Automated Stacking Rules for Welded Tube Bundles
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Solution Overview
Problem
The automation of bundled pipe handling in warehousing is challenging due to the geometry, mass, and variations of pipes, particularly in magnetic lifting operations, as existing methods struggle to efficiently stack and arrange pipes with different cross-sections and sizes without violating predetermined height and spacing rules.
Innovation Solution
A method and arrangement where bundles are assigned to types based on predetermined length and width ranges, with a rule set governing stacking and placement to ensure compliance with height, type compatibility, and spacing, allowing for optimal storage area utilization by centralizing bundles and minimizing space usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated handling of bundled pipes is implemented, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need to handle varying geometries and masses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by establishing predetermined length ranges and width ranges that define bundle types. This standardization transforms the continuous variation in pipe bundle dimensions into discrete categories, enabling automated handling systems to process diverse bundles using a unified approach rather than requiring complex adaptive mechanisms for each unique dimension.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the problem by dividing bundles into distinct types based on their dimensional parameters. By categorizing bundles according to predetermined length and width ranges, the system breaks down the complexity of handling all possible bundle variations into manageable segments, each governed by the same stacking rules and handling procedures.
2Reliability
If strict stacking rules are enforced to prevent magnetic interference, then reliability is improved, but productivity decreases due to placement constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing a comprehensive rule set that defines all stacking constraints, including magnetic interference prevention requirements, height limitations, and type compatibility rules. This predetermined framework allows automated systems to make rapid placement decisions without real-time complex calculations, maintaining both reliability and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the continuous placement problem into a discrete decision-making process by defining specific parameters such as bundle types, stack heights, and compatibility rules. This parameterization enables automated systems to efficiently evaluate placement options against predetermined criteria, ensuring magnetic interference prevention while maintaining high stacking speeds through algorithmic optimization.
3Loss of substance
If storage space is optimized by centralizing bundles, then loss of space is reduced, but device complexity increases due to optimization algorithms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by defining bundle types based on predetermined length and width ranges, which transforms the continuous dimensional variations into discrete categories. This standardization enables efficient space optimization algorithms to work with simplified parameters rather than continuous variables, reducing computational complexity while maximizing storage utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service through automated placement algorithms that independently optimize storage space utilization based on the established rule set. The system automatically determines optimal bundle positions and orientations to minimize wasted space, with the optimization logic embedded in the control system rather than requiring external intervention or complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
The method involves a pipe bundle arrangement, each bundle having a length, a width and a depth and being a shape bundle having a rectangular or a round bundle having a hexagonal cross-section. Each bundle has a type, each type having predetermined ranges of length and width, the bundle being assigned to that type in respect of which the length and width falls within the predetermined ranges. In the arrangement: no stack exceeds a predetermined height; no round bundle has stacked thereupon a shape bundle nor a round bundle of another type; the predetermined length range of each bundle in a stack is common; the predetermined width range of each shape bundle in a stack is common; and in no stack is a round bundle stacked upon a shape bundle wherein the predetermined width range of the round bundle is greater than the predetermined width range of the shape bundle.