Replacement Harvester Standby Positioning for Downtime Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The inefficiency and high cost associated with maintaining spare agricultural equipment to quickly replace broken-down forage harvesters in large-scale harvesting operations, leading to significant downtime and increased operational costs.
Innovation Solution
A delivery system that includes a controller and transport vehicles to calculate and position replacement machines at optimal standby locations, allowing for rapid deployment of spare equipment to fields in need, eliminating the need for on-site spare equipment storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If spare forage harvesters are maintained on-site to quickly replace broken-down equipment, then equipment replacement time is reduced, but operational costs and resource requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates and pre-positions replacement harvesters at optimal standby locations before failures occur. The controller determines standby locations based on field locations, road networks, and traffic conditions, positioning equipment in advance so that when a failure occurs, the replacement can be rapidly deployed without having maintained spare equipment on-site.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a delivery service system with a controller and transport vehicles as an intermediary between the farmer's equipment needs and the actual replacement delivery. This intermediary manages the positioning and delivery of spare harvesters, allowing the farmer to operate without maintaining their own spare equipment inventory while still achieving rapid replacement.
2Productivity
If multiple forage harvesters are deployed in large-scale harvesting operations, then harvesting productivity increases, but the impact of equipment failure on overall productivity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-positions replacement harvesters at calculated standby locations before failures occur. The controller determines optimal standby locations based on field locations, road networks, and traffic conditions, ensuring that when a failure occurs in a large-scale operation, the replacement can be rapidly deployed to minimize impact on overall productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the operational status of forage harvesters and dynamically adjusts the positioning of replacement equipment. When a harvester fails, the controller receives this feedback and immediately directs the nearest transport vehicle with a standby harvester to the failure location, enabling rapid response that maintains operational reliability even as productivity scales up.
3Speed
If spare equipment is purchased and transported to fields for standby, then equipment replacement speed increases, but the cost and complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a delivery service system with a controller and transport vehicles as an intermediary that manages the complex logistics of spare equipment positioning and delivery. This intermediary handles route optimization, vehicle dispatch, and coordination, allowing the farmer to achieve fast replacement speeds without having to manage the complexity of maintaining and positioning their own spare equipment inventory.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service through automated controller-based positioning and delivery. The controller automatically calculates standby locations, dispatches transport vehicles, and coordinates delivery without requiring the farmer to manually manage spare equipment. This automation reduces system complexity from the farmer's perspective while maintaining fast replacement speeds.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for delivering at least one replacement machine to replace at least one broken-down machine. The method includes providing a delivery system with at least one transport vehicle for transporting the at least one replacement machine and a controller. The method also includes receiving, by the controller, information that includes standby location variables and calculating, by the controller, a standby location for the at least one transport vehicle based upon the standby location variables. The method also includes sending, by the controller, the standby location to the at least one transport vehicle. The method further includes positioning, by the at least one transport vehicle, the at least one replacement machine at the standby location.