Converting Machine Fanfold Crease Sensing for Box Template Integrity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sheet material processing machines face difficulties in handling fanfold creases, which cause sheet material to fold or not lie flat, leading to jams and reduced structural integrity of box templates, especially when fanfold creases are present in glue tabs or other critical areas.

Innovation Solution

A converting machine with a fanfold crease sensing mechanism that uses offset sensors to detect fanfold creases and adjusts the cutting process to avoid these creases in critical areas of the box templates, ensuring smooth operation and structural integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If fanfold sheet material is used to create box templates, then storage space is reduced and customization is improved, but fanfold creases cause the material to fold or not lie flat, leading to machine jams and reduced reliability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecustomization of box sizesVSAvoidmachine operation reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of fanfold creases using sensors before the material reaches the cutting and creasing stations. This advance detection allows the control system to prepare appropriate actions (skipping, shifting, or flagging) to prevent jams and maintain reliable operation while still using fanfold material for customization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If fanfold creases are present in glue tabs or critical areas, then the material can be processed, but the structural integrity of box templates is reduced and manufacturing precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing throughputVSAvoidbox template structural integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor system continuously monitors the position of fanfold creases and provides real-time feedback to the control system. This feedback enables dynamic adjustment of the cutting and creasing processes, such as skipping problematic areas or shifting cut positions, ensuring that glue tabs and critical structural areas remain free of creases and maintain high manufacturing precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system identifies and effectively removes or excludes fanfold creases from critical areas by skipping those sections during processing or flagging them for rejection. This extraction of harmful elements (creases from glue tabs) ensures that only high-quality, structurally sound box templates are produced, maintaining manufacturing precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3571040B1Converting machine with fold sensing mechanism
Publication Date: 2025.08.06 PACKSIZE LLC
  • EP3571040B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3571040B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3571040B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A converting machine is used to convert sheet material into packaging templates for assembly into boxes or other packaging. The converting machine includes a converting assembly that performs transverse conversion functions and longitudinal conversion functions on the sheet material to create the packaging templates. A fanfold crease sensing mechanism detects the presence and location of fanfold creases in the sheet material. Based on the location of the fanfold creases, the fanfold creases are either cut out of the sheet material, or the sheet material is cut to adjust the position of the fanfold crease in a packaging template.