Automated Input Product Definition for Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current CAD/CAM systems, such as DELMIA, struggle to automatically define interim sub-products needed during manufacturing processes, as these products require specific manufacturing features that are process-specific and often not present in the final design, leading to manual generation of 2D drawings and high expertise requirements, which are time-consuming and costly.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that recursively defines input products from a final design product by associating manufacturing operations with their required attributes, transforming engineering specifications into input products needed for the manufacturing process, enabling a process-oriented approach to generate input products from output products and their corresponding manufacturing processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual generation of 2D drawings is used to define interim sub-products, then manufacturing features can be specified, but time consumption and expertise requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical drawing generation with an automated computer-implemented method. The system automatically defines input products by retrieving output product data and adding manufacturing features through software algorithms, eliminating the need for manual 2D drawing creation while preserving all necessary manufacturing specifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by allowing the computer to automatically generate input product definitions without requiring expert manual intervention. The automated method retrieves necessary data, applies manufacturing features, and generates specifications independently, reducing both time consumption and expertise requirements.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual generation of 2D drawings is used to define interim sub-products, then manufacturing features can be specified, but expertise requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex manual expert knowledge with automated software algorithms. The system encapsulates manufacturing feature specification logic within the computer-implemented method, replacing the need for human experts with automated computational processes that apply manufacturing features systematically.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates automated copies of manufacturing specifications by retrieving output product data and systematically adding manufacturing features. This copying process eliminates the need for experts to manually create each specification from scratch, reducing expertise requirements while maintaining precision.
3Loss of information
If CAD systems manage only final design products, then design specifications are maintained, but manufacturing preparation processes become separate and manual
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges design specifications and manufacturing preparation into a single integrated computer-implemented method. The system retrieves output product data containing design specifications and automatically adds manufacturing features, combining what were previously separate manual processes into one automated workflow that produces both design and manufacturing information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically generating input product definitions with manufacturing features before the actual manufacturing process begins. This advance preparation integrates design and manufacturing considerations early in the digital workflow, eliminating subsequent manual preparation steps.
4Productivity
If automated methods are used to define input products, then productivity increases, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal computer-implemented method that handles multiple manufacturing operations and feature types through a single automated system. The method can retrieve output product data, apply various manufacturing features, and generate input product definitions for different manufacturing contexts, increasing productivity while managing system complexity through standardized multi-functional processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system and implemented method for defining an input product to be manufactured into an output product, comprises steps of:(a) receiving an output product having attributes and comprising at least one sub-product, said sub-product having attributes;(b) associating to said output product a manufacturing operation identified among a plurality of manufacturing operations;(c) defining attributes of said input product, said input product attributes deriving from modification of attributes of the at least one sub-product according to the associated manufacturing operation.The computer implemented method of the invention thus derives input products from the output product to be manufactured with a process oriented approach. Design modifications on output product can be directly and automatically taken into account in input products.