Packaging material profiling for containment force-based wrapping

• US 10,239,645 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2014
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lantechcom LLC (Lantech.com)
• Original Assignee: Lantechcom LLC (Lantech.com)
• Inventors: Lancaster, III, Patrick R., Mitchell, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valvis, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed, Mobeen
• Application Number:
  US14/179,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20140223863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,867 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 11/00 Wrapping, e.g. partially or wholly enclosing, articles or quantities of material, in strips, sheets or blanks, of flexible material bundling articles by applying narrow strips or bands of flexible material B65B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 11/008 by webs revolving around articles moved along the axis of revolution
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 11/025 by webs revolving around stationary articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 11/045 by rotating platforms supporting the articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 11/58 Applying two or more wrappers, e.g. in succession
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 2210/04 Customised on demand packaging by determining a specific characteristic, e.g. shape or height, of articles or material to be packaged and selecting, creating or adapting a packaging accordingly, e.g. making a carton starting from web material
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 2210/14 Details of wrapping machines with web dispensers for application of a continuous web in layers onto the articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 2220/14 Adding more than one type of material or article to the same package
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/04 and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/003 Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the packaging material
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/02 Arrangements to enable adjustments to be made while the machine is running

Abstract

Packaging material may be profiled to generate an incremental containment force per revolution (ICF) attribute that is represented by a function that is variable as a function of wrap force. Moreover, the performance of different packaging materials, e.g., in terms of speed or cost, may be compared for a particular load through simulation of wrap operations based upon dimensions of the load and a desired load containment force requirement for the load.

Claims

1. A method of profiling a packaging material with a load wrapping apparatus of the type configured to wrap a load on a load support through relative rotation between a packaging material dispenser and the load support, the method comprising:

initiating a first load wrap operation to wrap with the packaging material using a first wrap force parameter;

determining a first incremental containment force per revolution (ICF) value from the first load wrap operation;

initiating a second load wrap operation to wrap with the packaging material using a second wrap force parameter;

determining a second ICF value from the second load wrap operation; and

using a central processing unit, determining an ICF function for the packaging material from the first and second ICF values, the ICF function configured to receive an input wrap force parameter and generate an ICF output value therefrom, and the ICF function configured to generate the ICF output value over a range of wrap force parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second wrap load operations are first and second calibration wrap operations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the ICF function includes determining an ICF value at a predetermined wrap force parameter and a slope, wherein the ICF function is a linear function.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a third load wrap operation to wrap with the packaging material using a third wrap force parameter; and

determining a third ICF value from the third load wrap operation, wherein the ICE function is additionally determined from the third ICF value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the ICF function is an s-curve function.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the ICE function is a piecewise linear function.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the ICF function is selected from the group consisting of an exponential function, a multi-order polynomial function, a logarithmic function, a moving average function, a power function, and an interpolated function.

8. The method of claim 1, farther comprising storing the ICF function in a packaging material profile.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a packaging material width; and

storing the packaging material width in the packaging material profile.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the packaging material width includes determining the packaging material width based upon a width of a portion of the packaging material applied subsequent to at least one of the first and second load wrap operations.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a packaging material weight; and

storing the packaging material weight in the packaging material profile.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the packaging material weight includes determining the packaging material weight based upon a weight of the packaging material applied subsequent to at least one of the first and second load wrap operations.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the packaging material weight includes removing and weighing the packaging material applied to a load subsequent to at least one of the first and second load wrap operations.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a wrap force limit for the packaging material; and

storing the wrap force limit in the packaging material profile.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first ICF value includes:

applying a predetermined number of layers during the first load wrap operation;

determining a containment force applied during the first load wrap operation; and

dividing the containment force by the predetermined number of layers to determine the first ICF value.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the containment force applied during the first load wrap operation includes measuring the containment force with a containment force measuring device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second wrap force parameters differ by at least 10%.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving the first wrap force parameter in response to input data;

receiving the second wrap force parameter in response to input data; and

comparing the first and second wrap force parameters to determine that the first and second wrap force parameters differ by at least 10%.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a plurality of computer-generated displays to an operator to guide the operator through the first and second load wrap operations.