Honeycomb Structured Body Manufacturing Buffer Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the manufacturing of honeycomb structured bodies, continuous production lines are hindered by the need to halt all processes if a trouble arises in one stage, leading to decreased productivity and often resulting in the discard of immature products.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where treated honeycomb molded bodies are temporarily stored in a molded body storage container, allowing for compartmentalization of the production process without halting other stages, and using automated receiving and taking-out apparatuses to manage the storage and conveyance efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a continuous production line is used for manufacturing honeycomb structured bodies, then productivity is improved, but if a trouble arises in one process stage, then all processes must be halted leading to productivity loss and waste of immature products
Solution Approach 1:
The production line is segmented into independent process stages (extrusion, drying, firing, coating) with buffer storage containers positioned between them. This segmentation allows each stage to operate independently, so that a failure in one stage does not propagate to halt the entire production line, thus maintaining productivity while improving reliability.
2Productivity
If all processes are synchronized in a continuous production line, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but any disruption causes complete line halt and loss of immature products
Solution Approach 1:
Buffer storage containers act as intermediaries between different process stages. These containers decouple the synchronization requirement, allowing each stage to operate at its own optimal pace while maintaining overall production flow. This reduces the complexity of coordinating all stages simultaneously while preserving manufacturing efficiency.
3Speed
If the production line operates continuously without intermediate storage, then production speed is improved, but any process failure results in discard of immature products
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer storage containers enable preliminary completion of products at one stage to be stored before proceeding to the next stage. This preliminary action allows immature products to be preserved in a stable state, preventing waste when subsequent stages experience disruptions, while maintaining high production speed throughout the line.
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
This approach enables continuous production without productivity loss, allowing for adjustments in production volume and preventing the discard of immature products by enabling other processes to continue uninterrupted.
Implementation Method 1
a robotic arm configured to place the treated honeycomb molded body inside of the molded body storage container
Implementation Method 2
a belt conveyer configured to move the treated honeycomb molded body taken out by the robotic arm to a subsequent process
Implementation Method 3
a storage container lifting apparatus configured to move the molded body storage container moved by the storage container moving apparatus
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(e)
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a honeycomb structured body which, even if a trouble arises in any of the processes involving the production of the honeycomb structured body, is able to continue on with operation of other processes as usual, and as a result makes it possible to avoid the inconveniences of having to discard immature product due to the trouble, the same method for manufacturing a honeycomb structured body of the present invention including a honeycomb fired body, comprising: producing a pillar-shaped honeycomb molded body (30) in which a plurality of cells (40) are placed in parallel with one another in a longitudinal direction with a cell wall (31) therebetween by molding a ceramic raw material; and producing a honeycomb fired body (40) by carrying out a single or a plurality of treatments including at least a firing treatment on the honeycomb molded body (30), further comprising temporarily storing a treated honeycomb molded body on which the single or plurality of treatments are carried out in a molded body storage container (143); taking out the treated honeycomb molded body placed in the molded body storage container (143) from the molded body storage container (143); and conveying the taken-out honeycomb molded body to a subsequent process.