Planning system and method for maintaining a cycle time in an automobile factory
AssigneeRexnord Flattop Europe B.V.
InventorCornelis Hendrik Mijndert Menke
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Abstract
An automobile factory planning system and method for controlling a cycle time. The system comprises a conveyor belt configured to transport a plurality of automobiles at a controlled displacement velocity along a manufacturing path through the automobile factory. A feedback device is configured to provide a visual indicator of a designated position at which a next automobile is to be placed on the conveyor belt relative to the position of a previous automobile. The designated position is calculated as a function of the cycle time and the displacement velocity of the conveyor belt.
Claims16
An automobile factory planning system configured to operate at a controlled cycle time, the system comprising a conveyor belt configured to transport a plurality of automobiles at a controlled displacement velocity along a manufacturing path through the automobile factory;
- a display screen configured to provide a visual indicator providing feedback of a designated position at which an automobile is to be placed on the conveyor belt to a driver of the automobile, wherein the designated position is calculated as a function of the cycle time and the displacement velocity of the conveyor belt such that a displacement of the designated position is in sync with a displacement of the conveyor belt;
- and a camera for recording an image including the automobile, wherein the visual indicator is overlaid on the display screen with the recorded image including the automobile, wherein the visual indicator comprises a line pattern, wherein a length of the line pattern extends in a direction transverse to the displacement velocity of the conveyor belt, and wherein a position of the line pattern relative to the imaged conveyor belt indicates a centre position of the automobile on the conveyor belt.
A feedback device for maintaining a cycle time in an automobile factory planning system having a conveyor belt configured to transport a plurality of automobiles at a controlled displacement velocity along a manufacturing path, the feedback device comprising:
- a clock configured to provide a periodic cycle time;
- a sensor configured to set and/or measure a displacement velocity of a conveyor belt;
- a controller configured to calculate a designated position of an automobile as a function of the cycle time and the displacement velocity of the conveyor belt;
- a camera configured to record an image including the automobile on the conveyor belt;
- and
- a display screen configured to display a visual indicator of the designated position at which the automobile is to be placed on the conveyor belt according to the cycle time, wherein the visual indicator is overlaid on the display screen with the recorded image including the automobile, wherein the visual indicator comprises a line pattern, wherein a length of the line pattern extends in a direction transverse to the displacement velocity of the conveyor belt, and wherein a position of the line pattern relative to the imaged conveyor belt indicates a centre position of the automobile on the conveyor belt.
A method for controlling a cycle time in an automobile factory transporting a plurality of automobiles using a conveyor belt at a controlled displacement velocity along a manufacturing path through the automobile factory, comprising the step of providing a visual indicator of a designated position at which an automobile is to be placed on the conveyor belt, wherein the designated position is calculated as a function of the cycle time and the displacement velocity of the conveyor belt, and wherein the visual indicator is provided by a display screen overlaying the visual indicator with an image including the automobile, wherein the visual indicator comprises a line pattern, wherein a length of the line pattern extends in a direction transverse to the displacement velocity of the conveyor belt, and wherein a position of the line pattern relative to the imaged conveyor belt indicates a centre position of the automobile on the conveyor belt.
A method for placing an automobile on a conveyor belt that is moving at a controlled displacement velocity along a manufacturing path through an automobile factory in accordance with a cycle time of the automobile factory, the method comprising the step of providing a visual indicator of a designated position at which an automobile is to be placed on the conveyor belt, wherein the designated position is calculated as a function of the cycle time and the displacement velocity of the conveyor belt, wherein the automobile is placed at the designated position aided by the visual indicator as feedback, and wherein the visual indicator is provided by a display screen overlaying the visual indicator with an image including the automobile, wherein the visual indicator comprises a line pattern, wherein a length of the line pattern extends in a direction transverse to the displacement velocity of the conveyor belt, and wherein a position of the line pattern relative to the imaged conveyor belt indicates a centre position of the automobile on the conveyor belt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.