Method for operating a production plant, and production plant

A method for operating a production plant including a higher-level control, workstations, and vehicles, at least two workstations having a similar configuration so that a similarly configured second workstation is available for a first workstation, each vehicle including a processor connected to the higher-level control via a communications channel adapted for data transmission, each vehicle including a position-detection system adapted to detect a position of the respective vehicle, comprising:

• transmitting from the higher-level control to the processors of the vehicles a position allocated to a respective workstation that is to be approached by the vehicle for performance of a production-method step at the workstation;
• transmitting from the higher-level control to the processors of the vehicles an individual order that includes a sequence of the workstations to be reached;
• transmitting from the processors of the vehicles to the higher-level control respective vehicle position;
• transmitting from the higher-level control to all processors in a temporally recurrent manner the respective instantaneous vehicle positions;
• determining, by the respective processor of a vehicle, a driving path that is as short as possible and is a function of the position of the other vehicles, and in an effort to avoid congestion or to shorten production time, the driving path is determined such that instead of leading to the first workstation, the driving path leads to the similarly configured second workstation.

A production plant, comprising:

• a higher-level control;
• workstations;
• vehicles;
• and
• a communications channel;
• wherein at least two workstations have a similar configuration so that a similarly configured second workstation is available for a first workstation, each vehicle including a processor connected to the higher-level control via a communications channel adapted for data transmission, each vehicle including a position-detection system adapted to detect a position of the respective vehicle;
• and
• wherein the production plant is adapted to perform the method recited in claim