Production cell

A method for programming a production cell, comprising the steps of

• providing a production module, the production module comprising:
• a work area with at least one Hardware Module that is configured to interact with a product;
• and an interface section, the interface comprising:
• at least one power connector for providing power to the production module;
• and at least one communication interface, wherein the production module is configured to be connected to a production cell by connecting the power connector to corresponding connectors of the production cell, wherein the production module is associated with a respective procedural component that defines actions that can be performed by the production module plugged in the production cell and by at least one robot or manipulator of the production cell;
• connecting the production module to an offline programming environment, wherein the offline programming environment duplicates a subset of the features of the production cell;
• providing the at least one robot or manipulator;
• accepting user input that defines actions by Hardware Modules of the production module and the at least one robot or manipulator;
• performing, in the offline programming environment, these actions by these Hardware Modules acting on products;
• storing a representation of these actions as stored actions in a data store;
• connecting the production module or a functionally identical production module into a production cell;
• retrieving the stored actions from the data store;
• and
• performing, in the production cell, by the production module connected to the production cell and by the at least one robot or manipulator of the production cell, the stored actions,
• wherein information about a status of the Hardware Module is stored in association with an identity of the Hardware Module in the data store, wherein the respective procedural components are stored in the data store, and wherein the status and the respective procedural components, together with the actions performed by the Hardware Module are retrieved in the case of failure and used to determine other Hardware Modules that can take over all or part of the tasks of the failed Hardware Module.

A method for operating a production cell the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a production cell, the production cell comprising:
• at least one robot or manipulator arranged to handle products;
• at least one buffer area for intermediate storage of products inside the production cell;
• a vision system arranged to determine the identity and/or the location of production modules or Hardware Modules in the production cell;
• a plurality of production modules, each production module comprising at least one Hardware Module configured to process products;
• and a plurality of module attachment locations, each module attachment location being configured to connect with an interface section of a production module through a power connection and optionally a physical connection, allowing the production cell to be reconfigured by interchanging production modules;
• providing one or more production module, the production module comprising:
• a work area with at least one Hardware Module that is configured to interact with a product;
• and an interface section, the interface comprising:
• at least one power connector for providing power to the production module;
• and at least one communication interface, wherein each production module is associated with a respective procedural component that defines actions that can be performed by the production module plugged in the production cell and by the at least one robot or manipulator of the production cell, wherein the production module is configured to be connected to a production cell by connecting the power connector to corresponding connectors of the production cell and operating the production cell with the production modules;
• and at least one of the steps of
• replacing one or more of the production module with replacement production modules that perform the same tasks as the production modules that they replace, but with different parameters;
• adding one or more additional production modules that perform the same task as a production module that is already present in the production cell, thereby increasing production capacity of the production cell;
• adding one or more new production modules that perform a task that is not yet performed in the production cell, thereby increasing a degree of automation of the production cell,
• wherein information about a status of the Hardware Module is stored in association with an identity of the Hardware Module, wherein the respective procedural components is stored in association with the identity of the Hardware Module and wherein the status and the respective procedural components, together with actions performed by the Hardware Module are retrieved in the case of failure and used to determine other Hardware Modules that can take over all or part of the tasks of the failed Hardware Module.