MES

MES SDS

This describes the functions of a MES for an adaptive manufacturing plant. This plants assembly stations may reconfigure or be able to make outputs in more than a single form. For example, the process areas of this plant are 3D printers, CNC mills, plasma cutters, metal benders and a variety of other "adaptive" assembly machines.

A MES:

• Receives orders of products and defines the process to make them.
  • So this means it takes a product file (described below) and defines the flow of parts for that product between machines retroactively, giving human operators or machines instructions along the way.
  • Executes processes to make parts in a manner to most efficiently use the plants machines and energy to make the maximum number of parts in a given time.
• Inspects the quality of parts
  • reclaims or recycles failures.

Proposed Software modules to realize scope

Asset Management

• Keeps track of where products are. other processes can query this and speak it's language.
  • Maintains data collection sensors such as barcode readers, cameras, RFID, ECT.
    • or, just simply could take in human input in the form of inventory lists or manual entry.
• Keeps track of product in the form of
• zones
  • a zone is two x,y,z coordinates defining a oppisate diagional corners of a cube. Or just some space that lives Somewhere... usually in Industry we do some cube or polygon that's certain corner is some offset from some GPS coordinate.
  • zones have containers
    • containers hold products or parts.
    • A container can be something being shipped from anouther factory or business entity (an Amazon or McMaster order if you will)

Machine dispatch process

Selects available machines to preform assembly instructions from the MES. Detects input of parts and receives assembly instructions from the MES.

Example

EX1 - So, in the example of a 3D printed toothbrush, it would look for a printer with the correct fillament loaded, or would order someone / something to change or load the correct fillament and items to that printer. it might order different PARTS to be loaded to the printer such as a different printhead or nozzel. When done, it would send the assym instructions (printer gcode) to that machines process controler (the ramps)

Notes on this

Could grab lots of these features from octoprint? ??

Products, Parts and Assembly instructions

• A product consists of parts and is realized though assembly instructions.
  • A product is a part
  • A tool is considered a part
    • A tool is not integrated into end products.
      • A tool has charateristics
      • a tool charateristic is usable life and how much it has used of that
      • a whole bunch of other stuff im sure...
  • A part can consist of other parts
  • A part can have Assembly instructions.
    • Assembly instructions define how parts combine to make other parts or products, and what type of assembler will act on the inputted parts.
      • Assembly instructions can have several formats - Gcode for machines and also maybe a PDF for a person to follow.
      • Assembly instructions may specify the state of a machine, that would be specific to the machine and process controler. for example, an instuction for a 3d printer might specify what nozzle size it is supposed to use.
      • Assembly instructions can be batch or continuous, which is more applicable to chemical products.
  • A part has characteristics
    • A characteristic of a part is a picture depicting it in every relevant view.
    • A characteristic of a part part is physical features.
      • Physical features have tolerances
      • Physical features can have inspection instructions
        • Inspection instructions list what machine does the inspection, and how to do it. maybe those instructions are both digital and human readable.
        • Inspection instructions output Metrology information that is consumed by the MES. Pass or fail decisions can be made on a part based on this.