Assembly line article tracking system

Abstract

Manufacturing of article of footwear include temporarily mating a sole and an upper to determine processes to be performed to the sole and/or the upper before permanently mating. As specific operations are determined based on the particular combination of a sole and an upper, the sole and upper are individually tracked through the subsequent processes to ensure the correct pairing is achieved at the time of permanent mating. The tracking may leverage identifiers in the tooling supporting the upper and in the sole.

1 - 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . A manufacturing tracking system, the system comprising:
 a first tool having a first identifier, the first tool configured to receive a first article;   a first sensor of a first sensor type, the first sensor type configured to read the first identifier;   a second identifier coupled with a second article;   a first sensor of a second sensor type, the second sensor type configured to read the second identifier;   a computing system having a processor and memory configured to associate the first identifier and the second identifier;   a first processing station for the first article;   a second processing station for the second article;   a second sensor of the first sensor type configured to read the first sensor following the first processing station; and   a second sensor of the second sensor type configured to read the second sensor following the second processing station.   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the first tool is a footwear last. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the first identifier is a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the RFID tag is rewrittable. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the first identifier is at least partially embedded in the first tool. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the first identifier is positioned at the first tool in a location not obscured by a received first article on the first tool. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the first article is a footwear upper component and the second article is a footwear sole component. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the first sensor type is comprised of a radio frequency receiving device. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the second sensor type reads an identifier with a different technology than the first sensor type. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the technology type of the second identifier is configured to be integrated with both of the second article and the first article. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the second sensor type is comprised of a radio receiver device. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the second sensor type is comprised of an image capture device. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the first processing station is an adhesive application station that is configured to apply an adhesive to the first article and the second processing station is an adhesive application station configured to apply an adhesive to the second article. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein a first material handling device transports the first article to the first processing station and a second material handling device transports the second article to the second processing station. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 28  further comprising a third processing station, the third processing station configured to mate the first article on the first tool with the second article based, in part, on the second sensory of the first sensor type reading the first tool and the second sensor of the second sensor type reading the second article. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the computing system is further configured to confirm the first tool and the second article are to be mated based on the second sensor of the first sensor type and the second sensor of the second sensor type. 
     
     
         44 . A method of tracking a first article and a second article in a manufacturing system, the method comprising:
 applying a first article to a first tool;   scanning the first tool to read a first identifier of the first tool;   applying a second identifier to a second article;   scanning the second article to read the second identifier;   associating the first identifier and the second identifier such that the first article applied to the first tool can be associated with the second article;   performing a first operation to the first article on the first tool or the second article;   subsequent to performing the first operation, scanning the first tool to read the first identifier and scanning the second article to read the second identifier;   mating the first article with the second article subsequent to confirming the first tool and the second article are associated based on the scan of the first tool and the second article after the first operation.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the first article is a footwear upper and the second article is a footwear sole. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the first tool is a footwear last. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 44  further comprising:
 removing the first article from the first tool subsequent to mating the first article with the second article; 
 applying a third article to the first tool; 
 scanning the first tool to read the first identifier; 
 applying a third identifier to a fourth article; and 
 associating the first identifier with the third identifier such that the third article applied to the first tool is associated with the fourth article. 
 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the scanning of the first identifier comprises receiving a signal from the first identifier. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the first identifier is a radio-frequency identification (RFID) identifier. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein applying the second identifier to the second article comprises adhering the second identifier to a portion of the second article. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the first identifier is scanned with a different technology than the second identifier. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 44  further comprising:
 scanning the first article and the second article in a mated configuration; 
 determining an intersection between the first article and the second article; and 
 associating a digital representation of the intersection with at least one of the first identifier or the second identifier. 
 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the first operation is comprised of applying an adhesive to a surface of the first article to be mated with the second article. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the mating of the first article with the second article covers the second identifier on the second article such that the second identifier is positioned between the first article and the second article.