Modular Production Platform With Open Cable Tray Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional production line systems require bespoke installation and are slow to install and modify due to permanent fixings to the factory floor, making them inefficient and difficult to rearrange.
Innovation Solution
A modular platform system with a cable tray that allows for quick installation and modification by accommodating cables without separate tidying, featuring a permanently open channel for cable management and removable fixings, enabling faster setup and rearrangement of production lines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional systems are bolted directly to the factory floor, then installation is secure and stable, but installation is slow and modification is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into modular platforms that can be independently positioned and connected on the factory floor. Each platform serves as a discrete unit that can be easily installed, removed, and repositioned, enabling rapid deployment and flexible reconfiguration of production line layouts without permanent floor modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The platform positions are designed to be adjustable and reconfigurable rather than fixed. The platforms can be dynamically repositioned to different locations on the factory floor and connected to form various configurations, allowing the system to adapt to changing production requirements while maintaining secure installation through the interlocking platform design.
2Productivity
If cables are managed separately from platforms, then cable routing is flexible, but installation time increases due to separate tidying requirements
Solution Approach 1:
Cable management functionality is merged directly into the platform structure through integrated cable trays. The cable trays are built as integral components of each platform, combining structural support and cable routing functions into a single unit. This eliminates the need for separate cable management systems and reduces installation steps while maintaining organized cable routing.
Solution Approach 2:
The platforms serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide structural support for production line equipment, offer a base for mounting components, and include integrated cable trays for cable management. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed and simplifies installation while addressing both mechanical and electrical infrastructure requirements.
3Ease of operation
If cable access is through specified apertures, then cable routing is controlled, but installation is slower due to limited access points
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of providing discrete aperture access points at specific locations, the cable tray design opens up cable access along the entire length of the platform edge. This transforms point-access in one dimension into continuous linear access, allowing cables to be routed at any position along the platform perimeter without requiring precise aperture locations or complex drilling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional lid or cover that would enclose the cable tray is removed or made optional, extracting the constraint of closed-access cable trays. This allows direct open access to the cable tray from the platform edge, eliminating the need for apertures or removable covers and enabling flexible cable insertion at any location along the tray length.
Data Source
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AI summary
A platform (301) and bracket (201) for forming a modular array which can be used for supporting production line components such as robots (107) and conveyors (104). The platforms may be joined together in an array and are provided with a cable tray (307) between a load bearing surface (302) and a base (308) for accommodating electrical cabling. The bracket (201) is provided with a support plate (202) coupled to a leaf (203) for connecting platforms together.