Partial and Remainder Batch Assembly for Meat Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the food industry, automated systems struggle to efficiently package batches of meat items, such as pork chops, due to difficulties in handling irregular shapes and removing off-cuts, leading to incomplete batches and wastage, as existing solutions like retractable conveyors can only add items one at a time and lack efficient combination of partial and remainder batches.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a production line, a source of items, and a combiner that advances partial batches and creates remainder batches to form complete batches, using a source controller to manage the process, a retractable conveyor for alignment, and sensors for accurate positioning, allowing for the automatic formation of full batches without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If individual items are supplied one at a time to form a batch, then the batch can be assembled with proper arrangement and quality control, but the production speed is reduced and manual intervention is required
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-assembles groups of items into partial batches before they reach the tray loading stage. Multiple items are gathered and positioned in advance on the conveyor, so that when the tray is ready, a complete or near-complete batch is already formed and ready for rapid loading, eliminating the need for slow individual item placement
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts batch formation based on real-time conditions. When a partial batch is detected on the conveyor, the system adapts by forming a remainder batch to complete it, rather than following a rigid one-item-at-a-time assembly process. This dynamic approach allows faster processing while maintaining proper batch composition
2Reliability
If a complete batch is required before loading onto the tray, then quality control is maintained, but incomplete batches must be rejected causing wastage
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary quality assessment and batch composition analysis while items are being conveyed. By the time the batch reaches the loading point, the system already knows whether it is complete or partial and can prepare the appropriate remainder batch in advance, preventing rejection of viable partial batches
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors batch composition and provides feedback to the control system. When a partial batch is detected, the feedback triggers the formation of a remainder batch with the exact number of items needed to complete the batch, ensuring quality control is maintained while minimizing wastage through precise batch completion
3Ease of operation
If manual handling is used to arrange items in the tray, then proper presentation and arrangement are achieved, but labor requirements increase and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses dynamic positioning mechanisms that automatically adjust item placement based on the specific batch composition and tray configuration. Rather than fixed mechanical positions, the system adapts the arrangement algorithmically, achieving high-quality presentation automatically without manual intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical arrangement with automated conveyor-based positioning and control systems. Items are guided and positioned using automated mechanisms and control algorithms that replicate and optimize the arrangement quality previously achieved only through manual handling
4Shape
If the retractable conveyor drops items one at a time from different positions, then overlapping arrangement is achieved, but the process is slow and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple items into a single partial batch unit on the conveyor before dropping them together onto the tray. By combining several items into one coordinated drop unit, the system achieves the overlapping arrangement in fewer operations, significantly increasing loading speed while maintaining the desired visual presentation
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus, method, and system for combining a plurality of items into a batch having a set number of items. Number of items are put together onto a production line to form a batch along with non-batch items which are not suitable for inclusion within the batch onto the production line. The batch is advanced on the production line as a partial batch without the non-batch item being added to it when a batch is not complete. A reminder batch is created after the non-batch items have been added to the production line and the remainder batch includes the number of items that must be added to the partial batch to make a full batch.