Floating Factory Scheduling for In-Transit Electronics Manufacturing

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing systems for manufacturing and supplying electronic products face challenges in coordinating the collection of components, manufacturing, and transportation, leading to delays and inefficiencies, especially in responding to sudden changes in market demand.

Innovation Solution

An integrated product management system that includes a manufacturing service device and floating factories, which obtain demand information, calculate costs, select the most cost-effective floating factory, generate movement scheduling information, and move to collect components and manufacture products while en route to the demand location, allowing for simultaneous manufacturing and transportation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If collection of components, manufacturing of products, and transportation of products are individually made, then each process can be independently optimized, but the supply of electronic product is delayed due to lack of coordination

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesupply speed of electronic productVSAvoiddelay in product supply

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines collection of components, manufacturing of products, and transportation of products into an integrated process. The floating factory moves to component manufacturing locations to collect components and manufacture products simultaneously during the transportation phase, merging three separate processes into one coordinated operation that eliminates delays between stages.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The floating factory performs preliminary actions by moving to component manufacturing locations before the traditional sequential process would require. It collects components and begins manufacturing operations in advance, while simultaneously positioning for product transportation, thereby reducing overall supply time through proactive coordination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If products are not quickly supplied to a market where the demand for the electronic product changes suddenly, then the sale of the electronic product may decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresponse speed to market demandVSAvoidtime to supply product to market

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The floating factory introduces dynamic adaptability to the manufacturing and supply system. It can move flexibly to different component manufacturing locations and adjust its operations based on real-time market demand changes. This dynamic capability allows the system to respond quickly to sudden demand shifts by repositioning and reconfiguring operations as needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The floating factory serves multiple functions simultaneously: it collects components, manufactures products, performs testing, and prepares for transportation all in one mobile unit. This multi-functionality enables rapid response to market demand changes by consolidating all necessary operations into a single adaptable platform that can be deployed wherever demand arises.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If integrated management for collection of components, manufacturing of products, and transportation of products is implemented, then supply efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesupply efficiency of electronic productVSAvoidcomplexity of integrated management system

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The floating factory acts as an intermediary that simplifies the coordination between component suppliers, manufacturing operations, and distribution networks. By consolidating these functions into a single mobile entity, the system reduces the complexity of managing multiple separate processes and coordinating them, as the floating factory inherently performs all functions in sequence without requiring external coordination between separate organizations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11657360B2Floating factory, operating method of manufacturing service device, and integrated product management system including floating factory and manufacturing service device

Publication Date: 2023.05.23 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

An operating method of a manufacturing service device for managing a floating factory including obtaining demand information on an electronic product at a demand location, calculating cost information of at least one floating factory of a plurality of floating factories based on the demand information and status information of each of the floating factories, selecting a floating factory from the plurality of floating factories corresponding to the calculated cost information indicating a lowest cost, generating movement scheduling information of the selected floating factory based on the demand location and manufacturing locations of components of the electronic product, transmitting the movement scheduling information to the selected floating factory, configuring the selected floating factory to manufacture the electronic product and test the electronic product for defects based on the movement scheduling information, while moving to the demand location may be provided, and supplying the electronic product that has passed the test at the demand location.