Mechanical Gripper for Staggered Biscuit Slug Formation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for forming slugs of flat baked products like biscuits and cookies are inefficient, requiring multiple steps that increase handling time, complexity, and machine footprint, and often involve separate devices for each step, leading to synchronization challenges.
Innovation Solution
A handling system comprising an infeed transport device, a slug gripper device with a mechanical gripper and vision system, and an outfeed transport device, where the gripper loads a group of staggered products, forms a slug, and unloads it into the outfeed, using a longitudinal retainer with elongated wall elements and a holding and pushing element to compact the products into a slug.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple separate devices or stages are used for grouping, compacting, and separating products into slugs, then each step can be performed with dedicated equipment, but the overall handling time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines grouping, compacting, and separating operations into a single integrated gripper device. The gripper performs all these functions in one handling cycle, eliminating the need for multiple separate devices and stages. This integration directly reduces handling time and increases productivity while maintaining reliable product formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The gripper is designed as a multi-functional end-effector that can perform multiple operations: loading individual products, grouping them in staggered orientation, compacting into a slug, and separating into individual slugs. This universal device replaces multiple specialized devices, reducing overall system complexity and improving handling speed.
2Reliability
If multiple separate devices are used for slug formation steps, then each step can be optimized independently, but the production line length increases and machine footprint increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functional stages into a single compact gripper unit. By integrating grouping, compacting, and separating functions into one device, the overall machine footprint is significantly reduced. The gripper performs all operations within a limited space, eliminating the need for long production lines with multiple separate devices.
3Reliability
If separate devices are used for each handling step, then dedicated equipment can be used, but synchronization and handover between devices becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates synchronization complexity by merging all handling operations into a single integrated gripper. There are no separate devices to coordinate, no handovers to synchronize. The gripper performs all operations sequentially within one handling cycle, dramatically simplifying the control system and eliminating the complexity of coordinating multiple independent devices.
Data Source
AI summary
A handling system, gripper device and a gripper for forming and handling slugs of flat baked products such as biscuits and cookies, said gripper being arranged for a mechanical type gripper as end-effector and being arranged to load a group of staggered products, form a slug from said group, and unload said slug into said outfeed transport device. The gripper includes a longitudinal retainer comprising elongated wall elements extending along a longitudinal direction of said gripper and configured for an open position for loading said group of staggered products, and a closed position for unloading said slug into a tray transported by a transport device; a holding element for open and closed positions for loading and unloading said group of staggered products; and a pushing element for displacement of said pushing element in longitudinal direction into said retainer for compacting said group of staggered products into a slug.