Virtual Carton Simulation for Material Handling System Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Physical testing of high-speed material handling systems is labor-intensive, costly, and limited, as it requires actual objects to be loaded onto conveyors, leading to potential customer frustration due to issues like jams and crashes, and cannot be conducted until the complete system is installed.
Innovation Solution
Combining virtual testing with physical systems by modeling virtual cartons that simulate the presence of objects, allowing the control logic to operate the system without actual objects, enabling testing of the control logic and hardware without physical jams or crashes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If physical testing is conducted with actual cartons on the material handling system, then the system can be validated for real-world performance, but the testing becomes labor-intensive, costly, and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of cartons (virtual cartons) that replicate the physical properties, dimensions, and behaviors of actual cartons. These virtual cartons are used in a simulated material handling environment that mirrors the physical system, allowing comprehensive testing without requiring physical cartons. The virtual cartons include properties such as size, weight, friction coefficients, and collision responses that match real cartons, enabling realistic validation while eliminating the need for physical testing resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the physical mechanical testing system with a computer-based simulation system. The simulation engine computes the behavior of virtual cartons on virtual conveyors, merges, diverts, and other material handling components, substituting physical mechanical interactions with computational models. This substitution maintains testing validity while eliminating the labor-intensive and costly nature of physical cartons and manual testing operations.
2Reliability
If physical testing is performed only after complete system installation, then all subsystems are available for testing, but customer frustration and dissatisfaction occur due to observed carton control issues like jams and crashes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables testing to be performed before complete system installation by creating virtual representations of subsystems as they become available. The simulation environment allows individual subsystems to be tested independently or in combination with previously installed subsystems. This preliminary testing identifies and resolves issues such as jams and crashes before the complete physical system is deployed to customers, preventing customer frustration while maintaining testing completeness through progressive virtual system assembly.
3Productivity
If virtual cartons are used to simulate physical objects, then testing can be done without actual objects reducing labor and costs, but the control logic must accurately simulate real-world physics and interactions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements comprehensive parameter definitions for virtual cartons that include physical properties such as size, weight, friction coefficients, restitution coefficients, and other material properties. These parameters are configured to match real cartons, ensuring that the virtual cartons behave identically to physical cartons in the simulation environment. The simulation engine uses these parameters to compute realistic interactions with conveyors, merges, diverts, and other system components, maintaining manufacturing precision while achieving high testing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates detailed virtual copies of both cartons and material handling system components. The virtual cartons replicate physical cartons with accurate dimensional, mechanical, and material properties. The virtual system components (conveyors, merges, diverts) are also copied with faithful representations of their physical behaviors, including speed profiles, acceleration characteristics, and interaction physics. This comprehensive copying approach ensures simulation accuracy while enabling efficient virtual testing.
Data Source
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AI summary
Virtual material handling systems (102) can be used to drive the operation of real material handling systems (101) for purposes such as testing and validation of the components of the real material handling systems (101). The real material handling system (101), in turn, can provide data regarding system operation which may be fed back to the virtual material handling system (102) to control its function.