The invention relates generally to container manufacturing methods and, more particularly, relates to a container design process.
In the typical container design process, a graphic artist first sketches a container concept. Using CAD/CAM software, an engineer may then translate those sketches into a container design drawing that indicates actual container measurements. In a manner well known to those skilled in the art, the engineer may then prepare a mold corresponding to the container design drawings. The engineer may then form the container using the mold so as to test the container under the expected conditions of use.
Typically, early prototypes of the container do not meet the design specifications or the objective for handling the expected conditions of use. For example, exposing the container to these expected conditions of use may deform the container. Several rounds of failure may be expected until the container design is optimized.
If the container does not meet the design specifications for handling the expected conditions of use, the engineer may then visually examine the container. The engineer may make an educated guess about how to modify the container design drawings in order to produce a container that meets, or more closely meets, the design specifications. The engineer also may turn to finite element analysis to determine how to modify the container geometry and drawings. Although the engineer may at this point use finite element analysis, to date there has been no simple method by which the engineer can obtain the actual measurements to use in the finite element analysis equations. Rather, the engineer often just estimates these numbers.
The engineer may then repeat the process of producing a mold (this time corresponding to the modified container design drawings), making the container using the mold, and then testing the container under the expected conditions of use to determine if the container meets the design specifications. Because of the inefficiency in this trial and error process of designing a container and resolving geometry failures, producing a container that meets the design specifications often requires many iterations of this process.
Because of the many iterations typically required to produce a container meeting the given design specifications, the current container design process is time consuming. Because the process is time consuming, the process is also costly because the company developing the new container design must retain the engineers for their participation in the design process. Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved container design process.
The present invention meets the needs described above in a new container design process. As a result of the increased accuracy of this new container design process, fewer prototypes are created and tested. This in turn provides the container design process with the advantages of being faster and cheaper than previous container design processes.
In the new container design process, an engineer prepares container design drawings, typically using CAD/CAM software. The engineer then prepares a unit cavity mold corresponding to the container design drawings. From the unit cavity mold, the engineer then creates a container. Next, the engineer completes a first scan of the container with a scanning device. After the first scan, the engineer subjects the container to expected conditions of use. The engineer then completes a second scan of the container with the scanning device. By comparing the first scan and the second scan, a computer can predict appropriate changes to make to the container design drawings in order to produce a container meeting given design specifications concerning how the container may respond to expected conditions of use.
The comparison between the first scan and the second scan involves calculating changes in wall thickness of the container and changes in container geometry from the first scan to the second scan. Typical scanning devices include magnetic resonance imaging devices, optical scanning devices, and other electromagnetic scanning devices. To use such scanning devices, the engineer may first have to cover the container with a substance detectable by the scanning device. By covering the container surface with microdots of the substance that a computer can separately track from the first scan to the second scan, the computer can calculate the geometric changes in the container resulting from exposure of the container to expected conditions of use.
Generally described, the present invention comprises a method for designing a container. An engineer prepares container design drawings, preferably with CAD/CAM software. The engineer then creates the container from the container design drawings. After completing a first scan of the container with a scanning device, the engineer exposes the container to expected conditions of use. The engineer then completes a second scan of the container with the scanning device. A computer then compares the first scan and the second scan.
By comparing the first scan and the second scan, the computer may determine if the container meets design specifications. If the container does not meet design specifications, the computer may apply finite element analysis to the container using measurements obtained by comparing the first scan and the second scan. Based upon that finite element analysis, the computer may then suggest refinements to the container design drawings that are calculated to produce a container meeting the design specifications. Comparing the first scan and the second scan could also involve calculating location changes, from the first scan to the second scan, of microdots of substance that are placed onto the container and are detectable by the scanning device.
Using the revised container design drawings, the process may be reiterated. Multiple iterations may be necessary to finally produce container design drawings for containers that meet the design specifications.
In one embodiment of the process, the computer determines if measurements of the container obtained from the first scan conform to the container design drawings. If the measurements of the container obtained from the first scan do not conform to the container design drawings, then the process continues by attempting to produce a container that does conform to the container design drawings.
To complete the first scan of the container with the scanning device, an engineer may first coat the container with a substance detectable by the scanning device. The engineer may then scan the container with the scanning device to collect information about wall thickness and container geometry. To coat the container with the substance detectable by the scanning device, the engineer may coat the inside and the outside of the container with the substance. To coat the container with the substance detectable by the scanning device, the engineer may additionally or alternatively coat the container with microdots of the substance that can be separately tracked from the first scan to the second scan.
The present invention also comprises a method for improving a container design. A computer receives container design specifications. The computer also receives readings from a first scan of a container taken before the container has been exposed to expected conditions of use. The computer further receives readings from a second scan of the container taken after the container has been exposed to the expected conditions of use. Using measurements obtained by comparing the first scan and the second scan, the computer applies finite element analysis to the container. Based on the finite element analysis, the computer recommends design changes that will enable the container to meet the container design specifications.
The various aspects of the present invention may be more clearly understood and appreciated from a review of the following detailed description of the disclosed embodiments and by reference to the appended drawings and claims.