PLANNING SUPERVISION EQUIPMENT

Abstract: A planning supervision of different machines for working of different products planning charts are used with disengaging marking units as riders, whereby a line is reserved for each machine. Bringing a planning chart in order is time consuming. The invention decreases the time necessary for bringing a planning chart in order. To do so a computer is used with a set of buttons (1), with a processor (2), with a memory (3) for a program, with a memory (4) for the amount of products to be worked and for the necessary time for working and with a display window (8) for each machine to be supervised.

Description: Planning supervision equipment The present invention relates to equipment for planning superivision. A supervisor or foreman is normally responsible for a certain number of machines in a factory, each machine performing its own type of machining. It may, however, be possible to use the machines for a rather large number of different products which, depending on their specific nature, require the use of only some of the various machines available. Considering the number of machines and the number of different products, the foreman or supervisor must have a planning chart which is as simple and clear as possible. However, planning charts can be used where small cards are inserted in compartments, or charts based on the item principle where each product has its own colour or number on the unit to be placed on the planning chart. Although, with the help of the planning char , generally hung on a wall, one can see both the number of different products to be machined, which machines are to be used and which machines are already in use, it has been found that such a planning chart is both time-consuming to prepare and also time-consuming to read. The object of the present invention is to develop equipment for planning supervision which will more quickly and simply provide the foreman or supervisor with information as to the work load on his various machines and the products waiting to use the machines when they become free. This is achieved purely practically by means of an arrangement which can easily be hung on a wall and which has a display unit comprising individual units, each of which can show various numbers. The number of units corresponds to the number of machines the foreman is to super¬ vise. The display unit is connected to a computer containing all the information containing by the planning chart mentioned above. The stored data is transferred to the display unit by means of a switching member. Instead of placing a card or unit on the planning chart as previously, the foreman instead programs the computer and then, with the aid of the switching member and display unit, reads off the programmed computer. . By means of the present invention, therefore, it is possible to see the work load and load times for a product on various machines solely by means of a setting procedure, as well as the number of awaited units for said product, and their handling time. Furthermore, the total load of various products with total load time at the various machines can also be determined by means of setting. Further characteristics of the present invention are revealed in the following claims. The present invention will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawing showing a known computer connected to a display unit and a switching member in accordance with the present invention. In the drawing, 1 shows a setting or switching member, preferably in the form of a set of buttons. The setting member 1 is in communication with a processor which in known manner helps to program the computer by supplying its unit 3 with a program. The processor 2 also communicates with a memory 4. The unit 3 and memory 4 may consist of a single memory, the first part designed for programming. The processor 2 communi¬ cates with a coupling member 5 which, via the processor 2, can transmit data concerning various machines which the planning equipment is to supervise, from the work member 4 to a display unit 8. The display means has 14 different windows arranged one beneath the other, each window being capable of showing four different digits. Of course, the display unit may comprise any nunber of windows, depending on how many machines the planning equipment is to supervise. The planning supervising equipment is provided with two more display units 6, 7 which are separate from the display unit 8. The display unit 6 is intended to indicate the code for the product to be handled by the factory equipment to be supervised by the planning supervision equipment. The latter display unit can reveal ten digits. It can, of course, show more or fewer digits. The planning supervision equipment includes yet another display unit 7, used to indicate the designation of the machine to be used, number of a certain product and total load time of the total number of products to be handled by the factory machinery. OΪ.SFI The function of the equipment described above will now be explained in more detail. In the display unit 8 the upper window is intended for machine number 1, the window below for machine number 2 and so on. Using keyboard, processor and program memory, the various products to be handled by the machines to be supervised are programmed in. The code for each product and the designation of the various machines to handle the products are prograπmed into the memory by means of the setting member 1. Here the various machines are entered in such a way as to enable the sequence to be indicated in which available machines should be used for a product. The time required by each product at each machine is also inserted into the program memory by means of the setting member 1. During programming the display unit 6 always displays the product code and the display unit 7 indicates each machine to be used for a specific product and also the time required by each machine for said specific product. The computer is now ready to accept the planning of various products. The setting member 1 is used to plan the various products, first to indicate the product code and then the number of products to be machined. The number of products is shown on display unit 7. Each product has a specific position in the member 4, these positions referring to the machines to be used. Said positions in the member are added to said number. A number of positions for each machine are also provided in the memory, which states the total machining time at each machine for the programmed number of products of said type. Using the program memory 3 and processor the planned number is multiplied by the programmed time required at each machine programmed in the memory 3» prior to insertion in the work memory 4. The same procedure is then followed for the other products to be machined in the group of machines to be supervised by the planning supervision equipment. With the help of the setting member or set of buttons 1 and the coupling member 5» the various windows in the display member 8 can be connected to three memory cells for a predetermined product, indicating the number of units of said product to be machined at the various machines. Instead of being connected to the memory cells indicating the number the coupling member may be connected to the memory cells indicating total time required. The display unit 8 may also show the total number O 4 of units of dif erent product types to be machined in the various machines, as well as the total work time required for all the products. The total work time for one product can also have been stored in the work member, as well as the total work time for all products. These times can be shown in display unit 7. The above description thus reveals that the planning supervision unit functions exactly as a planning chart in a normal factory, with the difference that the supervisor or foreman can easily obtain the necessary information compiled in the display unit 8. The time necessary for input to the planning supervision equipment is shorter than for a conventional planning chart and the supervisor or foreman quickly obtains information as to the work load, which was not possible earlier. The work memory 4 may also be provided with positions indicating the number of products currently being machined at the various machines. The program memory 3 πia then be designed so that the number of units planned is reduced by the number currently being machined.

Claims: CLAIM Planning supervision equipment for a number of products, each of which is to be subjected to a number of work operations which are specific to each product, in which a recorder of computer type registers the number of products to be subjected to machining, the number of products for each work operation, the number of products being worked on, pre¬ ferably the individual handling time for a product at a work operation, and preferably the total time for the various work operations, charac¬ terised by a display window having the same number of units, all units being able to display the same number of digits, as the number of work operations, and by a setting member, the setting of which in the window reveals either the number of products for the various work operations, total load time at the various work operations, number of products of a certain type for the various work operations, or number of products being worked on.

Inventors: HOLMQVIST SVEN, SVENSSON PER
Applicants: HOLMQVIST SVEN, METODKONSULT, SVENSSON PER
Application year: 1982
Main classification: G07C3
IPC codes: G06Q10, G07C3