Automation Component Replacement Guidance Using Product Life Cycle

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Solution Overview

Problem

Industrial automation system design and maintenance are hindered by the lack of guidance in preventing incompatible object usage and invalid connections, leading to time-consuming troubleshooting and manual updates of naming conventions, which can result in human errors and require specialized expertise, making it resource-intensive and difficult for customers to modify or maintain these systems.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of AI and machine learning techniques to apply design rules, suggest compatible components and connections, and automatically update naming conventions, providing a light engineering client environment for operators to make minor adjustments and recommendations, and a project code analysis algorithm to improve code quality and maintainability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If designers manually review previous designs and specifications of candidate objects or devices, then design accuracy is improved, but time consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign accuracyVSAvoidtime consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of design compatibility and naming convention requirements before the designer makes selections. The AI assistant pre-evaluates candidate objects and devices against existing system configurations, preparing compatibility assessments and naming recommendations in advance to guide the designer's decisions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The AI assistant provides real-time feedback to the designer during the design process, analyzing selected objects and devices against compatibility rules and naming conventions. The system continuously monitors design actions and offers corrective suggestions, preventing errors rather than requiring post-hoc review.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Stability of the object's composition

If designers manually update component names according to naming conventions, then naming consistency is improved, but time consumption and error risk increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenaming consistencyVSAvoidtime consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements automatic naming convention enforcement that performs itself without designer intervention. When objects or devices are added, renamed, or relocated, the AI assistant automatically analyzes the impact on naming conventions and updates affected component names, eliminating the need for manual updates while maintaining consistency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The manual mechanical process of updating names is replaced with an automated AI-based system. The AI assistant uses natural language processing and rule-based algorithms to automatically generate and apply naming updates, substituting the designer's manual text editing with intelligent automation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Adaptability or versatility

If designers are left to troubleshoot programmatic code without guidance, then design flexibility is maintained, but troubleshooting efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign flexibilityVSAvoidtroubleshooting efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The AI assistant serves as an intermediary between the designer and the complex programmatic code. It analyzes code issues, interprets compatibility problems, and provides guided troubleshooting suggestions that help designers resolve issues without sacrificing their ability to make design decisions. The system mediates between design flexibility and troubleshooting efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Adaptability or versatility

If the system allows free use of incompatible objects and invalid connections, then design freedom is improved, but system reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign freedomVSAvoidsystem reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies preliminary anti-action by preemptively identifying and preventing incompatible object combinations and invalid connections before they are implemented. The AI assistant analyzes design selections against compatibility rules and warns or blocks problematic configurations, countacting reliability issues before they affect system operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentUS11537919B2Industrial automation project component replacement recommendation

Publication Date: 2022.12.27 ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECH INC

AI summary

A method includes generating a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes a representation of an industrial automation system that includes objects that correspond to a respective industrial automation device, receiving a life cycle associated with a first industrial automation device, determining a stage of a product life cycle associated with the first industrial automation device, applying an algorithm, set of rules, or both to identify a replacement industrial automation device based on the stage of the product life cycle, generating a notification indicative of a suggestion to replace the first industrial automation device, and presenting the notification via the GUI.