Container Emptying Measurement for Material Flow Traceability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container emptying systems lack the ability to ensure traceability of container contents, particularly for varying conditions such as the growth stage of living creatures like insects, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs due to interim storage and sampling requirements.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that includes measuring devices to collect data from containers and their contents before, during, and after emptying, assigning these data to the container contents, and using sensors and optical detecting devices to monitor and track the material flow, ensuring clear assignment and adaptation of downstream processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional container emptying systems are used without measuring devices, then the equipment expenditure is lower, but the traceability of container contents cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The measuring device collects data from the container and its contents before emptying occurs. This preliminary data collection ensures that identification information (such as container ID, contents type, growth stage of living creatures) is captured and stored in association with the container ID, establishing traceability before the contents are transferred to bulk storage where individual tracking would be impossible.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces physical interim storage and manual sampling mechanisms with an automated measuring and data collection system. Instead of using complex mechanical interim storage facilities and manual sampling procedures, the system uses sensors and measuring devices to automatically capture and store data electronically, achieving traceability through information technology rather than mechanical means.
2Reliability
If interim storage and sampling units are implemented, then the traceability of waste material can be ensured, but the equipment expenditure and time required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The measuring device operates continuously during the container emptying process, collecting data in real-time as the container is being emptied. This continuous data collection eliminates the need for separate, discrete sampling operations that would interrupt the material flow and require additional time for manual intervention and processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the data collection function from the physical material handling process. Instead of requiring physical interim storage facilities and manual sampling operations, the system extracts only the essential identification and characteristic data from the container and its contents, storing this information electronically for later retrieval and analysis, thereby eliminating the need for physical interim storage.
3Loss of information
If data collection from containers is implemented before emptying, then the assignment of container contents to data is ensured, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The measuring device is designed with multi-functionality, serving both to identify the container (through reading identification elements) and to collect data about the contents (such as growth stage, weight, or other characteristics). This universal approach consolidates multiple measurement functions into a single integrated device, reducing the need for separate specialized equipment for each type of data collection.
Data Source
AI summary
Producing cost-effective, protein-rich and sustainable sources for the food and feed industries is one of the challenges of the new millennium, especially given the world's ever-growing population. The object of the invention presented here is to ensure the assignability and traceability of material flow during the emptying of containers. This object is achieved with the apparatus according to the invention in that it has a measuring device, by means of which data about the at least one container to be emptied and/or the container contents can be collected prior to, during and/or after the emptying process.