Jig Determination for On-Demand Printing Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in reducing excess production and waste in industrial processes, particularly in on-demand production systems, where efficient management of printing equipment and jig changes is necessary to enhance operational efficiency and minimize waste.
Innovation Solution
An information processing system determines the appropriate jig for DTG printers based on correspondence information, optimizing jig usage and reducing operator intervention by assigning print jobs to printers with the most frequently used platens and strategically changing platens to minimize waste and improve production efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual jig selection and attachment is performed by operators, then flexibility in jig assignment is maintained, but operational efficiency decreases and skill-level dependency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically determines which jig should be attached to which image forming apparatus and generates change instructions without human intervention. The determination unit autonomously selects optimal jig assignments based on correspondence information and current attachment states, eliminating the need for manual operator judgment and skill-based decision making.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations (operators physically selecting and attaching jigs) with an automated information processing system. The system uses correspondence information stored in memory to automatically determine optimal jig assignments, substituting human cognitive processes with algorithmic decision-making based on stored data patterns.
2Manufacturing precision
If frequent jig changes are performed to match print jobs, then printing accuracy is maintained, but production time increases and operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system stores correspondence information in advance that maps jigs to image forming apparatuses. By pre-establishing these relationships in memory, the system can quickly retrieve and execute appropriate jig assignments without performing time-consuming manual selection processes during actual printing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The determination unit references stored correspondence information to continuously optimize jig assignments. The system monitors current attachment states and uses the pre-stored correspondence data to determine optimal changes, creating a feedback loop that maintains printing accuracy while minimizing unnecessary jig changes through intelligent decision-making.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple jigs are kept ready for different print jobs, then job switching flexibility is improved, but device complexity and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The correspondence information stored in the system serves multiple functions: it tracks which jigs are attached to which image forming apparatuses, determines optimal jig assignments for upcoming jobs, and generates change instructions. This single data structure supports the entire jig management workflow, eliminating the need for separate tracking systems and reducing overall complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A jig determination method, a production base system, and an information processing system. The jig determination method executed by an information processing system for controlling production of an ordered product by printing includes acquiring correspondence information associating, for each image forming apparatus, a jig attached to the image forming apparatus and the image forming apparatus, determining a jig to be attached to an image forming apparatus on standby based on the correspondence information and a jig to be used in printing of an ordered product, and outputting information indicating a change of the jig attached to the image forming apparatus on standby based on a result of the determining.