Industrial Printer Fault Assessment for Print Line Continuity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial printers in print lines often experience issues that lead to downtime, which can be critical for products like pharmaceuticals and dairy, where production delays can result in spoilage or regulatory issues, due to the lack of effective methods to assess and manage printer faults in real-time.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that receives data from industrial printers to detect issues, determines if remedial action is required, and identifies suitable replacement printers using scores based on various criteria, allowing for continuous operation or scheduled maintenance to minimize downtime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the industrial printer continues to operate with detected issues, then productivity is maintained, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to sub-optimal print quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the operational parameters of the printer by adjusting print settings, speed, or other controllable parameters to compensate for detected issues, allowing continued operation while maintaining acceptable print quality through dynamic parameter optimization
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial remedial action by selecting from multiple possible corrections, applying only those necessary to maintain acceptable quality thresholds while allowing the printer to continue operating, rather than requiring complete shutdown for minor issues
2Manufacturing precision
If the industrial printer is halted for remedial action, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but productivity deteriorates due to print line downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of the detected issue to determine whether remedial action is actually necessary, using predictive analytics and issue severity evaluation to avoid unnecessary shutdowns, allowing the printer to continue operating when the issue is unlikely to affect print quality
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous monitoring and feedback loops that track printer performance and issue development in real-time, allowing dynamic adjustment of the operate-vs-repair decision based on whether the issue worsens over time, enabling data-driven decisions about when shutdown is truly necessary
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple industrial printers are used in the print line, then manufacturing precision is improved through specialized marking, but reliability deteriorates due to increased likelihood of issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a universal monitoring and assessment platform that works across all different printer types in the print line, providing unified issue detection and remedial action recommendations that apply regardless of the specific printer model or marking technology being used
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary assessment layer between multiple printers and the central control system, where issues from any printer are evaluated by a unified decision-making algorithm that determines appropriate remedial actions, coordinating the operation of multiple specialized printers while managing their individual reliability risks
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a computer implemented method comprising, receiving data associated with an industrial printer, the industrial printer operating on a print line and executing a print job, determining, based on the data associated with the industrial printer, an issue associated with the industrial printer, determining, based on the issue, whether the industrial printer requires remedial action or if the industrial printer can continue to be operated with the issue.