Rotating Seaming Head Layout for Fast Container Size Changeovers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hemming and seaming machines for metal containers are costly and inflexible, making them unsuitable for small lot productions, as they require complex and precise reconfiguration to accommodate different container and lid geometries and dimensions, leading to high maintenance costs and operational inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A hemming and seaming machine with a supporting frame and two interchangeable seaming heads, each equipped with a mandrel and rollers, allowing for quick and precise changes between different mandrel and roller configurations to accommodate various container-lid assemblies, reducing the need for precise repositioning and minimizing downtime during production changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a machine with multiple mandrels and rotating plates is used for mass production, then productivity is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The machine is segmented into a fixed workstation with a single rotating plate and a movable carriage that can be positioned at different locations. This segmentation allows the machine to maintain simplicity while enabling multi-position operation for increased productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The single rotating plate and mandrel assembly are designed to be universally applicable for different container sizes and types. The movable carriage can be repositioned to accommodate various production configurations, making the simple machine structure multi-functional for both small lot and mass production.
2Adaptability or versatility
If precise repositioning of rollers and mandrels is performed to accommodate different container sizes, then adaptability is improved, but loss of time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The machine employs a movable carriage that can be dynamically repositioned along the frame to accommodate different container sizes. This dynamic positioning system eliminates the need for complex precise repositioning of individual rollers and mandrels, as the entire assembly moves as a unit to different predetermined locations.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple mandrel and roller assemblies are pre-configured at different locations on the frame. Before production changes are needed, the appropriate configuration is already in place at a specific position. The operator simply needs to move the carriage to the pre-prepared location, eliminating time-consuming on-site reconfiguration.
3Manufacturing precision
If specialized personnel are present for machine reconfiguration, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but operational cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The precision requirements are segmented into the initial machine setup phase, where specialized personnel configure the mandrels and rollers at each location. Once configured, these precision settings are fixed and maintained. During operation, unskilled operators simply move the carriage between pre-configured positions, eliminating the need for specialized knowledge during routine changes.
Solution Approach 2:
All precision adjustments and positioning work are performed in advance during machine setup or maintenance periods by qualified personnel. The pre-configured positions are then locked in place, allowing unskilled operators to perform production changes by simply moving the carriage to the predetermined locations without risking precision degradation.
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 machine becomes cost-effective, flexible, and easy to manage, enabling rapid changes between production runs with reduced error and increased operational efficiency, as only one mandrel and pair of rollers are engaged per cycle, allowing for seamless adaptation to different container-lid sizes and geometries.
Implementation Method 1
the outer edges of the lid and of the container, constricted between the roller and the mandrel, undergo a plastic deformation in two steps
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
AI summary
A hemming and seaming machine (9), for hemming and seaming a lid (1) to a container (2), comprises a supporting frame (10), which includes: an upright (12), extended along a primary axis (x) and a structure (14) supported by the upright (12) in a rotatable manner around such primary axis (x); at least a pair of mandrels (16), carried by the structure (14) and rotatable around respective secondary axes (y), parallel to the primary axis (x); at least two pairs of rollers (18a, 18b, 19a, 19b), carried by the structure (14), each of the at least two pairs of rollers being associated with a respective mandrel (16); and a single plate (26), coaxial to one of the mandrels (16) and adapted to form a rotatable support for the base of a container axially interposable between such plate (26) and the respective mandrel (16), so that, for each hemming and seaming cycle, there is only one pair of rollers (18a, 18b, 19a, 19b), among all the rollers (18a, 18b, 19a, 19b) included in the hemming and seaming machine (9), which engages the radially outer edges of the lid (1) and the container (2).