Press Unit for Portioning Machine with Sliding Counter-Press
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portioning machines for dividing strand-shaped products, such as meat, into individual portions are complex and require high control effort, with production speed limited by the need to empty and refill portioning chambers.
Innovation Solution
A portioning machine with a magazine turret device and a pressing unit featuring a slide element that can be independently controlled for compressing and cutting the product, allowing for direct compression and cutting without the need for rotary movement, and a transport device for efficient handling of portions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a portioning chamber is used to compress and portion the strand-shaped product, then the product can be compressed and divided into portions, but the production speed is limited by the need to empty and refill the portioning chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The magazine turret is divided into multiple receiving chutes (at least two) that can be independently filled and used. While one chute is being used for portioning, another can be filled, eliminating the idle time associated with emptying and refilling a single portioning chamber. This segmentation of the portioning function across multiple parallel channels directly addresses the productivity limitation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous operation by having multiple receiving chutes available simultaneously. When one chute is in use, another can be prepared or is already ready, ensuring that the portioning process never stops to wait for refilling. This continuity eliminates the intermittent downtime that occurs with single-chamber systems.
2Ease of manufacture
If a complex pressing mechanism with rotary movement is used to compress the strand-shaped product, then the product can be compressed, but the device complexity and control effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of rotating the pressing mechanism around the product, the invention inverts the approach by rotating the magazine turret with pre-formed receiving chutes to bring them into position under a stationary pressing mechanism. This eliminates the complexity of making the press itself rotary while achieving the same functional result through inverted motion assignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing mechanism is designed as a universal, stationary component that can compress products in any receiving chute position. The magazine turret handles the positioning and rotation, making the pressing mechanism itself simpler and more easily manufactured while still serving all portioning positions.
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
The solution simplifies the design and operation of the portioning machine, increasing production speed and flexibility by enabling direct compression and cutting of strand-shaped products, and efficient handling of individual portions.
Implementation Method 1
a pressing unit (200) for compressing the strand-shaped product at least in its longitudinal direction
Implementation Method 2
The counter-pressing element is a sliding element arranged between the base segment and the turret segment of the magazine turret assembly, which is reversibly movable between a release position and a closing position, at least approximately perpendicular to the axis of rotation
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a portioning machine (P) for dividing a strand-type product into individual portions, and a method for controlling a portioning machine (P) of this type. The portioning machine (P) comprises a magazine revolver device (100) for receiving the strand-type product, a press unit (200) for compressing the strand-type product at least in the longitudinal direction thereof, and a portioning and cutting device (300) for portioning and separating individual portions from the strand-type product. The magazine revolver device (100) comprises a base segment (110) and a revolver segment (120), which have channel sections (112, 122) orientated coaxially with one another to form at least one receiving channel (150) for the strand-type product, and which can be rotated about a common axis (A) to position the receiving channel (150) in a cutting position, and wherein the press unit (200) has at least one press ram and a counter press element (222) for compressing the strand-type product. The counter press element (222) is a slider element (222) which is arranged between the base segment (110) and the revolver segment (120) of the magazine revolver device (100), and which can be reversibly moved, at least approximately perpendicularly to the axis of rotation (A) of the magazine revolver device (100), between an open position and a closed position, in order to open or close the receiving channel (150) in the cutting position.