Thermo-forming Packaging Machine Film Transport Surface Elevation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Thermo-forming packaging machines face challenges in efficiently feeding products into troughs and extracting filled packages due to limited accessibility and adaptability, particularly due to the integration of product feeders with machine racks and the need for specific spatial arrangements.
Innovation Solution
The machine design incorporates a film transport surface with ascending and descending areas to elevate the film transport surface, allowing for improved accessibility and reducing the distance products need to travel, enabling efficient feeding and extraction of products and packages through a combination of transverse product feeding and packaging discharge devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the product feeder is integrated into the side profile of the thermo-forming packaging machine, then the distance between the fed products and the troughs to be filled is reduced, but the machine cannot be simply combined with different product feeding systems and is hard to adapt to spatial conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The machine is divided into modular components: the thermo-forming packaging machine core and separate product feeding systems. The side profile is segmented to allow independent installation of different product feeding systems (e.g., belt feeders, robot systems) without integrating them permanently into the machine structure. This enables cycle time optimization through reduced distance while maintaining adaptability to different spatial conditions and product types.
2Ease of operation
If the film transport surface is elevated in ascending areas, then accessibility for product feeding is improved, but the machine rack and side claddings occupy more space
Solution Approach 1:
The film transport surface utilizes vertical elevation (ascending areas) to create accessibility for product feeding operations. By moving the film transport surface to higher positions in ascending areas, the system improves accessibility without requiring horizontal expansion of the machine rack. This dimensional change allows product feeding systems to operate closer to the film transport surface while the machine rack and side claddings remain in their original spatial positions.
Data Source
AI summary
A thermo-forming packaging machine having a transport device that is configured to convey a lower film in a film transport surface along a transport direction from a forming station for forming troughs in the lower film through an inserting track for filling the troughs with products to a sealing station for sealing the troughs with an upper film and further to a cutting station for separating the closed troughs. In one embodiment, the film transport surface comprises a first ascending area and a first descending area that is arranged downstream of the ascending area between the forming station and the sealing station. Alternatively or in addition, the film transport surface comprises between the sealing station and the cutting station a second ascending area and after the cutting station a second descending area.