Coating Material Marking With Cloud-Based Processing Data Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing variety of coating materials due to consumer demand for customized products leads to complex handling and storage challenges, as well as the need for manufacturers to provide optimal processing data for coating machines, which is often not financially viable for small batch sizes.

Innovation Solution

A method involving marking coating materials with identifying information, storing this data on a cloud-based server, and making it accessible to processing devices, allowing for the collection and updating of processing data through a closed information loop between manufacturers and processing establishments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the variety of coating materials is increased to meet consumer demand for customized products, then customer satisfaction and product individualization are improved, but storage complexity and handling difficulty increase considerably

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevariety of coating materialsVSAvoidstorage complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a cloud-based server as an intermediary between coating material manufacturers and processing establishments. This server stores and manages coating material data, including processing parameters and instructions, allowing easy access and retrieval without physical storage complexity at each facility. The server acts as a centralized repository that simplifies distributed access to diverse coating material information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the number of coating material types is increased to accommodate small batch sizes with greater batch variety, then product individualization is improved, but handling complexity increases correspondingly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebatch varietyVSAvoidhandling complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables processing establishments to automatically retrieve their own coating material data and processing instructions from the cloud-based server using unique identifiers on coating material packages. This self-service approach eliminates the need for manual data management and reduces handling complexity, allowing facilities to independently access the correct processing parameters for each coating material batch.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where processing establishments can upload processed workpiece images and data back to the cloud server. This feedback loop allows the system to learn from actual processing results and continuously improve processing parameters, making the system increasingly efficient at handling diverse coating materials without increasing operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Manufacturing precision

If separate testing of optimal processing data is conducted for each coating material, then processing optimization is improved, but financial viability deteriorates for small batch sizes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing optimizationVSAvoidfinancial viability
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the testing and data collection efforts of multiple processing establishments into a unified cloud-based system. By combining data from various sources and processing multiple coating material types through the same platform, the system achieves statistical significance and optimization benefits that would be financially unviable for any single establishment working with small batch sizes. The shared infrastructure distributes costs across multiple users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Loss of information

If processing data is stored locally at each processing establishment, then data accessibility is improved, but data storage requirements and management complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata accessibilityVSAvoiddata storage requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The cloud-based server provides a universal data storage and access platform that serves multiple processing establishments simultaneously. This multi-functional system allows any authorized user to access coating material data and processing instructions from any location, eliminating the need for each establishment to maintain separate local storage systems. The single centralized repository reduces total data storage requirements while improving accessibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11857999B2Method for marking and handling a coating material
Publication Date: 2024.01.02 HOMAG GMBH
  • US11857999B2 patent drawing
  • US11857999B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A method for handling a coating material can include the steps of marking the coating material with a mark to identify a first information relating to the coating material, storing the first information relating to the coating material on a cloud-based server, and recording the marker of the coating material, thereby making the first information relating to the coating material accessible via the cloud-based server.