Printer Loading Control With Container Mark Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printer systems often malfunction, causing production lines to stop and resulting in monetary loss due to halted print jobs and backlogs, as they inaccurately distribute printed materials into containers.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system with identifier marks on printed materials and containers, scanners to read these marks, and a control mechanism to manage conveyors and printers based on these identifiers, ensuring accurate loading and printing order, and selecting available printers to avoid errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If printed material items are placed directly into containers without verification, then the loading operation is simple and fast, but errors occur when the printer or conveyor malfunctions, requiring the conveyor to stop
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary verification of identifier marks on both printed material items and containers before the loading operation. The scanner reads the identifier mark on the printed material item and the container, and the controller verifies their match in advance, preventing erroneous loading while maintaining continuous operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the identifier marks during the loading process. The scanner reads the marks and feeds this information back to the controller, which then verifies the match and controls the loading operation accordingly, allowing for real-time error detection and correction
2Manufacturing precision
If the conveyor stops to correct printing errors, then the accuracy of printed material distribution is improved, but production efficiency decreases due to halted print jobs and backlogs
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service error correction by automatically detecting mismatches in identifier marks and routing erroneous printed material items along a separate rejection path without requiring manual intervention or conveyor shutdown. The controller autonomously manages the sorting and redirection of items based on scanner feedback
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the conveyor path into multiple independent routes: a main conveying path for correct items and a separate rejection path for erroneous items. This segmentation allows the main conveyor to continue operating at full speed while incorrectly loaded items are automatically diverted to the rejection path, maintaining production efficiency while ensuring distribution accuracy
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an automated printer system for loading a printed set of printed material items into a container. The printer system is operative to determine which printer device, from one or more available printer devices, to output a print job to, for controlling the printer devices based on identifier marks provided on containers.