Dynamic Multiple Scanner System for Cardboard Pre-treatment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cardboard handling systems face inefficiencies in throughput due to the use of laser-beam scanners, which require additional time and passes to achieve pre-treatment, leading to delayed cardboard movement and increased complexity in mechanics to maintain constant velocity.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic multiple scanner system (DMSS) that automatically adjusts the operation of multiple laser-beam scanners to optimize throughput by dynamically defining areas of responsibility, overlapping coverage, and changing the order and method of pre-treatment actions, allowing for constant cardboard velocity and reduced mechanical complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If laser-beam scanners are used for pre-treatment, then pre-treatment quality is improved, but throughput is reduced due to additional time and passes required
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the pre-treatment process into multiple zones along the conveyor path, with each laser-beam scanner responsible for a specific segment. This allows simultaneous pre-treatment of different cardboard portions at different stages, maintaining quality while increasing overall throughput by eliminating sequential processing bottlenecks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary pre-treatment actions on cardboards while they are being conveyed, before they reach the stacking position. Multiple laser scanners apply pre-treatment at different locations along the conveyor, ensuring that cardboards are fully pre-treated before stacking without delaying the stacking process.
2Device complexity
If constant cardboard velocity is maintained, then system simplicity is improved, but pre-treatment time increases due to delayed cardboard movement
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous cardboard movement at constant velocity through the entire pre-treatment zone without acceleration or deceleration cycles. Multiple laser scanners operate simultaneously on moving cardboards, ensuring continuous pre-treatment action without interrupting cardboard flow, thus eliminating time loss while keeping mechanical systems simple.
3Productivity
If multiple laser-beam scanners are deployed, then throughput is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a single-point pre-treatment approach to a distributed multi-zone approach along the conveyor dimension. By placing multiple laser scanners at different positions along the conveyor path, the system increases throughput by utilizing the spatial dimension of the conveyor system, while each scanner remains a relatively simple component.
Solution Approach 2:
Each laser-beam scanner in the system performs the same pre-treatment function but on different portions of cardboards at different times. This universality allows the system to increase throughput by parallelizing the same function across multiple scanners, rather than requiring different specialized devices for different tasks.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The DMSS enhances cardboard handling system efficiency by maintaining constant cardboard velocity, reducing mechanical complexity, and increasing throughput, while ensuring comprehensive pre-treatment without the need for expensive and complex acceleration mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
a pre-treatment module (104) operative to pre-treat at least a portion of the cardboard while the cardboard is being conveyed
Data Source
AI summary
System and methods of treating or handling cardboard sheets.