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Abstract

A predictive industrial control system for controlling individual cells of machines through multiple Programmable Logic Controllers in an investment casting processing and handling operation. An application server located in a remote, non-industrial environment executes an industrial control application (ICA) utilizing tagged reference names corresponding to individual machines and information input devices such as sensors on the production line. The ICA accesses local databases that hold casting shell part numbers and their associated recipe control words, and monitors the system for new shell part numbers as they appear on a load conveyor in the production line. Radio Frequency tags on the part signal the ICA to transfer the appropriate recipe control words and robot moves required to process the part in a primary processing cell's PLC. The PLC then controls each machine in the primary processing cell in accordance with the downloaded commands from the ICA. The control program downloaded into the PLC at boot-up is written such that machines connected to the PLC may operate independently from the ICA during a selected number of dip cycles. Since processing instructions are downloaded in a predictive manner well ahead of any situation requiring new instructions, the processing of the ICA instructions on the remote server or communications on a slow industrial network does not limit the processing throughput of each cell; and therefore, the production line throughput. The system allows for alteration of the sequence of processing steps from automatic to manual modes as desired without seriously hampering the system throughput.

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First Claim