DE102022122554A1 - Method for controlling container handling processes and container treatment system for the production, filling, handling, packaging and/or conveying of containers - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method (100) for controlling production, handling, packaging and/or conveying processes of containers (28) with liquid or pasty products contained therein, and a container treatment system (10) for production, filling, handling, packaging and/or or promotion of such containers (28). In the system (10) and in the method (100), at least one process parameter is determined using sensors, which indicates a disruption in at least parts of the processes. For this purpose, values of the at least one process parameter determined using sensors are stored continuously or cyclically at recurring time intervals and processed by means of a data evaluation (44), the stored values being evaluated with regard to an accumulation of deviations from defined target value ranges within defined time periods and/or in connection with previously made process modifications. In addition, a number of detected overshoots or undershoots of the limit values specified by the respective setpoint ranges and/or an extent of the deviation from the respective setpoint range is determined. If a defined number of deviations from the respective setpoint range is exceeded or if a deviation from the respective setpoint range is exceeded, the exceeds a given extent, or in the case of a combination of the deviations mentioned, an error event is defined in each case and a control parameter (PM) is generated from this for process-influencing or process-changing control specifications in the method (100).

Description

The present invention relates to a method for controlling production, handling, packaging and/or conveying processes of containers with liquid or pasty products contained therein, as well as a system for the production, filling, handling, packaging and/or conveying of containers with contained therein liquid or pasty products.

In container treatment plants, the containers to be filled, which are normally filled with beverages or other liquids, are subjected to a variety of transport and treatment steps. Starting from the respective initial situation, in which the containers are provided ready for use or are first brought into their intended shape from preforms using blow molding machines, they are filled, labeled and packaged according to grouping processes during their transport route. The packaging of several filled containers can be done, for example, using shrink films, packaging cuts and/or outer packaging made of paper or cardboard. The packaging units formed in this way can then, if necessary, be palletized and stacked in pallet layers in order to make them ready for shipping and transportable into large units.

Within such container treatment or beverage filling systems, which are generally designed as integrated systems and therefore also include packaging modules, containers are often transported in the so-called aisle inlet to a packaging machine, with the positions of numerous transported containers conventionally being detected by sensors. The packaging machines are also connected to the subsequent palletizing systems via transport routes, which in turn can be monitored using sensors.

A transport device and a method for transporting and distributing beverage containers that are transported in several parallel conveyor lanes can be found, for example, in DE 10 2020 120 336 A1 described. As an option, there is also sensory detection of the container flow and, if necessary, robot-assisted influencing of the container flow.

If incorrect positioning of a container is detected by the sensor detection on one of the transport routes, for example a container tipped over or a container remaining in one of the aisles due to other reasons, an error message is normally generated, which leads to a machine stop so that the error can be corrected before the further production can be resolved.

Depending on the machine equipment, it may also be possible in individual cases to detect some of the errors that have occurred and to remove an individual container that was identified as the container causing the error from the container stream using a gripper robot equipped for this purpose. Apart from the fact that such automated error elimination robots incur high costs and usually cannot be installed at all potential error points, they are usually not able to react equally to all error events that may occur in order to eliminate the errors. For this reason, it is usually not possible to do without additional manual intervention to eliminate all conceivable errors.

Another problem can be seen in the fact that such automated error elimination devices often cannot distinguish between different error-causing events and their changed occurrence. Some of the conveying problems that arise can be due to gradual wear in the conveying devices, while other errors can be caused by incorrect settings and can therefore be attributed to human reasons. For a sensor data processing control device whose control signals are intended to control a robot to eliminate errors, it is generally very difficult to give the correct control commands for such different causes of errors, so that in some of these situations a machine stop with subsequent troubleshooting and manual error elimination is compared to a faulty one Continued operation of the system may be the better decision.

In view of the error categories that typically occur in such situations, it can be seen as the primary aim of the present invention to provide the operators of such systems for the production, filling, handling, packaging and/or conveying of containers with liquid or pasty products contained therein with improved processing and/or To enable classification of error messages that occur in order not only to reduce the number of critical error messages, but also, in the best case, to be able to improve and optimize the handling, process control and production flow of the entire system.

This identified aim is achieved with the subject matter of the independent claims. Features of advantageous developments by the inventor information can be found in the respective dependent claims.

To achieve the above-mentioned aim, the present invention proposes a method for controlling production, handling, packaging and/or conveying processes of containers with liquid or pasty products contained therein with the features of the independent method claim. In the method, at least one process parameter is determined using sensors, which is suitable for providing an essential quality statement about the monitored part of the process. In particular, in the method according to the invention, at least one such process parameter is monitored and determined using sensors, which can provide an indication of a disruption in at least parts of the processes.

What is worth mentioning and is important in the method according to the invention is the possibility not only of essentially detecting any process-influencing faults through sensory monitoring of the corresponding process sections and process phases, but also of collecting, storing and, furthermore, classifying these fault reports in order to obtain further information and findings about them the type of disorders, their severity and the likelihood of their recurrence.

The specialist entrusted with the problems of precise process monitoring and maintaining trouble-free processing operations in the systems considered here generally has powerful electronic data processing systems available to support them. For this reason, the person skilled in the art is usually aware that only powerful signal processing data evaluation enables him to appropriately classify the disturbances that have occurred and are detected by sensors in the process flow, for example into disturbances that occur due to wear or into atypical disturbances that are not clearly such Effects can be assigned, which are usually based on wear of container treatment or conveying devices or similar devices. Depending on the classification made, different options for action are available, which will be briefly discussed below.

If an identified error, which can be derived in particular from sensory abnormalities or from deviations from defined target values, has been classified as a wear-related error, an error value classified in this way can be subjected to a supplementary evaluation. In particular, in the case of an error event that changes over a defined period of time and is recognized and processed as a wear-indicating error event, it can make sense to predict future events from this. Such a forecast can be, for example, a likely expected running time or remaining running time of the wear-prone system module and thus of the entire system, so that from such a supplementary error analysis it can be estimated more or less precisely at what point in time at the latest an adapted maintenance of the system module or the entire system will be necessary in order to be able to replace at least the components that are subject to wear and are therefore no longer fulfilling their task satisfactorily.

In the manner described, the operational safety of the system can be significantly improved and the probability of failure significantly reduced, since the extended error analysis can be used as a forecasting tool for the service life of gradually and continuously wearing components. The wear limit of the affected component, whose wear can be recorded directly or indirectly using the sensor evaluation, determines the remaining running time of the affected system module and can specify sensible maintenance cycles to the control center in order to avoid unplanned system downtimes.

In the method, it can optionally be provided that the selected sensor-determined values of the at least one process parameter are recorded and stored continuously, with interruptions or also cyclically and at recurring time intervals, in particular in order to be made available to a data evaluation and to be able to be processed there.

The stored sensor values can be evaluated in different ways or with different viewing directions. In particular, it can be useful to evaluate the stored values with regard to an accumulation of deviations from defined target value ranges within defined time periods and/or in connection with previously made process modifications in order to be able to make statements about the process parameters of interest, particularly in connection with disruptions or disruptive processes or events in the process.

In the method, it can further be provided that when evaluating the stored values, a number of detected exceedances or undershoots of the limit values specified by the respective setpoint ranges and/or an extent of the deviation from the respective setpoint value can be determined richly, so that if a defined number of deviations from the respective setpoint range is exceeded or if a deviation from the respective setpoint range exceeds a given extent or in the case of a combination of the deviations mentioned, an event is defined and from this a control parameter for process-influencing or process-changing control specifications is defined Procedure can be generated.

In the case of the method, it can also make sense to store the sensor-determined values of the at least one process parameter in a database in order to be able to continuously make them available for data evaluation.

The event defined above can therefore be derived at any time from the data evaluation, whereby different target values can be specified and/or the permitted number of deviations from the respective target value range can be varied as required.

Based on the method according to the invention, a sensor-determined parameter value within the predetermined setpoint range can in this way be correlated with a section of the respective production, handling, packaging and/or conveying process that runs approximately smoothly.

In addition, with the method, an accumulation of exceedances of the setpoint range that remains below a predetermined limit value can be correlated with a section of the respective production, handling, packaging and/or conveying process that runs smoothly and meets predetermined quality requirements.

Processing the event can be done in different ways. In a first variant of the method, it can be provided that an error event is derived from the defined event, which is simply saved and made available for further consequences for the system control.

In the case of errors that are classified as serious for the respective process flow or in the case of errors that cannot be immediately remedied in order to be able to continue the process flow without errors, it may make sense to halt at least the affected section of the respective production as a result of the error event -, handling, packaging and/or conveying process or the entire process. Stopping the process in its entirety can be particularly useful in the case of critical parameter deviations or excessive deviations that make it no longer sensible to continue the process, for example because profound disruptions are to be expected or the serious consequences of the disruption must first be eliminated before the process can start again .

In a second method variant, however, it can make sense and therefore be provided for at least one control parameter to be derived from the defined event, from which process-influencing or process-changing control specifications for the method are formed. Such control specifications can in particular initiate or bring about sensible corrections in the process flow, which can either contribute to maintaining the production, handling, packaging and/or conveying process in progress or to its improvement, i.e. to a reduction in the influence of disruptions or the susceptibility to disruptions. Thus, from the sensory detection and signal data processing of errors that occur in any process phase, a control signal can be generated for one or more actuators, which react appropriately to the process flow, for example by controlling conveyor drives or guide or steering devices that are in the conveyor path for container transport. These control interventions are only mentioned as examples, because there are numerous other variants of process influencing that can be considered, each of which can be suitable for positively influencing the process flow in order to potentially make a more serious intervention in the system control, up to and including the machine stop, obsolete.

In a less invasive third method variant, it can also be provided that an error event is derived from the defined event, which is at least stored, made available in data processing for further processing steps and preferably visualized via a user interface such as a display device or the like or in some other way is made accessible to users. In this variant of the method, the error events can be processed and/or modified in different ways by the automated data processing and/or by the user before they are used, if necessary, as process-changing or process-influencing manipulated variables.

Regardless of the subsequent modification of the error events or their adaptation to the respective requirements, it can optionally be provided in the method that the process-influencing or process-changing control specifications generated by the data processing device processing the sensor data can be used in such a way that at least one actuator is controlled, which acts in particular on the affected section of the respective production, handling, packaging and / or conveying process and changes a process parameter.

In addition, measured wear, which can be derived from a more or less continuously increasing error value, can be used not only to control actuators, but in the manner already explained above to predict the failure probabilities of affected components that cause the wear-related error values. The increasing wear measurement values advantageously provide meaningful information about the remaining running time before a wear limit that can still be tolerated is reached. Such forecasts can also be made using the method according to the invention without requiring direct intervention in the system control.

The process parameters to be changed or influenced can, for example, mean all conceivable partial aspects of the process referred to here, whether this is a blow molding machine, a filling module, a labeling module, a conveyor section or concerns another sub-area of a system for container treatment.

If control specifications are implemented using actuators, one goal of such controlling interventions in the individual process sections is essentially to reduce or eliminate the setpoint deviations. In this way, it is conceivable to use the control specifications for the method derived from the generated control commands to significantly reduce the extent to which the defined number of deviations of the parameter values from the respective setpoint range is exceeded or, in the best case, to even completely eliminate the deviations, which in turn is achieved by sensory monitoring can be recognized and processed. A closed control loop for process optimization can therefore be formed through appropriate controlling interventions in the process.

It is also conceivable, optionally or in combination with the previous method variant, that the control specifications for the method derived from the derived control command reduce the extent of the deviations of the parameter values from the respective setpoint range, ideally to a value of zero or approximately zero. Since these interventions and the effects achieved as a result can also be monitored using sensors, the feature of the closed control loop is also fulfilled in this way, so that the method under consideration is not just a classic monitoring and control method for container processing and container handling processes of a wide variety of types, but it can also be a regulatory procedure.

Further aspects that may be related to the method according to the invention or to individual embodiment variants of this method will be considered and discussed in addition below, especially since they are suitable for adding further perspectives and detailed information to the method.

For example, a further problem that has not yet been considered here is that an accumulation of certain error messages cannot be noticed immediately because the time intervals between occurring faults and the associated error messages are relatively long. If, for example, the supervisors work in shifts, then it may be a question of documentation and/or communication when handing over the shift as to whether previously occurring disruptions receive the attention they deserve.

If the error message only occurs once per shift for each operator, but such an error occurs in every shift, then it can be said that the fault is common. Nevertheless, there is a not insignificant risk that such an accumulation will not be noticed or will only be noticed with a delay if there is no or insufficient communication between the operators of successive shifts. Overall, the model situation described shows that the documentation and storage of faults and error messages can be subject to certain randomness. These coincidences should be able to be largely eliminated with the help of the method regulations according to the invention, which would achieve an essential aim of the present invention.

In the interest of achieving this goal, it can be provided that the recorded process parameters that indicate a malfunction are stored, evaluated and classified in such a way that a priority is assigned to the error messages as part of the evaluation. If the same error message occurs several times within a defined period of time, then it makes sense to assign a higher priority to such a fault. If the priority reaches a certain limit or threshold value, then corresponding information can be generated, which can, for example, contain an instruction to the operator of the corresponding system section or system module, within a predetermined time frame to carry out a functional test. This information can in particular represent an event or error event according to the above definition, from which a control parameter for process-influencing or process-changing control specifications in the method can be generated, which includes the additional option of carrying out control interventions.

To give an example of an application of the method according to the invention, a packaging module can be considered in which primary packaging to be packaged, formed for example by beverage containers or bottles, is recorded in groups in a secondary packaging, formed for example by an outer packaging box, and stored in groups be arranged in the secondary packaging mentioned. This means that the bottles can be grouped and arranged in the outer packaging. Appropriately equipped gripper modules can be used to grip the groups of bottles, with gripper heads with gripper tulips having proven successful in practice, so that each bottle to be gripped is gripped by one of the gripper tulips arranged in the gripper head. In this way, larger groups of bottles can be grasped at the same time by moving the gripper tulips arranged in the gripper head over the grouping to be gripped, lowering them there and activating the gripper tulips at the right time and in the right position.

If one of these gripper tulips is defective, the bottle in question will not be grasped correctly and will fall out of the bottle group under unfavorable circumstances when the bottle group is lifted. If such a loss of an article or bottle is detected by sensors, corresponding information is saved. If an accumulation of the “bottle is lost” error is determined during the evaluation of the stored values, then on the one hand it can be concluded that this is a repeated occurrence. However, if the same gripper tulip is involved several times, additional information can be derived from the repeated event, which can, for example, indicate a fundamental mechanical defect or a susceptibility to wear-related errors. The latter case is particularly more plausible if the error occurs frequently or repeatedly, but the gripper tulip still works perfectly in some cases. In such a case, an error message such as “a gripper tulip may be worn out” could be defined and a corresponding control parameter could be generated.

Unless there is a noticeable total failure of an individual gripper tulip in the gripper head, which can be recognized by repeated faultless functioning, which may be interrupted by occasional malfunctions, a sensible control parameter could, for example, be to control the affected gripper tulip with a moderately increased suction pressure consist. If such a measure can reduce the frequency of errors, which in turn can be detected by appropriate evaluation of the sensory monitoring of the pickup quality of the gripper head, the increased suction pressure is preferably maintained, thereby creating a closed control loop for this specific monitoring and control task within the handling process for the bottle handling described is formed.

However, if such a control is not desired or not required, a meaningful control parameter can also be generated in the form of an information output via a graphical user interface, such information output being able to instruct the operator of the system to check the gripper head and, if necessary, repair defective gripper tulips within a short time Exchange time in order to be able to achieve the desired process quality again.

Optionally, measured wear within such a gripper head, which can be derived from a gradually or continuously increasing error value, can be used in the manner described above to predict the probability of failure of the affected gripper tulips. The increasing wear measurement values provide, in particular, information about the remaining running time before a tolerable wear limit of the respective gripper tulip is reached. Modified maintenance cycles can then be generated from the forecast values in order to be able to avoid an actual failure of the gripper head with a high degree of reliability.

A further embodiment can provide that automated troubleshooting can be carried out using a suitable robot, an autonomous troubleshooting device or the like, possibly with the support of a driverless transport system (so-called AGV). In this case, it makes sense to generate control parameters that are able to appropriately control a robot programmed in this way or another suitable troubleshooting device and to control the automated troubleshooting.

If, from the point of view of the expert addressed, they can be combined with one another in a meaningful way, some or all of these aforementioned variations or embodiment variants of the invention can be used according to the method can optionally also be combined with one another in order to at least partially achieve the goal formulated above, to approach the formulated goal as much as possible and / or to at least approximately achieve the desired effect of the invention.

In addition to the method for controlling production, handling, packaging and/or conveying processes of containers with liquid or pasty products contained therein described above in various design variants and alternative versions, a system for production, filling, Handling, packaging and / or conveying of containers with liquid or pasty products contained therein is proposed, which includes the features of the corresponding independent claim. According to the present invention, this system is equipped with at least one system module with at least one sensor, which is intended and equipped in a way to sensorically detect at least one process parameter of the system in operation and to generate corresponding output signals that can be fed to further sensor data processing are.

At least one sensor of possibly several sensors can, for example, be assigned to a transport area or a handling module of the packaging system, while it can also make sense to assign a second sensor to another transport area or another handling module of the packaging system, with all sensor signals preferably being detected equally and an evaluation with the aim of detecting and avoiding faulty process sequences and/or optimizing the system control. This desired optimization of the system control by detecting and avoiding faulty process phases or individual processes can certainly be carried out iteratively, for example by detecting recurring errors and corresponding interventions at process-relevant points in the system or individual modules thereof.

In order to enable this sensor data processing in a meaningful manner, the packaging system according to the invention or the system according to the invention and defined above for the production, filling, handling, packaging and / or conveying of containers can comprise a control unit, whereby this control unit can be designed to process the data of the first sensor and / or the second sensor to process, evaluate and compare and thereby to determine characteristic parameters of the conveying and / or processing processes taking place in the system and / or the articles or containers transported, treated, processed and possibly changed there win, again with the aim of being able to improve and optimize the processes carried out.

The sensors used can be formed, for example, by light barrier systems or by image processing systems of different types. Suitable image processing systems are, for example, camera systems with downstream image evaluation, which can provide high-resolution sensor data to determine the process parameters of interest.

The system according to the invention for the production, filling, handling, packaging and/or conveying of containers can also be assigned a handling device or troubleshooting device with different modes of operation and/or design that can be controlled automatically and based on the determined and processed sensor data. Such a handling device or error elimination device can be formed, for example, by a stationary or mobile robot with a movable gripper arm that can be used in different positions along the system modules and which is able to remove many of the sensor-detected errors or blockages, which are caused by things that have fallen over or become jammed Containers can be eliminated at short notice by removing the affected container.

Such a handling device or error elimination device can, for example, also be formed by a so-called AGV, i.e. by a driverless transport system or a driverless transport vehicle, on which a robot-like gripper arm can be mounted in order to eliminate or resolve the errors or blockages described.

In the case of a packaging system, a removal device can be formed, for example, by a robot with a movable gripper arm, such a robot preferably being controllable in such a way that it grabs containers or container combinations that are recognized as defective, such as shrink-wrapped containers covered with foil, and transfers them to a reject container that is available for this purpose can. Also conceivable are embodiment variants in which the removal device is formed by a slide or the like, which slide is designed to be transversely movable to a transport direction of the containers, the container assemblies or, for example, the shrink packs within the packaging system, so that such a slide is designed to be defective Containers, container combinations or shrink-wrapped containers in one can be transferred to a reject container arranged in a transport device for the shrink containers.

All of these automated and remote-controlled handling devices or error elimination devices have the advantage that, if numerous errors are detected, they can be eliminated immediately or promptly without the need to stop the system, which can significantly improve the effectiveness of the system operation and contribute significantly to the desired optimization to get closer to the processes carried out with the system or to achieve this optimization.

It should be noted that the system referred to here for the production, filling, handling, packaging and/or conveying of containers can also be generally referred to as a beverage processing machine. In addition, such a system can also be used for beverage production in general, for example in the case of a brewing system.

Since such a system is typically formed by a large number of modules that are connected to one another in terms of conveyor technology, some of these modules are mentioned here as examples. Such an individual module of a system according to the invention for the production, filling, handling, packaging and/or conveying of containers can be, for example, a degasser for beverages or beverage ingredients, a module for short-term heating, a so-called pasteurizer or even a module for the direct heating of beverages and/or or the container holding the drinks.

Further modular units of a system according to the invention for the production, filling, handling, packaging and/or conveying of containers and/or beverage production can be, for example, a buffer tank, a valve for beverage lines or several such valves for beverage lines or beverage-carrying pipelines. A brewhouse of a brewing system can also be viewed as an individual module of a system according to the invention, as can a mash kettle, the separators of a brewing system, a wort kettle or other individual components.

Further system parts can be formed by homogenizers, heat exchangers, pumps, carbonizers, CIP systems and more.

Finally, all conveying sections that are required for the connection of successive system modules are to be viewed as individual modules in the sense of the above definition, so that these conveying sections can also be monitored using sensors and any malfunctions that may occur can be remedied in an automated or semi-automated manner using suitable handling interventions. Sensory monitoring devices include, for example, single-lane sensors that can detect any disruptions or congestion in container transport, regardless of the number of parallel transport or conveyor lanes.

All of these system parts, individual modules and system components mentioned, which can each be part of a larger system context, can each be equipped with sensors, provided this is appropriate. The data from these sensors can be evaluated in the manner described and used to control the system modules mentioned, for example to reduce wear-related faults, but also to avoid faults that can be attributed to general component failure, human error or other causes.

If a lower level of automation is desired in system control and process optimization, after evaluation and categorization of all errors and faults that have occurred and that have been detected using sensors, corresponding visualizations can optionally be generated, for example on a suitable display device, on an input terminal with an associated screen, etc., which is usually the case also referred to as a user interface (HMI - Human Machine Interface) with the associated information display. Through appropriate graphical display and/or processing, including graphical reproduction of the data, an operator or system operator can be provided with easily recognizable and quickly graspable information about the state of wear of the affected system modules or about the general condition of maintenance, which allows him to assess the operational safety and reliability of the processes in progress Processes enabled or facilitated.

Again, it should be noted at this point that some or all of these aforementioned variations or embodiment variants of the system according to the invention can optionally also be combined with one another in order to at least partially achieve the goal formulated above and/or to achieve the desired effect of the invention. However, this only applies to cases that the expert recognizes as sensible to combine with one another.

It should also be noted at this point that all aspects and design variants in connection with the system according to the invention for the production, filling, handling, packaging and/or conveying of containers were explained, equally relate to or can form partial aspects of the method according to the invention. Therefore, if certain aspects and/or connections and/or effects are mentioned at one point in the description or in the claim definitions for the system according to the invention, this applies equally to the method according to the invention. The same applies in the opposite way, so that all aspects and embodiment variants that have been explained in connection with the method according to the invention equally relate to or can be partial aspects of the system according to the invention for the production, filling, handling, packaging and / or conveying of containers. Therefore, if certain aspects and/or connections and/or effects are mentioned at one point in the description or in the claim definitions for the method according to the invention, this applies equally to the system according to the invention.

• 1A zeigt eine stark schematisierte Darstellung einer denkbaren Ausführungsvariante eines Anlagenausschnittes einer erfindungsgemäßen Anlage zur Produktion, Abfüllung, Handhabung, Verpackung und/oder Förderung von Behältern.
• 1B zeigt ein Blockdiagramm, welches in schematischer Weise die Verfahrensschritte eines Verfahrens zur Steuerung von Produktions-, Handhabungs-, Verpackungs- und/oder Förderprozessen von Behältern darstellt.
• 2 zeigt in einer schematischen Ansicht von oben eine Behälterzuführung einer weiteren Ausführungsvariante einer Behälterbehandlungsanlage.
• 3 zeigt eine Perspektivansicht eines Teilbereichs der Behälterzuführung gemäß 2.
• 4 zeigt eine Ausführungsform der Verwendung des in der 1 B schematisch veranschaulichten und vorbeschriebenen Verfahrens.

In the following, exemplary embodiments will explain the invention and its advantages in more detail using the attached figures. The proportions of the individual elements in the figures do not always correspond to the real proportions, as some shapes are simplified and other shapes are shown enlarged in relation to other elements for better illustration.

• 1A shows a highly schematic representation of a conceivable embodiment variant of a system section of a system according to the invention for the production, filling, handling, packaging and / or conveying of containers.
• 1B shows a block diagram which schematically represents the process steps of a method for controlling production, handling, packaging and/or conveying processes of containers.
• 2 shows a schematic view from above of a container feed of a further embodiment variant of a container treatment system.
• 3 shows a perspective view of a portion of the container feed according to 2 .
• 4 shows an embodiment of the use of the in the 1 B schematically illustrated and previously described method.

Identical reference numbers are used for elements of the invention that are the same or have the same effect. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, only reference numbers that are necessary for the description of the respective figure are shown in the individual figures. The embodiments shown merely represent examples of how the device according to the invention or the method according to the invention can be designed and do not represent a final limitation.

The highly schematized representation of the 1A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a system marked here with the reference number 10 for the production, filling, handling, packaging and / or conveying of containers with liquid or pasty products contained therein. This system is also referred to as container treatment system 10 in the following description.

The 1 B illustrates successive method steps 101, 102, 103 and 104 of a method 100 for controlling production, handling, packaging and/or conveying processes of containers with liquid or pasty products contained therein, in particular in connection with the operation of a system 10 according to 1A . The following description of essential system functionalities and the associated process aspects will therefore focus equally on the 1A and 1B Referenced.

The containers that are processed with the container treatment system 10 according to the invention using the method 100 are preferably closed containers with liquid or pasty products contained therein, in particular containers made of plastic, glass or metal. They are particularly preferably beverage containers in the form of bottles or cans.

The container treatment system 10 according to 1A can include a first system module 12, which is formed, for example, by a labeling module 14 or the like, into which previously filled containers are fed by means of a container inlet 16 in the transport direction TR (in 1A from left to right according to the direction of the arrow) in order to be labeled there. A transport section 18 with several parallel individual lanes 20, which are each separated from one another by lane plates 22 spaced apart in a defined manner and are sensibly spaced apart according to the container diameter, leads in the transport direction TR to a second system module 24 adjoining the first system module 12.

This second system module 24 can be formed, for example, by a grouping station 26, in which a defined number of containers 28, which are each indicated schematically in the transport lanes 20, are grouped in order to be packed in a subsequent third system module 30. So this can only be done here indicated third system module 30 can be formed, for example, by a packaging station 32, where the previously grouped containers 28 can be packaged in a suitable manner and further processed into packaging units, for example by equipping them with a packaging blank made of cardboard, by wrapping them with heat-shrinkable packaging film, by applying a strapping stretched around the containers 28 or by using other packaging materials or outer packaging not mentioned here.

If the third system module 30 formed by the packaging station 32 does not directly connect to the second system module 24 formed by the grouping station 26, there can also be a further transport section 34 between the two system modules 24 and 30, on which the grouped containers 28 can be transported in the transport direction TR be transported from the grouping station 26 to the packaging station 32. Additional system parts or modules can be connected to the third system module 30 or the packaging station 32, for example for palletizing the packaging units previously formed in the packaging station 32, but this is not shown in more detail here, since it is only a schematic representation of some modules that are to be understood as examples a container treatment plant 10 should act.

In the 1A several sensors 36 can be seen, each of which is arranged in the transport section 18 for sensory monitoring of the container transport within the transport lanes 20. According to 1 B In a first method step 101, the sensors 36 are used to determine whether there are faults in the monitored system area, here within the individual transport lanes 20 of the transport section 18. This process parameter, determined in the first method step 101, relates to the proper transport of the containers 28 within the transport section 18 can be recorded continuously or cyclically at recurring time intervals.

The process parameter or parameters can be determined, for example, by means of optical sensors 36, whereby these optical sensors 36 can advantageously be formed by cameras 38 assigned to the individual transport lanes 20 of the transport section 18 with downstream image evaluation, in order to prevent jams caused by jammed or fallen containers 28 can be seen within the individual transport lanes 20. The sensors 36 or cameras 38 each deliver image signal data 40 to a downstream evaluation device 42, which is responsible for the data evaluation of the image signal data 40 supplied.

According to the in 1B As shown in the sequence of the method 100 shown, in a second method step 102, the respectively determined process parameter in the form of the image signal data 40 supplied by the sensors 36 or the cameras is stored in the evaluation device 42 and processed in a third method step 103 by means of a data evaluation 44 implemented there.

In the data evaluation 44 carried out within the evaluation device 42 (cf. 1A) according to the third method step 103 (cf. 1B) the stored values of the image signal data 40 are evaluated with regard to a typical accumulation of deviations from defined target value ranges within defined time periods and/or in connection with previously made process modifications. As part of the evaluation of the stored values or image signal data 40, a number of detected overshoots or undershoots of the limit values specified by the respective setpoint ranges and/or an extent of the deviation from the respective setpoint range is determined in order to be able to recognize and, if necessary, rectify typical fault patterns .

If a defined number of deviations from the respective setpoint range is exceeded or if a deviation from the respective setpoint range exceeds a given extent or in the event of a combination of the deviations mentioned, an event is defined in a fourth method step 104 and from this a control parameter PM for process-influencing or process-changing control specifications generated in procedure 100. This control parameter PM is in the schematic representation of the 1A shown as a data arrow, which leads out of the evaluation device 42 and leads to the transport section 18, since there it can provide control data for an actuator (not shown here), for an adjustment device or the like, with the help of which a process-influencing measure can be taken, for example an adjustment process to adjust the width of the lane plates 22 or another suitable measure.

In the method 100 shown, it can optionally also be provided that the values or image signal data 40 determined by sensors in the first method step 101, which represent the at least one process parameter, are stored in a database within the evaluation device 42 and are continuously made available to the data evaluation 44.

This in 1B The error event defined in the fourth method step 104 can therefore be derived at any time from the data evaluation 44, with different target values being specified and/or the permitted number of deviations from the respective target value range can be varied as necessary.

In this way, with the method 100, a sensor-determined parameter value within the predetermined setpoint range can be correlated with an approximately trouble-free section of the respective production, handling, packaging and/or conveying process. In the exemplary embodiment shown according to 1A This section can be formed, for example, by the transport section 18, which is located between the first system module 12 and the second system module 24 of the container treatment system 10.

In addition, with the method 100, an accumulation of exceedances of the setpoint range that remains below a predetermined limit value can be correlated with a section of the respective production, handling, packaging and / or conveying process that runs smoothly and meets specified quality requirements, this section being here through the transport section 18 is formed, but can optionally also represent other areas of the system 10.

The processing of the event defined in the fourth method step 104 within the data evaluation 44 of the evaluation device 42 can take place in different ways. In a first variant of the method 100, it can be provided that the control parameter PM mentioned is derived from the defined event in the form of an error event, which leads to a stopping of at least the affected section of the respective production, handling, packaging and / or conveying process or the entire process of plant 10. Stopping the process in its entirety can be particularly useful in the case of critical parameter deviations or excessive deviations that make it no longer sensible to continue the process, for example because profound disruptions are to be expected or the serious consequences of the disruption must first be eliminated before the process can start again . This can be the case, for example, due to a blockage in one of the transport lanes 20 of the transport section 18 that cannot be easily remedied, so that complete container groupings can no longer be formed within the grouping station 26.

In a second variant of the method 100, it can be provided that at least one control parameter PM is derived from the defined event, from which process-influencing or process-changing control specifications for the method 100 are formed. Such control specifications can in particular initiate or bring about sensible corrections in the process flow, which can either contribute to maintaining the production, handling, packaging and/or conveying process in progress or to its improvement, i.e. to a reduction in the influence of disruptions or the susceptibility to disruptions.

An example of this already mentioned above can be the adjustment of the lane plates 22 by means of motorized adjustment. A further example of such a measure would be the use of the control parameters PM as control specifications for a removal robot (not shown here), which removes a fallen or jammed container 28 from the relevant transport lane 20 and ensures perfect transport in the transport direction TR within the previously faulty transport lane 20 can restore.

In a less invasive third variant of the method 100, it can also be provided that a control parameter PM is derived from the defined event in the form of an error event, which is at least stored and preferably visualized via a user interface such as a display device 46 or the like or in some other way is made accessible to a user. In this variant of the method 100, the error events can be processed and/or modified by the user in different ways before they are used as process-changing or process-influencing manipulated variables. This option, which can be understood as an alternative or supplement, is in 1A indicated by the broken data arrow between the evaluation device 42 and the display device 46.

Worth mentioning and in connection with the fourth method step 104 of in 1 B The method shown is the possibility not only of essentially detecting any process-influencing faults through sensory monitoring of the corresponding process sections and process phases (here the transport section 18), but also of collecting, storing and, furthermore, classifying these fault reports (image signal data 40). to gain further information and knowledge about the type of disorders, their severity and the likelihood of their recurring occurrence. The data evaluation 44 can suitably classify the disturbances that have occurred and are detected by sensors in the process flow and divide them into disturbances that occur due to wear or into atypical disturbances. Depending on the classification made, different options for action are available tion, which will be considered below using further exemplary embodiments.

The schematic view of the 2 shows a system section with a container feed 16 of a container treatment system 10, which, however, has different elements and modules than those previously shown in 1A shown appendix 10. The 3 shows a perspective view of a portion of the container feeder 16 according to 2 .

The container feed 16 includes a mass flow area 48 in which the containers 28 (cf. 1A) supplied in the mass flow and pushed into first wide transport lanes 20 in a first lane area 50, which here forms the first transport section 18. Within the first wide transport lanes 20, several containers 28 are moved at least partially side by side in the transport direction TR. In a second lane area 52, the containers are pushed into parallel individual lanes 54, with the containers 28 being transported in a row one behind the other in each individual lane 54.

The first lane area 20 and the second lane area 52 each include lane plates 22 which separate the individual lanes 20 and 52 from one another. The lane plates 22 are arranged hanging above a horizontal conveyor device 56, sensibly in a parallel arrangement to one another. The horizontal conveyor device 56, which is only indicated schematically here, can be formed, for example, by a conveyor belt or the like, which is suitable for the constant transport of containers in the transport direction TR, which is shown in the graphical representation 2 runs from left to right, after first entering system 10 from the top diagonally to the left and then pointing to the right.

The containers 28, which are now arranged in parallel rows, are then fed via a discharge area 58 for further processing, for example the packaging of groups of containers within a film wrapping module or similar. This means that the discharge area 58, which is in the top view of the drawing 2 located on the far right, optionally also correspond to the further transport section 34, which contains the containers 28 in the variant 1A transported to a packaging station 32.

Directly in the inlet frame of the subsequent packaging module 32 (cf. 1A) or according to 3 In the inlet frame of the discharge area 58 or the further transport section 34 to the subsequent packaging module 32 or at another suitable location, the position of the containers 28 is detected, preferably by means of optical sensors 36. In the exemplary embodiment shown 3 This sensory detection is carried out by vertically acting distance sensors 60, which are each the optical sensors 36 (cf. 1A) form. For example, it can be provided that individual distance sensors 60 each work with light beams acting vertically downwards, which interact with the containers 28 transported underneath. Such a light beam from a distance sensor 60 is shown in the schematic perspective view 3 shown as an example by an arrow. The further light beams from the remaining distance sensors 60 would be identified by parallel arrows, which, however, have been omitted in the interests of better clarity of the illustration.

The ones from the optical sensors 36 or the distance sensors 60 as part of the first method step 101 (cf. 1B) determined image signal data 40 (cf. 1A) will be in the in 1B illustrated second method step 102 is transmitted to the evaluation device 42, which at the same time forms a control unit. The evaluation device 42 or control unit arranges as part of the third method step 103 (cf. 1B) a determined fault in a respective individual alley 54.

The determined data or process parameters can in particular be stored in a database assigned to the evaluation device 42 and continuously made available to the previously explained data evaluation 44 by the evaluation device 42 or the control unit referred to here.

As part of the evaluation of the image signal data 40 transmitted from the multiple distance sensors 60 to the evaluation device 42, it is recorded in particular when a disruptive event occurs in a specific individual alley 54 (cf. 3 ) or in one of the transport lanes 20 (cf. 1A) occurs frequently. As has already been explained previously, one reason for this can be found, for example, in an incorrect setting of the lane width due to incorrect positioning of the lane plates 22.

As part of the fourth method step 104, for example, information is generated as an event that provides an indication that the aisle setting of a specific individual aisle 54 or 20 needs to be checked. In particular, the event is derived from the data evaluation 44. According to one embodiment, it can be provided that an output is made on a display device 46, which can optionally be equipped with a graphical user interface 62 or similar in order to be able to visualize the data for a user and to allow the user to make user input. In addition, the information can also be coupled with an acoustic signal output.

In contrast to the conventionally unavoidable machine stop, if errors occur, a recommendation can be issued to check the settings within the container treatment system 10 more closely. In particular, a recommendation is issued to the user by means of the display device 46 and the graphical user interface 62 as to which areas within the container treatment system 10 and/or which settings should be checked in more detail and at which point.

Furthermore, it can happen that the error messages relating to a specific lane 20 or 54 noticeably accumulate over a longer period of operation. Such a noticeable accumulation can indicate wear on a component within this alley 20 or 54, for example wear on an alley plate 22 or on rollers of a roller conveyor belt or the mat chain within the alley area 50, so that a defective or faulty horizontal conveyor 56 can be concluded can be.

As part of the fourth method step 104, for example, information is generated as an event that provides an indication that the components within the specific individual aisle 20 or 54 are being checked and, if necessary, must be replaced.

The data collected in the evaluation device 42 and analyzed using the data evaluation 44 can also be used to optimize the design, in particular by comparing it with a database that provides predefined settings.

The diagram of the 4 illustrates an embodiment of the use of the above-described method 100, which is already based on 1B was shown. Here, the time plotted and measured from the times t(0) to t(1) in the vertical direction from top to bottom represents a predefined period of time.

As part of the above-described method 100, various process parameters are detected by sensors in the manner described, stored continuously or cyclically at recurring time intervals and stored by means of a data evaluation 44 (cf. 1A and 3 ) processed. From this, events are defined in the form of error messages “Error 1”, “Error 2” and “Error 3” and displayed on a graphical user interface 62. In addition, each error message is assigned a priority. If an error occurs a first time within the predefined time period between t(0) and t(1), then this error receives priority 1. If the error occurs a second time within the predefined time period, then it receives priority 2. At The third occurrence within the predefined time period between t(0) and t(1), the priority increases to 3, which can be continued with further priority levels.

Each error message (Error 1, Error 2, Error 3) can also be assigned an additional weighting. It may be the case that error message 3 in connection with a priority 3 triggers an automated error correction, while, for example, an error message 1 in connection with a priority 2 already triggers an alarm message, for example a wear warning, an instruction for a functional test or similar can.

For example, it may make sense to set a day as the time period t(0) to t(1), i.e. a period of time totaling 24 hours, with this day also being divided into three shifts S1 to S3, each of these shifts being S1, S2 and S3 each last eight hours. The additional prioritization allows an accumulation of certain error messages to be detected more quickly.

In addition to the data evaluation described, numerous other variants of sensor data processing and error analysis are conceivable, although not all of them can be described here.

The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications or changes may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the following claims.

Reference symbol list

10

Container treatment plant, plant

12

first system module

14

Labeling module

16

Container feed, container inlet

18

Transport section, first transport section

20

Transport alley, single alley, wide alley, wide transport alley

22

Alley plate, divider plate

24

second system module

26

Grouping station

28

Containers, items, beverage containers

30

third system module

32

Packaging station, packaging module

34

another transport section

36

Sensor, optical sensor

38

Camera, camera system

40

Sensor data, image signal data

42

Evaluation device, control unit

44

Data evaluation

46

Display device

48

Mass flow range

50

first alley area

52

second alley area

54

Single alley

56

Horizontal conveyor device

58

Feed area

60

Distance sensor

62

Graphical user interface

100

Proceedings

101

first step of the process

102

second procedural step

103

third step of the process

104

fourth step of the process

PM

Control parameters

S1

first layer

S2

second layer

S3

third layer

TR

Transport direction

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102020120336 A1 [0004]

Claims (18)

Method (100) for controlling production, handling, packaging and/or conveying processes of containers (28) with liquid or pasty products contained therein, in which at least one process parameter is determined by sensors, which indicates a disruption of at least parts of the processes indicates, - wherein sensor-determined values of the at least one process parameter are stored continuously or cyclically at recurring time intervals and processed by means of a data evaluation (44), - whereby the stored values are evaluated with regard to an accumulation of deviations from defined target value ranges within defined periods of time and/or in connection with previously made process modifications, - whereby the evaluation of the stored values determines a number of detected overshoots or undershoots of the limit values specified by the respective setpoint ranges and/or an extent of the deviation from the respective setpoint range, - and whereby if a defined number of deviations from the respective setpoint range is exceeded or if a deviation from the respective setpoint range exceeds a given extent or in the case of a combination of the deviations mentioned, an error event is defined and from this a control parameter (PM) for process-influencing or process-changing control specifications is defined Method (100) is generated. Procedure according to Claim 1 , in which the defined and/or derived error event is a wear-indicating error event that is based on or is related to wear-related process changes and/or wear-related machine settings. Procedure according to Claim 2 , in which an error event that changes over a defined period of time and is processed as a wear-indicating error event is evaluated with regard to a likely expected running time or remaining running time. Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , where the defined and/or derived error event is an error event that is based on or is related to incorrect machine settings. Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 4 , in which the sensor-determined values of the at least one process parameter (PM) are stored in a database and continuously made available to the data evaluation (44). Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 5 , in which a sensor-determined parameter value within the specified setpoint range is correlated with an approximately trouble-free section of the respective production, handling, packaging and/or conveying process. Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 6 , in which an accumulation of exceedances of the setpoint range that remains below a predetermined limit value is correlated with a section of the respective production, handling, packaging and/or conveying process that runs smoothly and meets predetermined quality requirements. Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 7 , in which a control command is generated from the defined error event and/or derived from the sensor-determined parameter values, which brings about a stopping of at least the affected section of the respective production, handling, packaging and/or conveying process or the entire process. Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 7 , in which at least one control command is derived from the defined error event, from which process-influencing or process-changing control specifications for the method are formed. Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 7 , in which an error event is derived from the defined event, which is at least saved and visualized via a user interface or otherwise made accessible to a user. Procedure according to Claim 9 or 10 , in which the process-influencing or process-changing control specifications act on at least one actuator, which acts on the affected section of the respective production, handling, packaging and / or conveying process and changes a process parameter. Procedure according to Claim 11 , in which the control specifications for the method (100) derived from the derived control command reduce the extent to which the defined number of deviations of the parameter values from the respective setpoint range is exceeded. Procedure according to Claim 11 or 12 , in which the control specifications for the method (100) derived from the derived control command reduce the extent of the deviations of the parameter values from the respective setpoint range. System (10) or container treatment system (10) for the production, filling, handling, packaging and/or conveying of containers (28) with liquid or pasty products contained therein, which system (28) with at least one sensor (36) for determining at least one Process parameters are equipped for system control, and wherein the at least one sensor (36) is assigned to a transport section (18) and/or a system module (12, 24, 30) of the container treatment system (10), and/or wherein at least one further sensor (36 ) is assigned to a further transport area (34) and/or another system module (30, 24) of the system (10), and wherein the system (10) comprises an evaluation device (42), which evaluation device (42) is prepared and equipped for this purpose is to record, process, evaluate and compare the signal data (40) of the at least one sensor (36) and/or further signal data of the further sensor (36) and thereby characteristic parameters of the containers (28) processing and/or packaging To determine system modules (12, 24, 30) and/or the transport sections (18, 34) on which the containers (28) are transported. Plant according to Claim 14 , in which the at least one sensor (36) is formed by an optically operating distance sensor (60). Plant according to Claim 14 , in which the at least one sensor (36) is formed by a camera system with downstream image evaluation. Plant according to one of the Claims 14 until 16 , in which the evaluation device (42) is prepared and equipped for processing the sensor signal data (40), and in which the evaluation device (42) has at least one control parameter (PM) dependent on the sensor signal data (40) for influencing conveying processes in the area of the transport sections ( 18) or (34), in particular while reducing the errors in the conveying processes. Plant according to one of the Claims 14 until 17 , in which the evaluation device (42) is prepared and equipped for processing the sensor signal data (40), and in which the evaluation device (42) has at least one control parameter (PM) dependent on the sensor signal data (40) for influencing processing, handling and / or packaging processes within the system modules (12, 24, 30), in particular while reducing the error of the conveying processes.

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