Smoking Rail Feed Means for Accurate Sausage Loop Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automated systems for loading and unloading smoking rails in sausage production are inefficient due to the need for precise handling and uniform sausage shapes, leading to slow cycle times and increased personnel requirements.
Innovation Solution
A smoking rail feed means with a support system that allows accurate positioning and orientation of smoking rails within sausage loops, enabling stable and fast insertion and removal, using a movable support element with a guide tip for easy threading and a motor-driven mechanism for automation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a robot with two gripping modules is used to remove smoking rails from a conveyor belt and thread them through sausage loops, then automation is achieved, but the handling time increases significantly and fast cycle times cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the smoking rail feeding function from the robot's main conveying task. A dedicated smoking rail support device with feed means handles rail insertion independently, while the robot focuses solely on conveying laden rails to the smoking trolley. This segmentation eliminates the time-consuming threading operation from the robot's cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The smoking rail support device acts as an intermediary mechanism between the conveyor belt and the hanger. It provides a stable platform with guide means that automatically positions and threads smoking rails through sausage loops, freeing the robot from this complex manipulation task.
2Ease of operation
If smoking rails are threaded through spaces between sausage chains by a gripping module, then the smoking rail can be inserted, but the operation is difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The guide means on the smoking rail support device serves as an intermediary that facilitates easy threading. This guide structure aligns the smoking rail with the required path through the sausage loops, transforming a difficult manual operation into a simple automatic process.
Solution Approach 2:
The smoking rail support device preliminarily positions and orients the smoking rail before insertion. The guide means pre-aligns the rail with the hanger opening, so that when the support device moves the rail forward, threading occurs automatically without requiring complex real-time adjustments.
3Extent of automation
If the smoking rail is held by only one gripper during threading, then the robot can maintain control, but the smoking rail hangs down and difficult threading occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The threading function is extracted from the robot's gripping and controlling task. The smoking rail support device with its guide means takes over the threading operation completely, allowing the robot to maintain simple positional control without the complexity of manipulating the rail through loops.
Solution Approach 2:
The smoking rail support device enables self-service threading through its guide means. As the support device moves the smoking rail into the hanger, the guide structure automatically threads the rail through the sausage loops without requiring active manipulation by the robot or external intervention.
4Ease of operation
If manual systems with turntables are used to rotate and remove sausage loops, then personnel can handle the process, but personnel expenditure increases and automation is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The manual turntable system is replaced by an automated smoking rail support device with motor-driven feed means. The support device automatically positions and inserts smoking rails into the hanger, eliminating the need for manual rotation and handling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated feed means enables the system to service itself by automatically feeding smoking rails into the hanger without human intervention. The guide means and displacement mechanism work together to perform the entire insertion operation autonomously.
Data Source
AI summary
A smoking rail feed device as well as a method of accurately positioning a smoking rail in sausage loops or in loops of other products suspended from a hanger, and having, for improved insertion of the smoking rail into the loops, a smoking rail support, on which the smoking rail rests, at least partially, and oriented in the direction of the hanger. The smoking rail support is adapted to be displaced such that the smoking rail is transferred substantially in the longitudinal direction from the smoking rail feed device to a pick-up area of the hanger, in which the loops are arranged for being picked up.