US 2022/0188731 A1 · HARNESS ASSEMBLY LINE BALANCING

Abstract

This application discloses a computing system implementing a line balancing tool to generate a structured bill of materials for a wire harness based on a harness design and available fabrication processes. The computing system can decompose the structured bill of materials into tasks and assign the tasks to workstations in a production line configured to manufacture the wire harness. The computing system can determine dependencies between a plurality of the tasks and verify the tasks assigned to the workstation conform to the dependencies between the plurality of the tasks. The dependencies can indicate an order for performance of the operations associated with the tasks. The computing system can identify unassigned tasks capable of assignment to one or more of the workstations and determine which of the workstations the unassigned assembly tasks, if assigned, would conform with the dependencies between the plurality of the assembly tasks.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

decomposing, by a computing system, a structured bill of materials for a wire harness described in a harness design into assembly tasks, wherein the assembly tasks describe operations that, when performed, result in the wire harness being manufactured;
determining, by the computing system, dependencies between a plurality of the assembly tasks, wherein the dependencies are configured to indicate an order for performance of the operations associated with the assembly tasks;
and
utilizing, by the computing system, the dependencies between the plurality of the assembly tasks during an assignment of the assembly tasks to workstations in a production line configured to manufacture the wire harness.

1 more element

A system comprising:

a memory device configured to store machine-readable instructions;
and
a computing system including one or more processing devices, in response to executing the machine-readable instructions, configured to:
decompose a structured bill of materials for a wire harness described in a harness design into assembly tasks, wherein the assembly tasks describe operations that, when performed, result in the wire harness being manufactured;
determine dependencies between a plurality of the assembly tasks, wherein the dependencies are configured to indicate an order for performance of the operations associated with the assembly tasks;
and
utilize the dependencies between the plurality of the assembly tasks during an assignment of the assembly tasks to workstations in a production line configured to manufacture the wire harness.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Harness assembly line balancing

Life of this patent

Harness assembly line balancing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20