Cartomizer Cap Removal and Repositioning for Damage-Free Throughput

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The mechanical handling of cartomizer components for electronic cigarettes poses challenges in avoiding damage to their external surfaces, and existing machines struggle to achieve high productivity, necessitating a solution that allows for fast, reliable, and damage-free manufacturing and inspection operations while maintaining low production costs.

Innovation Solution

A machine with a series of stations including a loading station, removal station, work stations, inspection stations, and repositioning stations, utilizing a chain transporting member and gripping and positioning means to handle and reattach caps on cartomizers, ensuring efficient and precise handling without damaging the components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If high-speed automatic handling is implemented to achieve 1,000 components per minute productivity, then productivity is improved, but the risk of damaging the external surface of components increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponents treated per minuteVSAvoidsurface damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The machine is divided into multiple specialized stations (loading, removal, work, inspection, repositioning, unloading) that process components in sequence. This segmentation allows each station to perform its function at high speed without compromising component integrity, as each station is optimized for its specific task rather than attempting to perform all operations in a single high-speed mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces intermediate holding stations and transporting members that gently transfer components between operations. These intermediaries buffer the high-speed processing requirements while providing controlled, damage-free handling transitions, allowing the system to maintain both high productivity and component integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If multiple manufacturing and inspection operations are performed on each component, then manufacturing precision and reliability are improved, but the treatment time per component increases, reducing productivity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent qualityVSAvoidcomponents treated per minute

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The machine implements continuous processing where components move through multiple work stations and inspection stations in an unbroken sequence. While each component undergoes multiple operations, the continuous flow ensures that no time is lost between operations, and the parallel arrangement of stations allows multiple components to be processed simultaneously at different stages, maintaining high productivity despite multiple operations per component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent arranges multiple work and inspection stations in a spatial sequence along the component's path through the machine. This dimensional arrangement allows multiple operations to be performed in parallel across different spatial locations rather than sequentially at a single location, effectively multiplying the throughput while maintaining comprehensive processing of each component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Adaptability or versatility

If caps are removed and repositioned during the treatment process, then manufacturing flexibility and inspection accuracy are improved, but the handling complexity and potential for damage increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing flexibilityVSAvoidhandling complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Caps are removed at a dedicated removal station before the component enters the work and inspection stations. This preliminary action prepares the component for subsequent operations that require cap removal, such as filling or inspection, while isolating the complex cap handling operation to a specialized station rather than requiring complex coordination across all stations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of attempting to perform all operations with caps in place, the system inverts the approach by removing caps as a preliminary step, performing the required operations on the open component, and then repositioning caps as a final step. This inversion simplifies the handling logic at each station by having standardized entry and exit conditions for components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP3802336B1Machine and method for the automatic treatment of components of inhalers, in particular cartomizers for electronic cigarettes

Publication Date: 2022.03.09 IMA IND MASCH AUTOMATICHE SPA

Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5a~5c

AI summary

Machine (10) and method for the automatic treatment of components of inhalers, in particular cartomizers for electronic cigarettes, wherein each component has a central body, preferably of tubular shape, having a lower end part normally protected by a removable lower cap and an upper end part normally protected by a removable upper cap. Upstream and downstream from one or more work stations (S3) and/or one or more inspection stations (S4) there are, respectively, a removal station (S2), configured to selectively and automatically remove the caps from the respective central bodies, and a repositioning station (S5), configured to selectively and automatically return the caps to the corresponding central bodies of the components.