Introduction

Control Micro Systems (CMS) has developed custom and standard laser marking system interfaces specifically for Prodel® assembly lines in automotive and electronics manufacturing environments.

The CMS laser system seamlessly integrates into the Prodel® assembly line with little or no modification to the parts transport and handling process. And since the laser can mark parts that are either in a stationary position or on-the-fly it can be integrated at virtually any point in the line. Control of the laser is integrated into the existing Prodel® user interface so the laser system becomes an integral component of the manufacturing line.

A discrete I/O interface and an RS232 interface provide complete control and real time status of the laser system to the Prodel® user interface and offer the line operator a multitude of capabilities. For example, he can send a transport pallet's RFID to the laser to print customer specific data. And with an optional vision system, the laser system can verify the presence and readability of the marked data for quality assurance and SPC database reporting.

Setup Features

CMS provides these standard product setup options and can create any additional custom features required.

• The RS232 Communications Setup is used to customize the RS232 and associated discrete I/O handshake interface

• The RS232 Replacement Data Setup allows the operator to define the transmitted RS-232 data which will automatically replace the laser's user defined data. This allows a single laser configuration file to be used to mark any combination of customer product data with a single laser setup - a great time saver.

Run Time Features

The CMS laser system uses an HMI/GUI to display real time operations and communications status for the operator so that any system issues can quickly be identified and corrected.

Diagnostic Features

• The Discrete I/O Diagnostics feature forces outputs and monitors inputs to easily detect any Prodel® hardware or interface failures and return the system to operation with minimum downtime.

• The RS232 Diagnostics feature monitors the RS232 communications link and assists the operator in troubleshooting and debugging the Prodel® program for proper RS232 interfacing.