Insect Larvae Breeding Box Handling Tilting Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for stacking and handling insect larvae breeding boxes, such as soldier fly larvae containers, are either labor-intensive and hazardous for humans or require expensive robotic automation, limiting their use to large facilities due to high design and maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A semi-automated system that stacks boxes vertically and uses a 'Tilting device' for two-dimensional movement, allowing for efficient handling and sanitization, reducing costs by using a mechanical system that rotates and lifts groups of boxes, rather than individual ones, and incorporates a sanitization station for washing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If robotic automation systems with sliding rollers and mechanical handling arms are used to stack and handle boxes, then handling efficiency is improved, but design costs and maintenance costs increase exponentially
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the handling task by grouping multiple boxes (e.g., 16 boxes) into a single column unit that is handled together as one block. This segmentation allows the mechanical system to work at lower speeds (1/16 of individual box handling speed) while maintaining efficiency, thereby reducing the complexity and cost of the mechanical system required.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from three-dimensional handling (using mechanical arms that move in all spatial dimensions) to two-dimensional handling (using a tilting device that rotates columns in a vertical plane). This dimensional simplification reduces the complexity of the mechanical system while maintaining handling capability.
2Device complexity
If human work is used to stack and handle boxes, then design and maintenance costs are reduced, but time consumption and work hazards increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service handling where the mechanical tilting device automatically stacks and handles column groups without requiring human intervention for the stacking operation. This eliminates both the time consumption and work hazards associated with manual handling while keeping the system design simple and cost-effective.
3Speed
If boxes are handled individually using high-speed robotic systems, then handling speed is improved, but system complexity and cost increase exponentially
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple individual box handling operations into a single column group handling operation. By handling 16 boxes simultaneously as one unit, the system achieves the equivalent productivity of high-speed individual handling while using a much simpler, lower-speed mechanical system.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention discloses an apparatus and a related method for operating said apparatus aimed to the breeding and / or fattening of insect larvae, in particular soldier fly larvae, for the production of raw materials intended for the feed of farm animals, pets, or humans. Said apparatus is of particular advantage for production on an industrial scale, based on an automated set of operations, with a high breeding density, capable of handling large quantities of raw materials, nevertheless at a low cost of design, implementation and management.