EP2295325A2 - Assembly of multiple handling devices connected with each other for items and method for operating such an assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The handling device arrangement has a conveying unit which consists of a free driven distance. The free driven distance is arranged linearly and is assigned directly to a grouping station (14) in a straight transport direction. The packaging station is coupled with the grouping station by the conveying unit. The conveying unit has a transport path which has one or multiple deflections. An independent claim is also included for a method for operating multiple coupled handling devices, particularly packaging station for articles.

Description

The present invention relates to an arrangement of a plurality of handling devices for articles, in particular a packaging station, which is coupled to a grouping station via a conveyor. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating such an arrangement.

Packaging systems for plastic containers made of PET usually consist of a so-called wet part. The wet part comprises, for example, a blow molding machine, a filler, a labeling unit and the respectively necessary container transport lines and devices. The dry part usually comprises a packing machine, a palletizing machine as well as container transport lines and devices. In conventional systems, the connection of the individual machines takes place through long container or package transport lines. The transport routes between the individual machines serve as a connection route. On the other hand, however, the transport routes also serve as a buffer between the individual machines, which usually travel at a constant speed set once. The reference machine for defining the production speed is usually the filling machine. Associated machines before or after the filling machine usually have an over-capacity, usually in a range of about 20%, so that filled buffers can be emptied again in an acceptable time. The machines go in one On / off operation, ie either stopped or running at a greatly increased setting speed, are controlled by jam barriers located on the long buffers.

With this on / off operation, however, a number of disadvantages associated, for example, the resulting increased machine wear and the particularly stressful operation at maximum speed. The "pumping" plant operation also requires a relatively high energy consumption. In addition, long and non-value-added transport routes are formed, which entail a high consumption of space.

The present invention is based on the object of providing a space-saving arrangement of several handling machines for articles, for example for a space-saving direct coupling of a packaging station with a subsequent grouping station, which can be operated in a continuous and coordinated processing speed.

This object of the invention is achieved with the objects of the independent claims, wherein features of advantageous developments of the invention result from the respective dependent claims.

The invention relates to an arrangement of a plurality of handling devices for articles, in particular an arrangement of a packaging station which is coupled to a grouping station via a conveyor, wherein the conveyor is designed as a free travel having a capacity for receiving a number of articles, at least twice the number of the in the packaging station recordable article corresponds. The free route is arranged in a straight line. In addition, it is assigned directly to the grouping station without deflection and in a straight transport direction. Furthermore, it is provided that the conveyor comprises at least one further transport path, which is without terrain and not stowable. This further transport route, which can be deflected almost arbitrarily, is particularly advantageous since it can be set up cost-effectively and can be universally used by the railless embodiment. When retrofitting other parts of the plant to changing dimensions of the transported and processed articles can be completely dispensed with a conversion of these railless, non-accumulating transport areas. The non-stowable railing transport routes can not only have almost any deflections, but also slope and slope sections, so that almost any machine installation can be realized in a cost effective manner, which can still be very compact due to the blocking of the machine parts.

An advantage of the arrangement according to the invention is that a processing speed of the grouping is matched to a processing speed of the packaging station, that also the conveying speed of the rectilinear free travel and optional further transport lines are matched to the processing speeds of Gruppierungstation and / or the packaging station. Preferably, all processing speeds and the conveyor speeds are coordinated, in particular synchronized. The non-stowable railless transport sections are in this Context so controlled that the conveyor is switched off at the latest when the free travel is completely filled and the articles located there are jammed. After stopping the Gruppierstation thus the free range continues to stepwise to use the storage capacity, while evacuating the shrink tunnel and at the same time continue the handrail, possibly deflected transport sections unchanged. Once the shrink tunnel is completely emptied, these transport sections, which are upstream of the rectilinear free range, can be switched off.

The free travel path is formed from a plurality of segments which can be deactivated successively in the event of a stop signal from the grouping station. When the grouping station is restarted, the successive segments of the free travel path can be activated one after the other in the same sequence as when switching off, so that the grouping station can again be loaded with the articles previously dammed up in the free travel route.

The free route preferably has two-sided railing for supporting the article and is designed as a jam track. The other transport routes can be designed with or without deflection and / or with or without gradients or gradients. The further transport routes are not suitable for damming and thus not as free travel, so that they are basically optional to the mandatory rectilinear executed free travel to see the machines in a desired manner and to the environment can be adjusted. The particular advantage of non-stowable, handrail transport sections consists However, in the high flexibility of the machine installation as well as the economically feasible and very universally usable transport sections.

Since the packing station can be designed in particular as a so-called shrink tunnel or can have such, it must first be cleared at a plant stop, since the container contained therein can not be exposed to a prolonged exposure to heat. In order to clear the shrink tunnel despite the immediate coupling of the processing speeds of the system components, there is a free-ride in front of the grouping, which can accommodate the transported from the shrink tunnel article Shrinkage o. The like. This free travel distance is preceded by an almost arbitrarily configurable transport path, on which the articles in their usual spacing, i. be moved to a gap. Due to the lack of storage capacity, this transport route does not require any guardrail guidance for the articles, since these are guided and guided only by the transport surface. This additional transport route can then be stopped when the free travel path is filled and / or when the shrink tunnel is evacuated.

The invention further relates to a method for operating a plurality of coupled handling devices for articles, in particular a packaging station, which is coupled to a Gruppierstation via a conveyor, wherein the Gruppierstation upstream conveyor is designed as a linear free travel, which has a capacity for receiving a number of articles that is at least twice the number of in the packaging station recordable article corresponds. In this case, a processing speed of the grouping station is matched to a processing speed of the packaging station. In addition, the conveying speed of the rectilinear free travel route and optional further transport routes are matched to the processing speeds of the grouping station and / or the packaging station. The articles are transported between the packing station and the shrink tunnel and the free travel on the running with or without deflections transport route, but are not jammed here, so that no railing guidance is required in this area.

A feed line upstream of the packaging station is immediately deactivated in the event of a stop signal from the grouping station. The packaging station is initially operated at a stop signal Gruppierstation so long until all articles therein are transferred to the non-stowable, handrail transport route and possibly the free travel. Only then will she also be stopped.

The free travel path is formed of a plurality of segments, which are deactivated in succession at a stop signal of the grouping. The successive segments of the free route are activated in succession in a start of the grouping in the same order as when switching off.

In the following, the possibilities for realizing the dry part in PET packaging systems in an extremely short installation will be shown once more. The central component of the concept according to the invention is based on in that the connecting path between the packing area, the so-called disposable packer and the shrinking tunnel and the palletizing area, ie the bundle grouping and the palletizing, is shortened to a so-called container stalking distance and that this is preceded by a universally designable, handrail-free, but non-stowable transport path , In contrast to conventional combinations of packing and palletizing with relatively long and sometimes multi-deflected and / or buffer areas equipped container transport lines, the production speeds of palletizer and disposable packer are controlled in dependence on each other with this so-called. That is, if the inlet of the packing machine is subjected to a smaller number of containers due to a reduced filling capacity wet area, the disposable packer is operated with a reduced power in a corresponding order of magnitude. At the same time the throughput at the disposable packer is reported by a data exchange control to the palletizing area and the palletizer drives only a smaller proportion of its maximum possible output. By this regulation can be dispensed with long transport distances between the two areas. Only in emergency stop situations at the palletizing area is a minimum free travel distance necessary to evacuate the thermally inert, not infinitely variable shrink tunnel. This free driving is made possible by a so-called free driving route. The free travel distance is advantageously supplemented by the handrail-free transport section, which provides many degrees of freedom in the machine installation, since no linear blocking of the parts required, but the transport routes still running very short can be. The non-railable, non-accumulating transport area can be used very cost-effectively, but only provides the desired flexibility in plant installation.

The free travel route is segmented. Depending on the capacity of the system and the format size of the containers, lengths of approx. 8m, 12m or approx. 16m of the free travel distance are used. In automatic mode, containers are produced in the disposable packer and transported through the disposable packer and the tunnel in a defined division (ie a variable but constant distance between the containers). A distance between the containers is maintained on the free travel route, ie the containers are not stowed in the automatic mode on the free travel route. If the palletizing area stops, these gaps between the containers on the free-travel section are used to evacuate the containers located in the tunnel. There is a segment-by-segment replenishment of the free-distance modules. Here, a module is about 4m long and divided into two segments á 2m and has four drives. When a module is filled, the drives turn off in turn. When restarting the palletizing area, the free travel path is initially drained, ie the situation of the containers with gap is restored. Thereafter, the packing area will restart immediately. For the determination of the production speed of the palletizer, on the one hand, the production speed of the disposable packer is used, on the other hand, the degree of filling of the container grip section. The degree of filling of the free route is done by counting with a length measurement of the container at the inlet of the free-travel. For an online sensor Befüllgradbestimmung would also be a light bar above the entire free travel route or even a camera recognition on the free travel route conceivable. The above-described control of the machine block between the packing and palletizing area is possible in subsequent configurations.

• Die Freifahrstrecke befindet sich immer vor der Gebindegruppierung, d.h. dem Zulauf der robotergestützten Gruppierstation;
• die Freifahrstrecke hat beidseitige Geländer und staut Gebinde bei einem Stopp am Palettierer;
• während eines regulären Automatikbetriebs weist die Freifahrstrecke Lücken zwischen den Gebinden auf;
• zusätzliche Verbindungsstrecken zwischen Tunnelauslauf und Freifahrstrecke sind immer in geländerloser Ausführung als Transportband mit lediglich einer optionalen seitlichen Absturzsicherung ausgebildet;
• steuerungstechnisch sind Streckenerweiterungen (90°-Kurven, 180°-Kurven etc.) als Auslaufverlängerung des Tunnels zu sehen; der Transport der Gebinde erfolgt hierbei immer mit Lücke; auf diesen Transportbändern wird nicht gestaut; die Funktionsstrecke ist immer nur die Freifahrtstrecke vor der Gebindegruppierung.

The essential features of the block layout are:

• The free travel route is always in front of the bundle grouping, ie the inlet of the robot-supported grouping station;
• the freewheeling track has bilateral railings and stows containers at a stop on the palletizer;
• during a regular automatic mode, the free-travel path has gaps between the containers;
• additional connecting sections between the tunnel outlet and the free road are always designed as a conveyor belt with only one optional side fall arrest system;
• From a control point of view, extension sections (90 ° curves, 180 ° curves, etc.) can be seen as extensions of the tunnel; the transport of the containers always takes place with a gap; on these conveyor belts is not jammed; the functional route is always only the free travel route before the bundle grouping.

• Reduzierung des Gebindetransports bedeutet weniger Investitionsaufwand;
• der Platzbedarf ist geringer als bei bekannten Anlagen;
• die Umstellzeiten lassen sich reduzieren, da Streckenerweiterungen geländerlos ausgeführt sind;
• durch einen reduzierten Bauaufwand und einen reduzierten Technikeinsatz und einer geringeren Anzahl der notwendigen Transporteinrichtungen lässt sich eine höhere Betriebssicherheit realisieren;
• aufgrund der reduzierten Anzahl von Antrieben lässt sich der Energieverbrauch reduzieren;
• ein geringerer Maschinenverschleiß folgt aus den der Anlagenproduktionsgeschwindigkeit angepassten Maschinengeschwindigkeiten;
• die geländerlosen, nicht staufähigen Transportabschnitte führen zu einer hohen Flexibilität in der Maschinengestaltung und -aufstellung;
• die geländerlosen, nicht staufähigen Transportabschnitte lassen sich sehr kostengünstig einsetzen, tragen aber dazu bei, den Platzbedarf der Anlage zu reduzieren und/oder einen vorhandenen, ggf. begrenzten Einbauraum in optimierter Weise ausnutzen zu können;
• insgesamt ergibt sich ein höherer Anlagenwirkungsgrad.

As advantages of the invention to the hitherto known state of the art may include:

• Reduction of container transport means less capital expenditure;
• the space required is less than in known systems;
• the changeover times can be reduced, as route extensions are designed without borders;
• due to a reduced construction cost and a reduced use of technology and a smaller number of necessary transport facilities can be realized higher reliability;
• due to the reduced number of drives, energy consumption can be reduced;
• less machine wear follows from the machine speeds adapted to the machine production speed;
• the railless, non-accumulating transport sections lead to a high degree of flexibility in machine design and installation;
• the railless, non-accumulating transport sections can be used very inexpensively, but contribute to reduce the space requirement of the system and / or to be able to exploit an existing, possibly limited installation space in an optimized manner;
• Overall, a higher system efficiency results.

• Fig. 1 zeigt schematisch eine Anordnung einer Verpackungsstation in einer ersten Standardvariante, die über eine Freifahrstrecke mit einer Gruppierstation gekoppelt ist.
• Fig. 2 zeigt eine erfindungsgemäße Variante der Anordnung mit einer 90°-Umlenkung einer Transportstrecke in schematischer Darstellung.
• Fig. 3 zeigt eine weitere Variante der Anordnung mit einer 180°-Umlenkung einer Transportstrecke in schematischer Darstellung.
• Fig. 4 zeigt eine weitere Variante der Anordnung mit einer zweifachen 90°-Umlenkung einer Transportstrecke in schematischer Darstellung.
• Fig. 5 zeigt eine schematische Perspektivansicht der Freifahrstrecke.
• Fig. 6 zeigt eine Draufsicht auf eine Artikelverteilung und -beförderung während eines Stauvorgangs vor der Gruppierstation.

In the following, embodiments of the invention and their advantages with reference to the accompanying figures will be explained in more detail. The proportions of the individual elements to one another in the figures do not always correspond to the actual size ratios, since some shapes are simplified and other shapes are shown enlarged in relation to other elements for better illustration.

• Fig. 1 schematically shows an arrangement of a packaging station in a first standard variant, which is coupled via a free travel path with a Gruppierstation.
• Fig. 2 shows a variant of the arrangement according to the invention with a 90 ° deflection of a transport path in a schematic representation.
• Fig. 3 shows a further variant of the arrangement with a 180 ° deflection of a transport path in a schematic representation.
• Fig. 4 shows a further variant of the arrangement with a double 90 ° deflection of a transport path in a schematic representation.
• Fig. 5 shows a schematic perspective view of the open road.
• Fig. 6 shows a plan view of an article distribution and transport during a stowage process before the Gruppierstation.

The following detailed description of several possible embodiments of the invention is given by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same components in principle have the same reference numerals and will not be explained several times.

Based on FIGS. 1 to 6 Various variants and possibilities are shown, in which the so-called dry part in packaging systems is realized in a very compact machine setup. The in the Fig. 1 The arrangement shown serves only to illustrate the basic components, while the FIGS. 2 to 4 illustrate the important for the invention part of the banister, non-accumulative complementary transport areas in connection with the other machine parts. The arrangement according to Fig. 1 includes a so-called. Disposable packer 10, which includes a film wrapping module and a shrink tunnel. Also recognizable is a transport path 12 which leads from the disposable packer 10 in a straight line to a grouping station 14. This is followed by a palletizing station 16. The transport path 12 is shortened in this variant between the packing area, the so-called. Disposable packer 10 with the subsequent shrink tunnel and the palletizing, ie the pack grouping 14 and the palletizing 16 to a so-called container repair route 18. That is, the straight transport path 12 forms the free travel path 18, which serves for receiving and damming of containers as soon as the palletizing 14, 16 is stopped because the packing station 10 and there in particular the shrink tunnel to avoid damage and intense heat on the container vacated and evacuated.

In contrast to conventional combinations of packing and palletizing with relatively long and partially multi-deflected and / or buffer areas equipped container transport lines are with the arrangement shown (see also Fig. 2 . Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 ) The production speeds of palletizer 16, grouping station 14 and disposable packer 10 matched and largely synchronized. So if the enema of the packing machine due to a reduced If the wet-range filler-working area is loaded with a smaller number of containers, the disposable packer 10 is likewise operated at reduced power. At the same time the throughput at the disposable packer 10 is reported by a data exchange control to the palletizing 14, 16 and the grouper 14 and the palletizer 16 also operated at a reduced throughput. By this regulation can be dispensed with long transport distances between the two areas. Only in emergency stop situations at the palletizing area 14, 16 is the free travel distance 18 necessary to evacuate the thermally inert, not infinitely variable shrink tunnel. This free driving is made possible by the free travel path 18 shown.

As continues in Fig. 1 indicated, the free route 18 is constructed in segments. Depending on the capacity of the system and format size of the container lengths of about 8m, 12m or about 16m of the free route 18 are used. The segments 20 are merely indicated here. In automatic mode, 10 containers are produced in the disposable packer and transported in a defined division (ie a variable, but kept constant distance between the containers) through the disposable packer 10 and the shrink tunnel. A distance between the containers is maintained on the free travel route 18, ie, the containers are not jammed in the automatic mode on the free route 18.

On the other hand, when the palletizing area 14, 16 stops, these gaps between the containers on the free travel route 18 are used to evacuate the containers located in the tunnel. There is a segment-wise filling of the free-travel modules or segments 20. Here is a Module about 4m long and divided into two segments 20 á 2m and has four drives. When a module is filled, the drives turn off in turn. When the palletizing area 14, 16 is restarted, first the free travel path 18 is emptied, ie the situation of the containers with gap is restored. After that, the packing area 10 also starts again immediately.

The schematic representation of Fig. 2 shows a variant of the arrangement according to the invention with a 90 ° deflection of a non-accumulating transport path 22. The transport path 22 between the disposable packer 10 and the free route 18 can be formed here as a railing horizontal or inclined conveyor line, in which the containers are not jammed and therefore also do not require any separate lateral guidance. The additional transport routes 22 can therefore be made very flexible and adapt to the individual needs and the available space. In addition, they form cost-effective transport sections, which contribute to the optimized and space-saving machine installation.

The schematic representation of Fig. 3 shows a further variant of the arrangement with a 180 ° deflection of not suitable for impoundment and railing trained transport path 22. Die Fig. 4 shows a further variant of the arrangement with a double 90 ° deflection of a transport path 22 in a schematic representation.

The Fig. 5 shows a schematic perspective view of the free route 18, in which each of the four-meter-long modules 24, which are divided into two segments 20 á 2m, are recognizable.

The schematic plan view of Fig. 6 shows an example of an article distribution and transport during a storage operation in front of the grouping station 14. There, it can be seen that when switching off the grouping station 14 in the free passage 18 gradually the articles 26 are stowed, starting at the grouping station 14 and continuing towards the disposable packer 10th The length of the free travel path 18 is dimensioned such that the gaps 28 between the individual articles 26 are sufficient to be able to evacuate at least the entire shrink tunnel of the disposable packer 10.

In addition to the variants shown here numerous other arrangement configurations are conceivable, for example, an arrangement in which the non-stowable and almost arbitrarily deflectable transport path 22 establishes a connection between different height levels of the stations. Thus, for example, the disposable packer 10 could be arranged above or below the palletizing and / or grouping station 16, 14, wherein the connection can be made via the transport path 22.

The invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Rather, a variety of variants and modifications are conceivable that make use of the inventive concept and therefore also fall within the scope.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

disposable packer

12

transport distance

14

grouping

16

palletizing

18

Free route

20

segment

22

Transport route, not stowable

24

module

26

items

28

gap

Claims (14)

Arrangement of a plurality of handling devices for articles (26), in particular packaging station (10), which is coupled to a grouping station (14) via a conveyor (12), wherein the conveyor (12) has at least one free travel path (18) arranged rectilinearly and without Deflection and in the straight transport direction of the Gruppierstation (14) is assigned, and having a capacity for receiving a number of articles (26), which corresponds to at least twice the number of in the packaging station (10) receivable articles (26), characterized in that the conveying device (12) comprises at least one further transporting section (22), which is railless and not stowable. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the non-stowable railing transport path (22) has one or more deflections. Arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the non-stowable, landless transport path (22) has one or more inclinations in one or more different directions. Arrangement according to one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the free travel path (18) is arranged between the non-accumulating transport path (22) and the grouping station (14) immediately adjoining the free travel path (18). Arrangement according to one of Claims 1 to 4, in which a processing speed of the grouping station (14) matched to a processing speed of the packaging station (10). Arrangement according to claim 5, in which the conveying speed of the rectilinear free travel path (18) and optionally further transport paths (22) are matched to the processing speeds of the grouping station (14) and / or the packaging station (10). Arrangement according to claim 6, in which all processing speeds and the conveying speeds are coordinated, in particular synchronized. Arrangement according to one of Claims 1 to 7, in which the free-running track (18) has bilateral railings for supporting the articles (26) and is designed as a buffer path. Method for operating a plurality of coupled handling devices for articles (26), in particular a packaging station (10), which is coupled to a grouping station (14) via a conveying device (12), wherein the conveying device (12) upstream of the grouping station (14) forms a linear clearance path (18) having a capacity to accommodate a number of articles (26) corresponding to at least twice the number of articles (26) receivable in the packaging station (10), characterized in that the articles are placed between the packaging station (10). and the free travel route (18) on a further transport route (22) which is uncontaminated and non-dockable. Method according to Claim 9, in which a processing speed of the grouping station (14) is matched to a processing speed of the packaging station (10) and / or in which the conveying speed of the rectilinear free-travel path (18) and the non-stop, non-accumulative further transport path (22) to the Processing speeds of the grouping station (14) and / or the packaging station (10) are tuned. Method according to Claim 9 or 10, in which a feed line upstream of the packing station (10) is immediately deactivated in the event of a stop signal from the grouping station (14). Method according to Claim 11, in which the packaging station (10) is operated further in the event of a stop signal from the grouping station (14) until all articles (26) located therein have been transferred to the free travel route (18). Method according to one of Claims 9 to 12, in which the free travel path (18) is formed from a plurality of segments (20) which are deactivated successively in the event of a stop signal from the grouping station (14). Method according to Claim 13, in which the successive segments (20) of the free-running path (18) are activated one after the other in a start-up of the grouping station (14) in the same sequence as when switching off.

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