Independent Cart Throughput Monitoring Using Transit Trend Times
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems experience throughput degradation due to various conditions that are not effectively identified and addressed, leading to inefficiencies in operations.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize autonomous movers to collect data on transit times, settling times, and robot processing times to identify conditions contributing to throughput degradation, enabling real-time analysis and remedial actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional mover systems are used without detailed time tracking, then system simplicity is maintained, but throughput degradation cannot be effectively identified
Solution Approach 1:
The mover assemblies autonomously generate and transmit their own operational data (transit time, settle time, process time) without requiring external measurement devices. Each mover acts as its own sensor, eliminating the need for complex external monitoring infrastructure while enabling precise throughput degradation detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where movers transmit performance data to the control system, which analyzes the data and provides feedback for identifying throughput degradation. This feedback mechanism enables real-time detection and response to performance issues without adding significant system complexity.
2Productivity
If real-time data collection from all movers is implemented, then throughput degradation can be detected, but system complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The data collection and analysis function is segmented and distributed across individual mover assemblies rather than centralized in a single control system. Each mover independently tracks its own performance metrics and transmits data as needed, dividing the complexity burden across multiple simple units rather than one complex central processor.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system is designed to handle multiple functions: it receives data from various mover types, processes different time metrics (transit, settle, process times), identifies throughput degradation, and generates appropriate responses. This multi-functional design consolidates capabilities without proportionally increasing complexity.
3Loss of information
If detailed time metrics are collected for each mover, then root cause analysis becomes possible, but data processing overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
Mover assemblies pre-calculate and prepare time metrics (transit time, settle time, process time) during their normal operation cycles, so that when data transmission is needed, the information is already processed and ready. This preliminary data preparation reduces the processing burden at transmission and analysis stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts only the essential time metrics needed for throughput degradation analysis (transit time, settle time, process time) from the overall mover operation data. By selectively extracting only the relevant parameters rather than processing all possible operational data, the system minimizes data processing overhead while retaining sufficient information for root cause analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes one or more movers configured to move along a track of an industrial automation system and a computing device. The computing device receives data associated with the movers as the movers move around the track. The data includes a first amount of time for at least one of the movers to move between two stations disposed along the track, a second amount of time for the at least one mover to settle at a station, a third amount of time for a respective robot at the station to prepare to perform a process, and a fourth amount of time for the respective robot to perform the process. The computing device identifies throughput degradation based on the first amount of time, the second amount of time, the third amount of time, or the fourth amount of time, or any combination thereof.