Modular Holder Arm for Transport Trolley Retooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing production line transport systems require significant retooling time and resources to handle different product shapes and sizes, often necessitating the replacement of entire carts or platforms, which is time-consuming and costly, and do not allow for simultaneous gripping of products on both sides of a cart.
Innovation Solution
A modular holder assembly for transport carts with a socket and arm plug system, allowing for quick replacement and adaptation to different product shapes and sizes using additive technology, such as 3D printing, and featuring symmetrical or asymmetrical product contact areas with locking elements like suction cups, enabling efficient gripping and transport of varied products without tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional transport carts with fixed gripping elements are used, then the system can transport products, but significant retooling time and resources are required to handle different product shapes and sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is divided into a base (attached to the cart) and a removable arm with gripping elements. This segmentation allows the arm to be quickly exchanged without replacing the entire holder or cart, enabling rapid adaptation to different product shapes and sizes while minimizing retooling time
Solution Approach 2:
The holder base is designed as a universal mounting interface that can accommodate multiple types of arms with different gripping configurations. This multi-functionality allows a single base to handle various product formats by simply changing the arm, eliminating the need for dedicated holders for each product type
2Adaptability or versatility
If entire carts or platforms are replaced to handle different products, then the system can accommodate new product formats, but production must stop for several minutes and storage space is required for multiple cart types
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the holder into a permanent base and a removable arm, the system avoids the need to replace entire carts. Only the arm portion needs to be changed, which can be done quickly without stopping production for extended periods, thus maintaining productivity while achieving product format flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The gripping function is extracted from the cart itself and placed in a separate, interchangeable arm component. This extraction allows the cart to remain in place while only the functional gripping element is replaced, eliminating the need to remove and store multiple cart types
3Ease of operation
If single-sided holders are used, then the structure is simple, but the system cannot grip products on both sides of the cart simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The holder arm can be designed with asymmetrical gripping elements on each side, allowing each side to be optimized for different product shapes and sizes. This asymmetry enables simultaneous gripping of products on both sides of the cart while maintaining structural efficiency
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 solution minimizes retooling time and costs by allowing multiple product formats on the same surface, reducing human error through automated positioning, and enabling efficient transport of different products with reduced space requirements, achieving up to 15 times more product capacity on the same surface compared to traditional systems.
Implementation Method 1
an immobilizing suction cup that secures it by means of a negative pressure
Implementation Method 2
an area of increased friction
Data Source
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AI summary
The subject of the invention is a holder for a production line transport cart, characterized in that it comprises a holder base including a socket and a mount of the base to a transport cart, and a holder arm including an arm plug for insertion into the socket and two product contact areas located on opposite sides of the holder arm. The invention also relates to a method of retooling the holder according to the invention. The subject of the invention is a assembly of holders according to the invention, characterized in that it comprises two cooperating holders arranged successively in line on carriages on a linear drive. The invention also relates to a method of transporting a product using at least two assemblies of holders according to the invention