Flat Glass Production System with Mobile Warehouse Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing flat glass panes, particularly insulating glass, face challenges in minimizing waste and optimizing storage capacity, leading to suboptimal cutting patterns and increased waste due to fixed warehouse sizes and complex order sequencing requirements.
Innovation Solution
A method that allows for a larger selection of glass panes for cutting pattern optimization without storage capacity constraints, enabling flexible storage and assembly of flat glass panes directly onto transport frames in the correct order, reducing waste and improving production efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If a fixed-size warehouse is used for storing glass panes, then storage capacity is limited and planning is simplified, but waste increases due to suboptimal cutting patterns and financial resources are tied up
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by replacing the fixed-size warehouse with a mobile warehouse system that can be dynamically adjusted in capacity. The mobile warehouse consists of multiple transport racks that can be added or removed based on current production needs, allowing the storage capacity to adapt flexibly to varying order requirements while enabling optimized cutting patterns without waste constraints
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the warehouse into multiple independent transport racks, each capable of holding a specific number of glass panes. This segmentation allows the system to scale capacity by adding or removing individual racks rather than being constrained by a fixed overall capacity, thereby reducing waste while maintaining operational simplicity
2Productivity
If glass panes are stored in a fixed warehouse, then storage planning is easier, but the number of available panes for cutting pattern optimization is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile warehouse system dynamically adjusts the number of available glass panes for cutting pattern optimization based on current orders. By bringing in additional transport racks when needed, the system increases the available pane count for optimization without permanently increasing infrastructure complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses automated control units that independently manage the mobile warehouse operations. The control units automatically determine when additional transport racks are needed, coordinate their addition or removal, and manage the glass pane distribution, reducing the need for complex manual warehouse management
3Loss of substance
If a large warehouse is chosen to reduce waste, then cutting pattern optimization improves, but financial resources are tied up and storage capacity exceeds needs
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile warehouse allows the quantity of stored glass panes to dynamically match the actual production needs. Transport racks are added to increase storage capacity only when large-scale production requires it, and removed when capacity is no longer needed, preventing resource tie-up while enabling waste-reducing optimization when necessary
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the storage capacity parameter on-demand by adding or removing transport racks. This allows the warehouse capacity to be adjusted to match the specific requirements of each production batch, enabling optimal cutting patterns for large orders without permanently maintaining excessive storage capacity
4Reliability
If glass panes are arranged on transport frames in correct order, then delivery requirements are met, but automation is hindered by complex sequencing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The control units in the mobile warehouse system automatically manage the complex sequencing requirements. They independently determine the correct arrangement of glass panes on transport frames based on order requirements, eliminating the need for manual intervention while ensuring accurate order fulfillment
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from order requirements to automatically adjust the arrangement of glass panes. The control units receive information about delivery requirements and automatically coordinate the placement of panes in the correct sequence on transport frames, enabling automation despite complex sequencing demands
Data Source
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AI summary
Producing flat glass sheets (16.1.1), comprises (a) collecting many total applicators comprising two production applicators based on the flat glass sheets, (b) calculating a waste-minimizing cutting pattern for the glass sheets made of production applicator, (c) breaking the glass sheets according to the patterns, (d) producing the flat glass sheets from the glass sheets, (e) carrying out intermediate storage of the flat glass sheets on individual movable storage blocks (22.1), and (f) assembling the flat glass sheets. Producing flat glass sheets (16.1.1), comprises (a) collecting many total applicator comprising at least two production applicators based on the flat glass sheets, (b) calculating a waste-minimizing cutting pattern for the glass sheets made of production applicator, (c) breaking the glass sheets according to the patterns, (d) producing the flat glass sheets from the glass sheets, (e) carrying out intermediate storage of the flat glass sheets on individual movable storage blocks (22.1), and (f) assembling the flat glass sheets, which are part of the total applicator, by removing the movable storage blocks and arranging total applicator based on the flat glass sheets on a transport frame. An independent claim is also included for a flat glass sheet production system for producing flat glass sheets from a first glass sheet and at least one second glass sheet, comprising a collecting device for collecting total applicator, a calculation unit for automatically calculating waste-minimizing cutting pattern for the glass sheets made of production applicator, a breaking device for breaking the glass sheets, a flat glass sheet production apparatus for producing the flat glass sheets from the glass sheets, an intermediate storage device comprising individually movable storage blocks for receiving the flat glass sheets produced by the flat glass sheet production apparatus, a commissioning device for assembling the flat glass sheets based on the total applicator, and a handling robot for automatically removing the flat glass sheets from the movable storage blocks and arranging the total applicator based on the flat glass sheets on the transport frame.