Feed-forward control in event-based manufacturing systems
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
- collecting machine-generated, event-based data in response to events occurring during manufacturing of an absorbent article in an event-based manufacturing system, said event-based data relating to a defect in a material from a first manufacturing operation using or producing the material;
associating the collected, machine-generated, event-based data with an identifier identifying the material during the first manufacturing operation;
storing the collected, machine-generated, event-based data and the identifier in a database;
determining, from a label associated with the material, the identifier identifying the material;
obtaining the machine-generated, event-based data associated with the determined identifier from the database, wherein the determining and the obtaining occur during a second manufacturing operation occurring subsequent to the first manufacturing operation, wherein the second manufacturing operation produces a product from the material; and
governing the second manufacturing operation for the material by a feed-forward process control system responsive to the obtained event-based data from the first manufacturing operation to decrease the likelihood of at least one of a delay event, a waste event, or poor quality of the product during the second manufacturing operation.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Communication between machines in an event-based manufacturing system. In an event-based manufacturing system, material-specific data obtained for a material produced during a first manufacturing operation is used to govern a second manufacturing operation to decrease the likelihood of at least a delay event, a waste event, or poor quality of the product.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
-
collecting machine-generated, event-based data in response to events occurring during manufacturing of an absorbent article in an event-based manufacturing system, said event-based data relating to a defect in a material from a first manufacturing operation using or producing the material;
associating the collected, machine-generated, event-based data with an identifier identifying the material during the first manufacturing operation;
storing the collected, machine-generated, event-based data and the identifier in a database;
determining, from a label associated with the material, the identifier identifying the material;
obtaining the machine-generated, event-based data associated with the determined identifier from the database, wherein the determining and the obtaining occur during a second manufacturing operation occurring subsequent to the first manufacturing operation, wherein the second manufacturing operation produces a product from the material; and
governing the second manufacturing operation for the material by a feed-forward process control system responsive to the obtained event-based data from the first manufacturing operation to decrease the likelihood of at least one of a delay event, a waste event, or poor quality of the product during the second manufacturing operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. In a system for communicating machine-generated, event-based data relating to a material between machines, one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable components comprising:
-
an interface module for determining, from a label associated with a material, an identifier identifying the material; and
a control module for obtaining machine-generated, event-based data associated with the determined identifier from a database for feed-forward control in an event-based manufacturing system, wherein the database stores the machine-generated, event-based data and the identifier, wherein the event-based data is collected in response to events occurring during a first manufacturing operation using the material and includes a quality attribute of the material, wherein determining the identifier of the material and obtaining the event-based data occur during a second manufacturing operation occurring subsequent to the first manufacturing operation, and wherein the control module adjusts the second manufacturing operation for the material as a function of the quality attribute in the event-based data. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A system for reducing the probability of at least one of waste, delay, or a quality defect in a manufacturing operation having process conditions for the manufacture of a product from a material, the material being associated with event-based manufacturing information obtained responsive to events occurring during production of the material, said system comprising:
-
a memory area for storing machine-generated, event-based manufacturing information from a first manufacturing operation; and
a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions for;
identifying a problematic portion of the material during a first manufacturing operation for feed-forward control of a second manufacturing operation occurring subsequent to the first manufacturing operation by analyzing the event-based manufacturing information stored in the memory area, the problematic portion being associated with an increased probability of at least one of waste, delay, or a quality defect during the second manufacturing operation; and
temporarily adjusting the process conditions of the second manufacturing operation responsive to the identified problematic portion in the material such that the second manufacturing operation has the adjusted process conditions for at least a portion of the time when the problematic portion of the material is used in the second manufacturing operation. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification