US 12,455,555 B2
Automated production station and related methods
Kenneth Wayne Nicholson, Cambridge (CA); Philip David Munroe, Cambridge (CA); James Mark McLean, Cambridge (CA); Robert James MacGregor, Cambridge (CA); David Andrew Tait, Cambridge (CA); and Gustavo Barea, Cambridge (CA)
Assigned to ATS CORPORATION, Cambridge (CA)
Filed by ATS CORPORATION, Cambridge (CA)
Filed on Mar. 3, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/685,775.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/156,455, filed on Mar. 4, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0281049 A1, Sep. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. G05B 19/418 (2006.01)
CPC G05B 19/4183 (2013.01) [G05B 2219/31304 (2013.01); G05B 2219/32252 (2013.01); G05B 2219/32395 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of mass producing different products in an automated production station having a plurality of part-processing devices, comprising:
a) identifying a first workpiece received in the production station;
b) selecting control parameters associated with the first workpiece identified in (a);
c) electronically synchronizing the part-processing devices based on the control parameters selected in (b) to perform coordinated operations on the first workpiece for producing a first product, the operations including mating the first workpiece with a respective second workpiece received in the production station for assembly of the first product;
d) identifying a third workpiece received in the production station, the third workpiece shaped differently from the first workpiece;
e) selecting control parameters associated with the third workpiece identified in (d);
f) electronically synchronizing the part-processing devices based on the control parameters selected in (e) to perform coordinated operations on the third workpiece for producing a second product, the operations including mating the third workpiece with another respective second workpiece received in the production station for assembly of the second product, each second workpiece having a common shape different from that of the first and third workpieces; and
g) repeating (a) to (c) to produce a plurality of the first products and repeating (d) to (f) to produce a plurality of the second products interchangeably with the first products in a continuous mass production process.