Sheet Folding Machine for Early Defect Detection and Waste Removal

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sheet folding machines fail to reliably detect and remove unusable products before they cause downstream issues and production stops due to existing technologies fail to address the immediate detection and removal of such products, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs.

Innovation Solution

A machine with a monitoring device at the entry region of the buckle plate to detect defects and a removal device downstream of the first folding unit to remove unusable products, ensuring timely intervention before they affect further production stages.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the monitoring device is disposed at the entry region of the buckle plate to detect defects early, then the reliability of defect detection is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional monitoring and removal components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedefect detection reliabilityVSAvoidmachine structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring device is positioned at the entry region of the buckle plate to detect defects before the sheet completes the folding process. This preliminary detection allows the system to identify unusable products early in the process, enabling timely removal before they cause downstream issues or production stops.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A removal device is introduced as an intermediary component between the monitoring device and the downstream processing units. When the monitoring device detects a defect, the removal device is activated to selectively remove the unusable product from the sheet stream, preventing it from affecting downstream operations while maintaining continuous production flow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the removal device is activated to remove unusable products immediately after detection, then the productivity is improved by preventing downstream stops, but the loss of time occurs during the removal process

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidremoval operation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The removal device is designed to quickly extract unusable products from the sheet stream in a rapid, streamlined manner. The removal operation is optimized to minimize the time sheets are diverted or stopped, allowing defective products to be removed efficiently while maintaining high-speed continuous operation for acceptable sheets.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #21Skipping (Rushing through)

Solution Approach 2:

The system achieves self-service by automatically detecting defects and triggering removal operations without requiring manual intervention. The control unit receives signals from the monitoring device and automatically activates the removal device, enabling the machine to handle defective products autonomously and maintain continuous production flow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Device complexity

If existing technologies are used without early detection and removal capabilities, then the device complexity is reduced, but the harmful factors increase due to downstream issues and production stops

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemachine structure simplicityVSAvoiddownstream production disruptions

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring device is positioned at the entry region of the buckle plate to detect defects before the sheet completes the folding process. This preliminary detection allows the system to identify unusable products early in the process, enabling timely removal before they cause downstream issues or production stops.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A removal device is introduced as an intermediary component between the monitoring device and the downstream processing units. When the monitoring device detects a defect, the removal device is activated to selectively remove the unusable product from the sheet stream, preventing it from affecting downstream operations while maintaining continuous production flow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12421065B2Sheet folding machine with waste product removal

Publication Date: 2025.09.23 HEIDELBERGER DRUCKMASCHINEN AG

AI summary

A machine for folding sheets receives a stream of sheets. A first folding unit is followed by a further unit. The first folding unit has at least one buckle plate and at least two folding rollers to fold the sheets. A monitoring device checks the stream for defects. A control unit activates a removal device for removing waste products when a defect is detected. The monitoring device is disposed at the entry region of the buckle plate and monitors the stream in the buckle plate. The removal device is disposed downstream of the first folding unit and upstream of the further unit. The system, which is suitable for industrial folding machines, reliably detects unusable waste products in the folding process even before production might be affected.