Control device for a production module and a method for operating the control device

A plurality of control devices, each control device controlling a respective production module for processing or handling a product in a production system comprising a multiplicity of production modules, with each control device comprising:

• a) a settings management module for detecting constraints which must be complied with by operating settings of the respective production module, and for the respective generation of a constraint data record which specifies a detected constraint and identifies the operating setting restricted thereby, wherein the settings management module is configured to dynamically detect a product in an interaction area between the respective production module and an adjacent production module of the multiplicity of production modules, to generate a change notification, transmit the change notification to a synchronizing module and/or to the adjacent production module of the multiplicity of production modules in response to such detection, and following the detection to initiate the capture of constraints imposed by interaction of the respective production module with the product,
• b) a data memory for storing a local constraints table with a multiplicity of constraint data records,
• c) the synchronizing module for iterative reading in of first constraint data records of a corresponding constraints table of a first adjacent production module of the multiplicity of production modules, for iterative building of the local constraints table based on the read-in first constraint data records, by synchronizing them with constraint data records stored in the local constraints table, and
• for iterative forwarding of second constraint data records of the local constraints table to a second adjacent production module of the multiplicity of production modules, wherein the second constraint data records includes both the constraint data record generated by the settings management module and the read-in first constraint data records from the first adjacent production module,
• wherein the synchronizing module is configured to determine whether the local constraints table is changed during updating as part of the iterative building, and if the local constraints table is not changed to identify a set of operating settings that satisfy the constraints indicated in the local constraints table, and
• d) a control module for setting the identified set of operating settings.