Box Opening Line With Separated Cutting and Lid Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing box opening installations in logistical centers face maintenance complexity, time consumption, and risk of product damage due to concomitant cutting and tilting, particularly when handling fragile items.
Innovation Solution
A method and installation with sequential cutting and discharge stations using multi-axis robotic arms, where a cutting robot performs a continuous loop cut on the box's upper wall, followed by a gripping robot detaching the cut portion at a downstream station, ensuring safe and efficient opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If cutting and opening operations are performed concomitantly in a reduced volume, then bulk is reduced, but maintenance complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The installation is divided into separate functional zones: a cutting station for performing cutting operations and a discharge station for removing cut portions. This spatial segmentation allows each station to be optimized independently and simplifies maintenance by isolating complex components in dedicated areas rather than congesting a single reduced-volume space with all operations.
2Ease of manufacture
If box tilting is performed before cutting, then cutting can be performed, but risk of product breakage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary cutting of the box wall while the box remains in its original horizontal position on the conveyor. The cutting robot cuts the wall portion before the discharge robot removes it, eliminating the need for preliminary tilting and thus preventing product breakage that would occur during tilting operations.
3Volume of moving object
If multiple actuators and tooling are accumulated in reduced volume, then compact installation is achieved, but maintenance time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The installation separates multiple functions into distinct stations: the cutting station houses the cutting robot and tooling, while the discharge station handles removal operations. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access and service specific components without navigating through a congested compact space, thereby reducing maintenance time despite the overall compact installation volume.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention applies to a method for opening a box in which:a box is placed at the entrance (12a) of a main conveyor (12),the box (100) is brought into the cutting stattion (30) by means of the main conveyor (12);a cut is performed in the upper wall (102) of the box(100) along a cutting path by means of the cutting device (34), said cutting path (C) forming a continuous open loop including a continuous cutting line and at least one first uncut zone (x1) so as to obtain a cut wall part (110) which is connected to the body of the box (100) by at least one first connection portion (112,114); thenthe cut box is brought into the discharge station (40) (12); thenthe cut wall part (110) is seized by means of the gripping device (44) and the cut wall part (110) is detached from the body (101) of the box (100) by breaking the first connection portion; thenthe cut wall portion (110) is discharged by means of the gripping device (44).