Design and optimization of mechanical equipments of packaging machines pouch feeder part

There are many stations used in packaging machines. One of the most important of these stations is the pouch feeder station, which contains the equipment that feeds packaging to the turntable. During the packaging, plastic package should be cut according to the dimensions of the product package. The most critical parts in this cutting process are the knives and the springs that ensure their movement accuracy. Function of the knives is to cut the package and in order to do so, the knives must be sharp-edged and wear-resistant. In this study, it is aimed to improve the pouch feeder part of a packaging machine in a food company. Experimental and numerical analyzes were carried out in order to minimize the failures caused by knives and springs in the system. Research and investigation of suitable steel material alloys and hardening methods for knives, material and dimension parameters and fatigue analyzes for the springs were performed. It is aimed to select the appropriate material by examining effects of all elements on the physical properties of the steel alloy. To this end, samples manufactured using different alloys were tested under operating conditions. As a result, breakdown time and cost due to the failures of knives and springs have been significantly reduced. Calculations and results of improved cost and downtime are given in detail in this thesis. In addition, the results of optimization and fatigue analysis for the spring are presented graphically.