Four-Clip Clipping Machine for Reliable Vertical Sausage Sealing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sausage-shaped product packaging systems face challenges in balancing the need for high closing forces to prevent leaks while avoiding damage to fragile wrapping materials and ensuring reliable sealing, particularly when products are stored vertically.
Innovation Solution
A clipping machine is configured to apply at least four closure clips to a plait-like portion of the packaging casing, with specific closing devices for each section, allowing for reduced closing force requirements and enhanced sealing reliability without material damage, including adjustable spacings and simultaneous or sequential application of clips.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a high closing force is applied to the plait-like portion to prevent leakage, then sealing reliability is improved, but the tubular packaging casing material may be damaged and the remaining load-bearing capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The closing force is distributed across multiple closure clips (at least four clips) applied to different sections of the plait-like portion, rather than concentrating force at a single location. This segmentation of the closing action allows reliable sealing while reducing the force burden on any single point of the packaging casing, thereby preserving its load-bearing capability for suspension elements.
2Reliability
If a high closing force is applied to prevent leakage, then sealing reliability is improved, but the tubular packaging casing material may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The closing force is divided and applied through multiple closure clips at different sections of the plait-like portion. This distributes the mechanical stress across multiple contact points, preventing concentration of force that could damage the fragile tubular packaging casing material, while still achieving reliable leakage prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the plait-like portion are closed with appropriate force levels tailored to local requirements. The closing force is applied locally at each clip position rather than uniformly across the entire plait-like portion, allowing effective sealing without excessive force that could damage the material.
3Device complexity
If two closure clips are applied to a plait-like portion, then device complexity is reduced, but sealing reliability may be insufficient for vertical storage
Solution Approach 1:
The plait-like portion is divided into multiple sections, with at least four closure clips applied to different sections. This segmentation of the closing locations provides enhanced sealing reliability for vertical storage applications while maintaining a relatively simple device structure through automated application.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple closure clips are applied in combination to the same plait-like portion, creating a redundant sealing system that enhances reliability for vertical storage. The combined action of multiple clips provides superior leakage prevention compared to a single or double-clip system.
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
The solution effectively reduces the risk of leaks and maintains structural integrity of the packaging, even with fragile materials, by distributing the closing force and ensuring secure sealing, especially when products are stored vertically.
Implementation Method 1
A casing brake applies a frictional force to the tubular packaging casing while being pulled-off from the filling tube, in order to control the pull-off motion of the tubular packaging casing.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
A method for reconfiguring a clipping machine for producing sausage-shaped products from a first clipping mode to a second clipping mode, the method comprising the steps of: providing an input to a control unit of the clipping machine indicative of the reconfiguration of the clipping machine from the first clipping mode to the second clipping mode; and changing a number of closure means, such as closure clips, supplied to a closing unit of the clipping machine from a first number of closure means associated with the first clipping mode, to a second number of closure means associated with the second clipping mode.