Packaging Machine Crease Pattern Segmentation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging machines stress sheet material excessively during forming operations, leading to micro-cracks and defects, and are inflexible in producing different package shapes and volumes, requiring complex and time-consuming machine reconfigurations.
Innovation Solution
A method and machine that process sheet packaging material with a crease pattern allowing for sealed preliminary packaging units to be formed without folding along certain crease lines, reducing stress on the material and enabling easier conversion between package shapes and volumes without altering the machine's advancement devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the sheet packaging material is folded along multiple crease lines during forming operations, then the package can be given its final shape, but the material is excessively stressed leading to micro-cracks and defects
Solution Approach 1:
The forming process is divided into two distinct stages: first, a preliminary packaging unit is formed with a preset inner volume without folding along further crease lines; second, the sealed preliminary packaging unit is folded along the further crease lines to obtain the final package shape. This segmentation reduces material stress by avoiding multiple folding operations on the same material sections simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The preliminary packaging unit is formed and sealed first, establishing the preset inner volume and basic structure. Only after sealing does the forming action fold the material along the further crease lines. This preliminary action ensures the material is stabilized before undergoing additional folding, reducing the risk of micro-cracks.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the machine is reconfigured to produce different package shapes and volumes, then product variety can be increased, but the reconfiguration process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The advancement devices are designed to be universal, capable of handling sheet packaging material with different crease patterns without requiring modification. The forming arrangement can process various crease line configurations to produce different package shapes and volumes, making the machine adaptable to multiple product types while maintaining the same advancement mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The forming arrangement is designed to be dynamically adjustable, allowing the crease lines and forming parameters to be changed according to the desired package configuration. This dynamic capability enables quick transitions between different package shapes and volumes without complex mechanical reconfiguration of the entire machine.
3Productivity
If the sheet packaging material is folded along further crease lines during preliminary unit formation, then the final package shape can be achieved earlier, but the material stress increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The forming operations are segmented into two phases: the first phase forms the preliminary packaging unit with essential folds needed for volume definition, while the second phase performs additional folds along further crease lines after sealing. This segmentation prioritizes structural integrity over forming speed, reducing material stress while maintaining productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for producing a sealed package for a product may include: providing a sheet packaging material having a crease pattern with a first transverse crease line, a second transverse crease line, and a plurality of further crease lines interposed between the first and second transverse crease lines, the further crease lines extending transversely to the first and second transverse crease lines; obtaining a sealed preliminary packaging unit from the sheet packaging material, the sealed preliminary packaging unit having a preset inner volume and containing the product; exerting a forming action on the sealed preliminary packaging unit so as to fold the sheet packaging material defining the sealed preliminary packaging unit and obtain a package therefrom. During the step of obtaining the sealed preliminary packaging unit, the sheet packaging material may be processed without being folded along the further crease lines.