EP2196398B1 - Method for controlling a machine for handling containers - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for controlling a machine for treating containers, in particular a rotary machine, with the features of independent method claim 1. The invention further relates to a corresponding machine for treating containers with the features of independent claim 11.

The treatment of containers such as, for example, their filling or the application of labels on containers and bottles filled with beverages is usually carried out in a continuous process by means of automatic machines. The labeling is done with automatic labeling machines, which usually form part of a rotary machine for container filling. When operating these machines can occur many different errors that can lead to a shutdown of the filling machine under unfavorable circumstances depending on the type of fault.

Known rotary machines are provided with rotating plates on which the containers or bottles are and can be brought into a desired angular orientation. These so-called turntables each have their own turntable drive, usually in the form of an electromotive drive, which allows the individual container orientation and positioning.

A labeling machine for containers with a turntable according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from DE 31 37 201 A1 out. In this turntable a plurality of turntables are stored, the rotation of which is so controlled in one revolution of the turntable that the recorded by them to be labeled container with certain movement conditions arranged on the circumference of the turntable Etikettierorgane, Anbürstorgane o. Each turntable is coupled with its own stepper motor attached to the turntable. In addition, each stepping motor is connected to a control device which supplies it with control pulses as a function of the movement conditions of the turntable.

The EP 0 717 703 B1 discloses a computer-controlled, carousel-type labeling machine, wherein each handling station for containers with a motor is provided, which is driven together with the drive motor for the carousel by a computer in order to align the container in the desired manner for the exact attachment of the labels can.

From the EP 1 174 345 B1 Furthermore, a machine for orienting containers with a rotating around a vertical machine axis rotor is known. On the rotor container carrier are arranged with actuators, with which the orientation of the container carrier with respect to the rotor by means of an electronic control unit in response to control parameters or data is controllable.

Problems may arise during operation of such a machine whenever at least one of the electric motor actuators for a turntable shows a defect and fails, as this leads to incorrect labeling and / or other error messages during operation. If, in such a case, the machine is not switched off immediately after the error has been detected, it is possible that a large number of containers incorrectly attached with labels may have been supplied as being perfect for further processing and / or packaging.

A labeling machine with a turntable is out of the DE 31 37 201 A1 known. The labeling machine of the DE-Offenlegungsschrift has several turntables connected to a control unit. The control unit has its own switching unit for each turntable. This is to ensure that in case of a defect of a turntable only the defective turntable fails. If a turntable is defective, replacement of the defective turntable must be carried out to avoid incorrect labeling. This results in downtime of the machine.

From the EP 1449 778 A1 is a labeling machine with several modules known. A module includes a camera to detect the correct fit of labels. If labels on containers are outside predefined tolerance ranges, an automatic machine stop can be effected.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method by means of which the defect- or defect-related downtimes of a machine for treating and / or processing containers can be reduced.

This object of the invention is achieved with the subject matter of independent claims 1 and 11. Features of advantageous developments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

The present invention provides a method for controlling a machine for treating containers and these downstream processing and / or treatment stations. The machine has a plurality of respective motor-driven turntables for aligning and / or positioning of the containers. The motor drives of the turntable are each monitored separately, so that when an error occurs one or more of the turntable drives affected faulty turntable drives are disabled without the machine and / or the downstream stations must be turned off. The machine may in particular be a rotary machine, in which a plurality of turntable drives are arranged on a rotor, with the aid of which on the turntables standing containers or bottles can be rotated and positioned in the desired manner, for example, to be able to attach the labels to the respectively correct position by means of downstream labeling stations. Usually, the turntables are supplied with a common operating voltage and industry standard today by means of data bus control lines.

In these conventional machines, in the event of a failure or malfunction in a drive via the data bus, a faulty status of this drive is determined. If all drives are operated at the same time, the machine must be shut down due to the failure or malfunction of one or more individual motors in order to remedy the fault, for example by replacing the defective drive. If a drive is still operational, but the labeling result of the turntable concerned is unsatisfactory, the machine must also be stopped to determine the reasons for the unsatisfactory labeling, as continued operation of the machine would result in a relatively high scrap due to a variety of improperly labeled containers , In order to increase the productivity in the automated handling of containers and not necessarily to interrupt production in smaller occurring disturbances, the present invention provides for the continued operation of the machine at a detected fault in one or more rotary actuators for the turntable. Since the affected turntable drives are uniquely identifiable, they can be disabled individually and the subsequent processes can be individually adapted to it by the positions to be assigned to the disabled turntable drives are handled in an adapted manner. This can be done, for example, by switching off the affected labeling units and / or by discharging the unlabeled containers from the conveyor and possibly by returning the containers to a suitable process stage of the treatment or processing.

According to the invention, each deactivated turntable drive triggers an at least partial deactivation of respectively subsequent processing and / or treatment steps of the container positions assigned to the deactivated turntable drive of the machine. Thus, for example, in the event of a detected faulty turntable drive, a downstream labeling device can be temporarily deactivated at least for the container position to be assigned to the faulty turntable drive, thereby avoiding rejects due to incorrectly labeled containers which can not be rotated and positioned as required in the application of the labels can.

Each deactivated turntable drive should initiate an at least partial deactivation of respectively subsequent monitoring steps of the bin positions associated with the deactivated turntable drive of the machine so that the entire downstream treatment and processing process of the machine can be adjusted so that, due to the slightly reduced output of treated containers, only productivity falls by a small amount. Unplanned production interruptions can be prevented in most cases this way be, so that it comes with the help of the method according to the invention to no negative influences on the maintenance and production schedule of the machine.

The unfavorable for productivity reasons machine shutdown can be avoided by the method according to the invention in that the partial deactivation of monitoring steps is coupled with a deactivation of an automatic machine shutdown due to the at least one faulty turntable drive.

Optionally or additionally, in the case of a detected faulty turntable drive, a downstream filling device can also be temporarily deactivated at least for the container position to be assigned to the faulty turntable drive. Furthermore, in the case of a detected defective turntable drive, for example, a downstream device for closing the containers can be temporarily deactivated at least for the container position to be assigned to the faulty turntable drive.

In order to remove the affected containers from the production process, each deactivated turntable drive can be coupled with a downstream of the machine or rotary machine diverter for discharging each of the deactivated turntable drive associated containers of further subsequent processing and / or treatment steps of the machine. Advantageously, moreover, the diversion device can be coupled to a conveying device for returning the withdrawn containers into the rotary machine and / or into a preceding conveying device, so that the containers which are not labeled or treated in any other way can be returned directly to the production process, whereby the total output of the machine is only reduced by an insignificant, negligible proportion.

The particular advantage when using the method according to the invention is shown in practical operation, in which a variable residual operating time can be reduced or minimized to a routine inspection and / or maintenance shutdown in a turntable drive recognized as faulty. Thus, the faulty drive can be shut down during operation and replaced at the next, routine maintenance or a scheduled product change and thus in a time uncritical moment. If it is possible to choose the time for the routine maintenance stop variable, it may be advantageous to select the remaining operating time to the maintenance stop in an appropriate manner, in particular to reduce, so that the system can be operated again at full power at an earlier date can. However, if the remaining operating time can not be reduced because, for example, after the plant stop another drink to be bottled, the inventive method provides the particular advantage that the productivity compared to a trouble-free operation of all turntable drives is only slightly limited.

The inventive method is particularly suitable for controlling a rotary machine having a circular arrangement of a plurality of each motor-driven turntables for aligning and / or positioning of the container and for controlling a Geradläufermaschine having a linear array.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to a machine for processing and / or treatment of containers, which is equipped with a plurality of each motor-driven turntables for aligning and / or positioning of the containers. This machine may in particular be a so-called rotary machine, in which the turntables are arranged on the outer circumference of a rotor. The motor drives the turntable is assigned in each case a monitoring device for separate function monitoring and output of an error signal in an error occurring. The machine further comprises a control device for processing the error signals, for deactivating the affected faulty turntable drives and for switching off individual functions of the machine during its continued operation. Further variants and embodiments of such a machine result from the previously described variants of the method according to the invention for operating such a machine. The aspects and advantages discussed using the example of the method relate in the same way to the appropriate machine and all their variants.

The basis of the present invention is the possibility of selectively setting individual drives in operation and monitoring. If one or more of the drives are deselected, their output stages or so-called power units are switched off and the drive is decoupled from the data bus with the aid of the control software. Thus, all error messages and operating states related to the deselected drives are ignored. The settings in the drive configuration and the monitoring function are set so that the "silence" of the affected drive leads to no warning or error. The unselected drives are no longer started in this case via the data bus and thus remain in the de-energized state. The drive itself is designed in such a way that no energization of the output stages occurs in the absence of control commands.

The particular advantage of the function according to the invention is that in the case of a malfunction of a single drive, this is deselected and the production can be resumed immediately or continue running without interruption. The system can be operated with slightly reduced power. The affected drive can then be replaced at the next routine maintenance or during a planned production changeover or during a product change, and thus at a time-uncritical moment.

Optionally, a suitable visualization of one or more disconnected turntable drives can be provided, for example by means of a screen display in a control center. In this way, entrusted with the plant control people in advance, before a maintenance stop the machine, realize that individual turntable drives are defective and need to be maintained or replaced. Possibly. For example, the visualization may already be coupled with a qualification of the detected error, in order, for example, to be able to recognize and report the type of defect so that the maintenance and repair can be accelerated.

Other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings Refers. The same components in principle have the same reference numerals and will not be explained several times.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic structure of an embodiment of a rotary machine for processing and labeling of containers.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of a control of electrically operated turntable drives of the rotary machine according to Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 3 shows on the basis of another block diagram an operating mode with deactivated turntable drive.

The schematic representation of Fig. 1 shows a typical construction of a rotary machine 10 with an inlet star 32 and an outlet star 36 and a rotating container table 34. A rotating Einteilschnecke 30 brings a, on a conveyor belt (not shown) incoming container flow with containers 12 in the transport direction 20 gap to the required distance to to ensure trouble-free transfer into a container-oriented recess of the inlet star 32.

The inlet star 32 transfers the containers 12 to centering or turntable 42, which are mounted in a circular shape on the edge of the container table 34. The tray table 34 is rotated clockwise 24. The standing on the turntables 42 container 12 are moved past at least one labeling unit 26 and labeled. The containers 12 are rotated relative to the stationary labeling unit 26. For this purpose, each turntable 42 has an electromotive turntable drive 44. All of these turntable drives 44 are individually controllable in order to rotate and align each container 12 in the desired manner for labeling and / or for further treatment steps. On Behältertisch 34 Anbürstaggregat 28 is further indicated, which serves for pressing the previously attached labels on the outer circumferential surface of the container 12.

The individual control of the turntable drives 44 is preferably carried out by means of a data bus control 46 (see. FIGS. 2 and 3 ), which upon detection of a defective turntable drive 44, the activation of the labeling 26 and possibly the Anbürstaggregats 28 and / or other treatment facilities for the container 12 for the standing on the defective turntable 42 container 12 interrupts and thus one does not let labeled container 14 pass. By the data bus control 46 (see. FIGS. 2 and 3 ) of the turntable drives 44, each container 14, which stands on a defective turntable 42, are detected and tracked, so that these containers 14 are not labeled on the labeling unit 26.

During operation, the containers 12 and 14 are transferred individually to the outlet star 36 and the container 12 are transported in the transport direction 20 on. Although the unlabeled container 14 is also passed to the outlet star 36, but subsequently discharged via a discharge device 40. This diversion device 40 can be attached to the outlet star 36 at a predetermined location or at a downstream conveyor.

On this diversion 40 normally only container 12 are brought, which are afflicted with an error. In the present context, the diversion device 40 can be used to discharge unmarked containers 14 from the further conveying process due to a defective turntable drive 44. The excreted containers 14 are conveyed along a separation path 22 and optionally accumulated at a collection point (not shown) or returned to the running process so that they are reintroduced into the container flow upstream of the inlet screw 30.

The decision as to whether an unlabeled container 14 is discharged can preferably be made on the basis of the data bus control 46 (cf. FIGS. 2 and 3 ) supplied position data for the affected container 14 are taken. Optionally or additionally, an optical recognition of the containers 12 can take place, which can identify a non-labeled container 14 and cause its discharge. However, in this way is not differentiated between containers 12, which are not labeled correctly due to a defective labeling 26 or a defective Anbürstaggregats 28 and such containers 14, for the targeted because of the defective turntable drive 44, the labeling 26 was briefly deactivated. Such containers 12, 14, which have not been distinguished for diversion between the various reasons, can not be easily returned to the process, but must be investigated beforehand.

The FIGS. 2 and 3 show on the basis of schematic block diagrams a control of electrically operated turntable drives 44 of the rotary machine according to Fig. 1 , Each individual turntable drive 44 of the container table 34 can be controlled individually via a common data bus control 46 and can also be identified in any position. The data bus control 46 supplies both control signals 48 for the servo drives 50, which may comprise, for example, an electric stepper motor, a servo motor, a servo synchronous motor or the like. In addition, it supplies a power supply part 52 to the output stages 54 of the turntable drive 44. By contrast, the servo drive 50 transmits error signals 56 to the data bus control 46, so that they correspond to Fig. 3 when reported errors for a turntable drive 44 at least its power supply part 52 can interrupt within the output stage 54 by means of a corresponding control signal 48. The interruption 58 within the output stage 54 is indicated by an open switch. The affected turntable drive 44 is thereby shut down. From the data bus control 46, a corresponding control signal is delivered to the labeling unit 26 so that the container 14 standing on the turntable 42 is not labeled. Furthermore, a corresponding control signal 48 is supplied to the diversion device 40 by the data bus control 46, so that the unlabeled container 14 is discharged and possibly conveyed back into the inlet star 32 again.

Claims (11)

1. Method for controlling a machine for treating containers (12) as well as for controlling processing stations and/or treatment stations located downstream from the machine, wherein the machine comprises a plurality of turntables (42), each driven by a motor drive (44), for aligning and/or positioning the containers (12), wherein said method comprises separate monitoring of each of the motor drives (44) for the turntables (42) and, in occurrence of an error with one or more of the turntable drives (44), deactivation of the affected one or more defective turntable drives (44) while the machine and/or stations located downstream continue to be operated, said method characterized in that each deactivated turntable drive (44) triggers an at least partial deactivation of the respective subsequent processing and/or treatment steps involving container positions associated with the deactivated turntable drive (44) of the machine.
2. Method according to claim 1 wherein each deactivated turntable drive (44) triggers an at least partial deactivation of the respective subsequent monitoring steps involving container positions associated with the deactivated turntable drive (44) of the machine.
3. Method according to claim 2 wherein the partial deactivation of monitoring steps is coupled to the deactivation of an automatic shutdown of the machine that would have resulted from the at least one defective turntable drive (44).
4. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 3 wherein, on detection of a defective turntable drive (44), a labeling device (26) is temporarily deactivated for at least the container position associated with that defective turntable drive (44).
5. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 4 wherein, on detection of a defective turntable drive (44), a downstream filling device is temporarily deactivated for at least the container position associated with that defective turntable drive (44).
6. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 5 wherein, on detection of a defective turntable drive (44), a downstream device for sealing the containers (12) is temporarily deactivated for at least the container position associated with that defective turntable drive (44).
7. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 6 wherein each deactivated turntable drive (44) is coupled to a diverting device (40) which is located downstream from the machine and which diverts the respective containers (14) associated with the deactivated turntable drive (44) from further subsequent processing and/or treatment steps of the machine.
8. Method according to claim 7 wherein the diverting device (40) is coupled to a conveying device for returning the diverted containers (14) to the machine and/or to a conveying device located upstream from the machine.
9. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 8 wherein, on detection of a defective turntable drive (44), a variable operating time remaining until a routine inspection and/or a maintenance shutdown is reduced or minimized.
10. Method according to one of the claims 1 to 9 wherein said method controls a rotary machine (10) comprising a plurality of turntables (42), each driven by a motor drive and used for aligning and/or positioning the containers (12), with said turntables (42) disposed in a circular arrangement.
11. Machine for processing and/or treating containers (12) comprising a plurality of turntables (42), each driven by a motor drive, for aligning and/or positioning the containers (12), whereby each of the motor drives (44) for the turntables (42) is associated with a monitoring device that provides separate function monitoring and in occurrence of an error issues an error signal (56), characterized in that the machine comprises a control device for processing the error signals (56), for deactivating the affected defective turntable drives (44), and for switching off individual functions of the machine while the machine continues to operate.

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