Abstract:
A device is disclosed for automating machines, such as machine tools or production machines, whereby the device includes at least one local user terminal located proximate to a corresponding machine for operating that machine, at least one controller for controlling the corresponding machine connected with the local user terminal via a bus system, and at least one computer that is also connected to the bus system for unidirectional or bidirectional data transfer. The at least one computer includes operating software capable of controlling functions of the machine(s) and can be operated from the user terminal(s). The disclosed device optimizes the operation of a machine tool or production machine in an automation environment.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the priority of German Patent Application, Serial No. 103 59 251.2, filed Dec. 17, 2003, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d).  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to a device for automating a machine, and more particular to a device for automating a machine tool or production machine.  
         [0003]     Nothing in the following discussion of the state of the art is to be construed as an admission of prior art.  
         [0004]     The various components of an automation device or facility are typically connected with each other in form of a network via a bus system. For example, several production machines or machine tools can be connected with each other and with, for example, a service PC and/or a simulator via a common bus system. Each machine tool or production machine can include a corresponding user terminal located in close proximity of the machine tool or production machine. Conversely, the service PC or simulator are frequently implemented in a different computing device and placed remote from the machine tool or production machine, so that they can be used for several machines simultaneously to provide cost savings. For example, the machine tools or production machines may be placed inside a factory building, whereas the service PC and/or the simulator are housed separately.  
         [0005]     The service PC is used, for example, to read and analyze alarm messages or specific internal parameters, for example, of a machine controller in the event of a malfunction, thereafter displaying the messages and parameters. The simulator can be used to simulate the production and/or process flow within a single machine or between different machines, for example, to optimize control parameters for a machine, which are then transmitted to the user terminal and then to the machine controller. In actual situations, when such automation devices are installed, a machine can no longer to be operated from the user terminal located close to the machine because important functions required for optimally controlling the machine are no longer available at the user terminal, but are instead implemented on the service PC or the simulator. Therefore, when using conventional automation devices, a user may have to walk quite a long way to gain control of the various machines because the machines can no longer be fully operated on-site. In other words, if a malfunction occurs or a simulation is to be performed, the user may have to walk from the installation site of the machine to the service PC or simulator in order to perform these tasks, and then return to the user terminal of the machine, or optionally carry a transportable service PC to the machine. Moreover, the simulation results are visualized or the service is performed on the service PC at a location different from that of the machine, making it difficult to directly compare the simulation results on-site with the operating characteristics of the actual machine.  
         [0006]     It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved automation device that optimizes the operation of a machine tool or production machine.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     According to one aspect of the invention, a device for automating a machine includes a local user terminal located proximate to the machine for operating the machine, a controller that controls the machine and is connected via a bus system with the local user terminal, and a computer having operating software capable of controlling functions of the machine. The computer is connected to the bus system for unidirectional or bidirectional data transfer and operated from the user terminal.  
         [0008]     The machine can be a machine tool or production machine. Moreover, the device can include a plurality of machines, each having an associated therewith a corresponding user terminal and a corresponding controller, as well as a plurality of computers, all of which are connected via the bus system in the manner described above.  
         [0009]     Machine tools in the context of the present invention can also include, for example, uniaxial or multi-axis lathes, milling machines, as well as drilling or grinding machines. Machine tools can further include processing centers, linear and rotary transfer machines, laser machines, rolling machines and/or gear cutters. These machines have in common that the material is machined along several axes. Production machines in the context of the present invention can include textile, paper, plastic, wood, glass, ceramic or stone processing machines, as well as machines used for forming, packaging, printing, conveying, lifting, pumping, transporting. Furthermore, fans, blowers, wind turbines, lifting gear, cranes, robots, production and assembly lines are also included under the term production machines in the context of the present invention.  
         [0010]     According to one advantageous feature of the invention, the operating software that controls functions of the machine may be set up so that it executes only in the controller, which can minimize the required hardware and software requirements of the controller.  
         [0011]     According to another advantageous feature of the invention, the device can further include a human-machine-interface (HMI) computer that is connected with the bus system for unidirectional or bidirectional data transfer, whereby the operating software that controls machine functions is executed only in the HMI computer. In this way, several user terminals can access common operating software and the required hardware or software within the individual user terminals can be minimized.  
         [0012]     According to yet another advantageous feature of the invention, the device can further include a service center, wherein the bus system can be connected with the service center via the Internet. The service center can be set up for bidirectional data transfer with the bus system, whereby the data from the service center can be visualized on the user terminal, i.e., close to the machine.  
         [0013]     According to still another advantageous feature of the invention, the user terminal, the controller and/or the computer can include identification tags that enable the HMI computer and/or the service center to automatically identify the corresponding user terminal, controller and/or computer.  
         [0014]     According to yet another advantageous feature of the invention, the bus system can be implemented as an Ethernet bus system, which is one example of various widely used bus systems. It will be understood that other bus systems that are capable of connecting and transferring data between computing devices, controller, sensors and other components can also be used. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0015]     Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of currently preferred exemplified embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  shows a first embodiment of a device for automating machine tools or production machines according to the invention, with operating software running in an HMI computer; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  shows a second embodiment of a device for automating machine tools or production machines according to the invention, with operating software running in the machine controllers. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]     Throughout all the Figures, same or corresponding elements are generally indicated by same reference numerals. These depicted embodiments are to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting in any way. It should also be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments are sometimes illustrated by graphic symbols, phantom lines, diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted.  
         [0019]     Turning now to the drawing, and in particular to  FIG. 1 , there is shown in form of a schematic block diagram a first embodiment of a device for automating a machine, such as a machine tool or production machine, according to the invention. The device includes, by way of example, two production machines  1   a  and  1   b , two computing devices  9  and  10 , a bus system  6 , an HMI (human-machine-interface) computer  11 , and a service center  14 . The service center  14  is connected to the bus system  6  via the Internet  13  and via a server  12 , which can include firewall functionality. It will be understood, that additional computing devices and/or additional production machines and/or machine tools can be connected to the bus system  6 . Each of the production machines  1   a  and  1   b  includes a corresponding user terminal  3   a  and  3   b  for operating the respective machine, as well as a corresponding controller  7   a  and  7   b , and an associated drive system  8   a  and  8   b , respectively. The controller  7   a  and the drive system  8   a  can be operated from the user terminal  3   a , whereas the controller  7   b  and the drive system  8   b  can be operated from the user terminal  3   b . It will be understood that the production machines  1   a  and  1   b  can include additional components which are not essential for the present invention and have therefore been omitted for sake of clarity.  
         [0020]     Each of the user terminals  3   a ,  3   b  includes a corresponding display screen  2   a ,  2   b  for visualization as well as input means  4   a ,  4   b , which can be implemented, for example, in form of a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a touchpad and/or a touch screen, voice input, and the like. In the embodiment is depicted in  FIG. 1 , the computing device  9  is implemented as a service PC  9  connected to the bus system  6 , whereas the computing device  10  is implemented as a simulation workstation or simulator  10  which is also connected to the bus system  6 . The service PC  9  can be used, for example, to display alarm messages, for example to indicate a malfunction of the production machines  1   a ,  1   b , and/or to change or visualize internal parameters of the controller  1   a  and  1   b , respectively, that cannot be changed from the user terminal  3   a ,  3   b . For example, the simulation workstation  10  can be used to simulate, analyze, optimize and visualize the manufacturing or production process, and to optimize control parameters for parameterizing the controllers  7   a ,  7   b . Accordingly, generally useful functionalities for controlling the machine are implemented in the controllers  9  and  10 .  
         [0021]     According to the invention, unlike conventional automation devices, the service PC  9  and the simulation workstation  10  can be operated from the user terminals  3   a ,  3   b . Stated differently, the user can access and fully operate the service PC  9  and the simulation workstation  10  from any of the user terminals  3   a ,  3   b  located in close proximity to a corresponding production machine  1   a ,  1   b . In an equivalent logic diagram, the service PC  9  and the simulation workstation  10  would then appear as being part of the user terminal  3   a ,  3   b . The visualization presented to the user on the user terminals  3   a ,  3   b  is then identical or similar to the visualization presented on a display screen of the service PC  9  or the simulation workstation  10 . Moreover, the user can operate the service PC  9  or the simulation workstation  10  via the user terminal  3   a ,  3   b  by using the input means  4   a ,  4   b  in the same manner or in a similar manner as if (s)he were physically located directly in front of the service PC  9  or on the simulation workstation  10 .  
         [0022]     Unlike with conventional devices for automating machine tools or production machines, the user can fully operate a production machine  1   a  or  1   b  with the device of the invention via the user terminal  3   a ,  3   b  associated with that machine. For example, the production machine  1   a  can be started up entirely and directly from the user terminal  3   a , because operations that are typically performed during the start-up phase of the machine by the service PC can now also be performed from the user terminal  3   a . The same applies to any required simulations, for example when testing a new parts program for the controllers  7   a  and  7   b.    
         [0023]     In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the operating software  15  that operates the controller  7   a ,  7   b  and/or the service PC  9  and the simulation workstation  10  is advantageously no longer executed in the user terminals  3   a  and  3   b  themselves, but instead by a separate so-called HMI (human-machine-interface) computer  11 . In this way, the controllers  7   a ,  7   b , the service PC  9  and the simulation workstation  10  can now advantageously be operated from the user terminals  3   a  and  3   b  using universal operating software  15  running in the HMI computer  11 . Because the operating software  15  is no longer executed in the user terminals  3   a  and  3   b , the user terminals  3   a ,  3   b  do not need to have their own intelligence and can instead be implemented as so-called ultra-thin-clients  5   a ,  5   b  connecting the corresponding display screens  2   a ,  2   b  and the input means  4   a ,  4   b  with the bus system  6 . The ultra thin clients  5   a ,  5   b  merely convert the signals to and from the display screen  2   a ,  2   b , as well as the signals of the input means  4   a ,  4   b  into a data format that can be read by the bus system  6 . The data are then interpreted by the operating software  15 , which also interprets, for example, keystrokes received from the input means  4   a ,  4   b , and returns the user messages about the manufacturing and/or production process, and also controls the visualization on the display screens  2   a ,  2   b.    
         [0024]     In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the bus system  6  also connects to a server  12  which is connected with the service center  14 , for example, via the Internet  13  or an intranet. The service center  14  can be used, for example, to archive data, but is not essential for implementing the invention. Such data can include events or alarms that occurred during the manufacturing or production process, and/or software states and parts programs that can later support service on the machine. The user can access the data stored in the service center  14  on-site, i.e., at the location of the machine, via the respective user terminal  3   a ,  3   b , by using, for example, a browser. Alternatively or in addition, the service center  14  can also store data from the controllers  7   a ,  7   b , from the HMI computer  11 , from the service PC  9 , from the simulation workstation  10 , as well as from the user terminals  3   a ,  3   b.    
         [0025]      FIG. 2  shows another embodiment of the device according to the invention. The embodiment of  FIG. 2  is identical with the embodiment of  FIG. 1  with the exception that the operating software  15  is no longer executed on a separate HMI computer  11 , but forms an integral component  15   a ,  15   b  of the respective controllers  7   a ,  7   b . Since the controllers  7   a  and  7   b  already include a computer for executing the control functions, which typically has enough processing power for executing the operating software  15   a  and  15   b , the HMI computer  11  can be eliminated. In one embodiment, the operating software  15   a  associated with the controller  7   a  of machine  1   a  can also operate the machine  1   b  in addition or instead of machine  1   a , for example, when the controller  7   b  is already busy performing other tasks. The reference characters used for the other components in  FIG. 2  are identical to those used in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0026]     Advantageously, the bus system in both embodiments can be implemented as an Ethernet bus system which is known to have a sufficiently high data throughput, although other suitable bus systems can also be employed.  
         [0027]     Moreover, other computing devices, which can include additional specific functions to be accessed by the user terminals  3   a  and  3   b , can be connected to the bus system  6  in addition to the service PC  9  and the simulation workstation  10 .  
         [0028]     In addition, the user terminals, the controllers and the computers and other optional devices can have an identification tag that uniquely identifies these devices. The HMI computer or optionally the service center can use these identification tags for automatically identifying the layout of the automation device, whereby components of the automation device can be removed or inserted during the operation (hot-swap).  
         [0029]     Moreover, additional computing devices performing different functions can be connected in addition to the two computers/workstations  9  and  10 . For example, the additional computing devices can take over functions that are otherwise performed by the control software controlling the drive system  8   a  and/or  8   b , thereby reducing the processing load of the controllers  7   a ,  7   b.    
         [0030]     While the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with currently preferred embodiments shown and described in detail, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.  
         [0031]     What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims and includes equivalents of the elements recited therein: