Flexible Material Assembly Using Temporary Stiffness Modification
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of products using flexible materials is inefficient due to the difficulty in mechanically manipulating these materials, leading to a reliance on manual labor and limited automation in processes like garment production.
Innovation Solution
The temporary modification of flexible materials' physical and visual attributes to make them more amenable to automated processing, such as altering stiffness, permeability, and responsiveness, allowing for robotic handling and assembly techniques typically used with rigid materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If flexible materials are used for manufacturing, then product flexibility and comfort are improved, but mechanical manipulation difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by temporarily modifying the physical properties of flexible materials through treatment with posing agents. These agents alter parameters such as stiffness, density, and surface characteristics, transforming flexible materials into a more rigid state that is easier to manipulate mechanically during manufacturing processes. After assembly, the posing agents are removed and the material returns to its original flexible state.
2Ease of operation
If manual labor is used for assembling flexible materials, then manipulation ease is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical manipulation with automated systems by first treating flexible materials with posing agents to create a rigid, machine-manipulable state. This allows automated cutting, stitching, and assembly equipment to process the materials efficiently. After automated assembly, the posing agents are removed to restore flexibility in the final product.
3Productivity
If automated processes are implemented for flexible material manufacturing, then productivity is improved, but automation extent is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by treating flexible materials with posing agents before they enter the automated manufacturing process. This pre-treatment creates a rigid state that is compatible with automated handling, cutting, and assembly equipment. The posing agents are removed after assembly is complete, allowing the final product to maintain its desired flexibility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables more efficient and automated production of flexible products by facilitating robotic manipulation and assembly, improving manufacturing efficiency and scalability from small-scale to full-scale industrial production.
Implementation Method 1
temporary modification the physical and visual attributes of the material so that it can be more easily manipulated during production
Implementation Method 2
The effect of the posing agent on the flexible material can be modified by environmental variables such as temperature
Data Source
AI summary
The invention aims to improve the manufacture of flexible goods, such as garments, through the temporary modification of the physical properties of the components to be assembled, facilitating their handling and manipulation later on in the manufacturing process. Attributes that can be affected by this process are the stiffness of the material, the presence of mechanical or physical markings, the density of the material, the air or fluid permeability of the material, the responsiveness of the material to magnetic fields, or the adhesive nature of the material.