Buffering Confectionery Product to Maintain Upstream Production Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional confectionery production methods experience slowdowns or halts due to operational interruptions, leading to loss of production and inefficiencies in inline continuous production systems, particularly due to equipment issues, supply limitations, or operator errors.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a collecting device positioned between upstream and downstream confectionery production stations, with conveying devices that allow continuous collection and subsequent dispensing of confectionery products during operational interruptions, enabling the upstream station to operate at a reduced rate and interspersing collected products with uncollected ones for seamless resumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If inline continuous production methods are used to maintain high productivity, then production efficiency is improved, but any operational interruption causes loss of production upstream and time lost due to resuming procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The collecting device accumulates confectionary product in advance during normal operation, creating a buffer stock before any interruption occurs. This preliminary accumulation allows upstream production to continue at full speed without immediate impact from downstream stoppages, as the collected product serves as a temporary reservoir that decouples the upstream and downstream operations.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the upstream station operates at a lower rate to allow interspersing of collected and uncollected product, then product flow continuity is improved, but production rate is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the operation rate of the upstream station based on the state of the collecting device and downstream station. When the downstream station is non-operational, the upstream station operates at a lower rate to allow collected product to be interspersed with uncollected product, ensuring continuous flow. When downstream is operational, the upstream rate can be increased, optimizing productivity while maintaining flow stability through controlled variation in operating parameters.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a system for processing confectionary product, the system including a collecting device disposed in line with at least one upstream confectionary production station disposed upstream of said collecting device and at least one downstream confectionary production station disposed downstream of said collecting device; and at least one conveying device configured to convey the confectionary product from said at least one upstream confectionary production station to said collecting device and to receive the confectionary product from said collecting device, and convey the confectionary product to said at least one downstream confectionary production station, wherein said collecting device is configured to collect confectionary product from said conveying device while said at least one upstream confectionary station is operational and said at least one downstream confectionary production station is non-operational.