Multi-Station Workpiece Inspection for Production Trend Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated factory manufacturing systems face inefficiencies in production scheduling and inspection due to the constraint of inspecting workpieces in the same order as production, leading to inefficient usage of production and inspection resources and inability to detect trends in dimension changes over time.
Innovation Solution
A method that records the production order of workpieces and measures them at multiple inspection stations, analyzing the results to detect trends and adjust production processes, allowing for flexible scheduling and efficient use of resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If workpieces are inspected in the same order as production at a single inspection station, then the production sequence is maintained for trend detection, but production scheduling efficiency deteriorates and inspection resources are underutilized
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection function is segmented across multiple inspection stations rather than concentrated at a single station. Each workpiece is assigned to an available inspection station independently, allowing parallel inspection operations while maintaining production sequence through recorded timestamps. This segmentation enables flexible resource utilization without compromising trend detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A server computer acts as an intermediary between production machines and multiple inspection stations. The server records production order information and coordinates workpiece routing to available inspection stations, enabling flexible scheduling while preserving the ability to detect trends by maintaining the production sequence record.
2Productivity
If multiple inspection stations are used for flexible scheduling, then resource utilization improves, but the ability to detect trends in dimension changes over time deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The production order information is recorded in advance at the production machine before the workpiece reaches the inspection station. This preliminary recording of the production sequence ensures that even when workpieces are inspected at different stations or in different physical order, the original production sequence is preserved for accurate trend detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by recording and tracking the production order information through the server, which correlates inspection results with their original production sequence. This feedback mechanism enables trend detection across multiple inspection stations by maintaining the temporal relationship between successive workpieces.
3Productivity
If inspection speed is increased to avoid slowing down production, then production efficiency improves, but measurement precision may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection workload is segmented across multiple inspection stations, allowing each station to operate at optimal speed without becoming a bottleneck. This distribution maintains measurement precision by ensuring each station has sufficient time to perform accurate measurements while the overall system throughput increases due to parallel operations.
Data Source
AI summary
In a workpiece production method a plurality of nominally similar workpieces are produced in a production process on one production machine. The order or time of production of some of the workpieces on the production machine is recorded. Some of the workpieces recorded are measured at two or more inspection stations. Dimensions or points of one workpiece are measured at one of the inspection stations, and corresponding dimensions or points of another of the workpieces are measured at another of the inspection stations. The results of the measurements of corresponding dimensions or points made at the two or more inspection stations are analysed together, taking account of the order or time of production of the workpieces. An output signal is produced based on the analysing of the results together. The output signal indicates performance of the production machine or of one or more of the inspection stations.