Automated Knife Grinding with Contour Sensor Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for regrinding meat processing hand knives lack the ability to consistently maintain a uniform and reproducible grinding quality, especially for knives with varying wear, as they rely on manual operation or machines that cannot adapt to altered profiles.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus featuring a knife magazine, a motor-driven gripper, a sensor unit to measure the knife's cutting edge contour, and an evaluation and control unit to guide the grinding tool for precise regrinding of only the necessary areas, ensuring repeatable and reproducible grinding quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual grinding is used, then flexibility in handling varying wear is maintained, but grinding quality is not uniform and productivity is limited to 200 knives per day
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical grinding with an automated grinding machine equipped with a measuring system and control unit. The measuring system automatically detects the knife contour and wear state, while the control unit directs the grinding tool to regenerate the cutting edge with precise control, eliminating manual operation and achieving both high productivity and uniform grinding quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the measuring system continuously monitors the knife contour and compares it with stored reference data. Based on this measurement feedback, the control unit adjusts the grinding tool's position and movement to achieve the desired cutting edge profile, ensuring consistent grinding quality across all knives regardless of varying wear states.
2Productivity
If automatic grinding with predetermined data is used, then productivity increases, but the ability to regrind knives with varying wear is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary measurement of each knife's actual contour and wear state before grinding. The measuring system captures the current state of the cutting edge, and the control unit uses this information to predetermined the exact grinding path and parameters needed, enabling the machine to adapt to varying wear conditions while maintaining high productivity through automated processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic adjustment of the grinding process based on real-time measurement data. The control unit modifies the grinding tool's movement, speed, and position according to the specific wear pattern detected in each knife, allowing the automated system to adapt flexibly to different wear states while maintaining consistent productivity.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple grinding operations are performed to restore original profile, then grinding quality improves, but the original profile is altered and time is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the grinding process into precise, controlled stages based on the measured wear pattern. The control unit divides the cutting edge into specific zones requiring different grinding parameters, allowing each area to be treated optimally in a single coordinated operation rather than through multiple separate grinding passes, thus improving quality while minimizing time.
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
The apparatus enables efficient and precise automatic regrinding of hand knives with varying wear, ensuring high-quality and reproducible results, increasing productivity beyond manual limitations and maintaining the original profile.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor unit for recording data to be assigned to the contour of the knife cutting edge
Implementation Method 2
having at least one grinding operation to grind only part of the contour needing sharpening
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for grinding hand knives, in particular for meat processing, with at least one grinding tool is proposed, by means of which a knife ground finish, in particular during the reconditioning of hand knives after use, is made possible in a repeatable manner with reproducible grinding quality. This is achieved according to the invention in that a knife magazine (6, 7) for accommodating at least one hand knife is provided, in that a driven manipulating device (3, 4, 5) having at least one knife gripper (5) is provided, in that at least one sensor unit (22) for at least partly recording the knife contour is provided, and in that an electronic evaluating and control unit for evaluating the sensor data and for activating the manipulating device (3, 4, 5) is provided.