Virtual Instance Migration for Flexible Manufacturing Workflows
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing lines with limited computing resources struggle to produce diverse products due to storage and compute capacity constraints, leading to increased capital expenditure and inefficiencies in monitoring and control workflows.
Innovation Solution
A centralized workflow management system (CWMS) deploys and migrates virtual computing instances (VCIs) based on product type, using orchestration managers to optimize resource utilization and minimize storage needs, enabling diverse product manufacturing without requiring all program instructions to be stored locally.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manufacturing lines equip high-end computing systems with increased compute and storage capabilities, then product diversity and manufacturing flexibility improve, but capital expenditure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges computing resources by consolidating them into centralized cloud-based virtual computing instances rather than distributing high-end computing systems across all manufacturing locations. This allows multiple manufacturing lines to share pooled computing resources, achieving product diversity without each location needing expensive local hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual computing instances provide universal computing capabilities that can be dynamically allocated to different manufacturing tasks and product types. A single centralized computing infrastructure serves multiple functions and product lines, eliminating the need for dedicated high-end systems at each location.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manufacturing lines store all program instructions locally, then manufacturing flexibility and product switching capability improve, but storage capacity requirements and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts program instructions and manufacturing logic from local manufacturing systems and stores them centrally in cloud-based virtual computing instances. This removes the need for local storage of extensive program libraries while maintaining the ability to execute different manufacturing programs by loading them from the cloud.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions storage from the local dimension (on-device storage) to a remote dimension (cloud storage). Program instructions are stored in a centralized cloud environment and accessed over the network, effectively adding a spatial dimension to the storage architecture that reduces local storage requirements.
3Quantity of substance
If distributed computing devices are used with limited resources, then capital expenditure is reduced, but the ability to produce diverse products is constrained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent prepares computing resources in advance by pre-configuring virtual computing instances in the cloud with various manufacturing capabilities. When diverse products need to be manufactured, pre-prepared virtual instances are deployed to distributed devices, enabling product diversity without requiring expensive local hardware upgrades.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a centralized workflow management system as an intermediary between the cloud-based virtual computing instances and the distributed manufacturing devices. This intermediary manages the deployment, execution, and migration of virtual instances, enabling limited local devices to access unlimited cloud-based computing capabilities.
4Reliability
If proprietary solutions are used for monitoring and control workflows, then system reliability improves, but device complexity and implementation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional approach by moving the complex monitoring and control logic from distributed proprietary devices to centralized virtual computing instances in the cloud. This reverses where complexity resides, allowing simple local devices to maintain reliability through centralized intelligence rather than through complex local systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Examples described herein relate to a centralized workflow management system (CWMS) and a method for managing the deployment and migration of virtual computing instances along a manufacturing line. The manufacturing line hosts a plurality of computing devices such as a first computing device and a second computing device to control operations performed by respective machines. To manufacture a first product, a first orchestration manager hosted in the CWMS deploys a first virtualized computing instance on the first computing device associated with a first stage of a first product manufacturing workflow. Further, upon the first product completing the first stage of the first product manufacturing workflow, the first orchestration manager migrates the first virtualized computing instance from the first computing device to a second computing device associated with a second stage of the first product manufacturing workflow.