EP2539272B1 - Monitoring device for container processing systems - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device according to the preamble of claim 1 for treating containers. From the prior art a variety of such treatment plants is known, such as filling plants, which fill empty containers with a liquid such as a beverage. In addition, however, facilities such as forming facilities for blow molding of plastic preforms to plastic containers are known or transport equipment, palletizers and the like.

A device according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from DE 102 10 213 A1 known.

The present invention will be described with reference to a bottling plant in which the invention proves to be particularly advantageous. It should be noted, however, that the invention may also find application in other installations in the beverage manufacturing industry.

A general trend in such bottling plants in the beverage industry is that the personnel costs and thus the number of operators should be reduced. One way to possibly get along with less staffing is that such facilities are provided with buffering devices, which can compensate for a brief stop of a machine, for example, as a result of an error. Due to the costs, however, one also strives to reduce parts of the plant with non-value-added functions such as transport facilities and buffers. In addition, another concern is to reduce the space required for such systems. Ideally, such filling systems should be operated largely without personnel, on the other hand, however, buffers and transport routes are avoided, which previously helped to bridge interference. However, it must be taken into account that even a machine-side almost perfectly equipped system must process material that is sometimes optimized for the product to be produced in terms of cost and not processing and thus can cause interference. In addition, the interaction of machines and materials can lead to disruptions.

The present invention is therefore based on the object to provide a treatment plant for containers available, which can be operated on the one hand with little staff and which on the other hand largely disregarded non-value-adding factors, which are used to bridge disturbances. This object is achieved by a device according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

A device according to the invention for treating containers has a plurality of treatment units for treating the containers, the treatment units having at least one filling device for filling the containers with a liquid medium, a closing device arranged downstream in a transport device of the containers for closing the filled containers with closures and preferably also contain a labeling device for labeling the containers. Furthermore, the device also has a transport device for transporting the containers.

The apparatus further comprises at least one information output device configured to output information on the occurrence of disturbances of the device to a user, the information output device having at least one first information output element which outputs a first information about a specific disturbance such that the first information is perceptible in a first area and a second information output element which outputs a second information about the same disturbance such that the second information is perceptible in a second area, wherein the first area and the second area are at least partially different.

It is therefore proposed to output information about disturbances on different areas of the device, so that in the most efficient way, even a small number of personnel or only one user is informed about the disturbance, regardless of his location.

The information output device preferably informs about faults occurring during operation of the device. In a further advantageous embodiment, the device also has a forming device which converts plastic preforms into plastic containers. This forming device is, in particular, a so-called stretch blow molding machine which has a stretching rod which also extends containers in their longitudinal direction.

It is therefore proposed, in order to reduce the consequences of these disturbances or the duration of the disturbance, to install a system disturbance and information management system.

According to the invention, the second region encloses the first region geometrically completely. Thus, it is possible that the first area is a near area with respect to an operating device or a display and the second area is the work area in which the user of the plant usually resides.

The device according to the invention also has a third information output element which outputs a third information about the disturbance in such a way that the information is perceptible in a predetermined third region, wherein the third region differs from both the first region and the second region. The third region includes the second region and also at least one, advantageously a plurality of first regions geometrically completely. Thus, a third region may include a plurality of second regions, and these second regions may in turn include a plurality of first regions.

In an advantageous embodiment, at least one information output element is designed such that it outputs information about the location of a fault and / or information about which are characteristic of the fault or its rectification. Advantageously, therefore, the personnel responsible for the plant contains information that a fault has occurred, advantageously also, where in the plant the fault is, continue advantageous, where is located on the individual machine of the fault and finally even information about the fault itself or information about the cause and the elimination of the fault.

The user is thus able to quickly and effectively eliminate disturbances and restart production. Thus, the present invention is particularly applicable to large-scale systems in which the user is very quickly displayed the exact location can. For example, an information output element may inform that a malfunction has occurred (somewhere in the plant).

Another information output element informs the user about where in the plant, for example in the pen, the fault has occurred. Another information output element informs the user where on a particular machine ie where the fault location is located at the filling device. Although the information of the individual information output elements therefore advantageously relates to the same disturbance, these information output elements advantageously indicate different characteristics of the disturbance, for example with regard to the location of the disturbance. Thus, based on the information that there is a fault, the user can obtain more detailed information about the fault via further information output elements. Thus, all information output elements are advantageously designed such that they output information about the location or the disturbance itself, but advantageously the information output is different and also depend on the area in which the information is output.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the device has an input unit, via which commands can be given to the device by a user. This can be, for example, an input field such as a touchpad, via which the user gives his commands to the machine.

In particular, by the output of the information on at least three levels, a rapid localization of a particular disorder can be achieved in a particularly efficient manner.

In a further advantageous embodiment, at least one region is selected from a group of regions which contains an immediate geometric area around the input unit, a workspace of a user of the device, a parent area for a plurality of treatment units and a superordinate area of the entire apparatus.

Thus, a reporting system on at least two levels, in particular for a bottling plant, is proposed here. The first level can be an area on or in the machine or on the operating unit. This information output element can output detailed information and / or the display of an accident location on the operating element and / or in the machine, such as the identification of an accident location by means of a light source.

The second level may be a near area of the machine, that is, a work area of the operator. Here, for example, a signal light and / or a siren can be provided.

Furthermore, the third level can be a higher level for several machine groups or the entire system.

Furthermore, it would also be possible for a further level to be essentially not locally limited, so that, for example, a message is output via radio or mobile phone to a user. Preferably, these information output elements output information about essential main functions of the plant, for example, blow molding, filling, labeling, packing and also palletizing.

In a further advantageous embodiment, at least one information output element is therefore arranged on the input unit.

Advantageously, at least one information output element is also selected from a group of information output elements which contain acoustically emitting elements, optically emitting elements, tactile emitting elements, illuminants, sirens, combinations thereof, and the like.

Advantageously, at least one information output element merely outputs information which relates to exactly one treatment unit. This may be, for example, a short-range level, so that it is recognizable to the user that the assigned information output element relates to this specific machine part.

In a further advantageous embodiment, at least one information output element is designed such that it outputs different information relating to different treatment units. This is preferably a higher-level information output element to which several plant parts are assigned. For example, it may be a higher-level information output element to which both the filler and the labeling machine are assigned.
The area in which this information output item outputs the information may be a workspace of the user.

Therefore, advantageously, the second information output element is assigned a plurality of possible error locations than the first information output element.

At least one information output element is advantageously designed such that it outputs information relating to an arbitrary area of the entire device. This may be, for example, an alarm light that indicates to the user that an error has occurred somewhere in the system.

In a further advantageous embodiment, at least one information output element is designed such that it outputs information to a receiving device, which is outside a region of the device. For example, an output may be provided on a radio or a mobile phone.

In a further advantageous embodiment, output characteristics of the information output by at least one information output element can be changed. For example, it is possible that the volume can be changed, that the intervals of an acoustic signal can be changed, or else the brightness and the like. Thus, it is proposed here that the individual information output elements are individually adaptable to the installation situation of the system, for example the use of signal lights and horns or sirens, which allow different tones, intervals and volumes, and the like. It is also possible for the individual areas in which the information can be perceived to be variable, for example by a pivotability of an information output element or the like.

In this case, it is preferably possible for the output characteristics to be changed by the customer via the input device of the device itself. In this way, the respective operator situation (one or more operators) and the visibility of the machines, for example, from the place of the supply device (preforms, closures, packaging material, etc.) are taken into account.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the device has at least one sensor device which can detect or detect a malfunction of the device. It is possible that this sensor device communicates directly or indirectly with the information output elements, so that they can output information about this disturbance. Furthermore, the device advantageously has a memory device in which procedures are stored as to how certain faults can be remedied.

Advantageously, a transport path, along which the containers are conveyed through the device, remains constant even in the event of a malfunction. It is therefore proposed that no buffer lines or the like are provided, to which the containers can dodge. By doing so, the drive costs for the device can be lowered in conjunction with the invention.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the device has a control device which causes at least two information output elements to output information about the same disturbance substantially simultaneously. It would be, however also possible that first the information output element, which is perceptible in the largest area, outputs the information and then further information output elements. Due to the substantially simultaneous output, the user can also be guided very quickly to the location of the disturbance.

In a further advantageous embodiment, at least two treatment units are each assigned to a first information output element, and these two first information output elements are in turn assigned to a further information output element. Advantageously, the number of first information output elements is higher than the number of second information output elements. In this case, an association is understood to mean that information about a specific interference is output on the mutually associated information output elements.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the device has a packaging device which produces containers from a multiplicity of containers. In a further advantageous embodiment, the device also has a palletising unit which assembles bundle layers from a multiplicity of bundles, and furthermore also a device which produces pallets from a multiplicity of layers.

Further advantages and embodiments will become apparent from the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung; und

Fig. 2

eine Darstellung zur Veranschaulichung des Zusammenwirkens der Informationsausgabeelemente.

Show:

Fig. 1

a schematic representation of a device according to the invention; and

Fig. 2

a representation for illustrating the interaction of the information output elements.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a device according to the invention 1. This has a supply unit 28 for plastic preforms such as a roller sorter. Starting from this roller sorter 28, the plastic preforms pass through a furnace 26 and into a forming device 16, which the plastic preforms to Plastic containers transformed. In this case, also a sterilization unit 14 may be provided for sterilizing the plastic preforms.

Starting from the forming device 16, the containers produced in this way pass via a further transport device 17, possibly a further sterilization unit 18, to a filling device 2, which fills the containers with a liquid and in particular a beverage. Adjoining this filling device 2 in the transport direction T of the containers is a closing device 4 for closing the containers and thereupon a labeling device 6 for labeling the containers. The reference numeral 30 roughly indicates schematically an assembly device which assembles containers from a plurality of containers, and the reference numeral 32 relates, also schematically, to a palletizer.

Reference numeral 5 refers to a third information output element which is superposed so that signals outputted from this third information output element 5 can be detected in the region B3 which basically includes the entire plant. The reference numeral 13 denotes the information output from the third information output element 5. This may, for example, be the mere information that a fault has occurred somewhere in the system.

At the same time as the output of this information, for example, the machine can be stopped.

The reference numerals 51, 52 and 53 respectively relate to second information output elements which are arranged on different parts of the system, such as here the filling device, the forming device 16 and the palletizer area. In each case, these areas are identified uniformly by the reference symbol B2. All areas B2 lie within the large area B3. At these information output elements 51, 52 and 53, in turn, information I2 is output which relates to the fault.

The reference numerals 511, 512, 521 and 531 respectively denote first information output elements, which are respectively arranged here on input devices 24 for operating the device at the plant part. Accordingly, the areas B1 in which of these Information output elements 511, 512, 521, 531 output signals can be perceived smaller and each within the assigned areas B2. Within the area B2, several information output elements 511, 512, 521, 531 could also be arranged. The reference I + 1 refers to the information output from the first information output elements.

Reference numeral 40 denotes a controller for controlling the equipment. In this case, this control device can also control the information output device, i. In particular, control the interaction of the individual information output elements and assign, for example, a particular fault those information output elements that output this error to the user.

FIG. 2 Figure 12 illustrates a schematic of an information output device 12 for outputting the respective information of the disturbances. Here again a higher-level information output element 5 is provided, to which three second information output elements 51, 52 and 53 are assigned in this example. Each of these second information output elements is in turn respectively three information output elements 511, 512, 513; 521, 522, 523; 531, 532, 533 assigned. This assignment is represented by the respective connecting lines L. This assignment is understood such that in each case one of the assigned information output elements outputs information about a specific disturbance which is also output at the higher-order information output element (eg 51-53).

The third information output element 5 is assigned to the entire system, the second information output elements 51, 52 and 53 individual system areas and the first information output elements 511, 512, 513; 521, 522, 523; 531, 532, 533 respective particular parts of the system. These first information output elements 511-533 are therefore assigned to specific machine parts. The areas B1 not shown here are the respective near areas of the relevant information output elements 511... 533. However, it should be noted that the location of the interference can also differ from the location of the first information output elements 511... 533.

If, for example, a fault occurs at a machine part, to which the first information output element 512 is assigned, this information output element 512 will output information about the fault. However, substantially simultaneously, the second information output element 51 as well as the third information output element 5 will output information about the disturbance. Thus, the user can quickly get to the location of the actual fault regardless of his whereabouts.

Optionally, the information output element 5 can also be assigned to a further superordinate information output element 5 a and be in radio communication therewith, for example. This further information output element 5a can also be, for example, a remote computer or a mobile phone of a user, so that in the event of a malfunction, a user is also informed via mobile phone.

One recognizes the representation of Fig. 2 in that this arrangement can be changed both with regard to the number of information output elements and with regard to the cascading depth. However, it has been determined that at least three of the four levels I to IV shown here make sense in order to provide efficient fault management.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

contraption

2

filling

4

closing

5, 5a

third information output element

6

labeling

12

Information output means

14

sterilization unit

16

shaping device

17

transport means

18

sterilization unit

24

input device

26

oven

28

Feeding unit, roller sorter

30

Collator

32

palletizer

40

control device

51, 52, 53,

second information output elements

511, 512, 513, 521, 522, 523, 531, 532, 533

first information output elements

T

transport direction

I1, I2, I3

output information

B1

first area

B2

second area

B3

third area

I - IV

levels

L

connecting lines

Claims (8)

1. Apparatus (1) for treating containers with a plurality of treating units (2, 4) for treating the containers, which treating units (2, 4, 6) contain at least one filling device (2) for filling the containers (10) with a flowable medium, a closure device (4) disposed downstream in a transport direction of the containers (10) for closing the filled containers (10) with closures, and with a labelling device (6) for labelling the containers (10), and with a transport device for transporting the containers, wherein the apparatus (1) has at least one information output device (12), which is configured in such a way that it outputs information (11, 12, 13) about the occurrence of malfunctions of the apparatus (1) to a user, wherein the information output device (12) has at least one first information output element (511...533), which outputs a first information item (I1) about a specific malfunction to the user in such a way that the first information item (I1) can be perceived in a first region (B1) and a second information output element (51, 52, 53) which outputs a second information item (12) about the same specific malfunction to the user in such a way that the second information item (12) can be perceived in a second region (B2), wherein the first region (B1) and the second region (B2) are at least partially different, characterized in that the second region (B2) completely encloses the first region (B1) geometrically and that the apparatus has a third information output element (5) which outputs a third information (13) about the malfunction in such a way that the information (13) in a predefined third region (B3) can be perceived, wherein the third region (B3) differs both from the first region (B1) and the second region (B2) and the third region (B3) completely encloses the first region (B1) of at least one first information output element (511...533) and the second region (B2) of the second information output element (51, 52, 53) geometrically.
2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that at least one information output element (511...513) is designed in such a way that it outputs information about the location of a malfunction and/or information which are characteristic of the malfunction or the correction thereof.
3. Apparatus as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the apparatus has an input unit via which commands can be passed to the apparatus by a user.
4. Apparatus as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one region (B1, B2) is selected from a group of regions which includes an immediate geometric region around the input unit, a working region of a user of the apparatus, a higher-level region for a plurality of treating units and a higher-level region of the entire apparatus.
5. Apparatus as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one information output element only outputs information relating to precisely one treating unit.
6. Apparatus as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one information output element is configured in such a way that it outputs different information items which relate to different treating units.
7. Apparatus as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a transport path along which the containers are conveyed through the machine remains constant.
8. Apparatus as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a respective first information output element (531...533) is assigned to at least two treating units (2, 4) and these information output elements are assigned to an information output element (53).

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