System and method for assisting an operator in operations to change a configuration of an operating machine

A method for assisting an operator in a predetermined sequence of operations on an operating machine of an industrial production line, wherein said method is implemented by a control unit operatively associated to the operating machine and to at least one support structure movable by an operator for transporting pieces from a storage environment to a working environment close to the operating machine and for transporting pieces from the working environment to the storage environment, the support structure comprising a plurality of support structure areas each configured to support at least one respective piece of the pieces of the operating machine, said method comprising:

• providing a plurality of warning devices installed on said support structure and each being placed next to a respective support structure area of said plurality of support structure areas so as to be associated to said respective support structure area of said plurality of support structure areas;
• executing, by said control unit, a predetermined sequence of commands correlated to at least some operations of said predetermined sequence of operations and, for said at least some operations:
• selectively activating at least one warning device of said plurality of warning devices according to said predetermined sequence of commands to guide the operator through said predetermined sequence of operations to change a configuration of said operating machine, wherein:
• executing, by said control unit, a first plurality of commands of said predetermined sequence of commands to cause the activation of the at least one warning device of said plurality of warning devices while keeping other warning devices of said plurality of warning devices deactivated, said at least one warning device being associated to said respective support structure area of said plurality support structure areas in which pieces dismounted from said operating machine are to be placed on said support structure by the operator;
• and
• executing, by said control unit, a second plurality of commands of said predetermined sequence of commands to cause the activation of at least one warning device of said plurality of warning devices while keeping other warning devices of said plurality of warning devices deactivated, said at least one warning device being associated to the respective support structure area of the plurality of support structure areas from which pieces to be mounted on said operating machines are to be picked from said support structure by the operator.

A system for assisting an operator in a predetermined sequence of operations on an operating machine of an industrial production line, the system comprising:

• at least one support structure movable by an operator for transporting pieces from a storage environment to a working environment close to the operating machine and for transporting pieces from the working environment to the storage environment, the support structure comprising a plurality of second areas each configured to support at least one respective piece of said pieces of the operating machine;
• a plurality of warning devices, including first warning devices installed on said operating machine and each being placed next to a respective first area of a plurality of first areas on said operating machine so as to be associated to said respective first area, and second warning devices installed on said support structure and each being placed next to a respective second area of said plurality of second areas on said support structure so as to be associated to said respective second area;
• and
• a control unit operatively connected to said warning devices
• and configured to selectively activate and deactivate said warning devices according to a predetermined sequence of commands to assist the operator in changing configuration of the operating machine, wherein said control unit executes:
• a first plurality of commands of said predetermined sequence of commands to cause the activation of at least one second warning device of said plurality of warning devices while keeping other warning devices of said plurality of warning devices deactivated, said at least one second warning device being associated to said respective second area of said plurality second areas in which pieces dismounted from said operating machine are to be placed on said support structure by the operator;
• a second plurality of commands of said predetermined sequence of commands to cause the activation of at least one second warning device of said plurality of warning devices while keeping other warning devices of said plurality of warning devices deactivated, said at least one second warning device being associated to the respective second area of the plurality of second areas from which pieces to be mounted on said operating machines are to be picked from said support structure by the operator;
• a third plurality of commands of said predetermined sequence of commands to cause the activation of at least one first warning device of said plurality of warning devices while keeping other warning devices of said plurality of warning devices deactivated, said at least one first warning device being associated to said respective first area of said plurality first areas from which at least one piece of said pieces of said operating machines are to be dismounted from said operating machine by the operator;
• and
• a fourth plurality of commands of said predetermined sequence of commands to cause the activation of at least one first warning device of said plurality of warning devices while keeping other warning devices of said plurality of warning devices deactivated, said at least one first warning device being associated to respective first area of said plurality of first areas on which at least one piece of said pieces is to be mounted on said operating machine by the operator.