Sheet Stacking Alignment on Standard Pallets for Variable Formats
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for stacking flat material sheets, such as sheet metal, face challenges in efficiently forming stacks with variable positions on a charge aid, particularly in ensuring flush alignment with minimal effort and accommodating different material sheet formats without requiring significant adjustments in dispensing positions.
Innovation Solution
A stacking device with a vertically movable stack carrier and alignment aids, including light projections, allows for the positioning of a charge aid to form stacks flush with the edges of the material sheet, enabling flexible positioning and alignment of stacks on a standard pallet format, regardless of the material sheet format, by adjusting the charge aid's position and using optical alignment aids for precise placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a standard pallet format is used for all material sheet formats, then the charge aid can be standardized and reused, but the stacks cannot be positioned flush with different edges without adjusting the dispensing position
Solution Approach 1:
The charge aid is made dynamically repositionable within the stacking room through a movable support structure. Instead of fixing the charge aid in one position, it can be moved horizontally to different locations (first position and second position) to accommodate different material sheet formats and achieve flush stacking with different edges without changing the pallet format.
2Ease of operation
If the charge aid position is fixed in the stacking room, then the device structure is simplified, but the stack position on the charge aid cannot be varied for different productions
Solution Approach 1:
The charge aid support structure is designed to be movable rather than fixed. The support can be positioned at different locations in the stacking room, allowing the charge aid to be placed in different positions. This dynamic capability enables variable stack positioning for different productions while keeping the overall device structure relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
A movable support structure acts as an intermediary between the fixed stacking room and the charge aid. This intermediary element provides the flexibility needed to position the charge aid at different locations without requiring complex adjustments to the charge aid itself or the stacking room structure.
3Measurement precision
If alignment marks are used to position the charge aid, then precise alignment is achieved, but additional alignment aids increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using complex physical alignment mechanisms, the invention uses optical alignment marks that are projected or displayed. These alignment marks serve as a visual copy or representation of the desired position, allowing operators to align the charge aid precisely without requiring complex mechanical alignment aids.
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
Enables efficient and flexible stacking of flat material sheets on a standard charge aid, ensuring flush alignment and accommodating different formats with reduced effort, facilitating uninterrupted stack changes and improved automation in processing machines.
Implementation Method 1
alignment aid with one or more, the positioning of the charge aid are alignment aids in the transport direction, through which a position of the charge aid
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~3b
Figure 4a~4d
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for stacking two-dimensional material sheets (02) in a stacking device (01), in particular in a stacking device (01) comprised by a printing and/or coating machine (11), having at least one stacking unit (03.1; 03.2) having a stacking space, wherein material sheets (02) are conveyed via the stacking space of the stacking unit (03.1; 03.2) comprised by the stacking device (01) and deposited in a stack (06; 06'; 06") on top of one another on a loading aid (04), wherein, for two different production runs, the stacks (06; 06'; 06") are formed on the loading aid (04) with the four corners of their area in mutually different relative orientations with respect to said loading aid (04), which is arranged in each case in the stacking space of the stacking unit (03.1; 03.2) and is larger-format compared with the material sheets (02) to be deposited in each case, in that, for the two production runs, in each case one loading aid (04) of the same format is positioned on different positions, as seen in projection in the horizontal, in the stacking space of the stacking unit (03.1; 03.2).