Abstract: A versatile production system produces different kinds of products in small quantities. The system includes production lines for assembling parts into different kinds of products, testing the assembled products, and conveying the products that have passed the tests to a collective packing terminal. Each production line has a pallet feeder for feeding pallets one by one to the start of the production line. Each production line has a bypass structure. The bypass structure includes a first switcher, a main line, a bypass line, and a second switcher. The first switcher determines whether or not a product conveyed on a pallet must be repaired or tested, and according to the determination, switches the pallet and product from the production line to one of the main and bypass lines. The main line receives pallets and products switched thereto by the first switcher and conveys same.

Abstract: A versatile production system in which a communication-memory unit is attached to a product, or to a pallet carrying the product, while the product is conveyed along the production line. The communication-memory unit communicates with a line host controller via line terminals located at production line assembling and testing sites in order to send information relating to the product from the communication-memory unit to the line host controller and to the communication-memory unit from the line host controller. Information can also be transferred from the communication-memory unit to the line terminals for output to a production worker and input by a production worker from a line terminal to the communication-memory unit. In this manner, the communication-memory unit contains manufacturing information relating to the product and this information is electronically updated at each production line site.

Abstract: A versatile production system produces different kinds of products in small quantities.The system includes production lines for assembling parts into different kinds of products, testing the assembled products, and conveying the products that have passed the tests to a collective packing terminal.Each production line has a pallet feeder for feeding pallets one by one to the start of the production line.Each production line has a bypass structure. The bypass structure includes a first switcher, a main line, a bypass line, and a second switcher.The first switcher determines whether or not a product conveyed on a pallet must be repaired or tested, and according to the determination, switches the pallet and product from the production line to one of the main and bypass lines.The main line receives pallets and products switched thereto by the first switcher and conveys same.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a parts supply system applied to a versatile production line, which strives to eliminate manual labor and prevent misdelivery. The parts supply system includes at least one of the product assembling sites (3) on the production line, at least one of the parts supplying sites (4), at least one of the unit assembling sites (5), at which units are assembled from parts delivered from a warehouse and a plurality of sets are arranged with the units, and a delivery means for delivering the set automatically between each of the product assembling sites (3) and each of the parts supplying sites (4) by an automatic carrier (2) or conveyors.