Image-supported assignment of a processing plan to a mobile unit data set of a mobile unit of an indoor location system

A manufacturing control system for controlling manufacturing processes in a manufacturing hall, the manufacturing control system comprising:

• an indoor location system configured to support manufacturing control of the manufacturing processes, the indoor location system comprising:
• at least one stationary transceiver permanently installed in the manufacturing hall, and
• at least one mobile transceiver,
• wherein the at least one stationary transceiver and the at least one mobile transceiver are configured for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals, and
• wherein the indoor location system is configured to:
• determine runtimes of the electromagnetic signals between the at least one stationary transceiver and the at least one mobile transceiver, wherein a runtime represents a time for an electromagnetic signal travelling a distance between two transceivers;
• determine a position of the at least one mobile transceiver in the manufacturing hall from the runtimes of the electromagnetic signals;
• and
• exchange and provide data on the position of the at least one mobile transceiver in the manufacturing hall, and
• wherein the manufacturing control system is configured to process workpieces with a machine tool according to workpiece-specific processing plans, each of the workpiece-specific processing plans including order information for a respective workpiece to be machined, the order information including processing parameters and workpiece parameters, and
• wherein the manufacturing control system is configured to:
• acquire image data of a processing plan-specific object with a camera;
• identify an associated workpiece-specific processing plan based on the acquired image data of the processing plan-specific object;
• provide a mobile transceiver of the indoor location system, wherein a mobile transceiver data set associated with the mobile transceiver and position data of the mobile transceiver acquired with the indoor location system are stored in the manufacturing control system;
• assign the identified processing plan to the mobile transceiver data set of the mobile transceiver;
• and
• spatially assign a workpiece associated with the identified associated workpiece-specific processing plan to the mobile transceiver to support tracking of the assigned workpiece associated with the identified associated workpiece-specific processing plan via the position data of the mobile transceiver during at least one subsequent manufacturing process in the manufacturing hall.

A method of industrial manufacturing of an end product using a manufacturing control system, the method comprising:

• receiving a manufacturing order for manufacturing the end product from a workpiece with a manufacturing execution system (MES) of the manufacturing control system;
• selecting individual processing steps with the MES;
• determining an order of the processing steps with the MES, wherein the processing steps include two or more operations from a group of operations consisting of:
• cutting, punching, bending, drilling, threading, grinding, joining, welding, riveting, screwing, pressing, and treating edges and surfaces;
• assigning the processing steps to one or more machines or workstations;
• assigning a processing plan in the manufacturing order to a mobile transceiver data set of a mobile transceiver in an indoor location system of the manufacturing control system, wherein the mobile transceiver data set associated with the mobile transceiver and position data of the mobile transceiver acquired with the indoor location system are stored in the MES, wherein the position data of the mobile transceiver comprises at least one position of the mobile transceiver in a manufacturing hall that is determined by the indoor location system based on runtimes of electromagnetic signals between at least one stationary transceiver and at least one mobile transceiver in the indoor location system, the at least one mobile transceiver comprising the mobile transceiver, a runtime representing a time for an electromagnetic signal travelling a distance between two transceivers;
• manufacturing the workpiece for the end product into a part of the end product after a first processing step of the processing steps on a first machine or workstation assigned to the first processing step;
• spatially assigning the mobile transceiver associated with the manufacturing order to the manufactured workpiece to support tracking of the manufactured workpiece via the position data of the mobile transceiver during at least one subsequent manufacturing process;
• storing a status change of the manufacturing order in the MES;
• transporting the manufactured workpiece together with the mobile transceiver, according to the manufacturing order to a second machine or workstation in a predetermined sequence;
• performing a second processing step of the processing steps on the second machine or workstation;
• storing a second status change of the manufacturing order in the MES;
• and
• performing remaining processing steps of the processing steps of the manufacturing order with the MES in the predetermined sequence,
• wherein the MES is configured to determine a position of the mobile transceiver with the indoor location system of the manufacturing control system and obtain data on a current status and a current position of the manufactured workpiece,
• wherein the manufacturing control system is configured for industrial processing of workpieces with a machine tool according to workpiece-specific processing plans, each of the workpiece-specific processing plans including order information for a respective workpiece to be processed, the order information including processing parameters and workpiece parameters, and
• wherein assigning the processing plan in the manufacturing order to the mobile transceiver data set of the mobile transceiver comprises:
• acquiring image data of a processing plan-specific object with a camera;
• identifying the processing plan based on the acquired image data of the processing plan-specific object with the manufacturing control system;
• and
• assigning the identified processing plan to the mobile transceiver data set of the mobile transceiver.