Automated Facemask Tie Wrapping System for High-Speed Production
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current facemask production lines are unable to meet high demand during pandemics due to slow manual and automated methods for wrapping head fastening ties around facemasks, limiting throughput to around 100 masks per minute, whereas up to 1.5 million masks per day are needed.
Innovation Solution
An automated method and system for wrapping fastening ties around facemasks in a production line, utilizing a conveyor system with a suction device to draw ties under the facemask body and a rotational clamping device to wrap ties around the body, allowing for multiple wrappings without halting the conveyor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual or conventional automated methods are used for wrapping ties, then wrapping accuracy is maintained, but production speed is limited to around 100 masks per minute
Solution Approach 1:
The wrapping system is divided into distinct functional modules: a conveyor system for mask transport, a tie feeding mechanism for supply, and automated wrapping heads for execution. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently for high-speed operation while maintaining overall system coordination, enabling throughput significantly beyond 100 masks per minute.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical wrapping operations with automated mechanisms including programmable controllers, automated tie feeding systems, and coordinated wrapping heads. This substitution eliminates human speed limitations and enables consistent high-speed operation at rates exceeding 100 masks per minute while maintaining precise wrapping quality.
2Productivity
If high-speed automated wrapping is implemented, then production throughput increases, but the complexity of the wrapping system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated wrapping system is designed with multi-functional components that can handle various mask types and tie configurations through programmable control. The wrapping heads and feeding mechanisms are engineered to accommodate different product specifications without requiring complete system redesign, allowing high-speed operation across multiple product variants while managing complexity through standardized interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes programmable parameters and adjustable settings to adapt to different production requirements. By changing control parameters rather than physical components, the system maintains high-speed capability while flexibly accommodating various mask designs, tie lengths, and wrapping patterns, thereby managing complexity through software rather than hardware proliferation.
3Ease of manufacture
If ties are not wrapped around the facemask body, then packaging space is larger, but the facemasks are more difficult to store and distribute
Solution Approach 1:
The wrapping operation is performed automatically during the manufacturing process before packaging, preliminarily preparing the masks for efficient storage and distribution. By integrating wrapping into the production line flow, the system creates compact, ready-to-package products without requiring additional post-manufacturing handling steps, thereby improving packaging efficiency while managing complexity through process integration.
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
Enables high-speed wrapping of ties around facemasks, increasing production throughput and allowing for more compact packaging, thus addressing the need for rapid mass production of facemasks during emergencies.
Implementation Method 1
the leading pair of ties is drawn below the body as the facemask continues to be conveyed
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3a~3b
Figure 4a~4c
AI summary
An automated system and method wrap the fastening ties around the body of a continuous stream of facemasks in a facemask production line. The facemasks are oriented such that each facemask has a leading pair of ties and a trailing pair of ties extending from a body in a conveying direction of the production line. The leading pair of ties is drawn below the body as the facemask continues to be conveyed in the conveying and wraps under the body. At a wrapping station in the production line, the body is subsequently clamped with an automated clamping device and rotated relative to a rotation axis through the body to cause the leading and trailing pairs of ties to further wrap around the body.