Inventors:
Francis J. Maslar - Newtown PA
Robert J. Cantando - Drexel Hill PA
Hugh V. Wilson - Willow Grove PA
Virender Sandhu - Chalfont PA
Assignee:
Ford Motor Company - Dearborn MI
International Classification:
H05K 302
Abstract:
A peer-to-peer control system for a circuit board production line includes multiple processing stations, each of which has an adjustable width conveyor. Control means are provided at each station for controlling the width of the conveyor, receiving board width data signals from an adjacent upstream processing station, and passing the board width data signal, in turn, to an adjacent downstream processing station. A data signal communication network directly connects the controller of each of the processing stations, such as a programmable logic controller, to the controllers of adjacent upstream and downstream stations. Data signals corresponding to the width of circuit boards to be processed by the circuit board production line progress downstream through the line in tandem with circuit boards of that width. The width of conveyors associated with the individual stations can be changed from time to time without emptying the entire production line, and without the need for a master host computer control system keeping track of the width and location of boards in the production line and the width of the conveyors of the various processing stations. Distributed control, relying on the controllers of an upstream station to signal directly to an adjacent downstream station the need for a conveyor width change, provides increased production line flexibility with decreased control system complexity.