Automated Hot-Melt Adhesive Refilling for Absorbent Article Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The quality of hot-melt adhesive deteriorates due to improper refilling in absorbent article manufacturing, leading to issues like excessive heating, viscosity changes, and malodor, as the melting tank is often refilled manually when almost empty, causing uneven application and equipment problems.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus comprising a melting tank with a detection sensor and an articulated robot that moves hot-melt adhesive from a container to the tank based on detection results, ensuring timely refilling and preventing excessive heating, with an automated guided vehicle for container transport and an intermediate charge portion to minimize oil smoke exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual refilling is performed when the melting tank is almost empty, then the refilling operation is simple and quick, but the hot-melt adhesive deteriorates in quality due to excessive heating
Solution Approach 1:
The detection sensor monitors the hot-melt adhesive level in advance and triggers refilling before the tank becomes empty, preventing the condition that leads to adhesive deterioration. This preliminary detection and action avoids the need for emergency refilling operations that cause quality issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection sensor provides continuous feedback on the adhesive level to the control system, which automatically initiates refilling when the level reaches a predetermined threshold. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures refilling occurs at the optimal moment, preventing both empty-tank operation and excessive heating.
2Productivity
If a large amount of hot-melt adhesive is charged at once into an almost empty melting tank, then the refilling process is efficient and fast, but the adhesive viscosity changes and quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the adhesive level and calculates the appropriate refilling amount in advance. By triggering refilling before the tank is empty and controlling the refill quantity, it prevents the scenario where large amounts of adhesive are charged into an almost empty tank, thereby maintaining viscosity control.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system adjusts the refilling parameters (amount, timing, rate) based on detection sensor data. This dynamic parameter adjustment ensures that adhesive is refilled at the optimal moment and in the optimal quantity, maintaining consistent viscosity without requiring manual judgment or excessive charging.
3Reliability
If automated detection and refilling is implemented, then adhesive quality is maintained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The melting tank system performs self-monitoring through the detection sensor and self-refilling through the automated mechanism. This self-service capability maintains adhesive quality without requiring constant manual intervention or complex external control systems, reducing overall system complexity while ensuring consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical refilling operation is replaced with an automated system using detection sensors and control mechanisms. This substitution eliminates human error and maintains consistent adhesive quality, while the automation actually simplifies the operational complexity by removing manual judgment and timing decisions.
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
This solution prevents adhesive deterioration, ensures consistent application, reduces equipment issues, and enhances operational efficiency by automating the refilling process and container management, thereby maintaining adhesive quality and improving manufacturing reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a detection sensor configured to detect an amount of the hot-melt adhesive in the melting tank
Implementation Method 2
a melting tank configured to melt the hot-melt adhesive
Implementation Method 3
an articulated robot which is a device configured to hold the hot-melt adhesive in a container containing the hot-melt adhesive and to move the hot-melt adhesive from the container containing the hot-melt adhesive to the melting tank based on a detection result of the detection sensor
Data Source
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AI summary
[Object] To restrain a hot-melt adhesive (60) from deteriorating in quality. [Solution] An apparatus for manufacturing an absorbent article (10) by bonding a material with the hot-melt adhesive (60), the apparatus including: a melting tank (30a) to melt the hot-melt adhesive (60); a detection sensor (TS) detect an amount of the hot-melt adhesive (60) in the melting tank (30a); and a robot (20) move the hot-melt adhesive (60) from a container (50) containing the hot-melt adhesive (60) to the melting tank (30a) based on a detection result of the detection sensor (TS).