Production Line Layout Patterns for Movable Setup Facilities
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current production line design techniques struggle to efficiently optimize the layout of both fixed and movable facilities within a production line, leading to an exponential increase in the number of layout combinations, making it impractical to derive an optimal layout within a reasonable time, especially when considering the movement methods of facilities.
Innovation Solution
A production line design apparatus that includes a storage unit for facility configuration information and arrangement pattern definition information, using a processor to generate layout candidates that combine these elements, allowing for the consideration of both fixed and movable facilities' positions and movement methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the degree of freedom of layout is increased by introducing movable facilities, then the versatility of production line configuration is improved, but the number of layout candidates increases exponentially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the layout design process into distinct phases: generating arrangement patterns for movable facilities, generating number configurations for main facilities, and combining them into layout candidates. This segmentation allows the system to handle the complexity of multiple facilities and movement methods by breaking down the problem into manageable steps, preventing exponential complexity from overwhelming the design process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces arrangement patterns that define movement methods (floor-surface traveling, ceiling traveling) for setup facilities, making the system dynamic rather than static. This allows the same facility type to be configured with different movement characteristics, increasing layout flexibility without proportionally increasing the number of discrete layout candidates that must be evaluated.
2Productivity
If the number of facilities is increased to achieve full automation, then the productivity of the production line is improved, but the time required to evaluate all layout combinations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary generation of arrangement patterns and number configurations before combining them into full layout candidates. By pre-generating and storing these intermediate configurations, the system reduces the computational burden during the final layout evaluation phase, allowing faster assessment of multiple automation scenarios with more facilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates arrangement patterns that can be universally applied across different facility types and production line configurations. The same arrangement pattern framework supports various movement methods (floor-surface, ceiling) and can be combined with different numbers of main facilities, reducing the need to create separate evaluation models for each scenario and thereby reducing total evaluation time.
3Adaptability or versatility
If both floor surface-fixed and movable facilities are designed together, then the comprehensiveness of the layout design is improved, but the difficulty of layout design increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the design of fixed and movable facilities into separate but coordinated processes. Arrangement patterns specifically handle movable facilities with their movement methods, while number configurations handle main facilities. This segmentation allows each type to be designed and optimized independently before being combined, reducing the overall design complexity while maintaining comprehensiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses arrangement patterns as an intermediary structure that bridges the design of movable facilities and main facilities. The arrangement patterns define the framework for movable facility placement and movement methods, which then serves as a basis for positioning main facilities. This intermediary structure simplifies the integration process compared to designing all facilities simultaneously without such a framework.
Data Source
AI summary
A production line design apparatus includes: a storage unit that stores facility configuration information that defines a number configuration including at least one or more main facilities that perform a main work in a production line and at least one or more setup facilities that perform an auxiliary work of the main facility, and arrangement pattern definition information including one or more arrangement patterns that define a combination of a movement method of the setup facility that is adoptable and a relative positional relationship between the main facility that is adoptable and the setup facility; and a processor that executes layout candidate generation processing of generating layout information that satisfies the number configuration by combining the arrangement patterns using the facility configuration information and the arrangement pattern definition information.