Design, manufacture and upgrade of a filling machine for food industry products for smaller facilities

The author of the diploma thesis focused on the design, manufacture and upgrade of a filling machine for food industry products, specifically for smaller facilities. The results showed that the improved design enables more precise and faster filling of meat products, which reduces operating costs and increases productivity. The new filling machine is adaptable and easy to maintain, which is crucial for smaller facilities.

Solution and method

The author of the diploma thesis focused on the design, manufacture and upgrade of a filling machine for food industry products, specifically for smaller facilities. The topic was chosen due to the lack of suitable filling machines on the market adapted to smaller facilities, such as smaller butcher shops, farm tourism and farms. Smaller facilities face particular challenges, such as limited capacities, spatial and financial constraints, the consideration of which was their objective in the design of the diploma thesis.

They also focused on the established hypotheses that (1) a semi-automatic filling machine is faster and more accurate than a manual one, (2) the use of adapted components increases reliability, (3) optimisation of energy efficiency contributes to reducing energy consumption, and (4) the introduction of digitalisation enables faster prototyping. The methodologies used included a literature review, analysis of existing filling machines, use of CAD tools for prototype development, simulations and practical tests. Digitalisation was key to more precise and faster development.

The economic analysis assessed the costs of manufacturing the filling machine.

Results

The results showed that the improved design enables more precise and faster filling of meat products, which reduces operating costs and increases productivity. The new filling machine is adaptable and easy to maintain, which is crucial for smaller facilities. The use of bearings on drive shafts, a more powerful electric motor and a thicker support wall further improved the operation and reliability of the filling machine.

He demonstrated that with appropriate design it is possible to create a filling machine that is adapted to the specific needs of smaller facilities in the food industry, meets high hygiene standards, is easy to maintain and enables competitive and efficient operations.