Modular Shrinking Device Shaft Walls for Film Packaging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shrinking devices are inefficient in adapting the spraying of packaged goods as they pass through the shrinking process, requiring significant effort to reconfigure for different product groups and sizes, leading to suboptimal energy input and inefficiencies in shrink film treatment.
Innovation Solution
A modular shrinking device with adjustable shaft walls composed of interchangeable shaft chamber modules, each with customizable outflow surfaces and distribution channels, allowing for optimized alignment and energy input during the shrinking process, enabling quick reconfiguration for various product sizes and shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If shaft walls are made as one-part welded or riveted constructions with fixed hole patterns, then structural strength and stability are improved, but adaptability to different product groups deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft wall is divided into multiple modular shaft chamber modules that can be independently configured and assembled. Each module contains standardized connection elements and can be arranged in different sequences to create customized outflow surfaces for different product groups, maintaining structural integrity through standardized connection techniques while enabling flexible reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular shaft chamber modules are designed with universal connection elements and standardized interfaces that allow the same basic module type to serve multiple product groups. By varying the arrangement, sequence, and configuration of these universal modules, the system can adapt to different article sizes and shapes without requiring completely different shaft wall designs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If shaft walls are redesigned or retrofitted for different product groups, then adaptability to different product sizes is improved, but time and design effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft wall system is segmented into pre-fabricated modular units with standardized connection mechanisms. These modules can be quickly assembled and disassembled without requiring complex welding or riveting operations, enabling rapid reconfiguration for different product groups while maintaining structural integrity through the standardized connection system.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft wall configuration is made dynamically adjustable through the modular assembly system. Modules can be added, removed, or rearranged to optimize the outflow surface pattern for different article sizes and shapes, allowing the system to adapt its geometry quickly rather than requiring fixed, permanent configurations.
3Reliability
If hot air is blown into shaft walls through air inlet openings to ensure articles are exposed to hot shrinkage agent, then shrinking effectiveness is improved, but energy loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft wall is divided into multiple shaft chamber modules, each with controlled air inlet openings and outflow surfaces. This segmentation allows hot air to be introduced at multiple distributed locations rather than a single point, improving uniformity of heat distribution and shrinking effectiveness while reducing the total energy required compared to centralized heating systems.
Solution Approach 2:
Each shaft chamber module can be configured with specific air inlet opening positions and outflow surface patterns tailored to local requirements. This allows optimization of hot air distribution to match the specific geometry and shrinkage needs of different article configurations, ensuring effective shrinking while minimizing energy waste in areas where it is not needed.
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 modular design allows for efficient adaptation to different product sizes and shapes, improving energy input and reducing the effort required for reconfiguration, resulting in enhanced shrinking efficiency and flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
a blower (20) for generating hot air... The hot air is conducted via the shrinking agent distribution device (5) into the interior of the shaft chamber modules (32)
Implementation Method 2
The shrinking agent is conducted via the shrinking agent distribution device into the interior of the shaft walls and from there via shrinking agent outlet openings in the outflow surfaces into the interior of the shrinking device, and the articles wrapped with the packaging agent are exposed to the shrinking agent
Data Source
Figure 1(A)~1(B)
Figure 2(A)~2(B)
Figure 3(A)~3(B)
AI summary
The device has outlet openings arranged in an interior (5) of a shrinkage device main portion facing an outflow surface of shrink unit. A shrinkage agent (3) is conducted over a shrinkage agent distribution device (5a) into the interior and the outflow surface and coated on a packaging unit in which product is accommodated. Shaft walls (30) are constructed in series along a conveying direction of shaft chamber modules (32d). The shaft chamber modules are assigned in the shrinkage agent distribution device of each shaft wall.