Automation of a toothbrush packaging process

Today's global market place demands that companies incubate and implement innovative and unique ideas in order to survive. Meeting this demand motivated a local company to seek to reduce the labor content of a certain packaging process.

The packaging process involved stripping blister-packed toothbrushes from a molded set and placing the toothbrushes on a conveyor belt that feeds an automatic boxing device. The process required that a color assortment of brushes be placed on the belt at a rate of approximately thirty-six brushes per minute.

The device developed, named the Separator, picks up the brush sets from a serving tray and loads them into a punch device which separates the brushes from the molded set while simultaneously placing the brushes on the conveyor belt. The desired color assortment is made possible by the use of several Separators serving the same conveyor belt. Each Separator can place thirty-six brushes on the conveyor per minute, meeting the required speed of the belt.

This thesis presents the design methodology, the prototype, results of a product evaluation, and recommendations that may be implemented to improve the present design. The appendices contain the required documentation to manufacture, assemble, and operate the Separator devices.