Container Traceability Using Preform ID Codes in Branched Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container production management systems face difficulties in linking specific symbols with resin containers before printing and managing conveyance orders, especially in non-rotary conveyance facilities and production lines with branched lanes, leading to challenges in tracking and managing material members and containers effectively.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an object identification code added to material members before molding, which allows for specific identification and management of containers throughout the production process, irrespective of conveyance order, using optically or electromagnetically readable codes such as barcodes or RFID tags, and associating these codes with processing steps and inspection results in a database.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If connective rotary conveyance facilities are used to manage resin containers, then conveyance order can be fixed and managed, but it becomes difficult to link specific symbols with material members before molding and manage preforms effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The object identification code is added to material members (preforms) before they undergo molding and before they enter the rotary conveying device. This preliminary identification allows the system to track individual material members through the entire production process, including stages before conveyance, thereby resolving the limitation of not being able to link specific symbols with material members earlier in the process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the identification process by adding unique object identification codes to individual material members at the earliest possible stage. This segmentation allows each preform to be tracked independently through molding, conveyance, and subsequent processing, enabling effective management even when conveyance orders change in branched production lines.
2Measurement precision
If specific symbols are printed near inspection devices for molded bottles, then inspection can be performed, but it becomes difficult to link the specific symbol with the pocket of the rotary conveying device by tracing back conveyance route
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of printing specific symbols after molding near inspection devices, the object identification code is added to the material member before molding. This preliminary action ensures that the identification code travels with the material member through the entire process, allowing direct linkage between the code and the pocket without requiring complex tracing back through conveyance routes.
3Productivity
If conveyance facilities with branched lanes are used to improve production throughput, then productivity increases, but conveyance order changes making it difficult to link specific symbols with pockets
Solution Approach 1:
The object identification code is added to material members before they enter the branched conveyance system. This ensures that each material member has a unique identifier from the start, allowing the system to track and manage individual containers even when conveyance orders change due to branching and merging lanes, thereby maintaining identification reliability while enabling high throughput.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a container production management system of the present invention, including: an object identification code adding means (1) for adding an object identification code (D) indicating an object identifier (ID), which is information for identifying an object ranging from a material member for each container to the container, to each of the objects; a processing step reading means (2a, 2b) for reading the object identification code (D) added to the object to be processed in a processing step for processing the object added with the object identification code (D); an inspection step reading means (3) for reading the object identification code (D) added to the object to be inspected in an inspection step; and a computing means (4) for creating a database (5) in which the object identifier (ID) indicated by the object indication code D, information on the processing step, and inspection results in the inspection step are linked with each other, wherein the object identification code adding means (1) adds the object identification code (D) to the material member for each container, or to a portion to be the material member among raw materials (S) before the individual material member is separated therefrom.