Method and system for manufacturing facemasks in a production line
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current facemask production lines are unable to meet the high demand for protective facemasks during pandemics or disasters, as they can only produce about 100 facemasks per minute, falling short of the estimated 1,500 per minute needed, due to limitations in manufacturing speed and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An automated method and system for manufacturing facemasks from a textile web, involving a conveyor system, tie attaching stations, and cutting stations, where ties are attached and cut in a cross-machine direction without rotating the web, using ultrasonic bonding and rotating wheels with suction devices to secure ties, enabling production rates of 200 to 700 facemasks per minute.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If current manual and automated methods are used to rotate rectangular bodies and attach ties, then facemasks can be manufactured with proper tie attachment, but production speed is limited to about 100 facemasks per minute
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of rotating the rectangular body 90 degrees to attach ties along the left and right edges, the patent inverts the approach by keeping the rectangular body in its original orientation and attaching ties along the top and bottom edges. This eliminates the need for rotation mechanisms and enables high-speed production at 700 facemasks per minute while maintaining proper tie attachment functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the rotation step from the manufacturing process. By removing the 90-degree rotation operation, the process is simplified to only include cutting and tie attachment in the original web orientation, significantly reducing device complexity and enabling production speeds of 700 facemasks per minute
2Productivity
If mass production of facemasks is implemented at 1,500 facemasks per minute to meet pandemic demand, then adequate supply can be provided, but current technology and equipment cannot achieve this throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the critical parameter of tie attachment orientation from cross-machine direction (requiring rotation) to machine direction (no rotation needed). This parameter change enables the manufacturing system to achieve 700 facemasks per minute throughput, moving closer to the 1,500 per minute goal while using existing technology
3Ease of manufacture
If rectangular bodies are rotated 90 degrees before attaching ties, then ties can be attached to the left and right edges, but the manufacturing process becomes slower and less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by attaching ties to the top and bottom edges of the rectangular body in the original web orientation, rather than rotating the body to attach ties to the left and right edges. This inversion eliminates the rotation step and enables high-speed manufacturing at 700 facemasks per minute while maintaining ease of manufacture through simplified process steps
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 system significantly increases facemask production speed, allowing for the mass production of facemasks at rates that can meet demand during emergencies, such as pandemics, by efficiently attaching and cutting ties in a high-speed manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
attaching the ties to the rectangular bodies may include ultrasonic bonding
Implementation Method 2
rotating wheels with suction devices to secure ties
Data Source
AI summary
An automated system and method for the manufacture of facemasks from a web of a textile product in a production line is provided. The web is conveyed in the production line along a machine direction. A first tie is attached at a tie attaching station to the web of the textile product, such that the first tie extends from the web in a cross-machine direction perpendicular to the machine direction. The web and first tie are cut at a cutting station in the cross-machine direction across a width of the web in the cross-machine direction to form a facemask separate from the web.