Label Applicator Panel Displacement Sensing for Container Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed, complex, and parallelized manufacturing processes for container labeling face challenges such as variability in label alignment, wrinkles, and loose parts due to operational conditions, which are difficult to detect and correct using conventional sensors mounted to system components.
Innovation Solution
A non-contact sensor, such as a laser sensor, measures the displacement of a deformable label applicator panel to generate distance profiles, allowing for real-time detection and correction of operational conditions, reducing variability and improving label application quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional sensors are physically mounted to components of the system (e.g., label applicator panel), then the system can detect operational conditions, but the physical mounting impacts the process inadvertently and introduces additional variability into the process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary optical measurement system that detects panel displacement without physical contact. The sensor measures the position of the label applicator panel indirectly through optical means, allowing detection of operational conditions while eliminating the harmful effect of physical sensor mounting on the labeling process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical sensor mounting approach with an optical measurement system. Instead of physically attaching sensors to the label applicator panel, the system uses optical fields to measure panel displacement, substituting mechanical interaction with non-contact optical detection to eliminate introduced variability
2Reliability
If manual inspection is performed by operators at regular intervals, then defects can be detected, but the troubleshooting is difficult to manually pinpoint and quality outages occur between inspections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous real-time monitoring of the labeling process through automated optical sensors that continuously measure panel displacement and detect operational conditions. This replaces intermittent manual inspection with continuous automated detection, eliminating quality outages between inspections and enabling immediate detection of defects
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback by continuously measuring operational conditions and comparing them against acceptable parameters. When deviations are detected, the system can immediately trigger corrective actions, creating a closed-loop control system that prevents quality outages rather than merely detecting them after they occur
3Productivity
If high-speed parallelized manufacturing is used, then productivity increases, but variability in the process leads to quality outages such as misaligned labels, wrinkles, and loose parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses optical measurement systems to monitor and detect operational conditions in high-speed parallelized labeling processes. By replacing mechanical sensing with optical detection, the system can monitor multiple labeling positions simultaneously without introducing mechanical variability, maintaining precision at high speeds
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates optical copies or measurements of the label applicator panel position and container positions at high speed. These optical measurements provide accurate data about operational conditions without physical interference, enabling real-time detection and correction of variability in parallelized manufacturing
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 system provides accurate, real-time monitoring and correction of operational conditions, minimizing defects in label placement and ensuring consistent quality by analyzing distance profiles and adjusting machine parameters as needed.
Implementation Method 1
A non-contact sensor, such as a laser sensor, measures the displacement of a deformable label applicator panel to generate distance profiles
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
An apparatus (100) is provided for improving the labelling process of containers (122). The apparatus includes a container carrier (101) arranged in a travel lane (102). The travel lane (102) has a downstream direction (104) in which the carrier (101) is movable. The apparatus also includes a deformable panel (106) comprising a fixed end (107) and a free end (108). The deformable panel (106) is positioned angled to and intersecting the travel lane (102). The free end (108) is more proximal to the travel lane (102) than the fixed end (107). The apparatus also includes a displacement sensor (110) measuring the displacement at the deformable panel (106). A method is also provided for detecting an operational condition of the apparatus.