Pallet Load Wrapping Optimization via Motion Platform Simulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for wrapping palletized loads with extensible plastic film are inefficient in ensuring stability and compactness during transport, often resulting in damage to fragile products and excessive film consumption, as they lack precise calculation of optimal wrapping parameters for varying transport paths and load types.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that simulate the transport conditions of palletized loads using a motion platform with six degrees of freedom, measuring and recreating the physical stresses and environmental conditions to determine an optimal wrapping configuration that ensures stability and compactness, reducing film consumption and preventing product damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If the plastic film is elastically stretched for a predetermined percentage to reduce thickness and increase length, then film consumption is reduced and wrapping efficiency is improved, but the film's ability to maintain stable mechanical characteristics during transport is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by systematically varying the pre-stretching percentage (from 50% to 400%) to optimize the balance between film consumption reduction and load stability maintenance. Different pre-stretching parameters are selected based on specific transport conditions and load characteristics, allowing the film to achieve both thinness/length efficiency and adequate mechanical performance for securing the load during transportation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If empirical procedures are used to wrap loads tightly with high number of wrappings based on acquired experience, then load stability is improved, but film consumption increases considerably and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using sensors to detect the actual state of the palletized load during transport (position, acceleration, forces) and using this information to calculate and optimize the wrapping parameters. This closed-loop approach replaces empirical trial-and-error with data-driven optimization, determining the minimum necessary film quantity and wrapping configuration needed to achieve stable load fixation, thereby significantly reducing film consumption while maintaining load stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system optimizes multiple wrapping parameters simultaneously including pre-stretching percentage, number of wrappings, overlap percentage, and arrangement configuration. By calculating the optimal values of these parameters based on actual transport conditions and load characteristics, the system achieves load stability with minimal film consumption, eliminating the need for excessive wrappings used in empirical approaches.
3Manufacturing precision
If on-site tests are conducted to check wrapping quality and find optimal parameters for each load type, then wrapping optimization is achieved, but the testing process is time-consuming, complex and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating the optimal wrapping parameters using a computer system that simulates transport conditions and analyzes load characteristics before actual wrapping occurs. This preliminary computational analysis replaces time-consuming on-site tests, providing optimized wrapping configurations in advance based on virtual modeling of the specific load and transport scenario, thereby achieving precise parameter optimization without extensive physical testing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses virtual copying by creating a digital model of the transport scenario and load characteristics to simulate and determine optimal wrapping parameters. Instead of conducting physical tests with actual loads during transport, the system copies the essential features of the transport conditions into a computational model, performs the optimization analysis virtually, and applies the results to the actual wrapping process, dramatically reducing testing time and costs.
4Strength
If the film is stretched to change from elastic behaviour to plastic behaviour to act as an inextensible element, then the film can tightly fasten unstable products, but the film loses its ability to absorb transport stresses through elastic recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the pre-stretching percentage to achieve the desired balance between plastic deformation (for fastening) and elastic recovery (for stress absorption). Rather than forcing the film into complete plastic behavior, the system optimizes the pre-stretching parameter to maintain adequate elastic properties while still providing sufficient tightening force, allowing the film to both fasten products and absorb transport stresses dynamically.
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
This approach allows for precise determination of optimal wrapping configurations, reducing product damage and film consumption by simulating various transport scenarios, enabling stable and compact palletized loads for any transport path without the need for extensive on-site testing.
Implementation Method 1
the plastic film is elastically stretched for a predetermined quantity or percentage in order to be used at its best and assume physical-mechanical characteristics such as to make it more suitable to bear the forces acting on the load
Implementation Method 2
when the stretching force provided to the film to elongate it stops, the springback thereof causes a tightening force on the load allowing to hold and contain the products composing it
Implementation Method 3
The duly stretched material of the film can in fact change its elastic behaviour, wherein the film tends to return to its original size once the stress is over, into a plastic behaviour, wherein the film undergoes a permanent deformation and does not return to its original size once the stress is over
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A method for determining a wrapping configuration of a film (50) wrapped around a group of products to form a palletized load to be moved and/or transported along a settled path (P), comprising the steps of: forming a palletized load (C) by grouping and wrapping a determined group of products (L) with the film (50) using a defined wrapping configuration (A) (step 1); detecting and measuring a set of physical quantities (Gcin), in particular kinematic-type quantities, acting on said palletized load (C) as a result of movements and/or stresses the latter is subjected to when moved along a plurality of different test paths (P1, P2,..Pn) and associating to each test path (P1, P2,..Pn) one respective set of physical quantities detected and measured (step 2); defining each test path (P1, P2,..Pn) as composition of a respective sequence of elementary path stretches (p1, p2,..pm) (step 3); associating to each elementary path stretch (p1, p2,..pm) a respective group of physical quantities (S1, S2,..Sm) detected and measured in the elementary path stretch (step 4); defining from the elementary path stretches (p1, p2,..pm) of the test paths (P1, P2,..Pn) a set of base elementary path stretches (p1, p2,..pm) which respective groups of physical quantities (S1, S2,..Sq) are associated to (step 5); obtaining the path (P) as suitable composition of base elementary path stretches (b1, b2,..bq) (step 6); obtaining calculated physical quantities (Gcini,vIP) acting on said palletized load (C) along the path (P) as composition of group of physical quantities (S1, S2,..Sq) associated to base elementary path stretches (b1, b2,..bq) (step 7); positioning the palletized load (C) on a motion platform (10) and inputting the calculated physical quantities (Gcin,vlP) as driving data of the motion platform (10) (step 8); operating the motion platform (10) on the basis of the calculated physical quantities (Gcin,vIP) to perform a simulation of movements and/or stresses acting on the palletized load (C) moved and/or transported along the path (P) (step 9); checking if the palletized load (C) wrapped with the film (50) according to the wrapping configuration (A) has remained stable and/or compact (step 10); modifying the wrapping configuration (A) if the palletized load (C) did not remain stable and/or compact (step 11) and repeating the steps of positioning, operating, checking and modifying (steps 8-11) until the palletized load (C) is stable and/or compact; storing a stability wrapping configuration (AS/C,P) of the film (50) wrapped around the group of products (L) adapted to maintain the palletized load (C) stable and/or compact when moved and/or transported along the path (P) (step 12).