Cam-Follower Roller Contact Reduction in Pressure Filling Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Filling machines for metallic receptacles with carbonated beverages face issues such as high production costs due to the need for tough materials for cam-follower rollers, overheating, and potential compromise of asepticity from lubrication, which increase wear and operational challenges.
Innovation Solution
The filling machine employs a cam-follower roller that exclusively interacts with the attack portion of the cam, reducing contact and wear, and uses a gas spring actuator with adjustable stiffness to control the sealing sleeve, eliminating the need for coolant and allowing for more affordable materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cam-follower roller is made of tough material to withstand high speed and pressure contact throughout the entire cam extension, then the reliability and durability are improved, but the production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful contact portion of the cam (release portion and central portion) from the roller's operational zone, limiting the roller's contact to only the attack portion. This is achieved by positioning the roller such that it exclusively interacts with the attack portion of the cam, thereby reducing wear and allowing the use of less expensive materials while maintaining sufficient reliability for the filling operation.
2Reliability
If the cam-follower roller contacts the entire cam extension at high speed, then the sealing action is ensured, but overheating occurs which facilitates high wear
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the release portion and central portion from the roller's contact zone, restricting contact to only the attack portion of the cam. This selective contact approach maintains the necessary sealing action during the critical attack phase while eliminating continuous high-speed contact that causes overheating and wear.
3Ease of repair
If lubrication is applied to reduce wear of the cam-follower roller, then the wear is reduced, but the asepticity of the filling process is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful contact portions from the roller's operational zone, limiting contact to only the attack portion of the cam. This reduces the overall wear and friction, thereby minimizing or eliminating the need for lubrication in the filling area, which preserves the asepticity of the filling process while still reducing wear through reduced contact duration and area.
4Ease of operation
If the roller co-operates with the entire cam at high speed, then the sealing sleeve positioning is controlled, but the friction causes overheating and high wear
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the release portion and central portion from the roller's contact zone, restricting the roller to interact only with the attack portion of the cam. This maintains effective control of the sealing sleeve positioning during the critical attack phase while significantly reducing friction, overheating, and wear by eliminating continuous high-speed contact throughout the entire cam extension.
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
This design reduces overheating and wear, maintains asepticity, and lowers production costs by minimizing the use of coolants and utilizing less expensive materials while ensuring precise and efficient filling operations.
Implementation Method 1
The actuator further comprises at least one gas spring configured to exert a force on the moving member so as to determine an axial movement of the moving member towards its sealing position
Implementation Method 2
the filling device further comprises cam means configured to control the movement of the moving member from the release position towards the sealing position
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a filling machine (1) configured for filling receptacles (2) with a pourable product under pressure, comprising at least one filling device (4) having a longitudinal axis (C) and including: a filling valve (8) selectively operable to feed the pourable product to a respective receptacle (2) through an opening (9a) of this latter, a sealing member (21) having a sealing surface (21a) configured to coact with an edge (9) of the opening (9a), and a support member (55) configured to maintain the opening (9a) coaxial with the sealing member (21); at least one between the sealing (21) and support (55) members moves between a sealing position, in which it determines the fluid-tight contact between the edge (9) and the sealing surface (21a), and a release position, in which it maintains a given distance between the edge (9) and the sealing surface (21a); the filling device (4) further comprises actuator means (56) configured to control the movement of one between the sealing (21) and support (55) members between the release and sealing positions and comprising a fluid actuator (56); the filling machine (1) further comprises cam means (50, 51) configured to control the movement imposed by the fluid actuator (56) on one between the sealing (21) and support (55) members from the release position towards the sealing position.