring device resulting in the creation of a cut list or a file opened command. The program may have the ability to print labels with bar code formats or other relevant information. The program may be configured for use on a touch screen monitor, and may include a virtual keyboard for data entry. The program may include a mathematical calculator in movement screen  200  which may be operated through keypad  230 . The program may offer a multi-lingual option (English, Spanish, French, etc.) by pressing language button  32 . 
   The disclosure set forth above may encompass one or more distinct inventions, with independent utility. Each of these inventions has been disclosed in its preferred form(s). These preferred forms, including the specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein, are not intended to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and nonobvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions, and/or properties disclosed herein.