Automated Hardware Engineering System for Marshalling Cabinets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial control and safety systems face challenges due to the manual and time-consuming process of engineering and designing marshalling cabinets, leading to errors, rework, and delays in plant commissioning, with no existing solutions effectively addressing these issues.
Innovation Solution
An automated hardware engineering system using a processor and computer-readable storage medium to parse a wiring index, associate wiring schemas with field devices, and populate cabinet components with hardware devices, enabling real-time automation of hardware device engineering and design tasks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual data manipulation is used for cabinet engineering, then flexibility in handling requirements changes is maintained, but engineering time and error rates increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical data manipulation with an automated computer-based system that parses wiring indices and generates cabinet configurations automatically. This substitution eliminates human error in data handling while reducing engineering time from manual calculations to automated processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service automation where the engineering software automatically processes wiring index data, performs calculations, and generates cabinet designs without requiring manual intervention for each calculation step, thereby reducing both time and errors.
2Productivity
If automated hardware engineering is implemented, then engineering speed and consistency are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal engineering workbench application that handles multiple cabinet types and configurations through a single automated system. This multi-functional approach increases productivity while managing complexity through standardization rather than requiring separate systems for each cabinet type.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a standardized wiring index format as an intermediary data structure that simplifies the automation process. This intermediate representation layer manages system complexity by providing a consistent interface between input requirements and automated processing, making the overall system more manageable.
3Loss of time
If physical components are ordered late due to design delays, then component availability is compromised, but automated engineering adds implementation complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The automated engineering system performs preliminary actions by completing cabinet design and component selection earlier in the project timeline. This allows physical components to be ordered with sufficient lead time, preventing availability issues while the automation complexity is managed through software implementation.
Data Source
AI summary
Automated hardware device engineering and design by representing hardware engineering requirements via a wiring typical schema. An engineering workbench application executing on a computing device utilizes a wiring typical schema representing generic and project-specific requirements to automate hardware device engineering and design tasks in real time.