Container Cap Traceability Through Linked Cap and Body IDs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In existing production systems for food containers, identifying issues with either the main bodies or caps is challenging due to limited surface printing, making it difficult to determine the cause of problems quickly.
Innovation Solution
A production system that includes a conveyor line, a capper, a reading apparatus for top surface information on caps, and a memory apparatus to store information on both main bodies and caps, allowing for individual identification and tracing of issues by linking first information on caps with second information on main bodies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If only predetermined surfaces of containers are printed with identification information, then the printing process is simple, but it becomes impossible to identify which of the main bodies or caps the cause of a problem lies in
Solution Approach 1:
The identification system is segmented into two separate parts: first information printed on caps and second information printed on main bodies. This segmentation allows each component to be individually identified and traced, resolving the contradiction by maintaining simple printing processes while enabling complete traceability of both cap and main body components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a temporal dimension by recording the timing when caps are attached to main bodies. This timing information, stored and linked with both first and second information, creates a fourth dimension (time) that enables full traceability without complicating the physical printing process on the container surfaces.
2Measurement precision
If individual identification of main bodies and caps is implemented, then problem cause identification is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A control device acts as an intermediary that automatically manages the complexity of linking first information (caps), second information (main bodies), and timing data. This intermediary component handles the data association and storage operations, preventing the system complexity from becoming unmanageable while maintaining high problem identification accuracy.
3Ease of operation
If first information is attached to top surfaces of caps, then reading the information is easy, but the information may be visible to consumers which is undesirable
Solution Approach 1:
The first information on cap top surfaces is printed using invisible ink that changes color or becomes visible only under specific conditions (such as UV light or infrared illumination). This allows the information to be easily read by inspection systems when needed, while remaining invisible during normal consumer use, thus preserving the design appearance while maintaining ease of operation for inspection purposes.
Data Source
AI summary
In a production system 100, containers have hollow main bodies 1a having openings at their top parts and caps 1b for closing the openings. The production system 100 includes a conveyor line L for conveying the containers 1, a capper 5 for attaching the caps 1b to the main bodies 1a of the containers 1 on the conveyor line L, a reading apparatus 18 configured to read first information attached to top surfaces of the caps 1b of the containers 1 for identifying the containers 1 on the conveyor line L at one or more predetermined points after the capper 5, and a memory apparatus 52 configured to store linked together the first information of the containers 1, second information attached to the main bodies 1a of the containers 1 for identifying the main bodies 1a, and times at which the containers 1 passed the one or more predetermined points.