Wire Harness Line Balancing With Task Dependency Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual line balancing of workstations for manufacturing wire harness variants is complex, time-consuming, and error-prone, especially when manufacturers introduce design changes or add new variants, often leading to manufacturing bottlenecks.
Innovation Solution
A computing system implementing a line balancing tool that generates a structured bill of materials, decomposes tasks, assigns them to workstations, and verifies dependencies to optimize the manufacturing process for wire harness production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual line balancing is performed for wire harness variants, then flexibility to handle design changes is maintained, but the process becomes complex, time-consuming, and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of line balancing with an automated computer-based system. The system uses software to automatically generate structured bills of materials, decompose tasks, assign them to workstations, and verify dependencies, eliminating the need for manual intervention while handling design changes and new variants efficiently
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically generating structured bills of materials and decomposing tasks before line balancing is needed. When design changes or new variants are introduced, the system has already prepared the task structures and dependencies, enabling rapid re-balancing without starting from scratch
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual line balancing is performed for multiple wire harness variants, then all variants can be accommodated, but the time required increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces time-consuming manual line balancing operations with automated computer-based processing. The system rapidly generates structured bills of materials, decomposes tasks, and assigns them to workstations for multiple variants simultaneously, reducing the time required from weeks to minutes or hours
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides universal functionality by handling multiple wire harness variants through a single automated platform. It can process different SBOMs, task structures, and workstation configurations for various variants without requiring separate manual balancing processes for each one
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual line balancing is performed iteratively for design changes, then updated variants are produced, but manufacturing bottlenecks occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces iterative manual line balancing with automated computer-based processing that can rapidly incorporate design changes. The system automatically updates structured bills of materials, re-decomposes tasks, and re-assigns them to workstations, maintaining manufacturing throughput while adapting to design changes
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary generation of structured bills of materials and task decompositions, so when design changes occur, the foundation is already prepared. This allows rapid iterative updates without the delays associated with manual re-balancing, preventing manufacturing bottlenecks
4Ease of manufacture
If manual line balancing is performed, then task assignments can be made, but errors increase due to complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces error-prone manual line balancing with automated computer-based processing. The system systematically generates structured bills of materials, decomposes tasks according to defined rules, assigns them to workstations based on constraints and dependencies, and verifies assignments, eliminating human errors while maintaining the ability to make task assignments
Data Source
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AI summary
This application discloses a computing system implementing a line balancing tool to generate a structured bill of materials for a wire harness based on a harness design and available fabrication processes. The computing system can decompose the structured bill of materials into tasks and assign the tasks to workstations in a production line configured to manufacture the wire harness. The computing system can determine dependencies between a plurality of the tasks and verify the tasks assigned to the workstation conform to the dependencies between the plurality of the tasks. The dependencies can indicate an order for performance of the operations associated with the tasks. The computing system can identify unassigned tasks capable of assignment to one or more of the workstations and determine which of the workstations the unassigned assembly tasks, if assigned, would conform with the dependencies between the plurality of the assembly tasks.