Indexing Conveyor Compartments for Biscuit Pack Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for conveying elongate packs of circular cross-section from diameter-end-leading to long-dimension-leading are insufficiently accurate at higher speeds, making them unsuitable for automated packing processes.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus involving a first conveyor that feeds products sequentially to a second transverse conveyor, which indexes and has compartments with inclined sides to hold products in place, ensuring accurate orientation and movement control, along with a grouping mechanism to adjust and retain the products during transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If packs are conveyed at high speed from first conveyor to second conveyor, then productivity increases, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to angle change and misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The second conveyor is divided into multiple compartments that can be independently controlled. Each compartment receives and holds packs at specific positions, allowing the conveyor to index in discrete steps rather than continuous motion. This segmentation enables high-speed operation while maintaining precise pack orientation through controlled indexing movements.
Solution Approach 2:
The compartments on the second conveyor are pre-positioned to receive packs at optimal angles. Before packs are transferred from the first conveyor, the compartments are already oriented correctly, allowing packs to be received at the proper angle without requiring complex real-time adjustments during high-speed conveying.
2Device complexity
If simple transverse conveyor transfer is used, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates at high speeds
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of a simple continuous conveyor, the system uses a segmented indexing conveyor with discrete compartments. This segmentation allows for controlled step-by-step movement where each compartment can be precisely positioned, maintaining angle control without requiring complex continuous adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The compartments act as intermediary elements between the first conveyor and the final packing position. These compartments temporarily hold packs and maintain their orientation, serving as a buffer that decouples the high-speed transfer from the precision positioning requirements.
3Manufacturing precision
If second conveyor indexes individually for each pack, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity decreases due to slower throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The indexing conveyor is segmented into multiple compartments that can be indexed in groups rather than individually. This allows the system to maintain precise positioning control while increasing throughput by processing multiple packs simultaneously through coordinated indexing of multiple compartments.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple compartment indexing operations are merged into coordinated group movements. Instead of indexing one compartment at a time for each pack, the system combines indexing actions for multiple compartments, allowing parallel processing of multiple packs and thereby increasing overall productivity while maintaining precision.
Data Source
AI summary
Elongate packs of circular biscuits are fed at high speed from a wrapping output conveyor to a transverse indexing conveyor. The indexing conveyor has a series of compartments with inclined sides, each compartment receiving a pair of packs end to end. The conveyor indexes each time that it receives a pair of packs, the compartments holding the packs against movement longitudinally of the conveyor. The packs are removed in groups from the indexing conveyor and urged together on a tray of adjustable dimension. Orientation of the packs is maintained, for consistent presentation of printing ABCD.