Filling System Bottle Flow Segmentation for Spillage Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current filling systems for liquid products face challenges such as increased product spillage due to high transport speeds, unreliable closure processes, and inefficient handling of filled containers, leading to product losses and operational complexities.
Innovation Solution
A filling system with a machine block integrating a blow-molding machine, labeler, and fillers, utilizing star-shaped transport devices to manage bottle flow, including a distribution unit for dividing bottles into multiple transport stretches, a combining device for outflow conveyors, and a control system for synchronized operation and fault management, ensuring reliable filling and closure processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high transport speed is used to increase productivity, then the number of containers filled per unit time increases, but product spillage increases and closure reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the single-lane bottle flow into multiple parallel transport stretches (first and second stretches) after labeling. This segmentation allows bottles to be distributed across multiple fillers, reducing the burden on individual transport paths and enabling more reliable handling at each position while maintaining overall high productivity through parallel processing.
2Productivity
If high transport speed is used to increase productivity, then the number of containers filled per unit time increases, but product spillage increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the bottle flow into multiple stretches and distributing bottles to parallel fillers, the system reduces the speed and handling complexity at each individual filler position. This segmentation allows for more controlled, lower-speed filling operations that minimize product spillage while maintaining high overall throughput through parallel processing.
3Device complexity
If single-lane flow is used to simplify transport, then equipment complexity is reduced, but system performance and flexibility are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a single-lane (one-dimensional) bottle flow to a multi-lane parallel transport structure. By adding the dimension of parallel stretches and fillers, the system achieves higher productivity and flexibility without proportionally increasing complexity, as the parallel structure allows independent operation of each filler-stretch combination.
4Reliability
If long straight sections are provided on inlet side to slow down bottles, then bottle speed control is improved, but the layout becomes less compact
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using long straight sections to slow down bottles, the system segments the bottle flow into multiple stretches with distribution points. This allows speed control to be implemented at specific distribution locations rather than requiring extended deceleration zones, achieving reliable speed control in a more compact layout.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for filling liquid products into bottles are described. The system comprises a machine block with a blow-molding machine for providing a flow of bottles, with a labeler for labeling the flow of bottles, with a first and second transport stretch, each comprising a filler for filling the bottles, and with a distribution unit dividing the labeled flow of bottles to the transport stretches when the transport is fully populated at all circulating labeling positions of the labeler and all circulating filling positions of the fillers. The filling system comprises outflow conveyors downstream of the fillers, with a combining device for combining the transport stretches to form a common outflow for the flow of bottles, thereby reducing the transport speed during filling and subsequent handling of the bottles, as well as problems due to the product in the bottles spilling over during the closure process.