Automated packing systems and methods
The volume, content, and void volume of a box are determined. Using those determinations, a fill ratio calculation is used to establish the packing element requirement of the box.
1. A method of packing a container with a packing system, the method comprising:
providing a scanner for determining at least one of a volume of the container and a volume of a content of the container;
determining the volume of the container;
determining the volume of the content of the container;
subtracting the volume of content of the container from the volume of the container to determine a void volume;
identifying a packing element size of a packing element;
determining a filled ratio by dividing the volume of the content of the container by the volume of the container;
autonomously obtaining a void factor, wherein the void factor is associated with a portion of the void volume that is smaller than the packing element size, and wherein the void factor is a number less than 1.0;
calculating an average fill aspect ratio based on a largest dimension of the content divided by a smallest dimension of the content and decreasing the void factor if the calculated average fill aspect ratio is greater than about 4; and
multiplying the void factor by the void volume to obtain a packing element volume requirement less than the void volume.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packing element volume requirement comprises an angle of rotation of a rotary packing element expander.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packing element volume requirement comprises a number of linear oscillations of a reciprocating packing element expander.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packing element volume requirement is calculated as a number of packing elements having the packing element size.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content of the container comprises at least one of (a) a number of elements with the container and (b) a volume of elements within the container.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the void volume is based at least in part on a difference between (a) the volume of the container and (b) the volume of elements within the container.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container is a box.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating at least one of a pre-contents requirement and a post-vibration requirement of the container.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a container pre-fill position signal from a pre-fill detector of the packing system when the container is in a pre-fill position in the packing system, wherein the pre-fill position is distinct from a fill position on the packing system; and
sending a start machine signal based at least in part on the container pre-fill position signal.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising sending an agitate signature to a vibrating station operable to settle packing elements in the container.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the start machine signal is configured to initiate rotation of a rotary packing element expander.
12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising sending a seal signal to a sealing station operable to seal the container.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the void factor is obtained from a lookup table based at least in part on the filled ratio and the volume of the container.
14. A system of packing a container, the system comprising:
at least one processor; and
memory encoding computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, performing a method comprising:
determining a volume of the container;
determining a volume of a content of the container;
subtracting the volume of the content of the container from the volume of the container to determine a void volume;
identifying a packing element size of a packing element;
determining a filled ratio by dividing the volume of the content of the container by the volume of the container;
autonomously obtaining a void factor, wherein the void factor is associated with a portion of the void volume that is smaller than the packing element size, and wherein the void factor is a number less than 1.0;
calculating an average fill aspect ratio based on a largest dimension of the content divided by a smallest dimension of the content and decreasing the void factor if the calculated average fill aspect ratio is greater than about 4;
multiplying the void factor by the void volume to obtain a packing element volume requirement less than the void volume;
calculating a packing element dispensing requirement based on the packing element volume requirement, wherein the packing element dispensing requirement comprising a plurality of flat packing elements; and
folding the plurality of flat packing elements into folded packing elements and delivering the folded packing elements to the container.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the content of the container comprises at least one of (a) a number of elements with the container and (b) a volume of elements within the container.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the void volume is based at least in part on a difference between (a) the volume of the container and (b) the volume of elements within the container.
17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the container is a box.
18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the void factor is obtained from a lookup table based at least in part on the filled ratio and the volume of the container.