Computerized virtual paint manufacturing and application system

• US 6,330,487 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1999
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aimee Barach, Christopher T. Dine, Dirk Nimphius, Edward A. Guerrini, Jürgen Pitzer, Kai Long, Paul E. Lamberty, Raimar A. Jahn
• Original Assignee: Aimee Barach, Christopher T. Dine, Dirk Nimphius, Edward A. Guerrini, Jürgen Pitzer, Kai Long, Paul E. Lamberty, Raimar A. Jahn
• Inventors: Lamberty, Paul E., Barach, Aimee, Dine, Christopher T., Nimphius, Dirk, Long, Kai, Guerrini, Edward A., Pitzer, Jürgen, Jahn, Raimar A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Paul P.
• Application Number:
  US09/471,713
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 700/26, 700/117, 700/32, 700/24, 700/29, 700/27, 700/97, 700/28, 700/83, 700/123, 700/239, 700/180, 707/104, 702/130, 702/170, 324/716, 324/176, 356/355, 401/24, 401/29, 401/44, 118/696
• US Class Current: 700/97
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/00 Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41875 characterised by quality surveillance of production
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31282 Data acquisition, BDE MDE
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32348 Process reengineering, rethink manufacturing process, continuous improve
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32351 Visual, graphical animation of process
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32368 Quality control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A computer-implemented apparatus and method for coordinating paint-related process steps of at least one paint-related facility. The paint-related process steps exhibit paint-related characteristics. A data acquisition module is provided for acquiring paint characteristic data indicative of the paint-related characteristics. A paint process control data structure is provided for interrelating the acquired paint characteristic data with at least two of the paint-related process steps to produce interrelated paint process control data. A paint process control coordinator is connected to the data acquisition module for storing the acquired paint characteristic data in the paint process control data structure. A data display is connected to the paint process control data structure for remotely receiving and viewing the interrelated paint process control data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented apparatus for coordinating paint-related process steps of at least one paint-related facility, said paint-related process steps exhibiting paint-related characteristics, comprising:

a data acquisition module for acquiring paint characteristic data indicative of the paint-related characteristics;

a paint process control data structure for interrelating said acquired paint characteristic data with at least two of the paint-related process steps to produce interrelated paint process control data wherein each one of the paint-related process steps occurs at a plurality of paint-related facilities;

a paint process control coordinator connected to said data acquisition module for storing said acquired paint characteristic data in said paint process control data structure; and

a data display connected to said paint process control data structure for remotely receiving and viewing said interrelated paint process control data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said process control data structure being selected from the group consisting of a resin manufacturing data structure, a paint manufacturing data structure, paint application data structure, and combinations thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said process control data structure includes at least two being selected from the group consisting of an equipment module data structure, a process module data structure, a material data structure, a quality forward data structure, a quality backward data structure, a people data structure, an economy data structure, an agreement data structure, and combinations thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said process control data structure being selected from the group consisting of a resin manufacturing data structure, a paint manufacturing data structure, paint application data structure, and combinations thereof.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

a simplex calculator connected to said cooptimizer for constraining said permissible range of operational parameters.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said process control data structure includes at least one being selected from the group consisting of an equipment module data structure, a process module data structure, a material data structure, a quality forward data structure, a quality backward data structure, a people data structure, an economy data structure, an agreement data structure, and combinations thereof.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said paint characteristic data includes economic data related to the paint-related process steps.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

paint spraying equipment for spraying paint, said sprayed paint exhibiting sprayed paint characteristics;

a paint analyzer device for generating sprayed paint characteristic data based upon analyzing said sprayed paint characteristics, said paint process control data structure storing said sprayed paint characteristic data.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

a paint simulator for determining operational parameters for operating said paint spraying equipment.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said paint simulator determines said operational parameters based upon a design of experiments model involving at least one of the sprayed paint characteristics.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

a cooptimizer connected to said paint simulator for constraining the permissible range of said operational parameters of said paint spraying equipment.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of data displays connected to said paint process control data structure for remotely receiving and viewing said interrelated paint process control data.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

a security database for providing security authorizations with respect to said plurality of data displays for remotely receiving and viewing said interrelated paint process control data.

14. A computer-implemented apparatus for coordinating paint-related process steps of at least one paint-related facility in order to spray paint via a paint spraying application process, said paint being manufactured from at least two components, said paint-related process steps exhibiting paint-related characteristics, comprising:

a data acquisition module for acquiring paint characteristic data indicative of the paint-related characteristics;

a paint process control data structure for interrelating said acquired paint characteristic data with at least two of the paint-related process steps to produce interrelated paint process control data, wherein at least one of the paint-related process steps is related to the paint spraying application process step, wherein at least one of the paint-related process steps is related to a paint manufacturing process step, said paint manufacturing process step being performed prior to the paint spraying application process step and being related to the manufacturing of the paint from the at least two components;

a paint process control coordinator connected to said data acquisition module for storing said acquired paint characteristic data in said paint process control data structure; and

a data display connected to said paint process control data structure for remotely receiving and viewing said interrelated paint process control data.