Dual Accumulation Unit for Continuous Product Supply
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing accumulation and release devices for products in packing lines face interruptions during maintenance or breakdowns, leading to disruptions in product supply and reduced productivity, as they require stopping the transporters and accumulation units, affecting the regularity and efficiency of the supply.
Innovation Solution
A device with a secondary accumulation unit and a complex trajectory system that allows containers to bypass the main delivery opening during interruptions, using pusher devices to transfer containers to a secondary delivery opening, ensuring continuous product supply and reducing the need for upstream buffer stations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single accumulation unit is used, then the structure is simple, but the system stops during downstream interruptions affecting productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The accumulation system is divided into multiple independent accumulation units (first and second units), each capable of independently storing and releasing containers. This segmentation allows one unit to continue operating while another undergoes maintenance or recovers from interruptions, ensuring continuous product supply without requiring the entire system to stop.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the operational parameters by switching between different accumulation units based on downstream conditions. When the first accumulation unit needs maintenance or when downstream packing lines require different supply rates, the system can switch to using the second accumulation unit, maintaining continuous operation with varying operational configurations.
2Productivity
If the accumulation unit stops during maintenance or breakdown, then the structure is simple to maintain, but the product supply to packing machines is interrupted reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having multiple accumulation units ready in advance. When one accumulation unit needs maintenance, the other unit is already positioned and configured to take over the product supply function, allowing maintenance to be performed without interrupting the overall productivity of the packing lines.
Solution Approach 2:
The second accumulation unit acts as an intermediary backup system. When the first accumulation unit undergoes maintenance or breakdown, the second unit mediates the product supply function, ensuring that packing machines continue to receive products without interruption, thus maintaining productivity while allowing ease of maintenance on the first unit.
3Adaptability or versatility
If containers are regularly spaced at predetermined intervals, then the accumulation capacity is optimized, but the system cannot adapt to variations in supply speed and rate
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic trajectory systems that can adjust container spacing and movement rates in real-time. The trajectories are designed to be flexible rather than fixed, allowing containers to be accelerated or decelerated as needed to match varying supply requirements of different packing lines, thereby achieving adaptability without requiring overly complex reconfigurable mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The accumulation units are designed with universal trajectories that can handle multiple functions: regular spacing for standard operations, variable speed adaptation for different packing line requirements, and coordinated switching between units for maintenance scenarios. This multi-functionality is achieved through a unified trajectory system rather than separate specialized mechanisms for each function.
4Reliability
If the accumulation unit is full during temporary interruptions, then the storage capacity is maximized, but the upstream transporters must stop reducing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The second accumulation unit serves as an intermediary buffer during temporary interruptions. When the first accumulation unit reaches full capacity and downstream discharge is interrupted, the second unit can continue to accept products from upstream transporters, preventing them from stopping and maintaining their efficiency, while the full first unit continues to supply the interrupted downstream line until it recovers.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage capacity is segmented into multiple accumulation units rather than a single large unit. This segmentation allows independent operation of each unit, so when one unit is full and downstream is interrupted, upstream transporters can continue loading the other unit, maintaining their productivity without forced stoppages.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
A device for the accumulation/release of products (P) comprising a main accumulation unit (2) with a reception (4) and a first delivery (6) openings of products, a plurality of containers (7) movable inside said main accumulation unit (2) between said reception (4) and first delivery (6) openings along a first trajectory (8) extending in a closed loop. Actuating means are provided to drive the movement of said containers (7) in the main accumulation unit (2) so as to present in sequence each container (7) to be filled to the reception opening (4), in order to load incoming products into the container and to convey the previously filled containers (7) to the first delivery opening, in order to release respective products exiting the main accumulation unit (2). The device comprises at least one second accumulation unit (10) operationally in communication with the main accumulation unit (2) and extending in the form of a second closed loop comprising the same elements as the main unit.