End Gripper Height Control for Accurate Food Portion Cutting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food processing machines struggle to accurately cut slices or portions from food products with variable dimensions and shapes, particularly towards the end of the product, due to reduced surface area contact with conveyors, leading to unreliable positional control.
Innovation Solution
A food processing system that includes a cutter, a transport system with an end gripper and positioning assembly, an electronic position sensor, and an electronic controller to adjust the gripper height based on the product's height, ensuring precise engagement and improved control, especially for naturally formed products with varying dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If feed conveyors are used to transport food product towards the cutting region, then the food product can be fed incrementally towards the cutting region, but the feed conveyors lose reliable control over the position of the food product when the product log becomes relatively short with reduced surface areas in contact
Solution Approach 1:
The transport system is divided into two functional segments: feed conveyors for bulk transport and an end gripper for precise positioning. The end gripper is actuated by a positioning assembly that operates independently of the main conveyor system, allowing precise control of the food product's trailing end without relying on surface contact area.
Solution Approach 2:
An end gripper acts as an intermediary between the feed conveyors and the cutting region. The gripper engages with the trailing end of the food product and is controlled by a positioning assembly that uses a position sensor to determine the correct engagement height, thereby mediating the transition from conveyor-based transport to precise positioning.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the end gripper engages with the food product at a fixed height, then the structure is simple, but the system cannot accurately handle naturally formed food products with variable dimensions and shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The end gripper's vertical position is made dynamic rather than fixed. A positioning assembly actuates the gripper to a predetermined height above the feed conveyor, and this height is determined by a position sensor that detects the food product's actual dimensions. This allows the system to adapt to naturally formed products with variable dimensions and shapes.
Solution Approach 2:
A position sensor provides feedback on the height of the food product, and this information is used to determine the correct engagement height for the end gripper. The feedback loop ensures that the gripper engages at the optimal height for each specific product, improving accuracy while handling variability in product dimensions.
3Manufacturing precision
If the end gripper positioning assembly is added to control the location of the end gripper, then accurate engagement height can be achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning assembly uses a position sensor to automatically detect the food product's dimensions and determines the correct engagement height without requiring manual adjustment or complex external control systems. The system serves itself by using the product's own characteristics to guide the gripper's positioning, thereby achieving precision while minimizing additional complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A food processing system (2) for cutting a food product into portions includes a product engaging component (19, 21, 102) configured to engage an upper surface of a food product lying on a support surface (12, 106) in the system, and an electronic position sensor configured to generate a position signal dependent on the height of the product engaging component above the support surface. An electronic controller (5) is configured to receive the position signal and to control the engagement height of an end gripper (30) using an end gripper positioning assembly (16) with reference to the position signal.