Selective Ejection of Faulty Absorbent Articles via Guided Suction Conveyor

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods of ejecting faulty absorbent articles in manufacturing lines often result in the simultaneous ejection of non-faulty articles, leading to reduced yield rates as these ejected articles cannot be handled as products.

Innovation Solution

A method that involves detecting failure regions and types in absorbent articles during the manufacturing process, deciding which articles to eject based on the failure location and type, and using a guided suction-type belt conveyor to selectively remove only the faulty articles from the production line.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a plurality of absorbent articles are ejected in succession to handle faulty articles, then the faulty article can be removed from the manufacturing line, but non-faulty articles are also ejected simultaneously reducing the yield rate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefaulty article removalVSAvoidyield rate
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The ejection process is segmented into individual article evaluation and selective ejection. Each absorbent article is individually assessed for defects through image recognition, and only those with detected defects are ejected. This segmentation allows the system to differentiate between faulty and non-faulty articles, preventing the simultaneous ejection of good articles while still removing defective ones efficiently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If conventional ejection methods are used to remove faulty articles, then defective products are eliminated, but the precision of identifying only faulty articles deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedefect eliminationVSAvoidarticle identification accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The conventional mechanical ejection system is replaced with an automated optical detection and control system. Image recognition technology captures and analyzes the shape and characteristics of each absorbent article, automatically identifying defects based on predefined criteria. This substitution of mechanical judgment with optical-mechanical integration significantly improves identification accuracy, ensuring only truly faulty articles are ejected while maintaining high reliability in defect elimination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach prevents the simultaneous ejection of non-faulty articles with faulty ones, thereby improving the yield rate by ensuring only potentially defective articles are ejected, thus maintaining product quality.

Implementation Method 1

using a guided suction-type belt conveyor to selectively remove only the faulty articles from the production line

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSuction: Suction

Data Source

PatentEP2726040B1Method of ejecting faulty absorbent article
Publication Date: 2016.08.10 UNI CHARM CORP
  • EP2726040B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2726040B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2726040B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method of ejecting a faulty absorbent article PD according to the present invention includes a step of detecting a failure region of the absorbent article PD in which a failure location of the absorbent article PD exists, and a type of a failure in the failure region, by identifying a shape of the absorbent article in the course of the manufacturing line, a step of deciding the absorbent article PD to be ejected based on the detection result of the failure region and the type of failure in the step of detecting, and a step of disengaging, from the manufacturing line, the absorbent article PD decided in the step of deciding, and then ejecting the absorbent article in the course of the manufacturing line. In the step of deciding, the number of absorbent articles PD to be ejected in the step of ejecting is decided according to the failure region and the type of the failure.