Modular Can Blank Conveyor Air Supply for Faster Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air conveyor systems in food and beverage industries require extensive air lines and multiple locations for maintenance, leading to increased labor, time, and costs due to the need for technicians to travel and repair or service multiple components, resulting in longer downtime.
Innovation Solution
A can blank conveyor assembly with a portable and compact air supply unit that is removably engaged with trays, allowing for rapid replacement and maintenance, featuring a fan unit, inlet and outlet cones to direct air flow, and a regulator to control airflow, enabling efficient operation with spare units available for quick replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional air conveyor systems use extensive air lines and multiple locations for maintenance, then the conveyor can transport products, but the labor, time, and costs for maintenance increase dramatically
Solution Approach 1:
The air supply system is divided into modular air supply units, each serving a specific tray or section. Each unit includes its own fan and air line connections, allowing independent maintenance of individual segments without affecting the entire conveyor system.
Solution Approach 2:
The fan units and air supply components are extracted from centralized locations and integrated directly with individual trays. This extraction allows maintenance personnel to service or replace air supply units at the tray level rather than traveling to centralized fan rooms or multiple distribution points.
2Reliability
If conventional air conveyor systems require technicians to travel to multiple locations for repair, then all components can be serviced, but the labor costs and downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
The air supply unit combines the fan, air line connections, and control components into a single integrated assembly that attaches to the tray. This merging consolidates multiple maintenance tasks into one location, allowing technicians to service the entire air supply function by working at a single tray position.
Solution Approach 2:
The air supply units are designed with quick-connect features and modular components that enable easy attachment and detachment from trays. This self-service design allows rapid replacement of malfunctioning units without requiring complex disassembly or specialized tools, significantly reducing maintenance time and labor requirements.
3Productivity
If conventional air conveyor systems use centralized fan units, then the system can convey products, but the distance and complexity of air lines increase
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized air supply system is segmented into distributed air supply units, with each unit containing its own fan and serving a specific tray or section. This segmentation eliminates the need for extensive air line networks spanning the entire conveyor length, as each segment generates its own airflow locally.
Solution Approach 2:
The air supply architecture transitions from a centralized horizontal arrangement to a distributed vertical integration with trays. Air supply units are positioned at or near each tray level, changing the spatial dimension of air delivery from long horizontal ducts to short vertical or localized connections, thereby reducing overall air line complexity and length.
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
The system reduces maintenance time and costs by allowing for rapid replacement and servicing of air supply units, minimizing downtime and labor, while maintaining conveyor functionality.
Implementation Method 1
a fan unit disposed inside of the housing that is adapted to supply air at a predetermined rate from the housing and into a corresponding tray to convey a plurality of can blanks along the corresponding tray
Data Source
AI summary
A system of can blank conveyor assemblies for transporting a plurality of can blanks along the corresponding tray via the at least one set of air directors. The system includes a plurality of trays where each tray of the plurality of trays. The system also includes a plurality of air supply units removably engaged with the plurality of trays at first ends of the plurality of trays and being in fluid communication with the tray passageways. Each air supply unit of the plurality of air supply units comprises at least a housing operably engaged with the tray, and a fan unit that is disposed inside of the housing and that is adapted to supply air at a predetermined rate from the housing and into a corresponding tray to convey a plurality of can blanks along the corresponding tray via the at least one set of air directors.