Thermo-Sealing Machine Suction Control for Tray Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermo-sealing machines face challenges in increasing performance and productivity due to the risk of trays and sealed plastic films being dislodged during downward movement, especially with low-weight products, requiring complex modifications and additional handling mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A control method where the lower tool moves the tray support and applies suction to the tray during downward movement, ensuring the sealed set remains in position, allowing faster movements without dislodgment, using the lower tool's movement to maintain tray support contact and applying suction to prevent displacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the lower tool moves quickly towards the upper tool to increase productivity, then the sealing cycle time is reduced, but the tray and sealed plastic film may be dislodged during movement
Solution Approach 1:
A suction system acts as an intermediary force between the lower tool and the tray. The suction means creates a pressure differential that holds the tray and sealed plastic film to the lower tool during rapid movement, preventing dislodgment without requiring mechanical clamping or slowing down the tool movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs pneumatic suction forces to control the tray's position during tool movement. By applying suction through the lower tool or tray support, the system creates a stable attachment force that allows high-speed operation while maintaining tray stability, resolving the contradiction between speed and reliability.
2Reliability
If additional handling mechanisms are added to prevent tray dislodgment, then tray stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lower tool is designed to serve multiple functions: it performs the sealing operation, supports the tray during movement, and generates suction forces to prevent dislodgment. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate handling mechanisms, reducing device complexity while maintaining tray stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower tool itself generates the suction forces needed to hold the tray during its movement. The system uses the tool's own motion and structure to create the stabilizing force, rather than requiring external assistance or additional actuators, thereby simplifying the overall device architecture.
3Productivity
If the tray support moves independently to enable earlier tray access, then productivity is improved, but the risk of dislodging low-weight sealed sets increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suction system provides continuous feedback control for tray stability. As the tray support moves independently to enable early access, the suction force dynamically adjusts to compensate for acceleration and deceleration phases, ensuring that low-weight sealed sets remain securely attached throughout the movement cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameter of pressure differential through suction to maintain tray stability during independent movement of the tray support. By adjusting suction force parameters in response to movement conditions, the system enables early tray access while preventing dislodgment of vulnerable low-weight sealed sets.
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
Enhances machine performance and productivity by enabling faster accelerations and decelerations without dislodging the sealed sets, maintaining tray stability and reducing the need for complex modifications, suitable for sealing cellulosic trays and low-weight products.
Implementation Method 1
applying suction to the tray during downward movement, ensuring the sealed set remains in position
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a control method for a thermo-sealing machine. The method comprises arranging a tray (5) and a plastic film (300) above said tray (5) between an upper tool (1) and a lower tool (2); subsequently moving the lower tool (2) towards the upper tool (1) in a first vertical direction (D1) until said tools (1, 2) cooperate with one another; sealing said plastic film (300) to said tray (5), a set being generated as a result of the sealing; and subsequently moving the lower tool (2) in a second vertical direction (D2) opposite the first direction (D1). The method further comprises applying a suction on the lower part of the tray (5) of the set during at least part of the movement of the lower tool (2) in the second direction (D2).