Weight Sorting Machine Batch Screening for Material Loss Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging and metering systems face inefficiencies in complying with EC regulations regarding packaged product weights, leading to unnecessary material loss and increased raw material usage due to variability errors and incorrect identification of nonconforming products.
Innovation Solution
A packaging and metering system that groups packaged products and uses a controller to determine compliance with regulatory weight requirements collectively, rather than individually, minimizing material loss and optimizing raw material usage by reducing the impact of weight variability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If individual packaged products are screened for weight compliance, then nonconforming products can be identified, but variability errors lead to incorrect identification and unnecessary material loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple packaged products into a batch and evaluates their total weight collectively rather than screening each product individually. This merging approach reduces the impact of individual product weight variability errors, allowing products that would have been incorrectly rejected under individual screening to be properly identified as conforming when their batch total meets regulatory requirements.
2Reliability
If individual packaged products are screened for weight compliance, then regulatory requirements can be verified, but the complexity of handling variability errors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the screening process into two distinct stages: first, individual packaged products are grouped into batches; second, the batch is evaluated collectively for weight compliance. This segmentation simplifies the handling of variability errors by isolating them at the individual product level while ensuring regulatory compliance at the batch level, reducing the overall complexity of the screening system.
3Reliability
If more packaged products are produced to meet average weight requirements, then regulatory compliance is achieved, but raw material usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the total weight of a batch is measured and compared against regulatory requirements. Based on this feedback, the system can identify which individual products in the batch are nonconforming and should be rejected, while allowing conforming products to pass. This feedback-driven approach ensures regulatory compliance without unnecessarily increasing raw material usage, as only truly nonconforming products are rejected rather than using excessive material to compensate for individual product variability.
Data Source
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AI summary
[OBJECT] To increase the use efficiency of raw materials by minimizing material loss, while complying with predetermined regulatory requirements. [SOLUTIONS] A packaging and metering system includes a controller 17 configured to divide packaged products 3 weighed by a weight sorting machine 4 into groups each including plural ones of the packaged products 3 and to determine per group whether the packaged products 3 divided in the groups meet the regulatory requirement based on weight values of the packaged products 3 measured by the weight sorting machine, thereby controlling screening of the packaged products 3 by a screening machine 5, wherein with the packaged products 3 in a group can be present on a transport conveyer 16 of a transport path disposed to transport the packaged products 3 weighed by the weight sorting machine 4 to the screening machine 5.