Visual State Identification Lights for Automation Fault Location
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern manufacturing and automation systems face challenges in identifying the location of faults or stoppages due to their complexity, speed, and size, making it difficult for operators to determine the cause and navigate to the affected area for remediation.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing a visual display system with light displays arranged along the perimeter of automation systems, where a processor receives input data, determines the state of the system, and communicates with the visual display system to selectively light specific areas, providing visual cues such as color, pattern, and brightness to indicate the location of interest, guiding operators to the issue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sophisticated defect identification technologies are used to stop the manufacturing system when issues are detected, then product quality is improved, but the difficulty of determining the cause and location of the defect increases due to system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The automation system is divided into multiple workstations, each with its own visual display system showing operational status, defects, and warnings. This segmentation allows operators to quickly identify which specific workstation has an issue without being overwhelmed by the complexity of the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
A centralized controller acts as an intermediary between the complex automation system and the operator. It collects data from all workstations, processes it, and presents simplified visual information through display systems at each workstation, mediating between system complexity and operator understanding.
2Productivity
If the automation system operates at high speed to provide fast and accurate production, then productivity is improved, but the difficulty of identifying fault locations increases making troubleshooting slower
Solution Approach 1:
Visual display systems are pre-configured at each workstation to show operational status, defect information, and warning signals before actual faults occur. This preliminary preparation ensures that when a fault does occur, operators can immediately see the issue without needing to investigate complex high-speed operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The visual display system uses color-coded indicators (e.g., green for normal operation, yellow for warnings, red for defects) to communicate system status. This allows operators to quickly identify fault locations and types at high-speed production lines without needing to interpret complex data or slow down the production process.
3Productivity
If the automation system is made large-scale to handle complex manufacturing requirements, then productivity is improved, but navigating operators to the affected area becomes particularly difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The large-scale automation system is segmented into distinct workstations, each with its own visual display system. This segmentation creates clear visual boundaries and information zones, making it easy for operators to identify which specific area requires attention without being lost in the overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Each workstation has a visual display system that copies or replicates the same type of information interface. This standardization allows operators to navigate familiar interfaces across different workstations, making it easier to locate and respond to issues in large-scale facilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for visual state identification including: a visual display system including a plurality of light displays, each of the light displays provided to different physical locations on an automation system; an execution device operatively connected to the visual display system, including: an input device configured to receive data from the automation system; and computer readable instructions which, if executed by a processor, cause the processor to: receive input data; determine the state of the automation system based on the input data, wherein the state may include an area of interest related to one of the different physical locations; communicate with the visual display system to selectively light a portion of one or more of the plurality of light displays to display the state of the automation system and the physical location of the area of interest.