Controller Error Handling in Manufacturing Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing systems face inefficiencies in handling downstream errors, leading to material waste and complexity, as existing solutions require operators to cancel jobs, guess restart points, or perform complicated calculations, resulting in excessive waste and time consumption.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that determine the current processing location in a first subsystem and the completion location in a downstream subsystem before an error occurred, allowing a controller to generate repositioning instructions for seamless restarts without job cancellation or manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the operator cancels the job and reprints the full job, then the error can be corrected, but paper, toner, and other supplies are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary tracking of job progress and error locations before the error occurs. By maintaining a record of which sheets have been processed and their locations in the job stream, the system enables targeted restarts without requiring full job reprocessing, thus preventing material waste while ensuring error correction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to the operator about the current job status, error location, and progress. This feedback mechanism allows the operator to understand exactly where the error occurred and how many sheets have been processed, enabling informed decisions about partial restarts versus full reprints, thereby reducing material waste while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If the operator cancels the current job, retains sheets up to the error, and creates a new job with remaining sheets, then the error can be corrected, but the complexity of creating and merging new jobs is added
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically tracking job progress, identifying error locations, and providing restart instructions without requiring operator intervention for manual calculations or complex job management. The system manages its own state and guides the operator through a simplified process, reducing both complexity and material waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The system acts as an intermediary between the operator and the complex job management tasks. It provides a simplified interface that translates complex error conditions into clear restart instructions, eliminating the need for operators to manually calculate sheet positions or manage multiple jobs, thus reducing complexity while maintaining error correction reliability.
3Reliability
If the operator manually calculates the number of sheets printed between the error sheet and the current sheet, then the print datastream can be reset to the error sheet position, but the calculation is often too difficult for the operator to perform correctly, resulting in trial and error
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual mechanical calculations with automated electronic tracking. Instead of requiring operators to manually count and calculate sheet positions, the system uses digital records to track job progress and automatically determine restart positions, making the operation simple and accurate without trial and error.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to the operator about the exact position of the error and the number of sheets already processed. This feedback eliminates the need for manual calculations by providing clear, actionable information about where to restart, making the operation both accurate and easy to perform.
4Productivity
If the printer controller actively prints sheets without knowing where errors occurred downstream, then printing continues uninterrupted, but the controller is unaware of errors and cannot restart at the correct position
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where downstream subsystems communicate error conditions and locations back to the printer controller. This feedback loop enables the controller to become aware of errors, determine the correct restart position, and resume printing at the appropriate location, thus maintaining both productivity and information accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary tracking of sheet positions and error locations before the error affects printing continuity. By maintaining records of job progress and error positions in advance, the system enables rapid restarts without interrupting overall productivity, as the controller already has the information needed to resume at the correct position.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, computer program product, and system for handling an error that occurs during processing of a job in a manufacturing system are provided. The method, computer program product, and system provide for determining a first location in the job where a first subsystem of the manufacturing system is currently processing, identifying a second location in the job where a second subsystem of the manufacturing system completed processing before the error occurred at the second subsystem, the second subsystem being connected in series to and downstream from the first subsystem, and providing a controller-generated repositioning instruction for the first subsystem based on the first location and the second location.