A finite element‐based approach for whole‐system simulation of packaging systems for their improved design and operation

Abstract

The introduction of legislation to minimize packaging waste requires consumer goods manufacturers to use lighter-weight materials and increase the use of recycled materials. This is demanding that machinery manufacturers provide highly fl exible machines and tooling capable of handling these materials and new package designs. However, the ability of manufacturers to achieve this is all but prevented by a lack of fundamental understanding of machine-material interactions and an ability to generate such understanding. One way to overcome this is to use advanced simulation tools to represent the whole system including machine, process, materials and product.A fi nite element-based simulation has been created to represent the in-process behaviour of a packing system. The simulation focuses on the critical transition between fl attened and erected states of a carton. In order to successfully simulate such a complex process, there are a number of major challenges concerning the representation of packaging materials and their properties, changing material behaviour during processing, machinery simulation and process modelling (simulating the interfacial interactions that take place during processing).The application of the whole-system simulation for the purposes of improved design and operation are discussed with respect to four activities: design and setup of tooling, determination of optimal process settings, specifi cation of material properties and the design of the pack. In all cases, a strong correlation was observed between the theoretical results and those obtained practically, thereby enabling quantitative understanding and quantitative rules to be generated.

Realizing sustainable process improvement through an understanding of machine–material interaction: part 2 – an industrial case study

“…In order to understand and model the effect of airinrush on the separation of the skillet surfaces, a Fig. 9 Modelling and results detailed practical study was undertaken [24]. This study involved measuring the suction force between a pair of skillet board sheets at different initial separations and different rates of separation and the results are shown with respect to increasing separation velocity in the Fig.…”

“…In order to illustrate the practical and theoretical methods, the vacuum cups and backstop inclination were investigated practically while studies on the material properties and the effect of the film window were performed theoretically. The studies undertaken are discussed in detail in Hicks et al [24] and summarized herein to illustrate the tools and methods employed.…”