Distributed Ledger Workflow Verification for Additive Manufacturing

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Solution Overview

Problem

In distributed supply chains, particularly with additive manufacturing, there is a challenge in coordinating and verifying the sourcing, design, and quality of products across multiple entities, including certification of materials, machines, and personnel, while ensuring intellectual property rights and reducing risks of theft and miscommunication.

Innovation Solution

A system utilizing secure, distributed transaction ledgers to maintain digital records of product designs, physical inventories, and precursors, enabling end-to-end verification and tracking through encrypted identifiers, smart contracts, and blockchain technology for secure access and payment management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If distributed supply chain coordination is implemented among multiple entities, then productivity and manufacturing capability are improved, but reliability and security of product verification deteriorate due to coordination complexity and information loss

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing capabilityVSAvoidproduct verification security

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separate verification systems into a unified blockchain-based ledger that all supply chain entities share. This merged system maintains a single source of truth for product designs, precursors, and manufacturing records, eliminating the reliability issues caused by distributed verification while preserving the productivity benefits of multi-entity collaboration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The blockchain ledger acts as an intermediary between multiple supply chain entities, mediating the verification process. Instead of entities directly coordinating and verifying each other's records (which causes reliability issues), the blockchain intermediary provides a trusted, immutable record that all parties can verify without direct trust relationships.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If comprehensive verification of source materials, machines, and personnel is implemented, then product quality and reliability are improved, but device complexity and information management burden increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduct qualityVSAvoidverification system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates digital copies (digital twins) of physical assets including product designs, precursor materials, and manufacturing records on the blockchain. These digital copies contain all verification information needed, eliminating the need for complex physical verification systems while maintaining comprehensive quality control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary verification by requiring all supply chain entities to register their credentials, materials, and equipment in advance on the blockchain before manufacturing begins. This preliminary action ensures all verification data is already captured and linked to products, eliminating the need for complex ongoing verification processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of information

If digital records of product designs and manufacturing processes are maintained across distributed entities, then transparency and traceability are improved, but loss of information and security risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation traceabilityVSAvoidsecurity risks

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The blockchain creates an inert, immutable environment for storing digital records. Once information is written to the blockchain ledger, it cannot be altered or deleted, providing a secure, tamper-proof storage environment that protects against information loss and security risks while maintaining full traceability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #39Inert atmosphere (Inert environment)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where each transaction and verification step is recorded on the blockchain and can be traced back through the entire supply chain. This feedback loop ensures information integrity by allowing any entity to verify the complete history of a product from design through manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20220366358A1Systems and methods for verifying manufacturing workflows

Publication Date: 2022.11.17 BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS LLC

AI summary

Methods may involve maintaining a first secure, distributed transaction ledger including a digital inventory of product designs for industrial products. A second secure, distributed transaction ledger including a digital record of an entity's physical inventory of industrial products may be maintained. The second secure, distributed transaction ledger may be synced with a remote copy. A third secure, distributed transaction ledger including a digital record of precursors for manufacturing the product designs in the digital inventory may be maintained. The first, second, and third secure, distributed transaction ledgers may be interrelated and updated to associate digital records of at least some industrial products in the physical inventory of the second secure, distributed transaction ledger with corresponding product designs in the digital inventory of the first secure, distributed transaction ledger and digital records of corresponding precursors in the third secure, distributed transaction ledger.