Flipping Tray Picker Gantry for Product Registration in Blister Packing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automating the flipping of large trays with discrete products during manufacturing risks disorganizing the registration positioning of products, leading to potential misplacement or loss of pharmaceuticals in blister packs.
Innovation Solution
A flipping tray picker gantry with a flipping bridge, x-axis and z-axis drives, and grippers that allow precise flipping and handling of items, ensuring proper registration and orientation for packaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the entire tray is flipped over to move products into shipping packaging, then the flipping process is simple and can be automated, but the registration positioning of discrete products may be lost causing misplacement
Solution Approach 1:
The tray flipping operation is segmented into two distinct phases: a coarse flipping phase where the entire tray is flipped to change orientation, and a fine adjustment phase where individual products are precisely positioned and registered in their destination slots. This segmentation allows automation at the tray level while maintaining precision at the product level through controlled individual handling.
Solution Approach 2:
Products are pre-positioned in the source tray with precise registration before the flipping operation. The system performs preliminary alignment and registration of products in their destination slots during the flipping process, ensuring that even though the tray is flipped, each product lands in the correct destination. This preliminary preparation prevents misplacement during the automated flipping operation.
2Productivity
If the flipping process is performed quickly to increase production volume, then productivity increases, but the registration between products and blister pockets may be broken
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous useful action by performing the flipping and registration operations in an uninterrupted sequence. The tray flipping, product registration, and packaging operations are performed continuously without idle time, maintaining high productivity while ensuring precise registration through controlled, continuous motion rather than rapid discrete movements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the flipping speed and registration timing based on the specific requirements of each product and tray configuration. Rather than using a fixed rapid flipping speed, the system adapts its motion parameters in real-time to ensure proper registration while maintaining overall production efficiency.
3Manufacturing precision
If the flipping process is performed slowly to maintain registration precision, then manufacturing precision is improved, but production volume decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The flipping process is segmented into rapid coarse flipping for orientation change and slower precise registration for product positioning. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both high productivity in the flipping phase and high precision in the registration phase, optimizing the trade-off between speed and accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Products are pre-aligned and pre-positioned in the source tray before the flipping operation begins. This preliminary action ensures that when the tray is flipped at optimal speed, the products are already positioned to land in the correct destinations, reducing the need for slow, precise adjustments during the flipping process itself.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus, system and method for a flipping tray picker gantry. The embodiments include at least: a flipping bridge associated with an actuating motor; at least one x-axis drive suitable to move the flipping bridge perpendicularly to a length of rows of items in a pick tray; at least one z-axis drive suitable to move the flipping bridge both up and down with respect to the pick tray; and a plurality of grippers associated with the flipping bridge and suitable for gripping the items when the flipping bridge moves down in the z-axis, and retaining the items as the flipping bridge moves up in the z-axis and the actuating motor flips the flipping bridge.