Electronic Work Instructions Synchronized With Production Simulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of production processes makes it time-consuming to create and update work instructions for industrial operations, requiring clear documentation of tasks, quality verification, and ergonomic considerations for operators.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for automatically generating electronic work instructions (EWI) by collecting and temporally tagging production process information, synchronizing it with simulation results, and displaying both visually and animatedly, enabling timely and accurate guidance for shop floor workers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If work instructions are created manually for production processes, then the instructions can be customized and detailed, but the creation process becomes time-consuming and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses simulation data structures and virtual models as templates to automatically generate work instructions. The system copies production process information from simulated environments and transforms it into structured work instruction documents, eliminating manual creation while maintaining accuracy through systematic data extraction and temporal tagging.
2Ease of operation
If production processes are highly detailed and complex, then the instructions provide comprehensive guidance, but the creation and updating of work instructions becomes increasingly time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by simulating the entire production process in advance and capturing all necessary information in a structured simulation data structure. This pre-capturing of data including temporal relationships allows work instructions to be automatically generated without manual effort, maintaining completeness while enabling rapid updates when process changes occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the production process into discrete steps with temporal tags, allowing work instructions to be generated systematically from simulated data. Each production step is independently captured and processed, enabling comprehensive coverage of complex processes while maintaining manageable automation through structured data organization.
3Reliability
If work instructions include all necessary details for quality verification and ergonomic requirements, then operator guidance is comprehensive, but the documentation becomes lengthy and complex to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual documentation mechanisms with automated information extraction from simulation data structures. The system systematically extracts quality verification requirements, ergonomic considerations, and procedural steps from virtual models, transforming complex unstructured information into organized work instructions without manual intervention, thereby maintaining reliability while reducing documentation complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for automatically creating electronic work instructions includes receiving a simulation data structure enabling a simulation of a production process of a product including simulation data and production process information, and automatically collecting, for each step of the production process, step related production process information and temporally tagging the production process information collected for each step in order to create, for each step and from the production process information, an electronic work instruction including temporal data enabling a temporal synchronization of a display of the electronic work instruction with a display of the simulation result. A data processing system and a non-transitory computer-readable medium are also provided.