Custom Hair Dye Dispensing Line With Formula-Based Fill Sequencing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The conventional hair dye system faces challenges in efficiently producing and dispensing a wide variety of customizable hair dye formulations, as it relies on large volume containers and lacks flexibility in optimizing the dispensing process and packaging.
Innovation Solution
A system is developed that includes a conveyor belt, multiple dispensing mechanisms connected to bulk containers of different hair dye colors, and circuitry that controls the dispensing mechanisms based on customer-specific formulas. This system allows for the efficient dispensing of customized hair dye formulations into individual bottles, optimizing the sequence of filling and adjusting dispensing mechanisms based on usage rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional system using large volume containers is used to produce and dispense hair dye formulations, then the system structure is simple and easy to operate, but it is difficult to efficiently predict and make available a large variety of customizable hair dye formulations
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the dispensing process into multiple independent dispensing mechanisms, each connected to a respective bulk container. This allows different color formulations to be dispensed independently and combined in various sequences, enabling a wide variety of customizable hair dye formulations while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the sequence in which receiving containers are filled based on the specific formulas required and optimizes the sequence to minimize filling time. This dynamic resequencing capability allows the system to adapt to different formulation requirements efficiently, providing versatility without proportionally increasing complexity
2Productivity
If the dispensing sequence is optimized based on formulas to minimize filling time, then productivity increases, but the device complexity increases due to sequence adjustment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-determines and stores multiple possible filling sequences for different formula types. When a formulation request is received, the system selects from these pre-planned sequences, which reduces the computational complexity of real-time optimization while still achieving minimized filling times for various hair dye formulations
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of container sequence based on the specific formula requirements. By adjusting which container is filled at which position in the sequence according to the formulation needs, the system optimizes productivity without requiring complex real-time control algorithms
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple dispensing mechanisms are added to handle different bulk hair dye colors, then the variety of formulations increases, but the device complexity and initial cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each dispensing mechanism is designed to be multi-functional, capable of dispensing different bulk hair dye colors by connecting to respective bulk containers. This universal design allows the same dispensing mechanism structure to handle multiple colors, increasing formulation variety while controlling complexity through standardized components
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces bulk containers as intermediary storage units between the source factory and the final dispensing point. These bulk containers act as mediators that hold different hair dye colors, allowing the dispensing mechanisms to access a variety of colors without requiring complex integrated storage and mixing systems
Data Source
AI summary
A system is provided for dispensing a hair dye formulation into container, comprising: a conveyer belt configured to transport the customer container along a fill line; a plurality of dispensing mechanisms, each connected to a respective bulk containers having a different bulk hair dye color, the plurality of dispensing mechanisms being disposed over a conveyer belt along the fill line; and circuitry configured to receive a plurality of formulas for filling a respective plurality of receiving containers with one or more bulk hair dye colors from among the plurality of bulk containers having the different bulk hair dye color, and control each of the plurality of dispensing mechanisms to perform a dispensing operation to dispense an amount of bulk hair dye color or to not perform a dispensing operation at a time when each of the receiving containers are transported to each of the plurality of dispensing mechanisms along the fill line, wherein the circuitry is configured to adjust a sequence of the receiving containers to be filled in the fill line based on the formulas and a sequence which results in a minimum time to complete filling the receiving containers in the fill line.