Stretch Film Usage Tracking via Rotary Encoder Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stretch wrapping machines lack effective monitoring and control mechanisms for material usage, leading to increased film costs and plastic waste due to machine wear and unauthorized adjustments, with existing methods only providing infrequent tests and no real-time feedback.
Innovation Solution
A material usage tracking system that utilizes structural, sensory, and electronic components to measure and analyze stretch film usage, providing real-time data on film application, averaging, breaks, and notifications to maintain benchmark standards, integrated with data collection and analysis components for comprehensive monitoring and optimization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If conventional stretch wrapping machines operate without continuous monitoring, then device complexity is reduced, but material usage precision deteriorates leading to excessive film consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback by measuring the actual amount of stretch film applied to each load and comparing it to benchmark values. The controller provides real-time feedback signals when film usage deviates from expected parameters, enabling operators to adjust machine settings and prevent excessive consumption before it occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual film usage monitoring and estimation methods with electronic sensing and automated measurement systems. Optical sensors, encoders, and controllers automatically track film application quantities, eliminating the need for manual measurement and providing precise digital data for analysis and optimization.
2Stability of the object's composition
If film application amount is increased to ensure load stability, then load stability improves, but material usage increases leading to higher costs and waste
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically optimizes film application parameters by continuously measuring actual film usage and comparing it to benchmark values. When deviations are detected, the controller automatically adjusts machine parameters such as film tension, application speed, and wrap pattern to achieve the minimum necessary film quantity while maintaining load stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system enables the stretch wrapping machine to self-regulate film application by automatically detecting when benchmark values are exceeded and triggering corrective actions. The system serves itself by providing real-time data to operators who can make immediate adjustments without external intervention or manual inspection.
3Measurement precision
If manual testing methods are used to verify machine performance, then measurement capability is achieved, but measurement frequency is limited to occasional tests
Solution Approach 1:
The system transforms occasional manual film usage verification into continuous automated measurement. Sensors and encoders operate throughout the entire stretch wrapping process, providing uninterrupted real-time data on film consumption for every load, enabling frequent monitoring without adding manual work or downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual film removal and weighing procedures with automated electronic sensing systems. Optical sensors, encoders, and controllers automatically measure film application quantities during the wrapping process, eliminating the need to stop production for manual testing and providing continuous measurement capability.
4Reliability
If machine settings are adjusted to compensate for wear, then machine reliability is maintained, but material usage efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides continuous feedback on actual film usage quantities, enabling operators to distinguish between necessary adjustments for machine wear and excessive consumption. By comparing measured values against benchmark data, the system identifies when adjustments are truly needed versus when they simply increase waste, allowing for more informed maintenance decisions.
Data Source
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Figure 5A
AI summary
Material usage tracking systems for monitoring and optimizing usage of stretch film on a stretch wrapping machine is provided. A system includes a rotary encoder collar securable to a pre-stretch roller of a stretch wrapping machine and a proximity sensor securable proximate to the rotary encoder collar. Upon installation, the proximity sensor measures the revolutions of the pre-stretch roller when the stretch wrapping machine is wrapping a product or pallet. The system also includes a controller in communication with the proximity sensor. The controller converts the revolutions of the pre-stretch roller to measurements of the amount of stretch film pulled off a film roll in the stretch wrapping machine based on data received from the proximity sensor. Different uses for the data collected by the material usage tracking system and different ways of presentation of the data are also provided.