Universal Surface for Pillow Bag Pattern Creation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems face challenges in accurately and efficiently forming patterns with pillow bags of varying positions, orientations, and dimensions, often resulting in damaged products and inefficiencies due to incorrect assumptions about bag dimensions, and lack a reliable method to measure and utilize the dimensions of moving pillow bags for precise placement.
Innovation Solution
A system that measures the thickness and position of moving pillow bags using sensors and feed forward units, adjusting the pick and place robot's positioning to accommodate the measured dimensions, and uses a compound angled universal surface to maintain bag orientation and position, allowing for dynamic picking and placing while preventing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a robot picks and places pillow bags based on assumed dimensions, then the system is simple to operate, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates due to variable bag dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurement of each pillow bag's actual dimensions using sensors before the robot picks and places it. This advance measurement allows the robot to adjust its positioning and placement strategy based on the specific dimensions of each bag, ensuring high manufacturing precision without complicating the overall operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where sensor measurements of bag dimensions are continuously fed back to the robot controller, which then adjusts the robot's picking and placing actions in real-time. This closed-loop control maintains manufacturing precision while keeping the system easy to operate through automated adaptation
2Manufacturing precision
If the robot adjusts positioning for each bag based on measured dimensions, then the manufacturing precision improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms with automated sensor-based measurement and software-controlled robot positioning. Instead of requiring physical adjustments to the robot or fixtures for each bag, the system uses electronic sensing and digital control to achieve precise placement, reducing mechanical complexity while maintaining or improving manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a universal measurement and control approach that can handle pillow bags of varying dimensions with a single integrated setup. The sensors and robot controller work together to accommodate different bag sizes without requiring multiple specialized devices or complex reconfigurations, thereby achieving high manufacturing precision without proportionally increasing device complexity
3Adaptability or versatility
If the universal surface is decoupled from the conveyor, then the adaptability improves for various paths, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The universal surface is designed to be dynamically reconfigurable and decoupled from the conveyor, allowing it to be positioned and oriented in various configurations to accommodate different product patterns and packaging arrangements. This dynamic adaptability enables the system to handle diverse applications without requiring multiple fixed installations, achieving versatility through flexible positioning rather than through complex mechanical transformations
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
This system enables the formation of high-quality patterns with reduced waste and increased efficiency by accurately measuring and placing pillow bags, conserving resources, and reducing downtime, while maintaining bag orientation and position without requiring extensive adjustments or constraints.
Implementation Method 1
a top surface of the universal surface, upon which a pattern is placed, is at a compound angle so that one corner is lower than all the other corners. One result of the compound angle is that gravity tends to pull bags towards the lowest corner.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for measuring a dimension of a non-rigid object and using the dimension to pick and place the object. A first input device conveys a non-rigid object into contact with a feed forward unit, which contact causes a displacement of the feed forward unit. The displacement measures a dimension of the object. The measured dimension is transmitted via at least one line of communication.