Manual Void-Fill Dunnage Dispensing System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inexperienced packers face difficulties in efficiently determining the appropriate amount of void-fill dunnage needed for containers of varying sizes and configurations, leading to inefficiencies and waste, as they often dispense too much or too little dunnage, slowing the packing process.
Innovation Solution
A packaging system that allows packers to manually estimate the container's fullness and identify its characteristics, using a controller to determine the necessary amount of dunnage based on these inputs, eliminating the need for expensive automated systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a fully automated system is used to measure void volume and determine dunnage requirements, then dunnage dispensing accuracy is improved, but system cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses visual representations (illustrations) of container fill states as simplified copies of the actual physical state. The packer selects from pre-rendered images representing different fill levels (e.g., 25%, 50%, 75% full), which substitutes for complex automated volume measurement while providing sufficient accuracy for dunnage determination.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces expensive automated measurement equipment with a low-cost visual estimation interface. The illustrations serve as disposable, low-cost substitutes for sophisticated sensors and measurement devices, enabling accurate enough dunnage calculation without significant financial investment.
2Device complexity
If manual estimation by inexperienced packers is used, then system cost is reduced, but dunnage dispensing accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides visual feedback through illustrations that show the packer how their selection translates to dunnage quantity. The interface displays the selected fill level and corresponding dunnage amount, allowing the packer to verify and adjust their estimation, thereby improving accuracy without requiring extensive training or complex equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares visual representations of different container fill states in advance. These pre-rendered illustrations serve as reference guides that help inexperienced packers quickly and accurately estimate the current fill level without needing to learn complex measurement techniques or use sophisticated tools.
3Device complexity
If packers manually determine dunnage amounts without assistance, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases due to errors and corrections
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides immediate visual feedback to the packer through illustrations showing the selected fill level and corresponding dunnage quantity. This feedback mechanism helps inexperienced packers make quicker, more accurate determinations without needing extensive training, thereby maintaining high productivity while reducing errors and corrections.
Solution Approach 2:
The visual illustration interface acts as an intermediary between the packer's visual assessment and the dunnage dispensing system. This intermediary translates the packer's estimation into precise dunnage quantities, bridging the gap between simple manual operation and accurate dispensing without requiring complex automation.
Data Source
AI summary
A packaging system (100) includes a controller (102), an input device (104) in communication with the controller (102) that identifies one or more characteristics of the container, an illustration with indicia representing different degrees of fill for a container; and a manual input device (106) in communication with the controller (102) for inputting an estimated degree of fullness of the packing container having one or more articles to be packed correlated with the indicia in the illustration. The controller (102) provides an output signal indicating a quantity of dunnage to dispense to the container based on the input estimated degree of fullness and the one or more identified characteristics of the container. Then the controller can determine the amount of dunnage that needs to be provided to fill the remaining void in the container, and the controller can signal a dunnage dispenser (110) to dispense the determined amount of dunnage.