Automated Container Resizing via Robotic Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
The growth of online retail has led to inefficiencies in shipping, as fulfillment centers often use oversized containers to package products, resulting in unused volume that increases shipping costs due to the need for additional packaging materials.
Innovation Solution
An automated container resizing system that uses a cutting tool and controller to resize containers based on the principal dimension of the products within, determining the optimal cutting pattern and cutting the container walls to minimize unused space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If oversized containers are used to package products, then product safety and stability are improved, but shipping costs increase due to unused volume and additional packaging materials
Solution Approach 1:
The container size is made dynamic and adjustable rather than fixed. The system automatically determines the optimal container size based on the actual product dimensions and packaging requirements, allowing the container to adapt to different product volumes. This eliminates the need for oversized standard containers while maintaining product safety through precise size matching.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the dimensional parameters of the container based on product characteristics. By measuring product dimensions and calculating optimal container dimensions, the system adjusts container size parameters to match the actual packaging needs, thereby eliminating unused volume while maintaining adequate protection and stability.
2Ease of operation
If standard container sizes are used in fulfillment centers, then operational simplicity is maintained, but volume efficiency deteriorates leading to increased packaging materials
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic measurement and calculation of optimal container sizes based on product dimensions. The automated measurement system eliminates the need for manual intervention in determining container sizes, and the system self-adjusts container dimensions to match product requirements, reducing packaging materials without complicating operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual container size determination with automated measurement and calculation systems. By using automated sensors and computational algorithms to determine optimal container dimensions, the system eliminates the need for manual measurement and calculation, reducing packaging material waste while maintaining operational simplicity.
3Loss of energy
If container size is reduced to match product volume, then shipping costs decrease, but cutting complexity and precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates automated measurement systems that continuously monitor and verify container dimensions. By using feedback from sensors to verify cutting accuracy and container dimensions, the system ensures precise cutting while maintaining operational simplicity. The feedback mechanism allows for real-time adjustment and verification of cutting precision.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure provides an automated container resizing apparatus and system, an automated method of resizing a container, and a cutting tool that can be used for the resizing. In one example, the system includes the cutting tool, a controller, a conveyor, and a moveable support that can be a robotic arm. The controller can operate the conveyor to position a container in a cutting zone. The dimensions of the box and product fill height within the container are obtained and translated by the controller into a programmed cutting pattern. The controller then operates the robotic arm to perform the programmed cutting pattern on the box with the cutting tool. The cutting tool can be mounted on the robotic arm that rotates about its axis to cut side walls of the container for resizing.