Packaging material evaluation and apparatus therefor for evaluating simulated flaws

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12097988-B2
Application number	US-202016821046-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2020
Priority date	Mar 20, 2019
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product may evaluate a packaging material to determine various metrics associated with the packaging material. A test apparatus may be used to evaluate packaging material using a take up drum capable of sensing containment force imparted upon the drum by packaging material applied thereto, and in some instances, simulated flaws may be formed in a web of packaging material to evaluate a packaging materials response to such flaws when under tension.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of evaluating a stretch wrap packaging material, the method comprising:
conveying a packaging material from a packaging material roll to a take up drum through a packaging material delivery system that applies a controlled stretch to the packaging material prior to the packaging material being wrapped around the take up drum;
forming a plurality of simulated flaws in the packaging material from a position on or upstream of a most downstream roller of the packaging material delivery system; and
varying the controlled stretch while conveying the packaging material from the packaging material roll to the take up drum to determine an amount of controlled stretch at which a simulated flaw among the plurality of simulated flaws exhibits a predetermined behavior.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined behavior is a film break.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined behavior is a predetermined length of tear formed in response to the simulated flaw, a predetermined shape or size of hole formed in response to the simulated flaw, or a hole formed in response to the simulated flaw propagating to a rope.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packaging material delivery system applies the controlled stretch in part by controlling a dispense rate of the packaging material delivery system relative to a rate at which the packaging material is wrapped around the take up drum, and wherein varying the controlled stretch further includes varying the dispense rate of the packaging material delivery system.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the dispense rate includes a payout percentage.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packaging material delivery system includes a pre-stretch assembly, and wherein varying the controlled stretch further includes varying a pre-stretch setting of the pre-stretch assembly.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising determining a plurality of combinations of dispense rates and pre-stretch settings at which a simulated flaw among the plurality of simulated flaws exhibits the predetermined behavior.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising narrowing a width of the packaging material while conveying the packaging material from the packaging material roll to the take up drum to inhibit full separation of the packaging material in response to a simulated flaw.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the plurality of simulated flaws includes puncturing the packaging material roll.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein puncturing the packaging material roll includes striking the packaging material roll with a hole punch.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the hole punch is a hammer driven hole punch configured to form a hole between about 0.20 mm and about 3 mm in diameter.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the plurality of simulated flaws includes puncturing the packaging material with a hole punch mounted to a test apparatus that further includes the packaging material delivery system and the take up drum, and wherein the take up drum is generally cylindrical and includes a force sensor positioned between first and second drum members respectively spanning first and second arcuate portions of the take up drum and configured to sense containment force imparted on the body by the packaging material.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the plurality of simulated flaws includes puncturing the packaging material with a pressurized fluid expelled by a nozzle disposed proximate to the packaging material and coupled to a source of pressurized fluid via a solenoid-actuated valve.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the nozzle is disposed downstream of a pre-stretch region of the packaging material delivery system.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the nozzle is disposed upstream of a pre-stretch region of the packaging material delivery system.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the nozzle is disposed within a pre-stretch region of the packaging material delivery system.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the plurality of simulated flaws in the packaging material from the position on or upstream of the exit point of the packaging material delivery system includes forming the plurality of simulated flaws within a pre-stretch region of the packaging material delivery system.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the plurality of simulated flaws in the packaging material from the position on or upstream of the exit point of the packaging material delivery system includes forming the plurality of simulated flaws upstream of a pre-stretch region of the packaging material delivery system.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the plurality of simulated flaws in the packaging material from the position on or upstream of the exit point of the packaging material delivery system includes forming the plurality of simulated flaws on a surface of a roller of the packaging material delivery system.

20. A method of evaluating a stretch wrap packaging material, the method comprising:
forming a plurality of simulated flaws in a packaging material;
conveying the packaging material from a packaging material roll to a take up drum through a packaging material delivery system that applies a controlled stretch to the packaging material prior to the packaging material being wrapped around the take up drum;
varying the controlled stretch while conveying the packaging material from the packaging material roll to the take up drum to determine an amount of controlled stretch at which a simulated flaw among the plurality of simulated flaws exhibits a predetermined behavior; and
determining a specific containment force for the packaging material at varying amounts of controlled stretch applied by the packaging material delivery system.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein determining the specific containment force is performed using packaging material without any simulated flaws.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein determining the specific containment force for the packaging material at varying amounts of controlled stretch includes determining a first specific containment force for the packaging material at a first amount of controlled stretch by:
determining an incremental containment force for the packaging material when conveying the packaging material from the packaging material roll to the take up drum with the packaging material delivery system applying the first amount of controlled stretch;
determining a weight or cost of the packaging material per length; and
calculating a ratio between the determined incremental containment force and the determined weight or cost of the packaging material per length.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein determining the first specific containment force further comprises scaling the determined weight or cost of the packaging material per length by the first amount of controlled stretch.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein determining the weight or cost of the packaging material per length includes determining the weight of the packaging material by weighing a predetermined length of unstretched packaging material.

25. The method of claim 22 , wherein the take up drum is generally cylindrical and has a predetermined circumference, wherein determining the first specific containment force further comprises determining a weight or cost of the packaging material per layer of packaging materia

Assignees

• Lantech Com Llc

Inventors

• Lancaster Iii Patrick R
• Mitchell Michael P
• Gruner Christian Michael
• Limousin Jean-Louis

Classifications

• G01L5/102

  using sensors located at a non-interrupted part of the flexible member · CPC title

• B65H2408/40

  Machines for test or simulation purposes · CPC title

• B65H26/025 Primary

  responsive to web breakage · CPC title

• B65B11/045

  by rotating platforms supporting the articles · CPC title

• B65B11/025

  by webs revolving around stationary articles · CPC title