System and method for manufacturing products according to customer orders

• US 20010016787A1
• Filed: 03/05/2001
• Published: 08/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Cunningham, C. M., Brown, Mark D., Sanders, John H., Patil, Satish Y.
• Granted Patent: US 6,711,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/216
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/44 pneumatic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49764 with testing or indicating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49851 of link closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5196 Multiple station with conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53022 with means to test work or product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5313 Means to assemble electrical device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53365 Multiple station assembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53378 including converging conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53413 and primary central conveyor

Abstract

A manufacturing facility for manufacturing products according to customer orders includes a kitting facility at which components are collected for a product in a customer order. The manufacturing facility also includes a build cell in which the component are assembled, configured, and tested according to the customer order to form a product. The manufacturing facility also includes a boxing facility at which the product is packaged. A transportation system transports the two or more components from the kitting facility to the build cell and transports the product to the boxing facility, whereby the product is assembled, configured, and tested in the build cell and packaged at the boxing facility.

Claims

1. A manufacturing facility for manufacturing products according to customer orders, the manufacturing facility comprising:

a kitting facility at which components are collected for a product ordered by a customer;

a build cell in which the components are assembled, configured, and tested to form the product;

a boxing facility at which the product is packaged; and

a transportation system that transports the components from the kitting facility to the build cell where the components are assembled, configured, and tested, and that transports the product to the boxing facility where the product is packaged.

2. The manufacturing facility of

claim 1

, further comprising:

at least first and second build cells, each having at least one finishing tray, the second build cell disposed adjacent to the first build cell; and

one removal apparatus that services the first and second build cells by receiving products from the respective finishing trays and staging the products for removal from the first and second build cells.

3. The manufacturing facility of

claim 1

, further comprising:

first and second build cells with the first build cell is disposed adjacent to the second build cell; and

one receiving apparatus that services the first and second build cells by receiving, from the transportation system, a first set of components for the first build cell and a second set of components for the second build cell.

4. The manufacturing facility of

claim 3

, further comprising:

a quadruplet of build cells including first, second, third, and fourth build cells with the first build cell disposed adjacent to the second build cell and to the third build cell;

a first receiving apparatuses that services the first and second build cells;

a second receiving apparatus that services the third and fourth build cells;

a first removal apparatus that services the first and third build cells; and

a second removal apparatus that services the second and fourth build cells.

5. The manufacturing facility of

claim 4

, wherein the transportation system further comprises:

an incoming conveyor that transports components from the kitting facility to the build cells; and

an outgoing conveyor that transports products from the build cells to the boxing facility;

the incoming conveyor and the outgoing conveyor aligned generally vertically along a conveyance line extending substantially from the kitting facility to the boxing facility; and

the manufacturing facility having two or more quadruplets of build cells disposed in series along the conveyance line.

6. The manufacturing facility of

claim 5

, comprising:

two or more conveyance lines; and

two or more quadruplets of build cells disposed in series along each of the conveyance lines.

7. The manufacturing facility of

claim 1

, wherein the transportation system further comprises:

a first transportation unit that transports the components from the picking facility to the build cell; and

a second transportation unit that delivers the product to the boxing facility.

8. The manufacturing facility of

claim 7

, wherein the build cell comprises a transportation device that transports the product from the build cell to the second transportation unit for delivery to the boxing facility.

9. The manufacturing facility of

claim 8

, wherein the first and second transportation units further comprise:

an incoming conveyor and an outgoing conveyor, respectively, aligned generally vertically; and

the transportation device operates below the incoming and outgoing conveyors, such that space within the manufacturing facility is conserved.

10. The manufacturing facility of

claim 9

, wherein the build cell further comprises:

a build station at which the components are assembled;

a burn station at which the assembled components are configured; and

a finishing station at which the assembled components are transformed into a product.

11. The manufacturing facility of

claim 10

, wherein the finishing station further comprises:

at least one finishing tray;

a finishing conveyor that transports the assembled components to the at least one finishing tray; and

an exit conveyor that transports the product to the transportation device for removal from the build cell.

12. The manufacturing facility of

claim 11

, further comprising:

the finishing conveyor and the exit conveyor aligned generally vertically to conserve space within the manufacturing facility.

13. The manufacturing facility of

claim 1

, further comprising a distribution facility that provides for shipping the product from the manufacturing facility to a customer, in accordance with the customer order.

14. A method for manufacturing products according to customer orders, the method comprising:

collecting components at a kitting facility for a product ordered by a customer;

transporting the components from the kitting facility to a build cell;

assembling, configuring, and testing the components in the build cell to form a product;

transporting the product to a boxing facility;

packaging the product at the boxing facility.

15. The method of

claim 14

, further comprising:

transporting a first product from a finishing tray of a first build cell to a first staging area, via one removal apparatus; and

transporting a second product from a finishing tray of a second build cell to a second staging area, via the one removal apparatus; and

moving the first and second products from the first and second staging areas to a transportation system.

16. The method of

claim 14

, further comprising receiving sets of components from a transportation system for first and second build cells, via one receiving apparatus.

17. The method of

claim 16

, further comprising:

receiving sets of components from the transportation system for third and fourth build cells, via a second receiving apparatus;

transporting products from finishing trays of the first and third build cells to first and third staging areas, via one removal apparatus; and

transporting products from finishing trays of the second and fourth build cells to second and fourth staging areas, via a second removal apparatus.

18. The method of

claim 14

, wherein the step of transporting the components from the kitting facility to the build cell comprises transporting the components to the build cell via an incoming conveyor that is aligned generally vertically with an outgoing conveyor that transports products from the build cells to the boxing facility.

19. The method of

claim 14

, wherein the step of assembling, configuring, and testing the components in the build cell comprises:

assembling the components at a build station of the build cell;

configuring the assembled components at a burn station of the build cell; and

transforming the assembled products into the product at a finishing station of the build cell.

20. The method of

claim 19

, further comprising:

transporting the assembled components to a finishing tray of the finishing station, via a finishing conveyor; and

transporting the product from the finishing tray to a transportation device, via an exit conveyor, for removal to the transportation system.

21. The method of

claim 14

, further comprising shipping the product from the manufacturing facility to a customer, in accordance with the customer order.