Multi-Track Slicing Device with Retractable Blade and Gripper Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food slicing methods, particularly when cutting long or heavy blocks, often result in shavings and are not flexible enough, with excessive acceleration of the food block leading to inefficiencies and equipment oscillations.
Innovation Solution
A method where the cutting blade is retracted from the cutting plane and the front end of the food block is moved away, allowing for controlled blank cuts and flexible slicing of multiple blocks with varying slice numbers, using a gripper system to stabilize the blocks and manage leftover pieces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the cutting blade continuously moves through the food block to maintain high slicing speed, then productivity is improved, but shavings are formed and manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting blade is retracted from the cutting plane before the actual slicing operation begins. This preliminary action prevents the blade from contacting the food block during non-slicing movements, eliminating shaving formation while maintaining continuous blade rotation for high productivity.
2Productivity
If the front end of the food block is rapidly accelerated to maintain slicing rhythm, then productivity is improved, but excessive forces are applied and device oscillations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The front end of the food block is advanced toward the cutting plane before the cutting blade reaches the slicing position. This preliminary advancement ensures the food block is in the correct position for slicing without requiring rapid acceleration during the cutting operation itself, reducing forces and oscillations.
3Manufacturing precision
If the cutting blade is retracted and the food block is advanced for blank cuts, then slice quality is improved, but the slicing cycle time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting blade continues to rotate continuously during blank cuts while being retracted from the cutting plane. This maintains the slicing rhythm and blade momentum, minimizing cycle time increases while still achieving the necessary retraction for quality slices.
Solution Approach 2:
The food block is advanced toward the cutting plane during the blade rotation cycle, so that when the blade retracts for blank cuts, the food block is already in position. This preliminary positioning reduces the time penalty associated with retraction and advancement movements.
4Productivity
If multiple food blocks are processed simultaneously in multiple tracks, then productivity is improved, but flexibility to handle different slice requirements deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Each track is equipped with independent control mechanisms that allow the cutting blade to be selectively retracted from the cutting plane for individual tracks. This segmentation enables different slicing patterns (blank cuts or actual slicing) in different tracks simultaneously, maintaining both high productivity and flexibility for varied slice requirements.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1d
Figure 2a~2c
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for cutting at least one food bar with a cutting device, in which at least one food bar is transported in each track with each transport means in the direction of a rotatingly driven cutting blade, which cuts food slices from the food bar in a cutting plane at the front end of the food bar; which are grouped into portions and transported away, wherein the cutting blade performs blank cuts to produce the portion or to transport the portion, in which the cutting blade moves but no food slices are cut from the food bar.