Self-Adhesive Bone Cover Wrap to Reduce Puncture in Meat Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging materials for bone-in meat products are prone to puncture by sharp bone edges, requiring additional bone covers and thicker bags, which increase costs and complexity in the meat wrapping process.
Innovation Solution
A self-adhesive wrap made from bonded, non-woven polypropylene impregnated with a wax formulation, including microcrystalline wax, paraffin wax, and polypropylene glycol, that adheres to both the meat and subsequent shrink wrap, providing a protective barrier against puncture and leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional wrapping materials are used for bone-in meat products, then the packaging process is simple, but the materials are prone to puncture by sharp bone edges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the bone cover function and the wrap function into a single integrated product. The non-woven polypropylene material is impregnated with wax formulation that provides both puncture protection against sharp bones and adhesive properties to seal to the shrink wrap, eliminating the need for separate bone covers and thicker protective layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The wrap consists of a composite structure combining non-woven polypropylene material with wax formulation impregnation. This composite provides enhanced puncture resistance while maintaining flexibility and adding self-adhesive properties, allowing the single layer to perform multiple protective functions.
2Reliability
If separate bone covers are applied to protect against puncture, then puncture resistance is improved, but the packaging process requires additional steps and time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the bone cover protective layer with the wrap material itself. The non-woven polypropylene with wax impregnation provides bone protection inherently, allowing the wrap to be applied in a single step without separate bone cover application, thereby improving packaging productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The wrap material is designed to be self-adhesive through the wax formulation impregnation, allowing it to seal to itself and to the shrink wrap without requiring additional adhesives or complex application procedures. This self-service capability streamlines the packaging process.
3Reliability
If thicker bags are used to accommodate sharp boned meat products, then puncture resistance is improved, but material cost and waste increase
Solution Approach 1:
The use of non-woven polypropylene impregnated with wax formulation creates a high-performance composite material that provides superior puncture resistance at a thinner gauge compared to traditional single-material wraps. This reduces material consumption and waste while maintaining protective integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The wax formulation impregnation changes the physical parameters of the polypropylene material, enhancing its puncture resistance, flexibility, and adhesive properties. This allows the use of thinner material that still provides adequate protection, reducing material waste.
4Reliability
If flexible bone cover materials are used to reduce puncture risk, then puncture resistance is improved, but adhesion to shrink wrap deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The combination of non-woven polypropylene with wax formulation impregnation creates a composite that maintains flexibility for puncture protection while the wax component provides adhesive properties. This composite structure allows the wrap to adhere effectively to the shrink wrap while remaining flexible enough to protect against sharp bones.
Solution Approach 2:
The wax formulation is impregnated throughout the polypropylene material, providing localized adhesive properties where needed for sealing, while the overall material structure maintains flexibility and puncture resistance. Different regions of the material perform different functions based on the impregnation distribution.
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 self-adhesive wrap effectively prevents puncture and leakage, reducing the need for separate bone covers and thicker bags, while maintaining meat moisture and allowing for easy application and removal, thus enhancing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the packaging process.
Implementation Method 1
These two components together are hydrophobic, strong, flexible, and self-adhesive to the bone-in meat product as well as to a subsequently applied shrink wrap material inner surface
Implementation Method 2
The bone cover wrap does not melt when exposed to temperatures associated with shrink wrapping. The wax formulation further creates a sealing barrier to outside conditions and, and is intended to contact and adhere both to itself when wrapped about the perimeter of a bone-in meat cut, and to adhere to a plastic shrink wrap sheet or bag material subsequently applied to the bone wrap
Data Source
AI summary
A method for packaging bone-in meat products using a self-adhesive bone cover wrap includes impregnating a non-woven polypropylene layer with a wax formulation. Microcrystalline wax, propylene glycol, and paraffin wax are combined to create the wax formulation. The self-adhesive bone cover wrap is particularly suitable for covering bone-in meat products including covering outwardly extending bones with the non-woven polypropylene layer precluding puncture of the bone cover wrap by the bones and self-adhering to itself to seal the meat product within.