US 12,405,599 B2
Systems and methods for maintaining a record for a workpiece processed by a computer numerically controlled (CNC) electronically synchronized manufacturing assembly line cell
Chad William Colyer, Cambridge (CA); Robert David Almas, Cambridge (CA); Philip David Munroe, Cambridge (CA); James Mark Mclean, Cambridge (CA); Connor Hugh McIntosh Murray, Cambridge (CA); Hang Tran, Cambridge (CA); and Kenneth Wayne Nicholson, Cambridge (CA)
Assigned to ATS CORPORATION, Cambridge (CA)
Filed by ATS CORPORATION, Cambridge (CA)
Filed on Jul. 18, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/777,181.
Application 18/777,181 is a continuation of application No. PCT/CA2024/050373, filed on Mar. 26, 2024.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/492,969, filed on Mar. 29, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0369996 A1, Nov. 7, 2024
Int. Cl. G05B 19/418 (2006.01); G05B 19/4063 (2006.01); G05B 19/414 (2006.01)
CPC G05B 19/4183 (2013.01) [G05B 19/4063 (2013.01); G05B 19/4145 (2013.01)] 38 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for operating a dual-controller system for improving a rapid-speed manufacturing process at a computer numerically controlled (CNC) electronically synchronized cell of a manufacturing assembly line for a plurality of workpieces, the CNC electronically synchronized cell comprising a plurality of CNC-equipped workstations operating according to timed and coordinated motion, the method comprising:
operating a cell controller of the dual-controller system to, in real-time, generate and manage, a cell controller record for a workpiece of the plurality of workpieces during the rapid-speed manufacturing process, the cell controller being responsible for overseeing the rapid-speed manufacturing process at the CNC electronically synchronized cell;
operating a part-processing controller of the dual-controller system to, in real-time, generate and manage a part-processing controller record for the workpiece during the rapid-speed manufacturing process, the part-processing controller being responsible for motion control at the plurality of CNC-equipped workstations, the part-processing controller operating to manage the part-processing controller record to include processing information related to the workpiece during one or more part assembly tasks in real-time, and the cell controller operating to manage the cell controller record which comprises workpiece data in addition to the part-processing controller record;
initiating by the cell controller the rapid-speed manufacturing process at the CNC electronically synchronized cell during which at least one part assembly task is initiated, the at least one part assembly task comprises at least one electronically synchronized part-processing operation involving motion control managed by the part-processing controller within one or more predefined timed windows;
during the rapid-speed manufacturing process and upon completion of each electronically synchronized part-processing operation of the at least one electronically synchronized part-processing operation,
operating the cell controller to, in real-time during the rapid-speed manufacturing process, modify the cell controller record to include an inspection identifier based on a result of the at least one part-processing operation; and
at a predefined time window of the one or more predefined timed windows following completion of the part assembly task managed by the part-processing controller, operating the part-processing controller to initiate a status request for the result of the at least one part-processing operation and modifying the part-processing controller record based on the received result from the cell controller;
during the rapid-speed manufacturing process and upon completion of the part assembly task, operating the part-processing controller to evaluate the cell controller record and the part-processing controller record to assign a status for the workpiece following the part assembly task consistent with the rapid-speed manufacturing process.