Modular Manufacturing Plant Frame Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing manufacturing systems lack standardization in structural design, making reconfiguration for different purposes difficult and increasing dimensioning and design efforts, as well as manufacturing costs.

Innovation Solution

The system standardizes work stations and parts provision stations by mounting them on modular frame modules with interchangeable functional units, allowing for flexible configuration and easy assembly, using standardized storage frame modules that can be quickly adapted to various configurations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If work stations and parts provision stations are mounted on specially designed storage frames for each configuration, then the production system can be customized to customer requirements, but the dimensioning effort and design complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecustomization to customer requirementsVSAvoiddimensioning effort and design complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The support housing is designed as a universal base structure that can accommodate multiple different configurations of work stations and parts provision stations. The standardized mounting plates and connection interfaces allow the same support housing to serve different production purposes without requiring custom design for each configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system is divided into modular components: support housing, mounting frames, work stations, and parts provision stations. Each component can be independently designed and then assembled in different configurations. The mounting frames act as standardized intermediaries that can be attached to the support housing in various arrangements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If the production system is configured according to specific customer requirements with custom storage frames, then the system meets the specific functional needs, but reconfiguration for other purposes becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeeting specific functional needsVSAvoidreconfiguration difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system is designed to be dynamically reconfigurable through standardized mounting interfaces. Work stations and parts provision stations can be moved, added, or removed from the support housing by detaching and reattaching mounting frames, allowing the system to adapt to different production requirements without permanent modifications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The standardized support housing and mounting frame design serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, enables various configurations, and facilitates easy reconfiguration. The same basic structure can accommodate different numbers and types of work stations depending on production needs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If non-standardized storage frames are designed for each production system configuration, then the system can be optimized for specific work stations, but manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoptimization for specific work stationsVSAvoidmanufacturing costs
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The support housing and mounting frames are designed as universal components that can be used across multiple different production system configurations. This standardization allows for economies of scale in manufacturing, reducing the cost per unit while still enabling customization of the overall system configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of designing different structural frames for each configuration, the system achieves optimization by changing the arrangement and number of standardized mounting frames. The same basic mounting frame design can be positioned differently or used in different quantities to optimize for specific work station requirements without incurring additional design and manufacturing costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2916995B1Manufacturing plant for producing an assembly consisting of a plurality of parts
Publication Date: 2016.10.26 STIWA HLDG
  • EP2916995B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2916995B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2916995B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a manufacturing plant (1) for producing an assembly which consists of a plurality of parts (3), said manufacturing plant comprising a conveying facility (2) for conveying parts (3) by means of part carriers (4) and workstations (6) that are arranged one after the other in the direction of conveyance (5) and/or part delivering stations (7) and a support housing (9). Each workstation (6) and/or each part delivering station (7) is mounted on bearing frame modules (13) via mounting receptacles (121). The support housing (9) comprises juxtaposed bearing frame modules (36, 37, 38), a base plate (49) and a mounting plate (50), the base plate (49) and the mounting plate (50) being connected to each other via vertical frames (51). The mounting plate (50), on the upper face facing away from the base plate (49), forms a mounting plane (11) on which the conveying facility (2) can be supported via its base frame (8) and the bearing frame modules (13) can be supported via their connecting plates (41) and are detachably connected to the support housing (8) via fastening devices (42, 43).