Modular Gripper Cylinder for Beverage Labeling Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-throughput container handling machines, such as those producing over 10,000 containers per hour, face significant downtimes due to wear in gripper cylinder components, requiring time-consuming disassembly for replacement, leading to substantial production losses.
Innovation Solution
A gripper cylinder arrangement with detachable radial guides and a central support element featuring a guide profile and adjusting element, allowing for easy replacement of wear-prone components without full disassembly, utilizing a spring for prestressing and a cam carrier for controlled movement, and a cover for safe access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the gripper cylinder assembly operates at high throughput (over 10,000 containers per hour), then productivity is improved, but wear of components increases leading to more frequent replacements and downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper cylinder assembly is divided into modular components, with radial guides that can be independently removed and replaced. The radial guide includes a guide profile and actuating element that can be detached as a unit from the gripper cylinder assembly, allowing maintenance without complete disassembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The radial guide is designed to be extractable from the gripper cylinder assembly through a detachable connection. This allows the wear-prone radial guide to be removed and replaced separately from the main assembly, minimizing downtime during maintenance operations.
2Stability of the object's composition
If traditional fixed radial guides are used in the gripper cylinder assembly, then structural stability is maintained, but replacement requires full disassembly causing production loss
Solution Approach 1:
The radial guide is segmented as a separate replaceable module with a detachable connection to the gripper cylinder assembly. This segmentation allows the radial guide to be maintained independently while preserving the overall structural integrity of the assembly during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between the radial guide and gripper cylinder assembly transitions from a fixed permanent connection to a dynamic detachable connection. This allows the system to switch between a stable connected state during operation and a separated state during maintenance, optimizing both operational stability and maintenance efficiency.
3Ease of repair
If wear-prone components are made easily replaceable, then maintenance time is reduced, but device complexity increases due to detachable connections
Solution Approach 1:
The radial guide is designed as a self-contained modular unit with an integrated detachable connection. This segmentation allows the complex connection mechanism to be localized to a specific interface rather than distributed throughout the entire assembly, simplifying the overall system architecture while enabling easy replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable connection mechanism is merged into the radial guide assembly itself, combining the fastening, alignment, and structural functions into an integrated interface. This reduces the number of separate components needed and simplifies the replacement process while maintaining structural stability.
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
Enables quick and reliable replacement of worn components, minimizing downtime and maintaining high production efficiency by allowing radial guides to be exchanged without disassembling the entire gripper cylinder assembly, thus reducing production losses.
Implementation Method 1
the guide element is pre-tensioned against the control cam carrier by means of a spring
Implementation Method 2
a cam carrier for controlled movement
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a gripper cylinder arrangement (28) of a labeling system (10) for containers (12), in particular beverage containers. Said gripper cylinder arrangement (28) comprises a central axis of rotation (44) on which a central support element (46) is rotatably mounted, on which radial guides (48) pointing radially away from the central axis of rotation (44) are held, each of which contains at least one positioning element (36) that is movably guided on a radially extending guide profile (38), each positioning element (36) carrying at least one sponge holder (34) for accommodating at least one pressure sponge (30). The gripper cylinder arrangement (28) further includes a fixedly arranged control cam carrier (70) which surrounds the central axis of rotation (44) and has a control cam that interacts with a guide element (58) connected to the positioning element (36) in order to move the positioning element (36) radially outward with the sponge holder (34) in a defined sector of the gripper cylinder arrangement (28) into a label transfer position. The radial guide (48) is releasably held on the central support element (46).