EP1547952B1 - Control system for the collation of flexible products - Google Patents

Abstract

A stream of fault/faultless collection (20) of flexible products (10, 10.1-10.5) gathered from supplying stream, are conveyed to a processing which determines that the collection is faultless when the collection satisfies predetermined quantity of individual products. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) computer program system for controlling installation for gathering flexible individual products; (2) data carrier for storing installation control program for gathering flexible individual products; and (3) control system for controlling installation for gathering flexible individual products.

Description

The invention relates to the field of conveying and handling of objects, in particular printed products and additional products. It relates to a method, a computer program system and a control device for controlling a device for collecting flexible individual products according to the preamble of the corresponding independent claims.

When compiling products in the printing industry, a given selection of products is combined into one collection and this collection is further processed. For example, saddle stitchers for magazines, insert drums for newspapers and other gathering machines are used in bookbinding. For example, a collection consists of the following individual products: a magazine, several advertising brochures, a flat-packed toy supplement and an individualized address sheet. The further processing is for example a foliation of the collections.

The individual products or partial products are typically flexible, flat and / or thin, and are directed by associated delivery means into a gathering machine and there is formed, for example, by stacking the individual products on a timed product stream a collection. According to the prior art, error-free operation of the supply means is of great importance, so that all collections have the correct composition, ie receive all required partial products. In order to ensure this, it is monitored, for example, whether a particular delivery means is functioning correctly, in particular whether it actually adds a single product to the collection at a certain time. If this is not the case, the incomplete collection is eliminated or removed before further processing. If several individual products are not delivered repeatedly, the gathering machine may be shut down and reset. Alternatively, for a primary supply means with important or critical individual products, a backup supply means may also be provided, which introduces the missing individual product in the event of a temporary failure of the primary supply means. Thus, a high quality of the collections is guaranteed, but this requires a high mechanical complexity, a slowed down production, or a high cost for the processing of discharged collections.

For non-critical individual products can be dispensed with a control. However, it is accepted that one or more individual products are not present in an unknown and uncontrollable number of collections.

• in einem "normalen" Modus wird ein fehlerhaftes Papierbündel im Ausgangsfach ebenso wie fehlerfreie Bündel abgelegt, jedoch in einer verschobenen Lage.
• in einem "sort" Modus wird ein fehlerhaftes Papierbündel ausgeschleust.

In dem Sinne, dass im ersten Modus die fehlerhaften Papierbündel zusammen mit den fehlerfreien abgelegt werden, findet vorerst eine Gleichbehandlung statt. Dass die Ablage jedoch versetzt geschieht, stellt wiederum keine Gleichbehandlung dar.EP 1072 550 A shows a sorting unit for a copying machine. Errors do not interrupt the copying process, but instead

• in a "normal" mode, a faulty bundle of paper is deposited in the exit pocket as well as faultless bundles, but in a shifted position.
• in a "sort" mode, a defective paper bundle is ejected.

In the sense that in the first mode, the defective paper bundles are stored together with the error-free, for the time being equal treatment takes place. However, the fact that the filing is staggered again does not represent equal treatment.

US 4,072,304 discloses a collating apparatus in which faulty bundles are treated in the same way as error-free in accordance with a preset operating mode ("run / reject" or "cycle / stop"), similar to EP 1 072 550, or the device is stopped.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method, a computer program system and a control device for controlling a device for collating flexible individual products of the type mentioned, which overcomes the disadvantages mentioned above.

Another object of the invention is to provide a way to adapt the production of collections as flexibly and accurately as possible to predetermined quality requirements. In this case, the technical effort, and additional work should be optimally adapted to the quality requirements.

This object is achieved by a method, a computer program system and a control device for controlling a device for collecting flexible individual products with the features of the corresponding independent patent claims.

• Ein Zuführungsfehler bezüglich eines Einzelprodukttyps tritt auf, wenn ein Zuführmittel für diesen Einzelprodukttyp ein fehlerhaftes Einzelprodukt liefert. "Fehlerhaft" bedeutet beispielsweise ein fehlendes, ein mehrfach geliefertes oder ein schadhaft geliefertes Einzelprodukt. Ein Zuführungsfehler wird vorzugsweise am entsprechenden Zuführmittel detektiert, kann im Prinzip aber auch durch geeignete Erfassungsmittel an einer stromabwärts liegenden Stelle an einer teilweise oder ganz zusammengestellten Kollektion bestimmt werden. Ein Zuführungsfehler wird vorzugsweise einer bestimmten mitlaufenden Position im getakteten Produktestrom und damit auch einer Kollektion zugeordnet. Eine Kollektion kann auch mehrere Zuführungsfehler entsprechend mehreren fehlerhaften Einzelprodukten der Kollektion aufweisen respektive zugeordnet haben.
• Eine fehlerfreie Kollektion weist keinen Zuführungsfehler auf.
• Eine fehlerhafte Kollektion weist mindestens einen Zuführungsfehler auf, ist also bezüglich mindestens eines Einzelprodukttyps fehlerhaft.
• Eine tolerierte fehlerhafte Kollektion ist fehlerhaft, wird jedoch behandelt wie wenn sie fehlerfrei wäre. Das heisst, sie wird in der weiteren Verarbeitung wie eine fehlerfreie Kollektion verarbeitet.
• Eine nichttolerierte fehlerhafte Kollektion ist fehlerhaft und wird einer Fehlerbehandlung zugeführt. Das heisst, sie wird in der weiteren Verarbeitung beispielsweise ausgeschleust, zerlegt, markiert oder ergänzt.
• Die gesamte Menge der fehlerfreien Kollektionen und der tolerierten fehlerhaften Kollektionen wird als Menge der als fehlerfrei betrachteten Kollektionen bezeichnet.

In the context of the invention, the following terms are used:

• A feed error with respect to a single product type occurs when a feed means for that single product type provides a faulty single product. "Defective" means, for example, a missing, a multiple delivered or a defective delivered individual product. A delivery error is preferably detected at the corresponding delivery means, but in principle may also be determined by suitable acquisition means at a downstream location on a partially or wholly assembled collection. A feed error is preferably associated with a particular tracking position in the timed product stream and thus also a collection. A collection may also have multiple supply errors corresponding to several defective individual products of the collection, respectively associated with them.
• An error-free collection has no feed error .
• A faulty collection has at least one feeder error , ie it is faulty with regard to at least one single product type.
• A tolerated defective collection is flawed, but treated as if it were flawless. This means that it is processed in the further processing like a flawless collection.
• A non-tolerated defective collection is faulty and is subjected to error handling. This means, for example, that it is removed, disassembled, marked or supplemented during further processing.
• The total quantity of the faultless collections and the tolerated faulty collections are referred to as the set of collections considered faultless .

Thus, a collating machine is controlled in which a stream of collections can be formed from supplied streams per one type of individual product and fed to a downstream further processing. Each collection consists of a given set of individual products of different types, usually one copy of each type included in the collection. In this case, faulty collections, in which there is a feeding error with respect to one or more individual products, conditionally treated as error-free collections. They are preferably supplied to an error treatment only when a proportion of the defective collections exceeds a certain reference mass.

This fraction is defined either as an absolute error number or relative to a total of individual products or collections. The reference quantity is specified, for example, by an operator or is calculated in the controller, wherein it can also be changed dynamically during production. A single product from the point of view of the collation described above can itself be a collection from a previous collation.

The invention has the advantage that it allows a predetermined maximum proportion of faulty collections or feed errors to be determined in advance, and if necessary to change during operation. It can be guaranteed with respect to each individual product type or even certain error combinations, a maximum error rate or a maximum error rate.

Another advantage is that this fraction of error can be fully exploited, thereby maximizing the net output of the plant. Only if the actual error share has reached the specified level does error handling take place for faulty collections. From that point on, only flawless collections will be treated as flawless.

The further processing corresponds to a desired normal operation and is for example a filming, stapling, binding, stapling, strapping or other packaging.

The error handling means that a defective collection is processed separately immediately after the collation or at another point in the further processing. For this a collection can be marked. This can be done physically by attaching a mark, or computer technically, for example, by having a data record associated with the collection having information regarding one or more feed errors of the collection. It can also be triggered after a detected feed error downstream discharge with a corresponding delay.

The separate processing is preferably a removal and / or addition of faulty collections and / or a return of faulty collections in the device for gathering. For example, faulty collections are discharged into a slower running conveyor, manually supplemented or corrected and then introduced back into the main stream. Or else rejected collections are led to the beginning of the gathering machine and automatically supplemented by a missing single product. For this purpose, a control system registers where and in which composition each collection is located, and controls the system accordingly. Alternatively, rejected collections can return to theirs Disassembled individual products and these individual products are introduced into a memory of the respective feed.

As a rule, the given quantity of individual product types is the same for a large number of collections produced one after the other. This quantity is a subset of the deliverable single product types, or the total amount of all individual product types. However, it is also possible that the quantity is changed during a production run or order, for example if certain advertising leaflets are attached to a partial edition of a magazine or newspaper depending on a delivery area.

1. 1. erste Betriebsart: keine Fehlererfassung ("ausgeschaltet"): es wird keine Erfassung von Zuführungsfehlem durchgeführt, oder entsprechende Sensorsignale werden auf der vorliegenden Verarbeitungsstufe ignoriert. Damit ist es beispielsweise möglich, defekte Sensoren zu ignorieren, so dass die Produktion nicht aufgehalten werden muss.
2. 2. zweite Betriebsart: keine Fehlerkorrektur ("nicht überwacht"): Zuführungsfehler werden detektiert und gezählt. Fehler in den Kollektionen werden zugelassen, fehlerhafte Kollektionen werden als korrekt respektive fehlerfrei betrachtet und entsprechend weiterverarbeitet. Dies schliesst jedoch nicht aus, dass Sensorsignale auf einer anderen Verarbeitungsstufe sehr wohl verwendet werden: Beispielsweise können mehrere aufeinanderfolgende Zuführungsfehler in einer Zuführeinheit zu einem Alarmsignal bezüglich dieser Zuführeinheit führen und/oder einen Stopp der Produktion auslösen.
3. 3. dritte Betriebsart: mit Fehlerkorrektur ("überwacht"): fehlerhafte Kollektionen, werden nicht als korrekt respektive fehlerfrei betrachtet und der Fehlerbehandlung zugeführt.

If, as will be described below, an actual error pass exceeds a reference error pass or if an error rate exceeds a threshold, the production is automatically switched to another mode. This happens depending on a given monitoring level. Overall, the following operating modes are used:

1. 1. first mode: no error detection ("off"): no detection of supply error is performed, or corresponding sensor signals are ignored at the present processing stage. This makes it possible, for example, to ignore defective sensors, so that the production does not have to be stopped.
2. 2. second mode: no error correction ("not monitored"): feed errors are detected and counted. Errors in the collections are allowed, faulty collections are considered correct or error-free and further processed accordingly. However, this does not rule out that sensor signals are very well used at a different processing stage: For example, several successive feed errors in a feed unit may result in an alarm signal with respect to that feed unit and / or trigger a stop to production.
3. 3. third mode: with error correction ("monitored") : faulty collections, are not considered correct or error-free and fed to the error handling.

• Stufe 0: dauernd in der ersten Betriebsart.
• Stufe 1: dauernd in der zweiten Betriebsart.
• Stufe 2: automatische Umschaltung und Wechsel zwischen der zweiten und dritten Betriebsart: Dazu werden fehlerhafte Einzelprodukte detektiert und gezählt. Es wird, wie weiter unten beschrieben, die Fehlerzahl mit einem Schwellwert in Beziehung gesetzt. Solange keine Schwellwertüberschreitung respektive Referenz-Mass-Überschreitung stattfindet, wird gemäss der zweiten Betriebsart verfahren. Bei einer Überschreitung wird in die dritte Betriebsart umgeschaltet.
• Stufe 3: dauernd in der dritten Betriebsart.

These operating modes are activated according to the following monitoring levels:

• Level 0: permanently in the first operating mode.
• Stage 1: permanently in the second mode.
• Level 2: automatic switching and change between the second and third operating modes: For this purpose, faulty individual products are detected and counted. As will be described below, the error number is related to a threshold. As long as there is no exceeding of the threshold value or reference mass overrun, the procedure is repeated according to the second operating mode. If exceeded, the system switches to the third operating mode.
• Stage 3: permanently in the third mode.

• für einen ersten Einzelprodukttyp ein erster Schwellwert (entsprechend der oben definierten Fehlerquote) von 5%;
• für einen zweites Einzelprodukttyp ein zweiter Schwellwert von 10%; und
• für einen dritten Einzelprodukttyp eine vollständige Fehlerkorrektur (gleichbedeutend einem Schwellwert von Null) vorgegeben werden kann; und
• für einen vierten Einzelprodukttyp keine Fehler erfasst werden.

Somit kann sich das System bezüglich verschiedenen Einzelprodukttypen auf verschiedenen Überwachungsstufen und in verschiedenen Betriebsarten befinden. Im obigen Beispiel befindet sich das System bezüglich des vierten Einzelprodukttyps dauernd in der ersten Betriebsart, bezüglich des dritten Einzelprodukttyps dauernd in der dritten Betriebsart, und kann bezüglich des ersten und - unabhängig davon - des zweiten Einzelprodukttyps jeweils zwischen der zweiten und der dritten Betriebsart wechseln.The above-described determination specification of the monitoring level, the proportion of faulty collections, the changeover of the operating mode, etc ... done in a preferred variant of the invention individually, in parallel and independently for each individual product type. That means, for example

• for a first single product type, a first threshold (corresponding to the error rate defined above) of 5%;
• for a second single product type, a second threshold of 10%; and
• for a third individual product type, a complete error correction (equivalent to a threshold value of zero) can be specified; and
• no errors are detected for a fourth single product type.

Thus, the system may be at different levels of monitoring and operating modes with respect to different types of individual products. in the In the above example, the system is always in the first mode with respect to the fourth single product type, and always in the third mode with respect to the third single product type, and can alternate between the second and third modes with respect to the first and, independently, the second single product type.

There are many possibilities for determining the proportion of defective collections and the reference mass. The proportion is, as the case may be, an absolute number of errors in the feeder or downstream for further processing passed collections, or a relative error number, i. based on a total number of generated or forwarded collections. It is preferably a measure of a measured number of errors, or an actual error pass, according to a continuously determined during production number of defective individual products, continuously calculated and compared with a predetermined reference Mass.

• alle als fehlerfrei betrachteten Kollektionen, also auch diejenigen, bei denen ein fehlerhaftes Einzelprodukt toleriert wurde ("Auftragszähler"), oder
• nur diejenigen als fehlerfrei betrachteten Kollektionen, die tatsächlich das bestimmte Einzelprodukt ohne Zuführungsfehler aufweisen ("Einzelproduktzähler").

Mathematisch äquivalent zum Vergleich mit dem Referenz-Mass ist, fortlaufend eine Fehlerquote respektive einen Quotienten von (Anzahl der als fehlerfrei betrachteten Kollektionen mit einem Zuführungsfehler bezüglich eines bestimmten Einzelprodukttyps) / (Anzahl bisher produzierter Kollektionen) zu berechnen, und diesen Quotienten mit einem Schwellwert zu vergleichen.In a first preferred variant of the invention, the actual error measure is a number of the collections considered to be free of defects with a feed error with respect to a specific individual product type, and the reference mass is proportional to a number of previously produced collections; is thus calculated continuously. The number of previously produced collections includes either

• all collections regarded as faultless, including those for which a faulty individual product was tolerated ("order counter"), or
• only those collections considered as faultless that actually have the particular single product without feed errors ("single product counter").

Mathematically equivalent to the comparison with the reference mass is continuously an error rate or a quotient of (number of considered as error-free Collections with a feed error with respect to a particular single product type) / (number of previously produced collections) and to compare this quotient with a threshold value.

This first variant causes errors in a mediocre machine to spread over a production run or job. When the machine is running well, a supply of allowable errors may build up, possibly allowing for a high number of close-by faults towards the end of production.

In a second preferred variant of the invention, the actual error pass is a number of the collections regarded as error-free with a feed error with respect to a specific individual product type, and the reference mass is a constant number of permissible errors. This causes a high number of errors to be allowed at the beginning of a production run. This can be an advantage, since at the beginning the machines may not run optimally and still a high production output is possible. Whether the accumulation of errors at the beginning of production is a disadvantage or can be tolerated depends on the type of product.

In a modification of the second preferred variant, a reference error pass is specified with respect to a subset of an entire order quantity, and the actual error pass is also added up only for a subset. For example, errors in a running time window are counted ("moving average"), or an error counter for the number of defective copies is periodically set to zero, which corresponds to a sequence of time windows, each with a separate error count. This ensures that faulty collections are distributed evenly over the entire order quantity.

In a further preferred variant of the invention, not only errors with respect to individual product types are detected independently of other individual product types and used to control the system, but also predefined, combined errors are detected. For example, it can be predefined that one or two supplements or individual product types can each be faulty (in the context of a reference mass individually defined for each individual product type), but in no case should both be faulty. A higher-level controller detects the error messages transmitted by the individual delivery means relating to each collection. If an inadmissible combination of faulty individual products occurs, the collection is rejected. This type of definition and detection of combined errors can be combined with one of the various types of error analysis regarding mode of operation, reference mass, etc.

In another variant of such an overall view of a collection, if a particular single product is missing, a second individual product is intentionally not added to the collection. This is conceivable if the individual products do not necessarily have to be present, but complement each other in content and only make sense if both are available. It goes without saying that the second single product of the collection is fed downstream from the first.

For the method described so far but at the same time substantially independently used are methods for monitoring a single Zuführmittels. For example, repeated delivery errors or a jam can lead to the delivery device and / or the entire gathering device being switched off. Equally applicable are methods and arrangements in which a single product type is alternately supplied ("split") by two feeders, and / or in the event of failure of a first feed means, a downstream second feed means for the same single product type "backup". from From the point of view of the inventive method, the two feed means can be considered as a single feed means.

In the previous description, particular attention has been given to the production of collections which all have the same desired composition. With correspondingly defined actual and reference parameters, the invention is also applicable to production with individualized collections. The given quantity of individual products of the different types is therefore individually predetermined and variable for each collection. The only prerequisite is that a certain number of errors is allowed for at least one individual product type. Only if or as long as an actual detected number of errors exceeds a threshold will error handling or correction be activated or allowed for separate processing.

The control device preferably has memory means with computer program code means stored therein, which describe a computer program, and data processing means for the execution of the computer program, the execution of the computer program leading to the execution of the method according to the invention.

A computer program system for controlling a device for collecting flexible individual products according to the invention comprises one or more computer programs, each of which can be loaded into an internal memory of one or more digital data processing units of the control device, and computer program code means which, when executed in a digital data processing unit will bring them to carry out the inventive method. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a computer program product comprises a data carrier, respectively computer readable medium on which the computer program code means are stored.

Further preferred embodiments emerge from the dependent claims.

Figur 1

schematisch eine Struktur einer Einrichtung zum Zusammentragen mit daran angeschlossenen Einrichtungen;

Figuren 2 bis 6

verschiedene Verläufe von charakteristischen Variablen der Steuerung gemäss der Erfindung; und

Figur 7

ein Beispiel für eine graphische Ausgabe von charakteristischen Werten der Steuerung.

In the following, the subject invention will be explained in more detail with reference to preferred embodiments, which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Show it:

FIG. 1

schematically a structure of a device for collating with devices connected thereto;

FIGS. 2 to 6

different courses of characteristic variables of the control according to the invention; and

FIG. 7

an example of a graphical output of characteristic values of the controller.

The reference numerals used in the drawings and their meaning are listed in the list of reference numerals. Basically, the same parts are provided with the same reference numerals in the figures.

Figure 1 shows schematically a structure of a device for collating with devices connected thereto. In the following, a combination of a collecting means 4 with a discharge 5 and a plurality of feeding means or feeding means 7 - referred to in detail by 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4 and 7.5 - considered as a device for gathering 1. The collecting means 4 is a conveying means for collections, such as a drum or a linear system, such as a collecting chain or collecting track 4, which are formed by collating, inserting, collecting, etc. The feeding devices 7 are for Introducing individual products arranged in the collecting means 4 and have, inter alia, each sensors with associated evaluation means for error detection 8, in detail denoted by 8.1 to 8.5. Results of the error detections 8 can be transmitted to a control unit 9 via communication links 91, for example a field bus. This transmission can be done directly or via a local control device of the respective feed device 7. The control unit 9 is set up, inter alia, for controlling 92 of the discharge 5, and optionally also for controlling 93 of the feeders 7. This activation 93 can be done physically via the same fieldbus as the transmission of the error detection. The control unit 9 has a graphical user interface 94 for inputting operating parameters and for displaying and monitoring characteristic values of the control during a production run. One or more graphical user interfaces 94 are implemented at an operating device of the control unit 9 or in a remote computer. The control unit may be internally structured and have a plurality of spatially distributed units 95, 96. By the control unit 9 or by the evaluation of the sensors 8 alarm means are controlled.

By means of the feed devices 7, individual products 10, with reference to the respective feed device 7.1,... 7.5, respectively designated 10.1,... 10.5, are brought together on the collecting means 4 to form collections 20. Optionally, a first individual product 10.0 is already supplied to the collecting means 4 by an upstream supply of a basic product or main product 2, for example a printing press. The finished collections 20 are delivered downstream to a further processing 3, for example, a foil, packaging, inserter, etc.

The discharge 5 leads discharged products or collections 20 to a separate processing 6, in which the collections 20, for example manually replenished or disassembled again into individual products 10. Excavated collections 20 are non-tolerated faulty collections, ie those that are considered "incorrect". Those fed to the further processing 3 are tolerated defective collection, so they are considered "correct", even if they are faulty. Instead of discharging non-tolerant defective collections, in another embodiment of the invention an error treatment may also occur in the course of further processing 3.

FIG. 1 shows by way of example for each of the feed devices 7 an associated indication of a tolerated percentage of error in percent. For the first single product type 10.1 from the first feeder 7.1 an error rate of 3% is specified. The second and third feeders 7.2, 7.3 provide the same single product type and operate in split and / or backup mode. For the second individual product type 10.2 and the thus identical third individual product type 10.3, a common error proportion of 0% is specified, ie no errors are tolerated. No value is specified for the fourth individual product type 10.4, ie the number of errors is either only detected or even the acquisition is switched off.

1. 1. erste Betriebsart: keine Fehlererfassung, respektive ausgeschaltete Fehlererfassung.
2. 2. zweite Betriebsart: keine Fehlerkorrektur ("nicht überwacht"): fehlerhafte Einzelprodukte werden detektiert und gezählt, Fehler aber ignoriert.
3. 3. dritte Betriebsart: mit Fehlerkorrektur ("überwacht"): Kollektionen, bei denen ein Einzelprodukt fehlt, werden gesondert verarbeitet.

Accordingly, each of the feed devices 7 or their control has one of the following operating states or operating modes:

1. 1. first operating mode: no error detection, or fault detection switched off.
2. Second mode: no error correction ("not monitored"): faulty individual products are detected and counted, but errors are ignored.
3. 3. third operating mode: with error correction ("monitored"): Collections in which a single product is missing are processed separately.

• Stufe 0: dauernd in der ersten Betriebsart.
• Stufe 1: dauernd in der zweiten Betriebsart.
• Stufe 2: entsprechend einer automatischen Umschaltung in der zweiten oder dritten Betriebsart: Dazu werden fehlerhafte Einzelprodukte detektiert und gezählt und die Fehlerzahl mit einem Schwellwert in Beziehung gesetzt. Dementsprechend wird zwischen der zweiten und dritten Betriebsart umgeschaltet.
• Stufe 3: dauernd in der dritten Betriebsart.

The operating states are activated according to a preset monitoring level: The control is located at ...

• Level 0: permanently in the first operating mode.
• Stage 1: permanently in the second mode.
• Level 2: corresponding to an automatic changeover in the second or third operating mode: For this purpose, faulty individual products are detected and counted and the error number is related to a threshold value. Accordingly, switching is made between the second and third modes.
• Stage 3: permanently in the third mode.

Figures 2 to 6 show to explain the inventive method different courses of characteristic variables of the control at the monitoring stage 2. Figure 2 shows , for a particular feeder 7 for a single product type the course of different counters over the time t and a clock sequence k along the horizontal Axis.

• In der dritten Betriebsart ("überwacht") muss ein Einzelprodukt 10 fehlerfrei vorhanden sein, damit die Kollektion 20 als korrekt behandelt wird.
• In den anderen Betriebsarten wird eine Kollektion 20 auch als korrekt betrachtet, wenn das Einzelprodukt 10 fehlerhaft ist, insbesondere wenn es fehlt.
• Pro Einzelprodukttyp wird ein Einzelproduktzähler Ze geführt. Der Einzelproduktzähler Ze wird mit jedem fehlerfreien Einzelprodukt 10, das in einer korrekten Kollektion 20 vorhanden ist, um eins hoch gezählt (dies bedeutet u.a., dass der Einzelproduktzähler Ze bei einer Kollektion 20, die wegen eines Fehlers bezüglich eines anderen Einzelprodukttyps nicht korrekt ist, nicht hochgezählt wird),
• Pro Einzelprodukttyp wird ein Fehlerzähler Zf geführt. Mit jedem Einzelprodukt 10, das in einer korrekten Kollektion 20 fehlerhaft ist, wird der Fehlerzähler Zf um eins hoch gezählt.

Several meters are run for each individual product type and updated according to the operating mode and based on measurements of the assigned error detection 8:

• In the third mode ("supervised"), a single product 10 must be present without error in order for the collection 20 to be treated as correct.
• In the other modes, a collection 20 is also considered correct if the individual product 10 is faulty, especially if it is missing.
• For each individual product type, a single product counter Ze is led. The individual product counter Ze is counted up by one with each defect-free individual product 10 present in a correct collection 20 (this means, inter alia, that the individual product counter Ze is not in a collection 20 that is incorrect due to a defect with respect to another single product type is counted up),
• For each individual product type, an error counter Zf is maintained. With each individual product 10 that is faulty in a correct collection 20, the error counter Zf is counted up by one.

So long as the number of errors according to a predetermined criterion is tolerable, collections 20, in which the individual product 10 is faulty, are not rejected, but regarded as correct and supplied to the further processing 3, and an order counter Za is incremented. Only if a collection is regarded as incorrect and fed to an error handling, that is, for example, discharged (indicated by X), the job counter Za is not incremented and falls behind the production cycle. The respective operating mode B is designated II or III in FIG.

FIG. 3 illustrates the error analysis with an absolute error threshold rising during production. Along the horizontal axis, the value of the individual product counter Ze is plotted. Corresponding to Ze, an absolute threshold value 11, that is to say a threshold value which relates to an absolute number of errors Zf, runs according to the permissible error component. By way of example, a course for an error component or an error rate of 2% with respect to Ze is shown. At the beginning of production, the counters for Ze and Zf are zeroed. The threshold value 11 is adjusted in proportion to Ze. As long as the error counter Zf is below the threshold 11, according to the second operating mode, collections 20 with defective individual products 10 are not rejected. As soon as Zf exceeds the threshold 11, according to the third operating mode, such collections 20 are discharged. With rising Ze Zf will again fall below the threshold and will be switched back to the second mode. This switching between the second and third modes can be done several times during production.

In this course of the absolute threshold value 11 proportional to the individual product counter Ze can happen that the permissible error component is not exhausted, since experience has shown that errors frequently occur at the beginning of production. Since the threshold 11 is low at the beginning, these errors are rejected. In the case of the remaining production and with the machine running well, the error counter may still remain. always below the threshold 11 back. The net output over the whole production is thus not maximal in favor of avoiding an excess of mistakes at the beginning of the production.

In another variant of the invention according to FIG. 3, the threshold is defined in proportion to the job counter Za instead of the individual product counter Ze. If errors are on average high for the individual product 10, the errors are evenly distributed over the entire order. If the number of errors is low at the beginning, builds up towards the end of a large allowable "error" on which u.U. can be exploited in one piece.

FIG. 4 illustrates the error analysis for a constant threshold during production. The absolute threshold value 11 is a maximum permissible number of faulty collections tolerated for the entire production run or order. In the second mode is started and the error counter Zf is tracked. When exceeding the constant threshold 11 is switched to the third mode and this third mode for the rest of the production maintained. Alternatively, if this or another threshold is exceeded, the production can be interrupted, after which the machines are readjusted and then the production is restarted.

At the beginning of production, the entire amount of permissible errors is available. This can cause errors to accumulate at the beginning. The defect stock can be exhausted at the beginning of production. This is at the beginning of a achieved higher production performance, compared with one of the variants according to Figure 3. For the errors are distributed irregularly over the production. Whether these properties are advantageous or disadvantageous overall depends on the characteristics of the product.

The absolute threshold value 11 can be specified by a user default as absolute default for the error counter Zf. The absolute threshold value 11 can also be calculated automatically from a user specification for a maximum error proportion. For example, a percentage of the order size may be specified, or a percentage of a number of copies of the single product 10 that need to be delivered during a part of a production run.

Figure 5 illustrates the error analysis for a constant during production threshold with periodic reset of the absolute error number Zf respectively of the corresponding counter to zero. An order is considered to consist of several sections, each with a partial copy number, and each section is assigned a maximum number of errors. This results in a stepwise progression of the absolute threshold value 11. At the beginning of each section, the error counter Zf is zeroed and changed to the second operating mode, if this is not already activated. If the error counter Zf exceeds the absolute threshold value 11, the system switches to the third operating mode for the remainder of the section. As a result, the number of errors in each section is limited to the corresponding predetermined maximum number of errors.

The maximum number of errors can thus be specified selectively over the various sections of an order. It can be the same for all sections (FIG. 5a), or it can drop monotonically (FIG. 5b), or it can also be freely varied (FIG. 5c). The variant according to Figure 5b allows a higher, but controlled fraction of error at the start of production. The variant according to FIG. 5c allows individual sections to be produced, each with adapted quality. This is expedient, for example, if a product change takes place during one production run in one of the feeders 7.

FIG. 6 illustrates a further preferred variant of the invention, in which an error component is specified as a relative threshold value 12 or threshold value for the error rate as a function of the value of the individual product counter Ze or the job counter Za. The relative threshold value 12 is, in analogy to the previously described embodiments of the invention, compared with a relative error number 13, whereby the switching between the second and third operating mode is controlled. The relative error number 13 is calculated, for example, as an error component or error rate in a step-by-step shifted section of the production, ie in the sense of a "moving average" or low-pass filter. This variant corresponds to a quasi-continuous implementation of the variant described with reference to FIG. Similarly, the predetermined relative threshold 12 may be constant, monotonically decreasing, or alternately decreasing and increasing.

Figure 7 shows an example of a graphical output of characteristic values of the controller. In a bar graph or an equivalent diagram, the number of errors Zf, a maximum number of errors Zfmax permissible for the whole production and the progress of the individual product counter Ze or the order counter Za relative to the predetermined number of individual products Zemax or of the order Zamax are displayed for each of the feeders. In the figure, an exemplary display for two designated by A and B of several feeders 7 is shown schematically.

A graphic display can also have representations according to one or more of FIGS. 3 to 6. This is during a production run Preferably, the threshold curve 11,12 shown across the production, and the representation of the actual number of errors Zf or the error rate 13 is continuously updated. The threshold value for the error rate can also be tracked with a learning-capable or an adaptive control based on measured or estimated machine parameters.

A user interface for inputting control parameters for the inventive method allows for each individual product an input of the monitoring stage and, for the second monitoring stage, an input of the permissible maximum error component. This error component can be specified either as an absolute number or as a relative value, for example in percent, with regard to the number of individual products or with respect to the overall order.

• die Zuführeinrichtungen 7 durch einen gemeinsamen Steuerrechner 95 mit einer eigenen Benutzerschnittstelle, und die
• Sammelstrecke 4 mit der Ausschleusung 5 durch einen weiteren Steuerrechner 96 überwacht und gesteuert werden. Beispielsweise wird an der Benutzerschnittstelle der Zuführeinrichtungen 7 jeweils definiert, welches der Einzelprodukte 10 welcher Zuführeinrichtung 7 oder, bei Split/Backup-Betrieb mehreren Zuführeinrichtungen 7 zugeordnet ist, und werden die jeweiligen Steuerparameter eingegeben. Die Fehlerüberwachung und Betriebsartumschaltung wird durch den gemeinsamen Rechner 95 der Zuführeinrichtungen 7 vorgenommen. Steuerbefehle bezüglich eines unvollständigen Produkts respektive zur Aktivierung der Ausschleusung 7 werden über einen Kommunikationsbus dem Steuerrechner 96 für die Sammelstrecke 4 übermittelt.

A control device according to the invention is produced by implementing the method according to the invention on a structured control system of any kind. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the control unit 9 is internally structured in such a way and spatially distributed that

• the feeders 7 by a common control computer 95 with its own user interface, and the
• Collection line 4 with the discharge 5 monitored by a further control computer 96 and controlled. For example, at the user interface of the feeders 7, it is defined in each case which of the individual products 10 is assigned to which feed device 7 or, in the case of split / backup operation, several feed devices 7, and the respective control parameters are entered. Error monitoring and mode switching is performed by the common computer 95 of the feeders 7. Control commands relating to an incomplete product or for activating the discharge 7 are transmitted via a communication bus to the control computer 96 for the collection line 4.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Apparatus for gathering

2

Supply of a main product

3

Further processing

4

mopping-up

5

discharge

6

separate processing

7.1, ..., 7.5

Feeder, feeder with feeder

8.1, ..., 8.5

fault detection

9

control unit

91

communication link

92

Control of the discharge

93

Control of feeders

94

graphical user interface

95

common control computer of the feeders

96

Control computer for the collection line

10.0, .., 10.5

Single products

11

absolute threshold

12

relative threshold

13

relative error number

20

collection

Claims (13)

1. Method for the control of an installation for gathering (1) flexible part products (10; 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5), in particular printed products, during which gathering from supplied streams of one individual product type each a stream of collections (20) is formed and conveyed to further processing (3), wherein each collection (20) consists of a predetermined quantity of part products (10; 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5), characterized in that provided a quota of faulty collection does not exceed a predetermined reference limit, the faulty collections (20) are regarded as faultless collections and processed like faultless collections.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that as soon as the quota of faulty collections (20) exceeds the predetermined reference limit, a fault corrective action takes place.
3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the fault corrective action includes at least one of either marking or segregating (5) or replenishing faulty collections, or restoring faulty collections to the installation for gathering (1).
4. Method according to any one of the claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the method comprises a repeated execution of the following steps:

   • Predetermination of at least one reference limit with regard to supply faults in a collection;

   • Detecting whether a collection (20) comprises at least one supply fault, and calculating from that at least one actual fault count for the description of a quota of faulty collections; and

   • if the actual fault count does not exceed an allocated reference limit, processing the faulty collections (20) as faultless collections (20); or

   • if the actual fault count does exceed the allocated reference limit, performing the fault corrective action for faulty collections (20).
5. Method according to any one of the claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the quota of faulty collections is calculated for a particular individual product type according to a quantity of collections regarded as faultless with a supply fault concerning this individual product type, in relation to a quantity of collections regarded as faultless without a supply fault concerning this individual product type.
6. Method according to any one of the claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the quota of faulty collections is calculated for a particular individual product type according to a quantity of collections regarded as faultless with a supply fault concerning this individual product type, in relation to a total quantity of collections regarded as faultless.
7. Method according to any one of the claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the quota of faulty collections for a particular individual product type is a quantity of collections regarded as faultless with a supply fault concerning this individual product type.
8. Method according to any one of the claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the quantity of supply faults is only counted within a section of the production order.
9. Method according to any one of the claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the quota of faulty collections is determined from a number of collections comprising a predetermined combination of two or more supply faults.
10. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a warning is generated and/or the production is interrupted if a fault characteristic concerning a particular part product type (10; 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5) fulfils a predetermined condition.
11. Computer program system for the control of an installation for gathering (1) flexible individual products (10; 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5), comprising one or several computer programs, which can be loaded and executed on one or several data processing units, and which execute the method according to one or several of the claims 1 to 10.
12. Data carrier, comprising a computer program of the computer program system according to claim 11.
13. Control system (9) for the control of an installation for gathering (1) of flexible individual products (10; 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5), in which installation a stream of collections (20) from supplied streams each of one individual product type can be formed and conveyed to further processing (3), wherein a collection (20) consists of a predetermined quantity of individual products (10; 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5), wherein the control system (9) comprises means to execute the method according to one or several of the claims 1 to 10.

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