Adjustable Conveyor Washing Machine for Pharmaceutical Bottles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing washing machines for the pharmaceutical industry are inflexible, requiring separate machines for different cleaning cycles and necessitating laborious adjustments for varying bottle formats, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs due to machine downtime.
Innovation Solution
A washing machine design featuring independent dispensing assemblies connected to a flexible feeding system and adjustable conveyors, allowing for customizable cleaning cycles and adaptable gripping mechanisms to accommodate various bottle sizes and formats without the need for machine replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate washing machines are used for different cleaning cycles, then cleaning cycle specialization is improved, but device complexity and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The washing machine is designed with multiple dispensing ducts (first, second, third dispensing ducts) that can be selectively activated to provide different cleaning cycles (first, second, third cleaning cycles) within a single machine, eliminating the need for separate specialized machines while maintaining cleaning cycle adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning system is divided into independent dispensing ducts and cleaning stations, where each duct can be independently controlled to deliver different cleaning fluids and cycles, allowing flexible configuration without increasing overall machine complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If adjustments are made for varying bottle formats, then adaptability to different containers is improved, but operation time and productivity are reduced due to laborious adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping devices are mounted on adjustable conveyors that can dynamically adapt their position and configuration to accommodate different bottle formats, eliminating the need for laborious manual adjustments and maintaining high production speed across various container types
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate machines are used for different cleaning cycles, then cleaning cycle versatility is improved, but loss of time due to machine replacement increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cleaning cycles are integrated into a single washing machine through independent dispensing ducts and controllable cleaning stations, allowing instant switching between different cleaning cycles without the time-consuming process of replacing or reconfiguring entire machines
4Device complexity
If fixed conveyor systems are used, then device simplicity is improved, but adaptability to different bottle sizes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system incorporates adjustable components that can be repositioned to accommodate different bottle sizes and formats while maintaining overall system simplicity, avoiding the need for complex fixed configurations
Data Source
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AI summary
Washing machine (6) for containers (1), in particular in the pharmaceutical industry, comprising: an input conveyor (7) designed to move a plurality of containers (1) along a first segment (A) of a processing path; a screw transporter (8) which is designed to move the containers (1) along a second segment (B) of the processing path and is arranged immediately downstream of the input conveyor (7) so as to receive the containers (1) coming directly from the input conveyor (7); and a cleaning unit (9) which is arranged along a third segment (E) of the processing path downstream of the screw transporter (8) and is designed to wash each container (1). The input conveyor (7) is movable so as to change the inclination of the first segment (A) of the processing path relative to the horizontal direction and adjustment means (39) are provided, which are designed to adjust the inclination of the first segment (A) of the processing path relative to the horizontal.