Adaptive Procedure Classes for Multi-Equipment Automation Recipes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial control systems face challenges in efficiently managing diverse product recipes and equipment capabilities within a single manufacturing facility, leading to increased complexity and maintenance costs due to varying equipment availability and functionality.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of procedure class structures that dynamically adapt their operating characteristics and capabilities based on detected equipment capabilities, allowing for automatic modification of performance and resource allocation, enabling parallel or serial operations depending on the equipment available.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If equipment serves multiple roles with differing availability and functionality, then equipment versatility is improved, but programming complexity and performance overhead increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the procedure into multiple executable parts or alternatives that can be selectively executed based on equipment capability. Instead of a single monolithic procedure, the system divides the procedure logic into conditional branches or modular segments that adapt to the specific equipment instance, reducing the complexity of managing all equipment variations in one procedure while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic procedure adaptation where the executable procedure is selected or modified at runtime based on detected equipment capabilities. The system dynamically adjusts the procedure execution path according to the specific equipment instance's availability and functionality, allowing the same procedure definition to work across diverse equipment without requiring separate hard-coded procedures for each configuration.
2Reliability
If all equipment nuances involving availability and functionality are accounted for in programming, then operational reliability is improved, but software development cost and performance overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service through automatic equipment capability detection and procedural self-adaptation. The system automatically detects equipment availability and functionality characteristics, then autonomously selects or modifies the appropriate procedure execution path without requiring manual programming for each equipment scenario. This self-adapting mechanism ensures operational reliability across diverse equipment while eliminating the need for expensive custom programming for each equipment variation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes to adapt procedure execution based on equipment capabilities. Instead of creating separate procedures for different equipment configurations, the system modifies execution parameters dynamically based on detected equipment characteristics such as availability status and functional capabilities. This approach maintains reliability by accounting for equipment nuances while avoiding the software development overhead of hard-coding each scenario.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a single manufacturing facility produces various different product types, then product diversity is improved, but recipe maintenance complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by creating a single adaptable procedure framework that can serve multiple product types. Instead of maintaining separate procedures for each product variation, the system uses one universal procedure structure that automatically adapts its execution based on the specific product and equipment configuration. This universal approach enables the facility to produce diverse products while simplifying recipe maintenance, as updates to the universal procedure automatically apply across all product lines.
Data Source
AI summary
A processing component that executes one or more industrial control procedures is provided. A procedure class component implements at least one instance of the industrial control procedures, where the instance is dynamically adapted to a parameter of equipment that operates the industrial control procedure.