Workpiece movement assembly - uses identification to plan travel between work-stations in a given sequence to allow small batches of different products

摘要

The assembly to carry materials to given workstations, such as a fabric sections to certain sewing machines, has a conveyor system to carry each piece in succession through the stages required for the total mfg. process. A reader scans the identification at each piece and a store holds the workpieces in their order of processing according to their identification. A destination indicator determines the address for the next workstation for the workpiece while at a workstation, according to its identification and the stage it has reached. A control moves the workpiece to its next workstation according to the destination address which is displayed. ADVANTAGE - The assembly transfers each workpiece to the correct workstation, in the mfg. processing sequence, where the workpieces and their processing can be mixed, separately or in groups. This allows for the production of small batches of different products.