Automated Rolling Assembly for Food Product Consistency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual rolling of food products, such as sheets of dough or meat, is time-consuming and results in inconsistencies.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor arrangement featuring a drive conveyor with a rolling assembly that includes an arm with a rotating roller and guide flap, driven by an actuator, which automatically rolls products by transitioning between rolling and release positions, ensuring consistent product formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual rolling is used, then flexibility and simplicity are maintained, but processing time increases and consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rolling assembly is designed with a movable arm that can dynamically transition between a lowered rolling position and a raised release position. This dynamic positioning allows the system to automatically engage with and release products on the conveyor belt, enabling consistent rolling action without requiring complex fixed mechanisms throughout the entire conveyor system.
Solution Approach 2:
The rolling assembly utilizes the motion of the conveyor belt and the weight of the arm to automatically position and engage the roller with products. The arm naturally lowers to engage products as they pass underneath and raises to release them, creating a self-regulating system that maintains consistency without requiring external control for each individual product.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual rolling is used, then equipment complexity is low, but manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The roller is designed with a curved outer surface that matches the natural curvature needed for rolling sheet products. This spherical/curved geometry ensures that the roller contacts the product at multiple points simultaneously, distributing force evenly and creating consistent rolls regardless of minor variations in product thickness or positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The arm is positioned and weighted to naturally maintain a consistent height and angle when in the rolling position, creating an equipotential state where the roller engages products at a uniform depth and pressure. This passive positioning system eliminates the need for active control mechanisms while ensuring rolling consistency.
Data Source
AI summary
An arrangement for rolling a product is disclosed. The arrangement includes a drive conveyor, and a rolling assembly positioned above the drive conveyor. The rolling assembly includes: an arm adapted to be driven between (i) a rolling position and (ii) a release position. A product turner is attached to the arm, such that in the rolling position, an end of the product turner extends into a conveying path of the drive conveyor.