Make Line Lighting for Order Accuracy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Fast food and fast casual restaurants face inefficiencies in their make lines due to manual tracking and coordination of orders, leading to delays and errors in preparing customized food products.

Innovation Solution

A make line system incorporating a heating surface, product preparation stations, ingredient containers, line level lighting, overhead lighting, an order identification reader, sensor network, and a label printer, controlled by an order server that communicates with these components to provide real-time instructions and feedback for efficient order fulfillment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual tracking and coordination of orders is used in make lines, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases and errors increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveorder fulfillment efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service through automated order tracking and coordination. The make line system automatically monitors order status, coordinates ingredient preparation, and notifies relevant personnel without requiring manual intervention for each step, thereby improving productivity while managing complexity through automation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual mechanical tracking methods are replaced with an automated electronic system comprising sensors, controllers, and communication interfaces. This substitution eliminates manual paperwork and coordination, significantly improving order fulfillment efficiency while the modular architecture manages system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Manufacturing precision

If automated lighting and monitoring systems are implemented, then manufacturing precision improves, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveorder preparation accuracyVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting system operates periodically rather than continuously, activating lights and monitoring devices only when needed for specific tasks or at scheduled intervals. This approach maintains manufacturing precision for order preparation while significantly reducing overall energy consumption during idle periods

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of illuminating the entire make line uniformly, the system provides localized lighting only to specific stations or areas where work is currently being performed. This targeted approach ensures adequate precision for active tasks while minimizing energy consumption in inactive zones

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12175546B2Make line optimization

Publication Date: 2024.12.24 CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL

AI summary

A make line for preparing food in a restaurant includes ingredient containers and food preparation stations. The make line is provided with a line level lighting system that illuminates one or more ingredient containers as well as one or more of the food preparation stations to indicate which ingredient(s) are to be added to the food order being prepared at the illuminated food preparation station(s). The make line may also comprise an overhead lighting system to selectively illuminate a heating surface, a scanner for detecting which order is currently being prepared, a sensor system for detecting which ingredient container(s) are being accessed, a label printer for printing a label for a given order, and other features to enhance the efficiency of the make line.