Dynamic Manufacturing Sequencing With Mobile Workcell Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fixed manufacturing systems face difficulties in adapting to design variations and quality issues in components due to their inflexibility, making it challenging to efficiently process components with changing requirements.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic manufacturing control system that selects and coordinates mobile manufacturing systems, such as machines, inspection systems, and robots, based on their availability, capabilities, and constraints, to define and execute adaptive manufacturing process steps on a mobile workpiece, allowing for autonomous movement and operation at optimal locations and times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fixed manufacturing systems are used, then system stability and reliability are improved, but adaptability to design variations and quality issues deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the Dynamics principle by transitioning from fixed manufacturing systems to mobile manufacturing systems that can dynamically reposition themselves. The mobile workpiece and mobile manufacturing systems enable the production line to adapt its configuration in real-time based on quality requirements and design variations, while maintaining operational reliability through coordinated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality by designing mobile manufacturing systems that can serve multiple functions and be deployed to different locations. These systems can perform various manufacturing operations on different workpieces depending on quality needs, making the system versatile while maintaining stable performance through standardized mobile platforms.
2Device complexity
If fixed manufacturing systems are used, then system simplicity is improved, but responsiveness to quality issues and design variations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses mobile manufacturing systems that can dynamically adjust their positions and configurations in response to quality issues and design variations. This dynamic capability enables rapid responsiveness without requiring overly complex fixed infrastructure, as the mobility itself provides the adaptability mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile manufacturing systems are equipped with autonomous navigation and positioning capabilities, allowing them to self-direct to required locations based on real-time quality requirements. This self-service capability reduces the need for complex external control systems while maintaining high responsiveness to changing manufacturing needs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If mobile manufacturing systems are deployed, then adaptability to design variations is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the manufacturing system into multiple independent mobile units, each capable of autonomous operation. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high adaptability through modular components while managing complexity by breaking down the overall system into simpler, standardized mobile modules that can be independently controlled and maintained.
4Productivity
If mobile manufacturing systems are used, then responsiveness to quality issues is improved, but coordination and control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where mobile manufacturing systems continuously report their status, location, and operational data to a central control system. This feedback enables real-time coordination and adjustment, allowing the system to maintain high responsiveness to quality issues while managing control complexity through automated monitoring and decision-making algorithms.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes defining a manufacturing transformation for a mobile workpiece based on mobile workpiece state information of the mobile workpiece, where the manufacturing transformation is an automated operation to be performed on the mobile workpiece. The method includes selecting a set of one or more manufacturing systems from among the one or more manufacturing systems for the mobile workpiece based on the manufacturing transformation and manufacturing system state information associated with the one or more manufacturing systems, where the manufacturing system state information provides data related to at least one of availability, capability, and constraints of the of the one or more manufacturing systems. The method includes defining manufacturing process steps of the manufacturing transformation based on the set of one or more manufacturing systems. The method includes defining a location for performing the manufacturing process steps on the mobile workpiece.