EP2285683B1 - Packing unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a packing plant with a packing machine for filling bulk materials in bags, wherein in particular a film supply and a bag forming device are provided to produce open bags from the film, which are subsequently filled.

Such packing machines or packing machines are referred to as form-fill-seal machines or FFS machines and are used for filling bulk goods into open sacks. The bags made of a plastic film can be provided with gussets to ensure good stackability. The open sacks are initially closed at the bottom at the time of manufacture and sealed at the top after the filling process.

FFS machines are often used to fill plastic granules and powdered products, e.g. Building materials used. It is both the filling of dusty products possible as well as granular or griesigen products.

An essential criterion for the economical use of an FFS machine is the number of bags filled per day, which is influenced by the filling rate of the packing machine and by possible dead times. Dead times arise in particular with a product change of the product to be filled, since the product path coming into contact with the product must be cleaned in order to avoid mutual contamination of the products.

Such a cleaning process is complicated and can take a long time, whereby the production capacity of the machine decreases.

To increase production capacity, two machines can be used, for example, to fill different products. The disadvantage of this is the high financial cost and the increased space requirements.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a packing machine which enables high performance.

This object is achieved by a packaging machine with the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. Further advantageous features and embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the embodiment.

The packing machine according to the invention is provided with a packing machine for filling bulk goods in open bags and with a Sackanhängeeinrichtung to attach the open bags to a filler neck of a product feeder and to fill the open bags with at least one bulk material.

At least two selectable product feed devices are associated with a sack hitch device and the at least two product feed devices and the sack hitch device are arranged movable relative to one another in order to select a product feed device and to attach a sack with the sack hitch device to the filler neck of the selected product feed device and by means of the associated one Filling bulk material to be filled in the open bag, wherein at least one separate capping station is provided.

The packing system according to the invention has many advantages. A significant advantage of the packing system according to the invention is that dead times can be significantly reduced, since among two or more product feeders one can be selected and cleaning times are eliminated. By reducing the dead times in a product change, the capacity is significantly increased, in particular with a frequent change of the materials to be filled.

For example, if the packing station is installed in a production area where a regular product change takes place, mutual contamination of the different products to be filled can be safely avoided by changing the product feeding device after filling a first product to be filled before filling a second product.

A change of the product supply device can be carried out in the packaging installation according to the invention simply by activating a different product supply device for a second product to be filled by a relative movement of a product supply device to the sack attachment device.

As a result of the relative movement of the product feed device to the sack hitch device, another product feed device is brought into the filling position and it is possible to fill a second product with the packing machine without significant time use, without the risk of contamination.

A complex cleaning of the product supply device is not necessary before the machine can continue working after a product change. A possibly necessary cleaning of the product supply device, with which a first product was filled, can take place while a second product is filled with a second product supply device.

If a first and a second product are frequently filled in alternation, a special product supply device can be selected for each product, so that virtually no cleaning or only the routine cleaning of the product supply devices is necessary. In any case, the packing plant can continue to work without any special dead time despite frequent product changes.

This offers considerable time advantages, as in plants of this type always relatively large expenses are required to ensure the desired cleanliness, because such cleaning is usually done with the aid of compressed air, water or brushes. The cleaning process often takes place manually, but can also be carried out automatically. Even with automatic cleaning, conventional systems suffer from the disadvantage that, in spite of the installed and / or personnel expenditure, there are many dead times that drastically reduce the productivity of conventional filling systems.

Compared with the solution of storing a separate packing system for each product, this creates a considerable financial advantage and also the space requirement is considerably lower. In addition, it is virtually impossible for a variety of products auszupackender to install a separate packing plant for each product.

Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the advantage that two, three or more product paths are used, one of which is selected and used for filling.

In a preferred embodiment, a film supply and a bag forming device is provided to produce continuously open bags from the film if necessary. In particular, the packing machine is equipped with a Sackanhängeeinrichtung. Preferably, a Sackaustrageeinrichtung be provided for the removal of the filled bags.

It can also be provided a separating device to seize the bags individually from a bag stack and attach by means of the Sackanhängeeinrichtung to a filler neck.

Such embodiments are very advantageous because the packing machine can nevertheless be relatively simple and the product supply, for example, does not include.

Preferably, the product supply device comprises a filling channel and a filler neck. The filling channel may have an acceleration section or be designed as an acceleration channel. A product supply device, which is equipped with a filling channel and a filler neck, is very advantageous because it provides a filling system is available to which only an open bag needs to be appended for filling.

If two or more such product feeders are provided, one of the product feed means may be selected by a simple relative movement of the bag hanger towards a product feeder, such that at e.g. a product change, the filling of bulk materials into open sacks can be continued without any particular time delay, after e.g. the sack hitch was moved to another product feeder.

While now a second product is being bottled, the first product feeder may optionally be cleaned. However, such a cleaning effort does not lead to a total dead time of the machine.

At least the filler neck of a product supply device may be associated with a gross balance, so that during the filling process, the bulk material filled in the bag are weighed simultaneously and the filling process can be controlled in dependence on the determined filling weight.

Preferably, at least one product supply device is provided with clamping devices in order to hold an open bag to be filled at the filling nozzle.

In the case of the use of a gross balance, the clamping devices are weighed. For example, a part of the filler neck with the clamping devices form the weighed system whose weight is determined by the gross balance continuously or at periodic intervals.

It is also possible and preferred that at least one product feeder is associated with a net balance or that at least one product feeder has a net balance, in which case in particular the net balance is followed by an acceleration section to enable efficient filling of the bulk material into the open bag. With a net balance, the exact amount of product to be filled is first weighed in a container before the contents of the container are passed into the open bag.

In preferred embodiments, one product feed can be provided with a net balance, while another product feed is equipped with a gross balance, so that packaging plants are also possible in which product-specific net weighers or gross scales are provided.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment, at least one product feed is provided in a stationary manner on a silo which is in particular stationary. In this embodiment, preferably all product supply means are each provided in a stationary manner. The relative movement between the bag attachment device and the product delivery device preferably takes place via a movement of the packaging machine to the desired product supply device.

For example, the packing machine can be provided movable and in particular movable from at least one first product feed device provided with a filler neck to at least one second product feed device provided with a filler neck.

It is also possible for the packing machine to be movable to a large number of different product feed devices, wherein the packing machine can be provided, for example, on a rail system in order to ensure a defined mobility of the packing machine. But it is also possible that the packing machine is provided manually or automatically movable over a kind of air cushion or wheels or the like.

In these embodiments, the packaging machine comprises the film supply and the bag-forming device and the Sackanhängeeinrichtung which attaches the bag produced by the bag-forming device to the sack of a selected product supply device. The product supply device and the associated filler neck are then not components of the packing machine, but to some extent arranged separately. In these embodiments, the packaging machine also regularly has a bag discharge device in order to transport the filled bags away.

In particular, the packing machine has doors that are closed when filling the bulk material in the open bags to ensure personal protection and sound insulation. To transfer the packing machine from a first position, the is associated with a first product supply means, to a second position, which is associated with a second product supply means, the doors are preferably opened.

In another embodiment, the product supply means are provided mobile and movable relative to the packing machine and provided in particular movable. In this case, at least a first provided with a filler neck mobile product supply device and at least one second provided with a filler product supply arranged, which are movable relative to the packing machine to use either the first or the second or another mobile product feeding device for filling a bulk material.

This refinement also has considerable advantages since, when a product is changed, another product supply device is brought into a filling position, so that the first product supply device can be cleaned, while another bulk material is filled with the second product supply device.

Preferably, the first and at least one second mobile product supply means are provided on a common traversing device. The traversing device may be provided in particular linearly movable, but may also be provided rotatable or pivotable.

A common traversing device, which is received by a guide, offers the advantage that a different product feed device is selected by a simple defined movement of the traversing device.

In such embodiments, it is preferable that a second mobile product feeder is in a cleaning position while the first mobile product feeder is in the filling position.

The mobility of the mobile product supply means may for example be 20, 40 or 60 cm, but may also be greater.

It is also possible for at least one mobile product feed device to have a flexible filling channel which is fixedly provided at the upper end and whose lower end can be moved from a basic position into a filling position. Then, for example, it is possible that the upper ends of different mobile product feeders are each connected to a corresponding outlet of a silo, while for selecting a corresponding product, the other end of the associated filling channel is brought into the filling position.

In all embodiments, it is possible that at least one product supply device has a filling valve, which is designed, for example, as a closure device, in order to prevent trickling out of product particles.

Furthermore, it is possible that in all embodiments at least one compacting device in the form of e.g. a vibrator is provided. A vibrating device can be provided, for example, on the packing machine, and during or after the filling operation, the bag is supported vibrating from below. Is filled according to the net balance principle, the compression device may be active during the filling process. When filling with a gross balance, the vibrator can vibrantly support the bag from below after completion of filling, to assist in the escape of air.

When filling according to the net balance principle of the corresponding product supply means may be associated with a Rüttellanze or a vacuum lance, which dips during filling from above into the open bag.

Preferably, a separate capping station is provided. In simple embodiments, hand-attachment of open sacks may be possible.

Further advantages and possible applications of the present invention will become apparent from the description of two embodiments, which will now be explained with reference to the accompanying figures.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines ersten Ausführungsbeispiels einer erfindungsgemäßen Packanlage;

Fig. 2

eine Seitenansicht der Packanlage nach Fig. 1;

Fig. 3

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines weiteren Ausführungsbeispiels einer erfindungsgemäßen Packanlage;

Fig. 4

die verfahrbaren Produktzufuhreinrichtungen der Packanlage nach Fig. 3, und

Fig. 5

eine Seitenansicht zweier flexibler Produktzufuhreinrichtungen.

In the figures show:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of a first embodiment of a packing system according to the invention;

Fig. 2

a side view of the packing after Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3

a perspective view of another embodiment of a packing system according to the invention;

Fig. 4

the movable product feeders of the packing system Fig. 3 , and

Fig. 5

a side view of two flexible product delivery devices.

With reference to the Figures 1-5 are explained in the following embodiments of a packing station 1, each comprising a packing machine 2.

Common to the embodiments is that in each case at least two product feed devices are provided, which are arranged to be movable relative to the sack hitch device, which is associated, for example, with the packaging machine 2.

In the in the Figures 1 and 2 illustrated embodiment, the product supply 11 - 13 are provided fixed and connected directly to the silos 20, 21 and 22. Each product feeder 11, 12 and 13 has here a net balance 19, the product outlet opens into a filling channel 15, which acts here as an acceleration channel 16 to quickly and effectively fill the bulk material 3 to be filled into an open bag 4.

Although the packing machine 2 in the illustration after Fig. 2 is assigned below the silo 22 of the product feeder 13 and the product feeders 11 and 12 to the silos 20 and 21 in the in Fig. 2 shown state are not in operation, is in Fig. 2 schematically shows an open bag 4 at the filler neck 8, which is filled with a bulk material 3, to illustrate the principle.

Depending on requirements, it is possible to attach bags manually to the filler neck 8-10, for example, to fill only a few sacks, if it is not worthwhile, for example, due to the small number to bring a packing machine 2 in position. Optionally, then a mobile closing station may be provided to close the manually plugged bags after the filling process.

According to the embodiment Fig. 1 and 2 the packing machine is movable and provided in particular movable and can be spent on the filler neck 8, 9 or 10 to alternatively fill the product contained in the silos 20, 21 and 22 alternately.

If a frequent product change takes place, according to the embodiment according to the Figures 1 and 2 done quickly and easily. Before the packing machine 2 is moved, the door 23 is opened so that the construction of the hanging filler neck can enter the machine.

The packing machine 2 is moved to the intended filling position and the filling process can be restarted with the next product. Cleaning before filling with a next product is generally not required if the product does not change in the associated silo.

In order to further simplify a product change, the packing machine 2 can be arranged on a rail system, not shown, which has suitable markings or the like in order to ensure a reliable position adjustment of the packing machine 2.

The packing machine 2 is here simply designed and comprises a film supply 5, in which one or optionally also two film rolls are provided with an automatic changing device to allow continuous operation. From the film roll of the film supply 5, the tubular film is unwound and separated in a bag forming device 6 at the beginning of the machine and it creates a bottom seam for the next bag. The corresponding bag length is cut off and the bag is closed with a Sackeinhängeeinrichtung 7 (see. 3 and 4 ) attached to a filler neck of a product supply 11 - 13.

The particular hexagonal shaped neck has clamping devices 18, with which the bag is tightly applied to the nozzle and also held laterally.

Both the filling according to the net weigher method and the gross weighing method are possible. In the gross weighing process, the filler neck is weighed with the bag attached during filling of the bulk material in order to control the filling process in a weight-correct manner. The weighed portion of the filler neck is separated from the remainder of the filler neck by a compensator.

After reaching the intended total weight of the filling process is stopped, which can be subdivided for better control in a coarse flow phase and a fine flow phase. Upon reaching the intended final weight, the metering device closes the further product supply and the bag 4 can be removed from one of the filler neck 8-10 and sealed with a sealing device at the upper end after any compression with a vibrating device. The bag 4 is then further fed to a bag discharge device 14 and leaves the machine.

With the in the Fig. 1 and 2 As illustrated, not only can two or three product feeders be combined with a packing machine into a packing line, but it is also possible to combine a plurality of product feeders with a plurality of mobile packing machines, so that four, five or ten or more product feeders have a corresponding number different bulk materials can be filled, the proposed packing machines are spent as needed to appropriate product supply devices. This makes it possible that not only one product, but that several products are filled at the same time. A significant advantage is that the system is highly expandable, since initially it is sufficient to use only one packaging machine, which can be supported if necessary by a second or third packing machine to fill from, for example, ten silos products.

In the 3 and 4 a further embodiment of a packing installation 1 according to the invention is shown, which comprises a packing machine 2. The packing machine 2 is designed here as a fixed packing machine, which is usually set up once and then retains its position. Also the packing machine 2 according to Fig. 3 comprises a film supply 5, on which one or possibly more film rolls can be provided in order to enable a continuous or quasi-continuous filling of the bulk material 3 in open sacks 4.

The film is unwound from the film supply 5 and introduced into the machine, where a piece of film is singled in the bag-forming device 6 and an open bag 4 is produced therefrom.

Both in the embodiment of the 3 and 4 as well as after Fig. 1 and 2 It is possible that both gusseted film and simple tubular film is used.

The open bag 4 produced in the bag forming device 6 is transported by means of a bag hooking device 7 to a filler neck 8 of a product feed device 11 and in particular also attached to the filler neck 8 with the bag hook attachment device 7. At the filler neck 8 of the open bag 4 is clamped by means of clamping devices 18 close to the here preferably in cross-section hexagonal filler neck and kept substantially dustproof. Thus, the filling of easily flowing and dusting products is possible without the packing machine 2 or the environment is polluted.

The filling can according to the embodiment Fig. 3 alternatively, by means of the product supply device 11 or with the product supply device 12, which each have a filling channel 15 with an acceleration channel 16. At the lower end of the product supply means 11 and 12 in the embodiment according to Fig. 3 are filler 8 and 9 are provided. In other embodiments, it is also possible that more than two product feeders are provided for a packaging machine 2.

Here in the exemplary embodiment, the product feed devices 11 and 12 are held on a common traversing device 24 and arranged transversely to the longitudinal extent of the packaging machine 2. A displacement of the product feeders 11 and 12 may be provided both manually and automatically.

At the in Fig. 3 The state shown is the product feed device 11 in the filling position 26, for which purpose the outlet of the silo is arranged above the upper end 27 of the product feed device 11.

Again, in the embodiment, it is both possible to perform a filling by a net Weighing method as well as a gross weighing method.

Here are provided on the filler neck 8 and 9 weighing devices, so that a gross balance 17 is present. Filling valves in the filling channels 15 may be provided to close the filling channels to control the product feed, if necessary, and to close the filling channels when not in use to prevent the powder, granular or dusting product from trickling down.

Below the filling position 26, a vibrating device 30 is provided, which already exerts a vibrating motion on the bag 4 during the filling operation or which, when using a gross weighing process after the end of the filling operation, transmits a vibrating motion to the bag in front of the bag to vent the closing.

In the embodiment of the 3 and 4 For example, it is possible for one product feeder 11 to be in the fill position 26 while the other product feeder 12 is in the cleaning position 25 where the fill channel including the filler neck is thoroughly rinsed away from product can be cleaned to prevent contamination of a later einzufüllenden product. While the product supply device 12 is being cleaned, for example, another product can be filled with the product supply device 11. Thus, the dead time is minimized or at least significantly reduced in a product change.

In Fig. 5 two product feeding devices 12 and 12 are shown, which are designed to be flexible at least in sections. The particularly flexible filling channels are fixedly positioned at the upper end 27, while the lower ends 28 can be moved laterally due to the flexibility of the filling channels 15 in order to transfer the desired filler neck into the filling position 26.

Overall, the invention provides a packing system that allows a fast and effective product change. At the same time the constructive and financial effort for it is low.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Pack system

2

packing machine

3

bulk

4

open sack

5

film supply

6

Sack educational institution

7

Bag attacher

8th

filling

9

filling

10

filling

11

Product supply

12

Product supply

13

Product supply

14

Sackaustrageeinrichtung

15

filling channel

16

accelerating channel

17

gross balance

18

clamper

19

net balance

20

silo

21

silo

22

silo

23

door

24

traversing

25

cleaning position

26

filling position

27

top end

28

lower end

29

compensator

30

vibrating

Claims (15)

1. A packaging system (1) having a packaging machine (2) for filling bulk materials (3) into open bags (4) and a bag attachment device (7) for attaching the open bags (4) to a filling port (8-10) of a product feeding device (11-13) and filling with at least one bulk material (3),
   characterized in
   that at least two selectable product feeding devices (11-13) are assigned to the bag attachment device (7) and the at least two product feeding devices (11-13) and the bag attachment device (7) are positioned movable relative to one another to select a product feeding device (11-13) and
   to attach a bag (4) to the filling port (8-10) of the selected product feeding device (11-13) by means of the bag attachment device (7) and to fill bulk materials (3) into the open bag (4) by means of the associated filling port (8-10), wherein at least one separate sealing station is provided.
2. The packaging system (1) according to claim 1 wherein the packaging machine (2) is equipped with a sheet reservoir (5), a bag forming device (6), the bag attachment device (7), and in particular also with a bag discharging device (14).
3. The packaging system (1) according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the packaging machine (2) is equipped with a bag picking device for picking preformed bags.
4. The packaging system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims wherein the product feeding device (11-13) comprises a filling channel (15) and a filling port (8-10).
5. The packaging system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims wherein a gross weighing machine (17) is assigned at least to the filling port (8-10) of a product feeding device (11-13).
6. The packaging system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims wherein at least one product feeding device (11-13) is provided with clamping devices (18) to retain an open bag (4) to be filled at the filling port (8-10) during filling.
7. The packaging system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims wherein at least one product feeding device (11-13) comprises a net weighing machine (19) and an acceleration line (16) is mounted downstream of the net weighing machine (19).
8. The packaging system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims wherein at least one product feeding device (11-13) is provided stationary at a silo (20-22).
9. The packaging system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims wherein the packaging machine (2) is traversable from at least one first product feeding device (11-13) provided with a filling port to at least one second product feeding device (11-13) provided with a filling port.
10. The packaging system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims wherein the packaging machine (2) comprises doors (23) which are closed during filling and are open while the packaging machine (2) is traversing from the first product feeding device (11-13) to the second product feeding device (11-13).
11. The packaging system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims wherein at least a first mobile product feeding device (11, 12) provided with a filling port (8-10) and at least a second mobile product feeding device (11, 12) provided with a filling port are provided which are traversable relative to the packaging machine (2) to selectively employ one of the first and second mobile product feeding devices (11, 12) for bagging a bulk material (3).
12. The packaging system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims wherein the first and at least the second mobile product feeding device (11, 12) are provided at a joint traversing device (24).
13. The packaging system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims wherein the second mobile product feeding device (12, 11) is located in a cleaning position (25) while the first mobile product feeding device (11, 12) is located in the filling position (26).
14. The packaging system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims wherein at least one mobile product feeding device (11, 12) comprises a flexible filling channel provided stationary at the upper end (27) and whose lower end (28) is movable from a home position to a filling position (26).
15. The packaging system (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims wherein at least one product feeding device (11-13) comprises a filling valve and/or wherein at least one vibrating device (30) is provided.

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