Bottle Infeed Jam Removal Using a Remote Robot Arm
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bottle cleaning machines in the beverage processing industry face issues with jammed or damaged bottles causing operational interruptions and safety risks for operators, as existing solutions require manual intervention in a fast-moving mass flow.
Innovation Solution
A bottle cleaning machine equipped with a detection device and a robot arm that can manipulate jammed or damaged bottles, operated by an intelligent glove or virtual reality interface, allowing for remote operation and minimizing operator risk, with the robot arm capable of gripping, smashing, or repositioning bottles to prevent further jams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an operator manually removes jammed or damaged bottles from the infeed area, then the bottles can be cleared from the mass flow, but the operator is exposed to safety risks and the machine experiences prolonged downtime
Solution Approach 1:
A robot arm is introduced as an intermediary device to manipulate and remove jammed or damaged bottles from the infeed area. The robot arm operates within the mass flow of bottles, allowing the operator to control removal actions remotely from a safe position outside the machine. This eliminates direct operator exposure to moving bottles and broken glass while maintaining the ability to clear jams quickly.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the operator to service the machine (remove jams) without leaving the control position. By using the robot arm controlled from outside the machine, the operator can perform maintenance tasks independently without needing to physically intervene in the dangerous zone, thus improving both safety and operational continuity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the operator stops the machine to manually remove damaged bottles, then safety can be ensured, but productivity is reduced due to prolonged interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The robot arm serves as a mediator that allows the operator to interact with the moving bottles without stopping the machine. The operator can control the robot arm to remove damaged bottles while the mass flow continues, eliminating the need to halt production for safety reasons.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot arm is positioned and ready to intervene before damaged bottles cause blockages or further damage. The operator can proactively remove problematic bottles using the robot arm, preventing jams before they occur and maintaining continuous operation.
3Ease of operation
If the operator reaches into the infeed area to remove broken glass, then the area can be cleared, but the operator risks injury from moving bottles and sharp fragments
Solution Approach 1:
The robot arm acts as an intermediary tool that performs the dangerous task of reaching into the infeed area and manipulating bottles and broken glass. The operator controls the robot arm from a safe distance, eliminating direct exposure to injury risks while maintaining full access to the infeed area for cleanup operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical action of the operator's hand is replaced by the robot arm's mechanical system. This substitution allows the same functional task (reaching into and clearing the infeed area) to be performed without human exposure to harmful factors.
4Extent of automation
If a mechanical detector and righting mechanism are used for fallen bottles, then automated detection is achieved, but the system cannot handle jammed or damaged bottles requiring manual removal
Solution Approach 1:
The robot arm provides a universal solution that can handle multiple types of bottle problems (fallen bottles, jammed bottles, damaged bottles requiring removal) that a single automated system. The robot arm can perform righting actions, removal actions, and manipulation of damaged bottles, making the system adaptable to various failure modes while maintaining automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot arm serves as an intelligent intermediary between the detection device and the bottle manipulation task. It receives signals from the detection device and adapts its actions based on the specific condition detected (fallen, jammed, or damaged bottle), providing versatile handling capabilities that simple mechanical righting mechanisms cannot achieve.
Data Source
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Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
Bottle cleaning machine for cleaning bottles (130) in the beverage processing industry, comprising a first transport device (120) for the random, upright transport of bottles in a mass flow to an inlet area of the bottle cleaning machine, wherein in the inlet area the bottles are transferred from the first transport device to a second transport device which can transport the bottles from the inlet area through the bottle cleaning machine, wherein a detection device (202) for detecting a bottle jammed or damaged in the inlet area is arranged in or in front of the inlet area and a robot arm (201) is provided in the inlet area, wherein the robot arm can be operated by an operator to manipulate a jammed or damaged bottle.