Thermoforming Machine Tilted Guides Inverted Conical Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current thermoforming machines are limited to producing packs of inverted conical containers in a 1x2 format due to material waste issues when attempting to manufacture 2x2, 3x2, or 2x4 formats, as the mould design requires increased space between containers to open, leading to excessive material waste.
Innovation Solution
The machine incorporates a thermoforming station with a two-piece mould that can separate to allow for the production of inverted conical containers in 2x2, 3x2, or 2x4 formats by using tilted chain guides to break the sheet and tilt the containers away from the mould, minimizing waste and maintaining close container spacing, similar to cylindrical and non-inverted conical containers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the mould is made of two separable parts to allow demoulding of inverted conical containers, then the containers can be extracted after thermoforming, but the distance between rows of containers must be increased to allow the mould to open, generating a large amount of material waste
Solution Approach 1:
The mould is divided into two separable parts (first part and second part) that can be opened relative to each other. This segmentation allows the mould to open for demoulding inverted conical containers while maintaining close spacing between container rows, thereby enabling easy manufacture without generating excessive material waste.
2Reliability
If the distance between rows of containers is increased to allow mould opening, then the mould can open without contacting previously formed containers, but this generates a large amount of waste material
Solution Approach 1:
The mould parts open in a direction transverse to the sheet feeding direction, utilizing a different dimensional approach. This allows the mould to open without requiring increased longitudinal spacing between container rows, maintaining reliable mould opening capability while minimizing material waste through closer container spacing.
3Productivity
If packs of inverted conical containers are manufactured in 2x2, 3x2 or 2x4 format, then more containers can be produced per sheet, but the feed step must be increased to allow mould opening, generating waste material
Solution Approach 1:
The mould parts are designed to be dynamically separable, opening and closing during the thermoforming cycle. This dynamic capability allows the production of multi-row packs (2x2, 3x2, 2x4 formats) with reduced feed steps, as the mould can open for demoulding without requiring permanent increased spacing between container rows, thereby increasing productivity while minimizing waste.
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
Enables the production of inverted conical containers in various pack formats with minimal material waste, achieving production rates comparable to existing formats while maintaining container proximity, with only side strips and star-punch waste generated.
Implementation Method 1
The sheet runs over heating stations (3), with Teflon plates for heating the plastic of the sheet
Implementation Method 2
the guides (9) have a machining tilted in an upward direction, which creates a break in the sheet so that the previously formed inverted conical containers tilt, moving them away from the mould
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2a~2b
AI summary
The present invention describes a thermoforming machine for containers, comprising a thermoforming station, equipped with a press (1) that is fed by a sheet (2) of thermoforming material pulled by a chain (15) arranged on guides (9), and the press being equipped with a head (1c), wherein a piston cap is provided, and a movable table (1b), configured to assemble at least one thermoforming mould (4b) for inverted conical containers (7); it comprising two parts (8) that can be separated when demoulding is carried out by lowering the movable table where, after the mould, the chain guides have a machining (9a) tilted in an upward direction, which creates a break in the sheet so that the previously formed containers (7) tilt, moving them away from the mould (4b) and preventing the mould from contacting said containers when opened.