Method and apparatus for the automated management of a coating plant

A plant for manufacturing, including a plant for applying a coating on parts, comprising a plurality of apparatuses, the plant further comprising:

• a radio-transmitter embedded in each apparatus and transmitting with a pre-set periodicity a radio signal containing at least a unique identifier configured to identify the apparatus;
• a portable device adapted to be carried by an operator and receiving the radio signal transmitted by the radio-transmitter;
• a program loaded on and performed by the portable device, the program being configured to extract a univocal unique identifier of the apparatus and detect a distance between the operator and the apparatus through an analysis of features characterizing the radio signal, the features including an intensity of the radio signal,
• wherein the radio-transmitter comprises an electronic module operating according to a Bluetooth® standard, performing an active function of transmission operating as an advertising function of beacon, whereby the radio-transmitter transmits periodically the unique identifier and, optionally, a part of measurement data recorded by sensors configured to measure functional conditions, the beacon including the sensors and having a remote configuring/setting channel through radio-frequency communication with an external control device, whereby the beacon and the external control device can exchange data packets;
• a connecting procedure between the portable device and the radio-frequency transmitting device, the connecting procedure enabling a reception of information on a working status of the apparatuses;
• and
• at least one apparatus comprising a control processing unit and a display interface with the operator,
• wherein the at least one apparatus includes representative data of the apparatuses and sensors configured to measure values of parameters relating to a working status of the apparatuses, the sensors being connected to the control processing unit, which collects and stores the values that were measured,
• wherein there is loaded in the processing unit a second program coding an instruction for carrying out a calculation algorithm of QR codes or barcodes and the processing unit executes the calculation algorithms of the QR codes and/or the barcodes starting from representative data of the apparatuses or from the information related to the working status of the apparatuses, and then visualizes a graphical result after processing on the operator's display interface,
• wherein each portable device comprises a camera or sensor configured to scan the QR codes and/or the barcodes, and acquire the visualized graphical result representing information on the representative data of the apparatuses or the information related to the working status of the apparatuses through a click of the camera or sensor, and
• wherein the information on the representative data of the apparatuses or the information relating to the working status of the apparatuses, and optionally measurement data of the sensors connected to the radio-transmitter is transmitted by the portable device to a remote server or a cloud, for monitoring working conditions of the apparatuses in the plant through a wireless network connection of the portable device with the remote server or the cloud.

A method of correlating information about operation a plant according to claim 1 and comprising at least a radio-transmitter which is optionally connected to a sensor for measuring at least one control parameter of an apparatus in the plant, the at least one control parameter being a non-natively monitored control parameter by a control unit of the apparatus, a radio-transmitter and the at least one sensor applied to the apparatus in the plant, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing the apparatus with a communication unit of natively monitored parameters representing an operating condition, which codifies information in a QR code or in a barcode, and with a visualization device of the QR code or the barcode;
• collecting information from different sources, even not electrically connected to each other, to monitor the operating condition of the plant;
• detecting a presence of an operator with a portable device associated to the operator through an interaction between the radio-transmitter and the portable device, a control program being loaded on the portable device, the portable device being configured to perform a program that extracts an unique identifier of the apparatus and the a control parameter of the apparatus;
• reading and interpreting the QR code by the portable device performing the control program, the control program configuring the mobile device so that a detected QR code is acquired and interpreted;
• causing the portable device or a cloud server connected thereto, to use information acquired through the QR-code or the barcode and the unique identifier of the apparatus to generate command and configuration signals for each apparatus of the plant;
• and
• transmitting the command and configuration signals selectively to the apparatus through a wireless receiving unit.

An apparatus for carrying out a manufacturing operation, the apparatus comprising:

• a control unit comprising a processor configured to execute a control program loaded therein, a user-input interface, and a display;
• and
• one or more sensors configured to measure parameters representative of an operating status of the apparatus,
• wherein the control unit further comprises a generator of a graphic code representing parameters measured by native sensors of the apparatus, the graphic code being displayed on the display,
• wherein the apparatus is configured to connect to a portable device comprising a camera or a sensor for scanning the graphic code that is displayed,
• wherein the portable device comprises a graphic code encoder to interpret the graphic code and extract a measured parameter,
• wherein the portable device, a remote server, or a cloud server comprises a processor configured to analyze the measured parameter after extraction and to generate commands or configuration controls of the apparatus as a function of the measured parameter, and
• wherein the portable device is wirelessly connected to the remote server or the cloud by a wireless communication network.

A method of collecting data about parameters representative of an operating status of an apparatus provided stand alone or as one of a plurality of apparatuses in a plant, wherein the apparatus or plurality of apparatuses comprises a dedicated control unit with a sensor connected to the control unit and configured to measure a parameter representative of the operating status or a memory of identification and configuration data of the apparatus and a display, the method comprising the following steps:

• coding a measured parameter and optionally identification or configuration data using a graphic code or strings of alphanumeric characters to obtain codes, and displaying the codes on the display;
• providing a portable unit comprising a reader configured to read the graphic code or the strings of alphanumeric characters;
• interpreting the graphic code or the strings of alphanumeric characters to extract data coded therein;
• using the extracted data to identify the apparatus and determine an operating status thereof;
• using the extracted data to generate generating commands or configuration controls of the identified apparatus;
• and
• inputting the commands or configuration controls to the control unit of the identified apparatus.