DESC:TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of automated packing system. In particular, the present disclosure relates to automated packing system for metallic components, e.g., spreader links, having different shapes, sizes, and weights.

BACKGROUND
Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Packing of metallic components, such as spreader links, having different shapes, sizes and weights, for safe transportation has always been a concern. Most of the metallic/hardware components are packed manually, which involve time consuming and error prone packing process. In manual packing process, for packing metallic/hardware components of different types, a user needs to insert a metallic component into a primary container, for example, a poly bag selected as per product variant (which can be specific combination of R, Y, B, and N pole for electrical components). The user then seals the poly bag with heat sealing or heat shrinking, insert the sealed poly bag into bubble bag or another container and wrap the bubble bag or the another container with sealing, for example cello tape. Putting combination of components that need to complement with each other for proper functioning, or right number of components, is an important task in packing.
In manual packing process, there are possibilities of wrong packing due to wrong combination of products variant (spreader link in wrong bag) or wrong number of products, packed in the primary container or poly bag, which leads to customer complaints. In manual process the metallic components, for example spreader links, have to be sealed in the primary container (polybag) and have to be packed in the secondary container (bubble bag). Also the packed carton needs to be checked and validated for each product variant using carton weight, which is more time consuming. The manual process is very subjective and dependent on care taken by person carrying out the packing, hence is operator dependent.
There is therefore a need for an automated packing system for packing metallic/hardware components of any shape and/or size. Automated packing system can be required to provide foolproof packing.
All publications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, properties such as concentration, reaction conditions, and so forth, used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention are to be understood as being modified in some instances by the term “about”. Accordingly, in some embodiments, numerical parameters set forth in the written description are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that, the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable. The numerical values presented in some embodiments of the invention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.
As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g. “such as”) provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the invention.
Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all groups used in the appended claims.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an automated packing system for packing any hardware component having any shape, size, and weight.
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an automated packing system that, based on input requirement(s), enables different settings such as number of hardware components to be packed in a single pouch, speed of packing, puncture mechanism etc. to be configured/adjusted.
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an automated packing system uses RFID to enable identification of hardware components to be packed.
It is an object of the present disclosure to prevent the possibility of wrong packing due to wrong combination of spreader link/wrong product variant being packed.
It is an object of the present disclosure to prevent the time consumed in checking and validating each product variant using carton weight.
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an automated packing system that is not subjective and dependent on the person carrying out the packing.

SUMMARY
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of automated packing system. In particular, the present disclosure relates to automated packing system for metallic components, e.g., spreader links, having different shapes, sizes, and weights.
The present disclosure relates to a system for packing at least one hardware component of any shape, size, and weight, said system including a stacker configured to receive the at least one hardware component to be packed; a pusher mechanism configured to push the at least one hardware component from the stacker onto a hopper; a pouch forming mechanism configured to form a pouch using a plastic roll so as to wrap the at least one hardware component; and a sealing mechanism comprising a vertical seal roller and a horizontal roller configured to seal the pouch having the wrapped at least one hardware component; a control system that controls working of the stacker with respect to the pusher mechanism; and an RFID reader configured near the stacker and the pushing mechanism to confirm compatibility there between, and further configured to identify the at least one hardware component that is associated with a corresponding RFID tag.
In an aspect, the sealed pouch can be punchered using a punching mechanism to remove air that forms part of the sealed pouch. In another aspect, the system can further include a shaking mechanism that can be configured to separate out the sealed pouch from other hardware components. The system can further include a packing conveyor that can be configured to carry the sealed pouch away from the point where the sealed pouch has been separated from the other hardware components. The system can further include a weighting scale on which the sealed pouch is received, wherein the weighting scale can be preconfigured with weight of a standard pouch so as to check if the weight of sealed pouch is same as the weight of the standard pouch such that the sealed pouch is placed in a first bin if weight of the sealed pouch does not match with the weight of the standard pouch, and placed in a second bin if weight of the sealed pouch matches with the weight of the standard pouch.
In another aspect, upon a signal from the control system, the pusher mechanism pushes the at least one hardware component from the stacker for packing. In an aspect, the control system can be a programmable logic controller. In another aspect, the at least one hardware component can be a spreader link. In yet another aspect, the pusher mechanism (104) can be operated by means of a pneumatic cylinder.
In another aspect, the system can further include a presence sensor to detect presence of the at least one hardware component, wherein the control system can determine number of hardware components that need to be packed together.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the Figures, similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label with a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary automated packing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIGs. 2A-C illustrate an exemplary stacker that can restrict loading of incorrect hardware components in the stacker in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary pusher mechanism that can be used with the automated packing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary hopper that can be used with the automated packing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary pouch forming mechanism followed by plastic bag roll forming, sealing and cutting in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIGs. 6A and 6B illustrate exemplary punching mechanism that can be used by the automated packing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIGs. 7A and 7B illustrate an exemplary shaking mechanism that can be used by the automated packing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary packing conveyor that can be used by the automated packing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary control system that can be used by the automated packing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 10 illustrates exemplary flow of packing operation in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure depicted in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
Each of the appended claims defines a separate invention, which for infringement purposes is recognized as including equivalents to the various elements or limitations specified in the claims. Depending on the context, all references below to the "invention" may in some cases refer to certain specific embodiments only. In other cases it will be recognized that references to the "invention" will refer to subject matter recited in one or more, but not necessarily all, of the claims.
Various terms as used herein are shown below. To the extent a term used in a claim is not defined below, it should be given the broadest definition persons in the pertinent art have given that term as reflected in printed publications and issued patents at the time of filing.
Embodiments of the present disclosure include various steps, which will be described below. The steps may be performed by hardware components or may be embodied in machine-executable instructions, which may be used to cause a general-purpose or special-purpose processor programmed with the instructions to perform the steps. Alternatively, steps may be performed by a combination of hardware, software/firmware and/or by human operators.
If the specification states a component or feature “may”, “can”, “could”, or “might” be included or have a characteristic, that particular component or feature is not required to be included or have the characteristic.
Although the present disclosure has been described with the purpose to automatically achieve desired power factor in a electric transmission system, it should be appreciated that the same has been done merely to illustrate the disclosure in an exemplary manner and any other purpose or function for which explained structure or configuration can be used, is covered within the scope of the present disclosure.
Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments are shown. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. These embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, all statements herein reciting embodiments of the disclosure, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future (i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure).
Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the diagrams, schematics, illustrations, and the like represent conceptual views or processes illustrating systems and methods embodying this disclosure. The functions of the various elements shown in the figures may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing associated software. Their function may be carried out through the operation of program logic, through dedicated logic, through the interaction of program control and dedicated logic, or even manually, the particular technique being selectable by the entity implementing this disclosure. Those of ordinary skill in the art further understand that the exemplary hardware, software, processes, methods, and/or operating systems described herein are for illustrative purposes and, thus, are not intended to be limited to any particular named.
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of automated packing system. In particular, the present disclosure relates to automated packing system for metallic components, e.g., spreader links, having different shapes, sizes, and weights.
The present disclosure relates to a system for packing at least one hardware component of any shape, size, and weight, said system including a stacker (102) configured to receive the at least one hardware component to be packed; a pusher mechanism (104) configured to push the at least one hardware component from the stacker (102) onto a hopper (106); a pouch forming mechanism (108) configured to form a pouch (126) using a plastic roll (120) so as to wrap the at least one hardware component; and a sealing mechanism comprising a vertical seal roller (110) and a horizontal roller (122) configured to seal the pouch (126) having the wrapped at least one hardware component; a control system (118) that controls working of the stacker (102) with respect to the pusher mechanism (104); and an RFID reader configured near the stacker (102) and the pushing mechanism (104) to confirm compatibility there between, and further configured to identify the at least one hardware component that is associated with a corresponding RFID tag.
In an aspect, the sealed pouch can be punchered using a punching mechanism to remove air that forms part of the sealed pouch. In another aspect, the system can further include a shaking mechanism that can be configured to separate out the sealed pouch from other hardware components. The system can further include a packing conveyor that can be configured to carry the sealed pouch away from the point where the sealed pouch has been separated from the other hardware components. The system can further include a weighting scale on which the sealed pouch is received, wherein the weighting scale can be preconfigured with weight of a standard pouch so as to check if the weight of sealed pouch is same as the weight of the standard pouch such that the sealed pouch is placed in a first bin if weight of the sealed pouch does not match with the weight of the standard pouch, and placed in a second bin if weight of the sealed pouch matches with the weight of the standard pouch.
In another aspect, upon a signal from the control system, the pusher mechanism pushes the at least one hardware component from the stacker for packing. In an aspect, the control system can be a programmable logic controller. In another aspect, the at least one hardware component can be a spreader link. In yet another aspect, the pusher mechanism (104) can be operated by means of a pneumatic cylinder (210).
In another aspect, the system can further include a presence sensor to detect presence of the at least one hardware component, wherein the control system can determine number of hardware components that need to be packed together.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an automated packing system for packing hardware/metallic components having different shapes, sizes and weight. FIG. 1 illustrates exemplary automated packing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the automated packing system can include a stacker 102 configured to receive hardware components to be packed, a pusher mechanism 104 configured to push a fixed number of hardware components from the stacker 102, a hopper 106 configured to receive the fixed number of hardware components, a pouch forming mechanism 108 configured to form a pouch, a plastic roll 120 configured on the fixed number of hardware components, a sealing mechanism comprising of a vertical seal roller 110 and a horizontal seal roller 122 configured to seal the wrapped hardware components, a punching mechanism 112 configured to puncture wrapped hardware components (referred hereafter a pouch 126), a shaking mechanism 114 configured to separate out the wrapped hardware components from other hardware components, a packing conveyor 116 configured to carry the pouch 126 away from the point where the pouch 126 has been separated, and a control system 118 configured to control/enable working of hardware components of the automated packing system. In an exemplary implementation, a plastic feeder roller 120 can be attached with the system 100 to supply the plastic roll to be used for wrapping the fixed number hardware components.
The system 100 can include an RFID scanner placed near the stacker 102 and the pusher mechanism 104 to confirm compatibility of setting of the stacker 102 and the pusher assembly 104. In an exemplary implementation, the system 100 can further include a weighting scale 128 on which the pouch 126 can be received from the conveyor 114, wherein the weighting scale 128 can be preconfigured with weight of a standard pouch having fixed number of hardware components. The weighting scale 128 can check if the weight of pouch 126 is same as the pre-configured unit weight of a standard pouch, and can place the pouch 126 in an appropriate bin. For example if weight of the pouch 126 does not match with the weight of standard pouch, the pouch 126 can be placed in reject bin 130, else the pouch 126 can be placed in OK bin 132.
In an exemplary embodiment, stacker 102 can receive hardware components to be packed, which can be stacked one component above another. Based on a command received from the control system 118, pusher mechanism 104 can push a fixed number of hardware components from the stacker 102 for packing. As the hardware component(s),after getting released/pushed, slide forward, they land-up in the hopper 106 having plastic rolls 120, which can then be wrapped and sealed by a vertical seal roller 110 and horizontal seal roller 122.
FIGs. 2A-C illustrate an exemplary stacker that can restrict loading of incorrect hardware components in the stacker in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, poka-yoke has applied in design to restrict the loading of incorrect material. As shown in FIGs. 2A-2C, stacker 102 can be mechanical fixture that can store hardware components in single column, stacked one above another. In an exemplary implementation, the stacker 102, in combination with pushing mechanism 104, can be receive and push hardware components of different types, shapes, sizes, and weights based on adjustment of the stacker 102 and pushing mechanism 104 combination. In an aspect, one or more hardware components can be pushed in a single instance. As shown in FIGs. 2A-2C, the stacker 102 and pusher mechanism 104 can push a pair of hardware components 202 to be packed, for example spreader links 202 stacked into stacker rack 204 as per spreader profile. Selection of stacker vertical profile 206 can depend on type of hardware components or materials to be packed. Stacker 102 can be mounted on top of the packing system 100 for enabling free fall of the hardware components. A slot 208 can be used to set gap for pushing exact number of hardware components into sealing area or into the hopper. In an exemplary implementation, the slot 208 can be configurable to enable any fixed number of hardware components to be pushed by the pushing mechanism104.
In an aspect, pusher mechanism104 can be located at the back-side of stacker 102, and can be operated by means of a pneumatic cylinder 210. In an exemplary implementation, once the cylinder 210 gets a signal from the control system 118, it can actuate and push the hardware components 202 into sealing area through the hopper 106.
FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary pusher mechanism that can be used with the automated packing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the pusher mechanism 104 can be used to transfer the materials/hardware components from stacker 102 to the hopper 106. Pusher mechanism 104 can be designed in such a way that it will push fixed number of hardware components in each cycle using pneumatic cylinder 210. In an aspect, thickness “T” 302 of the pusher mechanism 104 can be equivalent to summation of thickness of number of hardware components to be pushed for per unit of packing. In an exemplary implementation, thickness “T” 302 can be calculated using formula given as below:
T=n*t
Where: n=number hardware components required to be packed in a packing unit, and t = thickness of a single hardware component.
FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary hopper that can be used with the automated packing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, the hopper 106 can be a storage container user to dispense hardware components through the use of a chute in a restricted manner, which can sometimes be assisted by mechanical agitation. Hardware components free fall from stacker 102 to sealing mechanism (vertical seal roller) 110 through the hopper 106.
FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary pouch forming mechanism followed by plastic bag roll forming, sealing and cutting in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Plastic wrapping mechanism 108 as shown in FIG. 5 can wrap a fixed number of components that can be packed as a single packed unit. The pouch forming mechanism 108 can form a plastic bag by forming the number of components by plastic roll received from plastic feeding roller 120 inside the hopper 106. Further, the wrapped rolls can be side sealed by a vertical heat roller 110,and completely sealed by a horizontal heat roller 122. The mechanism can further include a cutter 502 to spate the sealed wrapped components, referred hereafter as pouch126.
FIGs. 6A and 6B illustrate an exemplary punching mechanism 112 that can be used by the automated packing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG.6A, the punching mechanism 112 can be used to puncture sealed pouch 126 by small pins so as to remove extra air. As one may appreciate, by removing air from the pouch 126, the pouch 126 can easily be placed inside a carton, and consumes less volume. The punching mechanism 112 may include a pin 602 that can be attached with a pin mounting attachment 604, which can be moved by a pneumatic actuator 606. In an exemplary implementation, pin 602 can puncture the pouch 126 as the pneumatic actuator 606 operates the pin at frequent intervals. In an exemplary implementation, action of pneumatic actuator 606 can be controlled by the control system 118.
FIGs. 7A and 7B illustrate exemplary shaking mechanism 114 that can be used by the automated packing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Shaking mechanism 114 can be used to separate the pouch 126 from another pouch or hardware components. The shaking mechanism 114 can be used to avoid packing more than required hardware components in a single pouch, which may lead to material getting stuck between horizontal rollers. The shaking mechanism 114 can include a pneumatic actuator 702, a guided rail 704 to guide the separated pouch 126, and a U-shaped plate 706 for holding the pouch 126.
FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary packing conveyor 116 that can be used by the automated packing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The packing conveyor 116 can be used to transfer the pouch 126 to a weighting scale 128, which can verify the hardware components inside the pouch 126. In an exemplary implementation, the weighting scale 128 can be preconfigured with a weight for a standard pouch. If weight of the pouch 126 matches with the preconfigured weight of standard pouch, the pouch 126 can be accepted and placed in OK bin 132, otherwise the pouch 126 can be rejected and shifted to a reject bin 130.
FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary control system 118 that can be used by the automated packing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The various components of the automated packing system can be controlled by the control system 118 which can be a programmable logic controller (PLC). In an exemplary implementation, the automated packing system can include presence sensor to detect presence of hardware components inside the pouch.
In an exemplary implementation, RFID reader can be placed near pusher mechanism 104 to confirm identity of the hardware components going to be packed in a single packed unit or inside a pouch 126. Each hardware components may have a RFID tag attached with it, which can be scanned by the RFID scanner to determine the complementary hardware components or desired number of hardware components to be packed inside the pouch 126. The control system 118 may have an I/O interface, for allowing a user /operator to select the hardware and change setting of the overall automated packing system depending on nature of hardware components to be packed. The automated packing system can include an AC motor 134 which can be used to rotate sealing rollers (vertical seal roller 110 and horizontal seal roller 122) and plastic wrapping mechanism 108 in synchronization. In an exemplary implementation, the automated packing system can include a VFD to control speed of packing.
In an exemplary implementation, the PLC 902 can be coupled with various functional components of the automated packing system. The functional components include a stacker sensor 904 to sense presence of hardware components in the stacker 102, a heater controller 906 configured to control heater 930 of seal rollers (110 and 122), a human machine interface (HMI) 908 configured to receive different inputs/settings from a user/operator, a rejection cylinder 910 configured to enable actuation of selection or rejection mechanism near weighting scale, a shaking cylinder 912 for enabling the shaking operation, a punch cylinder 914 configured to enable punching operation, a pusher cylinder 916 configured to enable pushing mechanism, a weighting scale 918 (same as weighting scale 128) configured to weight the sealed pouch, a VDF 920 configured to control AC motor 928 (same as the AC motor 134), a conveyor 922 (same as conveyor 116), reed switches 924 and RFID scanner 926.The PLC 902 can receive data/signal from one or more hardware components as shown and can control operation of these components.
FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of packing operation in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 10, the packing operation can include steps of enabling a user to select hardware components to be packed through a user interface as shown at step 1002, loading the hardware components in a stacker as shown at step 1004, enabling the user to configure number of hardware components that needs to be packed in a single packed unit and configure a pusher accordingly as shown at step 1006, detecting setting compliance of the stacker and the pusher using RFID as shown at step 1008, and starting the packing process once the hardware components are detected on the stacker as shown at step 1010. The packing process further includes steps of pushing a fixed number of hardware components by the pusher as shown at step 1012, wrapping the plastic wrapper over, by a plastic wrapping mechanism, the fixed number of hardware components as shown at step 1014, side sealing the wrapped hardware components as shown at step 1016, complete sealing the wrapped hardware components to get a pouch having fixed number of hardware components inside as shown at step 1018, puncturing the pouch to remove air as shown at step 1020, comparing weight of the pouch with a preconfigured unit weight to confirm presence of right set of hardware components inside the pouch as shown at step 1022, and putting the pouch one of the bins, such as OK bin or reject bin based on said comparison as shown at step 1024.
As one may appreciate, the automated packing system and a method of present disclosure can be used for packing any hardware component having any shape, size, and weight. Based on the requirement, different settings such as number of hardware components to be packed in a single pouch, speed of packing, puncture mechanism etc. can be adjusted.
It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Where the specification claims refers to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C ….and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc. The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
While embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the disclosure is not limited to these embodiments only. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions, and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, as described in the claims.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure provides an automated packing system for packing any hardware component having any shape, size, and weight.
The present disclosure provides an automated packing system that, based on input requirement(s), enables different settings such as number of hardware components to be packed in a single pouch, speed of packing, puncture mechanism etc. to be configured/adjusted.
The present disclosure provides an automated packing system uses RFID to enable identification of hardware components to be packed.
The present disclosure prevents the possibility of wrong packing due to wrong combination of spreader link/wrong product variant being packed.
The present disclosure prevents the time consumed in checking and validating each product variant using carton weight.
The present disclosure provides an automated packing system that is not subjective and dependent on the person carrying out the packing.
,CLAIMS:1. A system (100) for packing at least one hardware component of any shape, size, and weight, said system comprising:
a stacker (102) configured to receive the at least one hardware component to be packed;
a pusher mechanism (104) configured to push the at least one hardware component from the stacker (102) onto a hopper (106);
a pouch forming mechanism (108) configured to form a pouch (126) using a plastic roll (120) so as to wrap the at least one hardware component; and
a sealing mechanism comprising a vertical seal roller (110) and a horizontal roller (122) configured to seal the pouch (126) having the wrapped at least one hardware component;
a control system (118) that controls working of the stacker (102) with respect to the pusher mechanism (104); and
an RFID reader configured near the stacker (102) and the pushing mechanism (104) to confirm compatibility there between, and further configured to identify the at least one hardware component that is associated with a corresponding RFID tag.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sealed pouch is punchered using a punching mechanism 112 to remove air that forms part of the sealed pouch.,
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a shaking mechanism (114) configured to separate out the sealed pouch from other hardware components.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the system further comprises a packing conveyor (116) configured to carry the sealed pouch away from the point where the sealed pouch has been separated from the other hardware components.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a weighting scale (128) on which the sealed pouch is received, and wherein the weighting scale (128)is preconfigured with weight of a standard pouch so as to check if the weight of sealed pouch (126) is same as the weight of the standard pouch such that the sealed pouch (126) is placed in a first bin if weight of the sealed pouch (126) does not match with the weight of the standard pouch, and placed in a second bin if weight of the sealed pouch (126) matches with the weight of the standard pouch.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein, upon a signal from the control system (118), the pusher mechanism (104) pushes the at least one hardware component from the stacker (102) for packing.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system (118) is a programmable logic controller.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one hardware component is a spreader link (202).
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the pusher mechanism (104) is operated by means of a pneumatic cylinder (210).
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a presence sensor to detect presence of the at least one hardware component, and wherein the control system (118) determines number of hardware components that need to be packed together.