Film Stacking Alignment on Workpiece Carriers With Overhang Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

The issue of films being lifted together during stacking due to adhesive forces, leading to incorrect placement on a workpiece carrier, causing disruptions and waste in the lamination process, and potential damage to the production system.

Innovation Solution

An arrangement and method involving a gripping device, sensor-based control, and a drive device to ensure films are aligned correctly on a workpiece carrier, using a sensor to detect overhangs and an ejection station to remove incorrectly stacked films, preventing further processing and damage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If films are lifted from the stack using adhesive forces, then films can be removed from the stack, but multiple films are lifted together causing incorrect placement

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefilm removal from stackVSAvoidfilm placement accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

A sensor (optical sensor, camera, or laser scanner) detects the actual position and contour of each film after it is placed on the workpiece carrier. This detection information is fed back to the control device, which compares the actual position with the desired position and determines whether the film is correctly placed, enabling real-time monitoring and correction of placement errors

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces purely mechanical gripping systems with a sensor-based detection and control system. Optical sensors, cameras, or laser scanners detect film position, and the control device processes this information to determine correct placement, substituting mechanical feedback with electronic/optical feedback for more precise control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If films are incorrectly placed on the workpiece carrier, then the stacking process continues, but waste and damage occur in subsequent lamination

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestacking speedVSAvoidproduction continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor detects and the control device determines whether films are correctly placed on the workpiece carrier before the lamination process begins. This preliminary inspection allows incorrect stacking to be identified and corrected in advance, preventing waste and damage in subsequent lamination steps

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The sensor-based detection system provides real-time feedback on film placement quality, allowing the control device to identify incorrect stacking before it causes downstream problems. This feedback loop enables early intervention to maintain production reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4620880A1Arrangement and method for the matching of a number of sheets on a workpiece carrier at the same edges
Publication Date: 2025.09.24 BUNDESDRUCKEREI GMBH
  • EP4620880A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4620880A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4620880A1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to an arrangement (100) for collating a plurality of films (106, 110, 134) on a workpiece carrier (102) with the same edges, comprising a first film stack (104) with first films (106) and at least one second film stack (108) with second films (110), a workpiece carrier (102) which is designed to receive a plurality of the films (106, 110) in a stacked manner, at least one gripping device (112) for removing one film (106, 110) from each of the film stacks (104, 108) and placing it on the workpiece carrier (102) or on a film (106) already present there, and a sensor-based control device (114) which is designed to detect a contour of the stack (116) of films (106, 110, 134) on the workpiece carrier (102) or a contour of the workpiece carrier (102) to record and check for themselves,whether a protrusion (118) is present due to an incorrectly transported film (120) of the first film stack (104) or the second film stack (108). The invention further relates to a corresponding method.