Modular Automatic Casing Stick Machine for Hygienic Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current machines in the food industry for manufacturing collagen, cellulose, and plastic casing sticks for meat products require multiple machines for different operations, leading to inefficiencies, high labor costs, and difficulty in ensuring product repeatability and hygiene standards, especially when producing different products.
Innovation Solution
An automatic, modular machine that integrates all necessary workstations for casing stick reception, processing, cleaning, weighing, handling, and packaging, featuring a modular displacement system that allows for customizable configurations and eliminates human intervention by performing all operations in a single machine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple different machines are used to perform various operations on casing sticks, then each operation can be specialized, but the number of machines increases, space requirements increase, and operator intervention is needed at each station
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate machines (sealing device, cleaning device, weighing device, inspection device, packaging machine) into a single integrated automatic casing stick machine. All these devices are arranged in sequence within one machine structure, allowing casing sticks to undergo multiple operations continuously without manual intervention or transfer between separate machines, thereby reducing the total number of machines while maintaining specialized functions for each operation
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated machine performs multiple functions simultaneously - sealing, cleaning, weighing, inspecting, and packaging - within a single device. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate specialized machines for each operation, reducing space requirements and operator intervention needs while maintaining the ability to perform each operation with appropriate precision
2Ease of operation
If operators continuously supervise and manually handle casing sticks at each machine, then operational flexibility is maintained, but labor costs increase, time is wasted, and product repeatability becomes difficult to ensure
Solution Approach 1:
The machine is designed to be fully automatic, performing all operations without continuous operator intervention. The sealing device automatically seals casing sticks, the cleaning device automatically cleans them, the weighing device automatically weighs and sorts them, and the packaging machine automatically packages them. This self-service capability eliminates manual handling at each station, increasing production speed while maintaining operational flexibility through programmable control
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated machine incorporates feedback mechanisms where the inspection device detects product quality and provides information to control the sealing, cleaning, weighing, and packaging operations. This closed-loop control ensures product repeatability and quality consistency without requiring operator supervision, while the automated feedback system maintains operational flexibility by adjusting parameters based on real-time product characteristics
3Manufacturing precision
If different machines are used for different products in the same factory, then each product can be optimized, but the number of machines required increases and facility space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The machine incorporates dynamic, adjustable components that can be reconfigured for different products. The sealing device can adjust sealing parameters, the cleaning device can adjust cleaning intensity and method, the weighing device can adjust weight specifications, and the packaging machine can adjust packaging formats. This dynamic adaptability allows a single machine to maintain high manufacturing precision for multiple different products without requiring separate dedicated machines for each product type
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a modular automatic stick machine comprising at least a stick inlet (1), a modular intermediate section (3) for performing operations such as weighing, cleaning, burning, closing and checking, and a stick outlet (2). In addition, the machine can also comprise stations for packing the sticks (5) in boxes (27). In this way, a single machine can be used to carry out all of the operations to be to performed on the stick (5) before final delivery to the customer. The invention is a compact machine and is modular by virtue of a movement system (4) provided in the intermediate section (3) and formed by modules (7) that can be added on or removed according to the user's requirements. The operations are performed at different work stations associated with different modules (7).