jpratik92

Programming Ideas for assembly

5 posts in this topic

Hello, 

I am trying to program an assembly line for two kinds of product manufacturing. This products would be manufactured in a random sequence. I have 3 station in the assembly line and would like to know how to transfer data of product from one station to other station and reset the previous station. The manufacturing is high paced. 

the sequence of manufacturing is as follows: 

Part type 1 : The part is placed on station 1 and procedure is carried out on 2 and 3 and the part is taken out. This is the current process. 

We would be adding one more variety of part. 

Part type : It is scanned on the first station and an extra procedure is being carried on the third station. 

 

I want to take the data from station 1 and carry it over to station 2 and 3 respectively. and reset the station as it passes that station. 

Please let me know if you have any ideas. I have tried daisy chain programming but that might not work .

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What PLCs are at each station?  What communication protocol/networking are you using?  How much "data" do you want to transfer from station to station with the product?  What is the cycle rate of the part?

For this process, consider developing a flowchart of the process.  Start small and add as much detail.  As you are developing your flowchart, ask yourself how can this step go wrong (i.e., determine all modes).  When you determine all modes of operation, this is helpful for determining what alarms to be displayed.  A good flowchart would like the process and have handshaking (and mode alarms). 

Without a well thought out sequential process, throwing data over the wall (i.e., daisy chain) often has events in which the system fails.

If you have Visio, I can provide flowchart examples.

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the complete assembly line is on allen bradley controlslogix. I just need to transfer a bit from one station to other station and clear out the previous station untill the part is scanned again. 

 

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Have a look at the BSL (Bit Shift Left) instruction.

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Why don't you just move a value when the conveyor starts. Then when the the part gets clear of the previous station just 0 out the previous station. 

Part at station 1: Move a 1 into "Part_Tracking.Sta1" 

Command to tranfer to station 2: Move "Part_Tracking_Sta1" into Part_Tracking.Sta2.

When photoeye in station 1 gets clear, move a 0 into Part_Tracking.Sta1

Repeat process.....

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