Parallel Poultry Inspection Lines for High-Throughput Quality Checks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems struggle to perform reliable inspections of poultry slaughter products at high line speeds, leading to potential quality issues due to the increased velocity of the inspection process.
Innovation Solution
A system with multiple inspection lines operating at reduced speeds, utilizing a first product transfer system to distribute products evenly across these lines and a second transfer system to merge them back into a single discharge line, allowing for effective and reliable inspection at higher overall throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the line speed is increased to transport more poultry products per hour, then productivity is improved, but the inspection quality deteriorates due to higher velocity
Solution Approach 1:
The single inspection line is segmented into multiple parallel inspection lines (first inspection line and second inspection line). Each inspection line operates at a reduced speed suitable for quality inspection, while the overall system maintains high throughput by distributing products across multiple lines. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both high productivity and reliable inspection.
2Productivity
If multiple inspection lines are introduced to maintain inspection quality at high throughput, then device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple inspection lines are merged back into a single discharge line after inspection. The first product transfer system distributes products to parallel inspection lines, and the second product transfer system collects inspected products and merges them into the discharge line. This merging approach maintains inspection quality through parallel processing while consolidating the output to manage system complexity.
3Reliability
If products are distributed over multiple inspection lines operating at lower speeds, then inspection quality is improved, but the number of transfer systems increases
Solution Approach 1:
Product carriers serve as intermediaries that facilitate the distribution and collection of inspected products. The first product transfer system uses carriers to distribute products from the supply line to inspection lines, and the second product transfer system uses carriers to collect and merge inspected products into the discharge line. This intermediary approach simplifies the transfer mechanism compared to direct product handling.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for inspecting poultry slaughter products, includes a supply transport line, having successive first product carriers; a discharge transport line, including successive second product carriers; at least two inspection lines, each comprising successive inspection product carriers; each of the first, second and inspection product carriers being configured to carry and transport a respective one of the products. The system has an inspection station along each of the inspection lines, with each inspection station being arranged for inspecting products passing the inspection station while being transported by the associated inspection line during use; and, a first product transfer system for successively transferring products from first product carriers to respective inspection product carriers while distributing the products over all of the at least two inspection lines; a second product transfer system for successively transferring products from inspection product carriers to respective second product carriers of the discharge transport line.