Industrial Shrink Wrap Machine

[ddustin]

Here is a link to an industrial shrink wrapping machine.

 

The video doesn't loop well, but the intention is to show the machine functions.

Edit: the shrink wrap machine is the lowest link on the page. There may have been an error on the link to the shrink wrap machine. My appologies....

 

Link to file

 

Material on machine is courtesy of Daniel, floor image and texture from Gene.

 

 

David

[Slipin Lizard]

Looks really good Dustin. Was all the animation work on your website done with Animation Master?

[ddustin]

Looks really good Dustin. Was all the animation work on your website done with Animation Master?

Thanks,

Yes everything was done in AM.

 

David

[CreativeAustinYankee]

It doesn't look like any of the industrial shrink wrap machines that I'm familiar with, interesting design. OSHA would require a flashing light somewhere on or near the robot. Possibly a fenced off area or some hazard lines.

 

The animation seems appropriate, if this is a professional project, I'd recommend adding a scene where it is in operation, have it wrap up a pallet of something. Possibly show the operator, establish it in an industrial environment.

 

My two cents.

 

Steve P.

[ddustin]

Steven,

The shrink wrap machine is the lowest link on the page.

 

Not knowing your industrial experience level, I'd offer the following:

 

There is confusion at times between Shrink Wrapping and Stretch Wrapping.

 

Shrink wrap travels through a heat tunnel which causes the material to contract around the product (like when you buy a 12 pack of water bottles).

 

Stretch wrap is used extensively for wrapping around pallets containing products.

 

The robot (top link) would surely require guarding meeting OSHA, RIA etc regulations.

 

David

[Gene]

David,

 

Nice work on the metalic finish! Looks Sharp!

 

E

[CreativeAustinYankee]

Hehe oops, um yeah... I was looking at the wrong link. I thought the design seemed a bit much. In my best Homer Simpson, "D'oh!"

 

Actually I've worked with a couple different versions of both shrink wrap and stretch wrap machines, and you're right, there is often some confusion between the two.

 

The animation looks fairly realistic.

 

The following depends on how detailed you want to get.

 

One thing I noticed, on the heat tunnel, there's usually a heat gauge/control indicator/knob on the side facing the operator and at a few places along the line at each stage of the machine, there are a few emergency stop buttons, so the operator can get in and change the roll of shrink wrap for example.

 

And, on some, there are flashing lights on top to alert the operator to a problem. The shrink wrap area was always one that needed watching.

 

Ahh, the memories...

 

Steve P.

[robcat2075]

Good looking models! Those are the biggest tuna cans I've ever seen.

 

I can see the roll of shrink wrap, but I can't detect it on the cans at all. I'm missing something.

[ddustin]

I didn't apply the shrink film.

There is a roll of it on the machine, and I put a lot of time creating wrinkles in it, and you can't even see them.

 

The things being wrapped are actually rolls of roof venting material for a GA based company.

 

David

[ddustin]

David,

 

Nice work on the metalic finish! Looks Sharp!

 

E

Gene,

 

Thanks, but I actually got the brushed finish from Daniel of D. Joseph Designs.

 

Not much tweaking required. It ended up looking like polished (and grained) 300 series Stainless Steel.

 

Of course the floor was something I got from you!!!

 

David

[robcat2075]

I didn't apply the shrink film.

There is a roll of it on the machine, and I put a lot of time creating wrinkles in it, and you can't even see them.

How about if you added some specular-only lights on a light list (illuminating only the wrap) to catch the wrinkles. That would look sharp.

[Gerry]

Yeah, my first thought was that those are some LARGE cans of tuna! then it hit me that they *usually*don't shrink-wrap canned goods and that it was actually industrial-sized rolls of something.

 

The camera move at the end of the conveyor belt is a little disorienting. You've got the camera reversing direction, the conveyor belt moving, and the product going off the belt into thin air. These all combine for a moment of vertigo.

 

I'm assuming you're still doing some tweaks on it. Maybe you can fix some of the conflicting visual info that's going on at this point.

 

Overall nice work though. I still like that articulated robot arm a lot!

[ddustin]

Overall nice work though. I still like that articulated robot arm a lot!

Gerry,

Thanks,

Yes there are things I need to change, might add conveyors before and after the machine.

 

I just found out today, the customer might want a vertical sealing unit instead of the horizontal unit in the animation.

 

The articulated arm is a FANUC, it took me 2 months, off and on to make it. Gene helped a bunch too.

 

You have a major FANUC head quarters in Charlotte. I know a few of the guys there.

 

David

[Zaryin]

That is really cool looking. Great Job.

[Gerry]

David- I did a quick Google search on FANUC and couldn't tell if it was an acronym or a company name. Found some Japanese links and some to GE but I didn't learn much!

 

I did some industrial type animations for a patent case a couple of years ago that I may have mentioned to you before. You can see them at http://www.mooneyart.com/three_d/three_d.html. They're the two "Ion implantation" movies.

 

If the FANUC outpost down here uses this kind of work I'd really like to hear more about it.

 

Gerry

[ddustin]

Gerry,

Try Fanuc Robotics link

 

I doubt they'll use anything as they have thier own simulation software they sell for $10k (ouch). It can't touch the level of realism I get with my model, but theirs outputs FANUC robot code that can be implimented into an automated line.

 

Most of them have seen my animations and other that being complimentary, they've never been interested in contracting to make anything.

 

I have looked at your work before, very nice.

 

Also, I purchased www.accident-recreation.com and have it forwarding to my dustinproductions site.

 

I've been working at getting some of the lawyers in GA to contract for more work but it's a tough niche to wiggle into. I'll get there, no doubt.

 

My intention is to have resources available with different areas of expertise, such as organic or mechanical modeling and rigging capabilities. There several people on the forum that I work with regularly, and buy models from them.

 

David

[ddustin]

Finally got the wringles in the shrink film to show up by adding some white ambiance to the material.

 

Problem is now I can see the repeating pattern in it, and I should have added a core to the roll.

 

My guess is the customer won't see it anyway.

 

David

[Gerry]

That shrink-wrap is looking better David! The thing about doing litigation support graphics for law firms, which I did for two years for a firm in NY called DecisionQuest, is that lawyers need such a wide range of kinds of graphics that it's hard for an individual, or even a small team, to provide a "one-stop shop" for them.

 

Everything from time-coding video depositions, PowerPoint, medical illustration, animation, oversize boards with overlays, etc. etc. That doesn't even include the advisory/strategizing element, jury selection techniques, courtroom floorplans, and providing the hardware to display all the media in the courtroom.

 

I can do quite a few of the former, but a law firm needs one source for everything and they usually need it at 2AM! It's not a business for the faint of heart. However it's a big market that is not going away. If you can get a foot in the door go for it.

[ddustin]

Gerry,

I agree with your assessment of the litigation support.

 

It seems that really like to have a jack of all trades available, who sleeps only occasionally. that pretty much personifies me.

 

David