Ultrasonic Sealing Anvil Ridge Height Variation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasonic sealing systems for packaging materials face challenges in achieving consistent and reliable sealing performance, particularly in roll-fed packaging machines where the area to be sealed is not flat or symmetrical, leading to potential defects that can affect food safety.
Innovation Solution
An improved anvil design for ultrasonic sealing systems with a ridge structure that includes varying heights in its peripheral sections to accommodate different regions of the tube, such as the TS-LS cross, crease lines, and edges, allowing for tailored pressure and heat distribution to enhance sealing performance and robustness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a constant anvil design is used over the width of the tube, then the manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but the sealing performance in peripheral sections deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The anvil features a ridge structure with varying height across its width: a mid-section with first height, peripheral sections with second height, and edge portions with third height. This local variation in geometry allows different regions of the anvil to provide different pressure distributions, improving sealing performance in peripheral and edge regions without compromising manufacturing feasibility.
2Reliability
If the ridge height is increased to improve sealing in peripheral sections, then the sealing performance is improved, but the risk of overheating and ruptures increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different ridge heights are provided in different regions: the mid-section has a first height, peripheral sections have a second height, and edge portions have a third height. This localized variation allows optimal pressure and heat distribution in each region, improving sealing performance while preventing excessive heat generation that could cause overheating or material rupture.
3Reliability
If the anvil design is adapted to handle varying thickness at TS-LS cross, then the sealing performance at the cross region is improved, but the complexity of the anvil design increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anvil incorporates a ridge structure with specific height variations: a mid-section positioned at the TS-LS cross region with a first height, and peripheral sections with a second height. This targeted local adaptation provides the necessary pressure compensation for varying thickness at the cross region while maintaining relative design simplicity through a systematic gradient structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution addresses the two-dimensional thickness variation problem by introducing a third dimensional parameter (ridge height) that varies systematically across the anvil width. This creates a three-dimensional pressure distribution profile that compensates for the varying package thickness without requiring complex mechanical adjustments.
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
The anvil design provides improved sealing performance across the entire tube width, including peripheral sections, reducing the risk of overheating and ruptures, and allows for more environmentally friendly packaging by eliminating the need for aluminum foil, resulting in more consistent and reliable transversal sealing.
Implementation Method 1
The ultrasonic sealing is formed by applying a pressure and generating heat by inducing ultrasonic oscillations in to the area to be sealed
Implementation Method 2
The oscillations generates heat in the area which in turn causes a plastic of the packaging material to melt
Implementation Method 3
The applied pressure fuses together the packaging material so as to form an hermetic seal
Implementation Method 4
The oscillations generates heat in the area which in turn causes a plastic of the packaging material to melt
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
The present invention relates to an anvil (500) of an ultrasonic sealing system (300) for transversally sealing a tube (112) of packaging material. The anvil (500) comprises a ridge (508) extending along a transversal direction (TD) of the anvil (500), wherein the ridge (508) comprises: a mid-section (504), and a first and a second peripheral section (502, 506), arranged on either side of the mid-section (504), wherein the first and second peripheral section (502, 506) comprises a respective first sub-portion (502b, 506b) and a respective second sub-portion (502d, 506d), wherein the respective first sub-portion (502b, 506b) is arranged between the mid-section (504) and the respective second sub-portion (502d, 506d), and wherein the first sub-portion (502b, 506b) of the ridge (508) has a first height (h1) and the second sub-portion (502d, 506d) of the ridge (508) has a second height (h2), wherein the first height (h1) is different from the second height (h2).