Versatile production system and pallet used for the system

A versatile production system in which parts are assembled into products and operators perform work assignments issued on work orders, the versatile production system comprising:

• a first site at which parts are assembled into products, an operator being positionable at the first site for assembling products at the first site;
• a second site at which products are tested, an operator being positionable at the second site for testing products at the second site;
• means for determining if a product at the second site is defective or non-defective;
• a third and a fourth site;
• production line conveying means for mechanically conveying a product, comprising:
• means for conveying an assembled product from the first site to the second site,
• means for conveying a product, determined to be defective by the means for determining, from the second site to the third site, and
• means for conveying a product, determined to be non-defective by the means for determining, from the second site to the fourth site;
• a line host controller which electronically outputs and receives data;
• first and second line terminals, electronically connected to the line host controller, the first line terminal corresponding to the first site and the second line terminal corresponding to the second site, which electronically receive data output by the line host controller, electronically send data to the line host controller and output human-readable data, the line host controller outputting work orders through the first and second line terminals to issue work assignments to operators at the first and second sites;
• a line host controller terminal, electronically connected to the line host controller, which inputs data to the line host controller and outputs data received from the line host controller;
• a communication-memory unit, corresponding to an individual product and conveyed with the product by the production line conveying means, which communicates selectively with the first terminal when the communication-memory unit is positioned at the first site and communicates selectively with the second line terminals when the communication-memory unit is positioned at the second site to allow data to be written to the communication-memory unit from the respective first and second line terminals and data to be read from the communication-memory unit by the respective first and second line terminals, the line host controller outputting work orders to issue work assignments based on data written to the communication-memory unit and data read from the communication-memory unit.