Abstract:
A planning device for planning a technical installation comprising modules having mechanical components and electrical components, where every module has a desired functionality. In accordance with the invention, a library of sets of electrical components include the properties of the mechanical components and electrical components from which a component set can be allocated to a module by allocation function, and the properties of the allocated component set, which is defined in component parameters, is usable to determine whether the module functionality resulting from the allocated component set corresponds to the desired functionality with a definable accuracy.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This is a U.S. national stage of International Application No. PCT/EP2008/000386, filed on 18 Jan. 2008. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The invention relates to planning devices and, more particularly, to a planning device for planning a technical installation, with the technical installation being formed from modules which each have mechanical and electrical components, and each module includes a desired functionality. The invention also relates to a corresponding method. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Invention 
         [0005]    A method for an object-oriented plant design is described in the article “objektorientierte Fabrikplanung” [object-oriented plant design] by G. Schuh, Werkstatttechnik Online, volume 97 (2007), H.3. A comparison is made with software engineering. A hierarchical structure is proposed for the planning of a plant. Plant modules are configured in hierarchically consecutive planning stages from a rough schematic diagram to a fine, more detailed diagram. As in object-oriented programming, each module is embodied here in accordance with the principle of encapsulation such that the module can be easily replaced when the planning is changed. Interactions are only possible over interfaces which are made available explicitly. 
         [0006]    The digital planning of technical installations is gaining increasing importance. Currently, virtual mapping of the technical installation allows investments to be protected at a very early stage by a simulation. In the case of production installations, product planning can be converted far more quickly into a finished product. Such digital planning requires a very large quantity of data. Aside from the purely digital mapping of the technical installation through geometry in the form of a 3D simulation, attempts are increasingly also being made to simulate the technical functionalities of the installation in the form of a virtual commissioning. Aside from the geometric and mechanical properties of the components of the technical installation, more and more electrical properties are thus also being included. In the case of a production installation, aside from the geometric properties of a manufacturing robot and the dimensions of a manufacturing cell for instance, properties of an electric motor for instance, such as electrical output power or torque, are also taken into account. All components generally interact with one another. To assess the suitability of a component for the task at hand, further components must already be selected to determine, by a simulation, whether the desired result will be achieved. The large variety of possible combinations thus resulting has led to a large planning outlay when determining an optimal configuration. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a planning device with which a technical installation can be planned with particularly minimal planning outlay. A further object of the invention is to specify a corresponding planning method. 
         [0008]    This and other objects and advantages are achieved in accordance with the invention by providing a planning device for planning a technical installation. Here, the technical installation is formed from modules which each include mechanical and electrical components, where each module includes a desired functionality and a library of sets of electrical components that is provided with properties of these components. In accordance with the invention, a component set can be allocated to a module by an allocation function and the properties of this component set defined in component parameters can be used to deduce whether the module functionality resulting with from the component set corresponds to the desired functionality with a definable accuracy. 
         [0009]    The invention is based on the knowledge that eligible electrical components can be grouped together, such as in a manufacturer-oriented grouping. Electrical components from one manufacturer generally exhibit a better compatibility with respect to one another than electrical components from different manufacturers. Furthermore, technical installations often have specifications relating to the choice of manufacturer for the electrical components. A further grouping option can exist in terms of the functionality. For instance, electrical components could be grouped based on their safety level. 
         [0010]    A marked simplification of the planning process is now achieved by grouping the electrical components into a component set. The functionality of a module is described by a desired functionality. An entire component set is now used to realize this desired functionality. Here, a component set can, to some extent, be understood as a collection in the style of a clothing collection. Trying the collection on in a fitting room corresponds to a comparison of the functionality resulting from the collection with the desired functionality. The selection options of a planner are therefore restricted by the component set, thereby resulting on the one hand in a clear simplification of the planning process and on the other hand, when using proven collections, in other words component sets, also in a quality benefit. Component sets are stored in a library. Compared with previous planning approaches which, if need be, permitted a selection of individual electrical components from a collection of different components of the same type, different types of components are now grouped with one another to form a component set. As a result, the selection of a component set during the planning creates a series of components of a different functionality being determined. Here, the components of a component set are compatible with one another. A component set therefore already has an internal compatibility. The component set is preferably further developed over time such that its functionality corresponds with the desired functionality of as large a number of modules as possible. 
         [0011]    The check for correspondence preferably occurs by simulating the module functionalities, with the component parameters underlying the simulation. A digital planning of a technical installation can be performed by simulating the processes on the technical installation. Such a simulation can determine whether the components used actually provide the desired functionality. For instance, the result of a real-time simulation could be that the components used do not lead to the method being processed at the desired speed. Here, the component set cannot therefore be used unchanged. 
         [0012]    The check for correspondence is preferably performed by comparing the desired parameters that characterize the desired functionality with corresponding component parameters of the component set. The desired functionality is therefore mapped by parameters. A component set is described by parameters, which correspond at least partially in their type to the parameters of the desired functionality. If the parameters of the component set also correspond in terms of their value to the parameters of the desired functionality, and/or they are within a corresponding interval, the desired correspondence is present. 
         [0013]    The electrical components are preferably implemented mechatronically with an additional mechanical functionality. Electrical and mechanical elements of a component are increasingly merged to form an integrated structure. For instance, piezoelectric modules can fulfill mechanical tasks. The integrated embodiment of a gripper arm together with its electrical drive may also be a mechatronic component. The use of mechatronic components results in a further simplification of the planning process. 
         [0014]    The planning can preferably be implemented by a planning process which is structured in hierarchical levels and has consecutive planning stages, with the mechanical or electrical components of a lower planning stage of the at least second hierarchical level having the properties of the mechanical or electrical components of the upper planning stage from the hierarchical level arranged upstream of the lower planning stage and also a higher level of detail with respect to the properties of the mechanical or electrical components. Furthermore, the planning apparatus preferably comprises an object-oriented architecture, so that within the meaning of the rules of the object-oriented programming, a planning stage is described by classes, the objects with properties of the mechanical and electrical components as attributes and methods instantiate the module functionalities, and where a lower planning stage inheriting attributes and methods of the upper planning stage. 
         [0015]    A greater degree of detail can be gradually set in consecutive planning stages by a planning process which is divided into hierarchical levels. An inheritance of properties allows planning of a preceding planning stage to easily be specified in greater detail. By a detailing now being available from a library by selecting a component set, the planning of a planning stage can be implemented particularly efficiently with a high degree of detail. Within the meaning of object-oriented programming, a component set is available as a set of classes. 
         [0016]    The planning apparatus preferably comprises a visualization apparatus, in which graphical images of the modules can be shown, with the degree of detail of the graphical display increasing downwards hierarchically along the planning stages and with the lower planning stage being displayed by superimposing graphical elements from this lower planning stage over the elements of their upper planning stage. During the planning of a technical installation, a visualization is needed, which is generally undertaken by a 2D or 3D display on the computer. An increased level of detail of a planning stage is now expediently achieved by superimposing its elements over the abstract elements of the preceding planning stage. The use of whole component sets becomes clear in this visualization by a specific collection being wrapped like an envelope around the more abstract display. A deviation of the functionality produced by the selected collection, i.e. of the component set, from the desired functionality can be made visible by graphical displays. For instance, components of the component set which cause the deviation from the desired functionality can be shown flashing or in another color. 
         [0017]    The technical installation is preferably a production line for manufacturing a product. The digital planning of a plant for producing a product is already reality in many areas. The planning of such a production line entails the highest complexity. The selection of the electrical components, in particular of automation components, is generally subject to boundary conditions of the plant developer and/or operator. In particular, a manufacturer-specific selection is often taken into consideration. 
         [0018]    In another object a method is achieved in accordance with the invention by providing a method for planning a technical installation, in which the technical installation is formed from modules which each have mechanical and electrical components, with each module having a desired functionality and with a library of sets of electrical components being provided with properties of these components, from which a component set can be allocated to a module by an allocation function and the properties of the component set defined in component parameters can be used to deduce whether the module functionality resulting from the component set corresponds to the desired functionality with a definable accuracy. 
         [0019]    The advantages of such a method emerge from the details given above relating to the advantages of the planning device. 
         [0020]    The check for correspondence preferably occurs by comparing desired parameters that characterize the desired functionality with the component parameters. 
         [0021]    The check for correspondence preferably occurs by simulating the module functionality using the parameters of the component set underlying the simulation. 
         [0022]    Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]    The invention is described in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which: 
           [0024]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of a technical installation; 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  shows a module of a technical installation of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  is an illustration of a planning device and a component set in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  is an illustration of a method for planning a technical installation in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0028]      FIGS. 5   a - 5   c  are illustrations of a visualization device in accordance of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0029]      FIG. 1  shows a technical installation  3 . The technical installation  3  has three modules  9   a ,  9   b ,  9   c . The modules  9  are explained in more detail in  FIG. 2 . The technical installation  3  is embodied here as a manufacturing plant. The modules  9  sort manufacturing parts. The manufacturing parts are transported in pallets  61  by way of a fork lift truck  201  to a further manufacturing section  91 . The manufacturing parts are combined at the further manufacturing section  91  by conveyor belts  93  in an assembly unit  95  to form a product  41 . The planning of such a technical installation  3  requires a very accurate description of the properties and functions of all the components used. In more complex technical installations, this quickly results in a very complicated planning process. How this planning process can be more simply configured is described in more detail below. 
         [0030]      FIG. 2  shows one of the modules  9  of the technical installation  3  of  FIG. 1 . The module  9  has a robot  73  with a gripper G. A camera K is installed on the gripper G for purposes of pattern recognition. The robot  73  is installed in front of a belt conveyor  75 . The belt conveyor  75  has a motor M for its drive, when the motor is being placed on a base  71 . The robot  73 , the belt conveyor  75  and the base  71  are mechanical components  5  of the module  9 . The gripper G, the camera K and the motor M are electrical components  7  of the module  9 . The gripper G is embodied here as a mechatronic component. Aside from electrical components for its drive, the gripper G also has mechanical components for gripping. A further electrical component is a programmable logic controller S. This controller S is used to control the process of the production flow on the module  9 . A computer  91  and a screen  93  allow intervention into the procedure and parameters to be set for it. Product parts  51 ,  53 ,  55  of different geometries are transported by the belt conveyor  75  to the robot  73  by a feeder track  81 . The product parts  51 ,  53 ,  55  pass a proximity sensor which comprises a light beam in the process. The robot  73  identifies, by the camera K, the different geometries of the product parts  51 ,  53 ,  55 . Depending on the geometry, the robot  73  uses the gripper G to sort the product parts  51 ,  53 ,  55  into a pallet. 
         [0031]    The desired functionality of the module  9  is described in parameters F. For instance, a parameter F 1  specifies a desired flow rate. This results in a specification relating to a quantity of desired parameters  12  for the electrical components  7 , e.g., for a parameter SM 1  of the motor M but also relating to a parameter SL 1  for a resolution of the light barrier L or a parameter SG 2  of the gripping speed of the gripper G. Other parameters F of the desired functionality of the module  9  thus also determine parameters of the electrical component  7 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 3  shows a component set  13 . The component set  13  includes a motor M, a controller S, a light barrier L, a gripper G and a camera K. Each of these electrical components  7  has a component parameter set  17 . The component set  13  is stored together with further component sets in a library  11  of a planning device  1 . The desired parameters  12  are likewise available to the planning device  1 , where the desired parameters  12 , as described above, describe the desired functionality of the module  9 . By comparing the component parameters  17  of the component set  13  with the desired parameters  12 , a check is performed to determine whether the desired functionality of the module  9  can be implemented by the component set  13 . A further possibility for this check provides for a simulation of the production flow on the module  9 . To this end, the production flow of the module  9  is simulated by a simulation apparatus  14 , which is created based on the component set  13  that is used. If the simulation produces a satisfactory production flow, the check is successful. 
         [0033]      FIG. 4  shows a method for planning a technical installation  3 . A planning process is divided into hierarchical levels  23 . A first planning stage  21   c  is implemented in a first hierarchical level  23   a . In this planning stage, only a rough schematic display occurs in 2D form for the module  9 . In a next planning stage  21   b  of the second hierarchical level  23   b , the module  9  is presented in greater detail. Here the belt conveyor  75  can comprise a first variant  21   b   1  as a conveyor belt. In a second variant  21   b   2 , the belt conveyor  75  is embodied as a chain belt conveyor. These two variants define different configurations for the electrical components. The configuration of the electrical components occurs in hierarchical level  23   c  with the planning stage  21   a . Here, different variants can again arise. A first variant  21   a   11  arises with a first component set  13 . A second variant  21   a   12  arises with a second component set  13 . By simulating the production flow on the module  9 , a check is performed in both variants to determine, whether the desired functionality of the module  9  is reached. Different possible variants likewise ensue from the second variant of the second planning stage  21   b . Here, component sets for chain conveyors are considered from the library  11 . Chain conveyors differ from the belt conveyor, for instance, in the number of their drives. 
         [0034]    This planning process is expediently implemented in an object-oriented architecture. A class  27  is allocated to a hierarchical level in each instance. The class  27  instantiates objects  29 . A subordinate hierarchical level  23   b  inherits the attributes and methods of the preceding hierarchical level  23   a , in other words the classes  27  of a subordinate hierarchical level  23   b  inherit the attributes and methods of the classes  27  of the upstream hierarchical level  23   a.    
         [0035]      FIG. 5   a  shows a visualization device  33  of a planning device  1 . A first window  103  and a second window  105  are shown on a graphical user interface  101 . The technical installation  3  is shown graphically in the second window  105 . A specific component set for a module of the technical installation is selected in the first window  103  by an input dialog  111 . A simulation of the production flow of the technical installation with the selected component set is implemented by a menu  113 . If a deviation of the simulated functionality from the predetermined desired functionality is determined, an error message  107  is generated. An error description  109  for the error message  107  is output in the first window  103 .  FIG. 5   b  shows how a first component set is indicated by a first cross-hatched area differing from another cross-hatched area of another component record in  FIG. 5   c . Whereas the desired functionality is achieved with the component set from  FIG. 5   c , an error message results with the component set from  FIG. 5   b . Thus, while there are shown, described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the illustrated apparatus, and in its operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice.