Portable Pallet Wrapper Gates for Safe Track Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a desire to automate the process of wrapping loads with film while maintaining safety standards, particularly in pallet wrapping facilities, to enhance efficiency and safety.
Innovation Solution
A portable wrapping machine with a movable frame, a wrapping arm assembly, and a fence system comprising fixed side fences and movable gates, which surrounds the interior space during the wrapping process to ensure safety and allows movement between pallet positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fence system is deployed to surround the interior space during wrapping, then safety is improved, but the machine cannot move between pallet positions
Solution Approach 1:
The gate is designed as a movable barrier that can transition between extended and retracted positions. During wrapping operations, the gate extends to surround the interior space and prevent access. During transit between pallet positions, the gate retracts to allow the machine to move freely. This dynamic configuration enables the same structure to satisfy both safety requirements during operation and mobility requirements during transit.
2Reliability
If the gate is extended to surround the interior space, then safety during wrapping is improved, but movement along the track is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The gate system incorporates a motorized actuator that controls extension and retraction. The gate remains extended only during the wrapping cycle when safety is required. During movement between positions, the gate automatically retracts to minimize resistance and allow smooth travel along the track. This temporal separation of gate states optimizes both safety during operation and speed during transit.
3Productivity
If automation is implemented for pallet wrapping, then productivity is improved, but safety risks increase due to machine movement and wrapping operations
Solution Approach 1:
The machine is divided into distinct functional zones separated by the movable gate. The gate creates a physical boundary that segments the interior working space from the exterior environment. During wrapping, the gate encloses the pallet and arm assembly, creating an isolated safety zone. This segmentation allows automated high-speed wrapping operations while physically preventing unauthorized access to moving components.
Solution Approach 2:
The gate system dynamically responds to the operational state of the machine. Sensors detect whether the machine is in transit or performing wrapping operations, and the gate automatically adjusts its position accordingly. During transit, the gate is retracted to allow movement. During wrapping, the gate extends to enclose the interior space. This dynamic behavior enables continuous automated operation while maintaining safety protocols without requiring manual intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable wrapping machine comprising a movable frame for moving along a track of a facility, with the frame defining an interior space. A wrapping arm assembly is connected to the movable frame for encircling a full pallet located within the interior space to wrap the full pallet with wrap film. A fence system is connected to the movable frame for surrounding the interior space from before initiation of a wrapping process until the wrapping process is complete, the fence system including a pair of fixed side fences and a pair of movable gates. Each of the movable gates being raised during movement of the portable wrapping machine. Each of the movable gates also is lowered to thereby surround the interior space of the portable wrapping machine with the fence system while the wrapping arm assembly encircles the full pallet to wrap the full pallet in wrap film.