Combination Weighing Controller Reducing Residual Waste
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Solution Overview
Problem
In combination weighing apparatuses, residual materials are often discharged as defectives when the supply from upstream devices is interrupted, leading to a significant waste of high-value products, as the system cannot sustain weighing operations effectively without continuous supply.
Innovation Solution
A combination weighing apparatus with a conveying unit, hoppers, a weighing unit, and a controller that executes combination weighing by selecting measured values from multiple hoppers to achieve a target measurement value, even when the supply is stopped, by forcibly discharging articles from some hoppers and re-supplying them, allowing for continued weighing and minimizing residual materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the supply of articles is interrupted during operation, then the combination weighing apparatus can be stopped for maintenance or type change, but the residual articles in the hoppers are discharged as defectives causing yield loss
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary combination weighing calculations using measured values from multiple hoppers before actual discharge occurs. The controller pre-determines which hoppers should discharge to achieve target weights, and only then executes the discharge operation. This ensures that residual articles are utilized maximally before interruption, converting what would be waste into usable packaged goods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the measured values from each hopper and provides feedback to the controller. Based on this feedback, the controller dynamically adjusts the combination weighing strategy to determine the optimal discharge plan. This feedback mechanism enables real-time optimization of residual article utilization, ensuring that even interrupted operations can produce valid packages before shutdown.
2Loss of substance
If combination weighing is executed based only on current hopper measured values without considering previously discharged articles, then the weighing process is simple, but residual articles cannot be fully utilized leading to increased waste
Solution Approach 1:
The controller acts as an intermediary that manages the transition of articles from hoppers to packaging. It maintains a record of measured values from each hopper and uses this information to coordinate discharge operations. By introducing this intermediary control layer, the system can track and utilize residual articles across multiple discharge cycles, maximizing their value while maintaining manageable system complexity through centralized control logic.
3Loss of substance
If all hoppers are fully opened to discharge residual material, then the device is cleared of residues, but the discharged articles are handled as defectives causing productivity loss
Solution Approach 1:
Before fully opening all hoppers for residual discharge, the controller performs preliminary combination weighing calculations to determine which specific hoppers should discharge and in what sequence. This preliminary planning ensures that residual articles are combined to meet target weights, transforming potential waste into valid products. Only after this optimization is complete does the system execute the discharge operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the discharge strategy based on the current state of each hopper. Rather than statically opening all hoppers simultaneously, the controller dynamically determines the optimal combination of hoppers to open based on real-time measured values. This dynamic approach enables flexible utilization of residual articles, maximizing yield while adapting to changing conditions in each hopper.
Data Source
AI summary
A combination weighing apparatus includes a plurality of hoppers a conveying unit; a weighing unit; a controller; and a setting unit, the controller executing the combination weighing based on a measured value acquired in a cycle in which the combination weighing failed and corresponding to the articles that were forcibly discharged from at least some of the hoppers and measuring values associated with the respective hoppers weighed in a cycle after the cycle in which the combination weighing failed.