Systems and methods for administering a 3D-printing-based manufacturing process
AssigneeGantri, Inc.
InventorYi Yang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are methods and systems for administering or managing a 3D-printing-based manufacturing process. The methods and systems can be tailored or optimized for administering or managing a 3D-printing-based manufacturing process where the products are made on demand for customers in response to orders received via an online retail website. In one embodiment, a method comprises generating a stock identifier used to identify a product during and after manufacturing, creating a plurality of jobs to be undertaken to manufacture the product, assigning a job status to each of the plurality of jobs associated with the stock identifier, and assigning the jobs associated with the stock identifier to various 3D printers and workers.
Claims19
A method of administering a 3D-printing-based manufacturing process, comprising:
- receiving an order from a computing device of a customer, wherein the order comprises a product made of 3D-printed parts and one or more standardized functional components;
- generating, at an administration server, a stock identifier used to identify the product during and after manufacturing;
- creating, at the administration server, a plurality of jobs to be undertaken to manufacture the product, wherein the stock identifier is associated with each of the jobs, and wherein the jobs comprise 3D-printing jobs to print the 3D-printed parts, finishing jobs to finish each of the 3D-printed parts, assembly jobs to assemble the 3D-printed parts and the one or more standardized functional components into an assembled product, quality assurance jobs to inspect the 3D-printed parts and the assembled product, and packing jobs to pack the assembled product;
- assigning, at the administration server, a job status to each of the plurality of jobs associated with the stock identifier based on a job order, an availability of one or more 3D printers, an availability of one or more workers, and an inventory level of the one or more standardized functional components and 3D-printing materials and continuously updating the job status of each of the jobs based on one or more completed jobs, the availability of one or more 3D printers, the availability of one or more workers, and the inventory level of the one or more standardized functional components and 3D-printing materials;
- assigning at least one 3D-printing job associated with the stock identifier to one of the 3D printers by adding the 3D-printing job to a printer job queue of the 3D printer;
- and
- printing one of the 3D-printed parts using the 3D printer as part of the 3D-printing job added to the printer job queue by executing machine-readable instructions at the 3D printer.
A system for administering a 3D-printing-based manufacturing process, comprising:
- a plurality of 3D printers;
- and
- a server comprising one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are programmed to execute instructions to:
- receive an order from a computing device of a customer or a retail server, wherein the order comprises a product made of 3D-printed parts and one or more standardized functional components;
- generate a stock identifier used to identify the product during and after manufacturing;
- create a plurality of jobs to be undertaken to manufacture the product, wherein the stock identifier is associated with each of the jobs, and wherein the jobs comprise 3D-printing jobs to print the 3D-printed parts, finishing jobs to finish each of the 3D-printed parts, assembly jobs to assemble the 3D-printed parts and the one or more standardized functional components into an assembled product, quality assurance jobs to inspect the 3D-printed parts and the assembled product, and packing jobs to pack the assembled product;
- assign a job status to each of the plurality of jobs associated with the stock identifier based on a job order, an availability of the 3D printers, an availability of one or more workers, and an inventory level of the one or more standardized functional components and 3D-printing materials and continuously updating the job status of each of the jobs based on one or more completed jobs, the availability of one or more 3D printers, the availability of one or more workers, and the inventory level of the one or more standardized functional components and 3D-printing materials;
- and
- assign at least one 3D-printing job associated with the stock identifier to one of the 3D printers by adding the 3D-printing job to a printer job queue of the 3D printer, and
- wherein one of the plurality of 3D printer is configured to print one of the 3D-printed parts as part of the 3D-printing job added to the printer job queue by executing machine-readable instructions at the 3D printer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.