Feeding Unit for Semi-Finished Packs with Variable Pitch Screw
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing feeding units for pillow-shaped packs of pourable food products are prone to deformation during handling due to sudden impacts and changes in velocity, which can lead to packaging damage and inefficiencies in the packaging process.
Innovation Solution
The feeding unit incorporates a conveyor system with a flexible toothed belt and a feed screw device featuring variable pitches and a braking unit to gradually decelerate the packs, ensuring they are transferred to the folding unit without sudden decelerations, thereby minimizing deformation and maintaining pack integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the conveyor belt suddenly decelerates the pillow packs during transfer, then the packs are delivered to the folding unit, but the packs undergo deformation due to sudden impacts and changes in velocity
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor belt is designed with a variable speed capability, allowing it to dynamically adjust its deceleration rate. The belt gradually reduces speed rather than suddenly stopping, thereby minimizing impacts and velocity changes that cause pack deformation. This dynamic speed control resolves the contradiction between delivering packs efficiently and maintaining their structural stability.
2Productivity
If the carriers push the pillow packs forcefully, then the packs are advanced along the guides, but the packs experience sudden impacts leading to deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The pushing force applied by carriers is optimized by adjusting operational parameters such as carrier speed, spacing, and contact force. The system uses controlled, gradual pushing rather than sudden forceful impacts, maintaining productivity while preventing pack deformation through parameter optimization.
3Productivity
If the conveyor belt operates at high speed, then the packaging process is efficient, but the packs are prone to deformation during handling
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system incorporates dynamic speed control that adjusts operational speed based on the handling phase. During critical transfer and folding operations, the speed is automatically reduced to maintain pack integrity. During stable transport phases, higher speeds are maintained for efficiency. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between productivity and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A feeding unit configured to feed semi-finished sealed packs containing a pourable product to a folding unit adapted to fold the packs so as to obtain folded packages, the feeding unit comprises: a conveyor device having at least one carrying element configured to advance the packs from an inlet region of the feeding unit to an outlet region of the feeding unit; and a feed screw device at the outlet region and configured to receive the packs from the conveyor device, to advance the packs along a braking path and to feed the packs to the folding unit; the feed screw device is configured to decrease the velocity of the packs along the braking path.