Ice Cream Picking Robot Sequencing for Uneven Compartment Packing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice cream production lines face inefficiencies in packing ice cream items, leading to waste and production slowdowns due to uneven numbers of items requiring robots to pause or miss picking, necessitating a more efficient packing method.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a pick and place sequence using multiple robot arms to distribute ice cream items into compartments, adjusting the distribution pattern to ensure even numbers in each compartment, allowing for continuous production and optimized packaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If ice cream items are packed in specific boxes with a fixed number of items per compartment, then packaging is simplified, but the production line must slow down and deliver fewer ice cream items due to robots pausing when encountering uneven numbers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the robot arm's target compartment dynamic rather than fixed. The control system dynamically adjusts which compartment receives each ice cream item based on real-time counting, allowing the system to adapt to varying item numbers and maintain continuous operation without pausing, thereby resolving the contradiction between packaging simplicity and production speed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of compartment assignment from static to variable. Instead of assigning items to fixed compartments, the system varies the target compartment based on the running count of items, enabling the production line to maintain optimal speed while still achieving proper packaging distribution
2Productivity
If the production line is optimized for a specific number of ice cream items per box, then packaging efficiency is improved, but waste increases when the actual number of items does not match the optimized number
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes the packaging parameters based on the actual number of ice cream items produced. By adjusting the distribution algorithm in real-time according to the item count, the system optimizes packaging efficiency for each batch while minimizing waste, eliminating the need for fixed optimization settings
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-adjustment by automatically counting items and redistributing them to optimize packaging without external intervention. This self-service capability allows the system to adapt to varying production quantities and minimize waste automatically, maintaining high packaging efficiency regardless of the item number
3Measurement precision
If robots pause during the working period to handle uneven numbers of ice cream items, then accurate counting is achieved, but productivity decreases due to interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous action by eliminating robot pauses. The system maintains continuous operation by dynamically adjusting compartment assignment based on real-time item counting, allowing the robot to never stop while still achieving accurate distribution. This resolves the contradiction by making the useful action continuous rather than intermittent
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from real-time item counting to dynamically adjust compartment assignment. This closed-loop control allows accurate counting without pauses, as the system continuously receives feedback on item numbers and adjusts its distribution strategy accordingly, maintaining both precision and productivity
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for packing ice cream items in ice cream compartments comprising, providing ice cream items on a conveyor and initiating a pick and place sequence. First step of the pick and place sequence is picking up a first predetermined number of ice cream items from the conveyor by a plurality of robot arms, in a second step of said pick and place sequence delivering said first predetermined number of ice cream items by said plurality of robot arms in at least two different ice cream compartments, in a third step of said pick and place sequence picking up a second predetermined number of ice cream items from said conveyor by said plurality of robot arms, in a forth step of said pick and place sequence delivering said second predetermined number of ice cream items by said plurality of robot arms in said at least two different ice cream compartments wherein at least one of said plurality of robot arms is delivering an ice cream item in a different ice cream compartment compared to said second step of said pick and place sequence.