EP3288874B1 - Packaging machine and method for feeding, providing, and exchanging rolls having packaging material - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a packaging machine for packaging at least partially enveloping products such as packaged goods, containers or similar article assemblies with withdrawn from rolls flat and / or sheet material with the features of independent claim 1. The invention also relates to a method for delivery, provision and / or for the handling and / or replacement of rolls with flat and / or sheet material wound thereon and serving as packaging material for packaging piece goods, containers or similar article compositions with the features of independent method claim 6.

In a grouping and compilation of articles to containers, eg. Of beverage containers o. The like., These are often held together in practice by shrink film to prevent slipping or loosening of the compilation during further handling or during transport. For example, containers comprising four, six or more containers are known from the prior art. Such containers form a very common variant of sales units for beverage containers or bottles made of PET plastic. In order to achieve a high throughput in packaging and / or in a subsequent palletizing, the fastest possible compilation of such containers without interruption of individual process steps is desirable.

In order to make the packaging material or the shrink film for partial or complete wrapping container available, devices and methods are already known, which unwind the material of a roll or multiple roles to carry within a packaging machine and thus the individual containers or the respective Cover the packaging material with articles intended to form the respective container. The unwinding of the packaging material from the roll is usually carried out by machine and in a continuous process. Devices are known in which the packaging material is withdrawn via rollers from the rotating roll. If a roll is unwound and the stock of packaging material of the roll is exhausted, then there must be an exchange of the respective roll or a replacement by a new role. However, with such a roll change an undesirable interruption of the process of compilation and packaging of packages is connected.

A method and a device by means of which new rolls delivered and used rolls can be changed within a packaging machine are, for example, from the DE 40 40 545 A1 known. This known device has a plurality of supply rolls with strip material, which are arranged side by side. The core of the rollers is placed in each case on a common pin. A beginning of the strip material is previously connected to a roller, which pulls the strip material from the respective roll and leads away from the device in the downward direction. In order to operate this known device and to unwind the material from the roll, the role must be placed with its core in conformity with the direction of rotation on the pin. The strip material or the first layer of the strip material must descend from above in the direction of the rolls. If the role with opposite direction of rotation placed on the pin, the strip material could not or only with difficulty be removed from the roll, resulting in complications in the settlement. Depending on the direction of rotation of the attached new roles in these known devices, a manual reacting and rotationally compliant re-placement is indispensable to ensure trouble-free operation can.

Devices for automatically feeding material wound on rolls and exchanging for used rolls in processing or packaging machines are also known in different embodiments, for example. By devices for feeding and changing coils with strip material in a processing machine according to DE 32 02 647 A1 or according to DE 41 42 256 A1 ,

The DE 34 25 734 A1 discloses an automated system for feeding packaging material on production and / or packaging lines. The system comprises a magazine for the packaging material and a carriage equipped with an articulated arm for gripping the packaging material and feeding it to the processing machines located on the processing lines. The trolley with the articulated arm travels along routes that are determined by a computer connected to the processing machines.

A device for supplying packaging machines with consumable or packaging material is also from the EP 1 273 541 B1 known. The wound as reels of material webs are delivered to pallets and distributed to several manufacturing and packaging machines, the pallets are first transported by pallet conveyors in temporary storage, while individual reels are removed by separate reel bobbin and transported to a machine to be supplied.

The DE 10 2006 017 379 A1 discloses a device for handling reels of packaging material. The device comprises a reel storage with a portal in which the reels are held on pallets. A gantry robot with articulated arm transfers bobbins as needed to winding units arranged outside the portal. Of these, the webs are transported to opposite sides in the direction parallel to the longitudinal extent of the portal to the consumption machines. Another packaging machine considered to be the closest prior art is disclosed in the document EP 2 862 823 A1 disclosed.

In such packaging machines product changes are to be carried out at irregular intervals, in which the dimensions of the packaged goods may vary, so that the unwinding from the rolls and serving as packaging material flat or sheet material can not be used, but against a flat or sheet material other width, other strength and / or with other printing is exchanged. It makes sense to do this by replacing one of the rolls with packaging material, but this is associated with several disadvantages. On the one hand, this role change usually has to be carried out manually, if the respective product change is pending. In addition, the rolls removed from the packaging machine are usually not yet used up, so that a product change is not only accompanied by a slowing down of the packaging process, but can also be associated with a considerable waste of material.

For this reason, an object of the present invention is to provide a packaging machine and a method with a high degree of automation in the handling of flat and / or film material wound on rolls. The available flat and / or sheet material should be largely utilized and waste avoided.

This object of the invention is achieved with the objects of the independent claims. Features of advantageous developments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims. In order to achieve the stated object, the invention proposes a packaging machine for packaging at least partially enveloping products such as piece goods, containers or similar article compositions with withdrawn from rolls flat and / or sheet material. The packaging machine has at least one installation position and, in preferred embodiments, at least two different installation positions for the rollers. In the installation positions flat and / or sheet material can be unwound and provided for packaging the at least partially to be wrapped products. In addition, the packaging machine with means for removing used and / or partially used rolls from the respective or at least one installation position and / or inserting new roles for replacement against used or partially used roles in the least one or in the respective installation position fitted. In addition, the packaging machine is associated with at least one temporary storage station for temporary storage of partially used rolls and their provision for reuse in the packaging machine. The intermediate storage station can thus be located within a working area of the device for the removal of used and / or partially spent rolls from the respective or at least one installation position. With the help of this intermediate storage station assigned to the packaging machine, unused but temporarily unworkable rolls due to a product change can be removed from the current operation with packaging material, but kept ready for reuse at a later time. This intermediate storage station is suitable for fully automated operation, so that no manual intervention or roll change is required. The flat or sheet material can thus be adapted in each case to the products or packaged goods to be packaged without unused rolls disposed of with packaging material and thus large amounts of packaging material must be wasted.

The packaging machine is preferably assigned a welding station for connecting a material web of a roll newly inserted into the respective installation position with a material web located in the packaging machine and a buffer for receiving a part of a taken during the welding process web portion of the roll to be removed. The cache for the not suitable for the new products and therefore no longer needed Material web section can absorb parts of the material web, which still come from the removed role, and must be removed from the packaging process due to the material web for the connection of the web sections of the new role with the material still in the machine web.

This buffer can be arranged, for example spatially in an area above the at least two mounting positions. However, the buffer may also be arranged spatially within the packaging machine in an area in the vicinity of a film wrapping module or on the way before the installation position to the film wrapping module.

The invention provides that at least a part of the conveyed material web section is conveyed into the temporary storage and stored there. This temporary storage device can be emptied cyclically, for example, whereby the cyclical removal or emptying can take place, for example, by means of a handling device such as a robot or the like. Normally, in preparation for a product change, the material web is withdrawn against the conveying direction for packaging during or before a separating process and / or transported into the temporary storage. After retracting and / or separating the material web from the roll to be removed, a new material web can subsequently be drawn from the newly inserted roll in the conveying direction.

A further advantageous embodiment of the packaging machine according to the invention can provide that it is assigned a data memory for the acquisition, storage and availability of relevant data on the consumption state and / or the remaining length of the still on the roll web of a taken out of the packaging machine and cached for re-insertion role , With the aid of such a data memory, it is possible to associate stored relevant data with the roll taken out of the machine and placed in intermediate storage in order to have this data immediately available for the further packaging process if the previously removed roll can be used again in the event of a new product change.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if the packaging machine has a gripping and / or handling device, in particular at least one handling robot placed on the packaging machine for removing the partially used and intermediately stored rolls from the at least one installation position, for Re-inserting these intermediate rollers and / or for the insertion of new roles in the at least one mounting position of the packaging machine is assigned, as a fully automatic operation is much easier.

The handling device or the multi-axis robot has suitable gripping and / or holding means, which may be formed by a holding mandrel, for example, which dips the front side into the trained as a hollow body new roles, increases its maximum cross-sectional diameter or its cross-sectional area increases and hereby the respective new roller clamped to the handling device or the multi-axis robot fixed.

Optionally, the gripping and / or handling device can be formed by a driverless and / or remote-controlled transport system (so-called FTS with at least one self-propelled shuttle), which picks up new rolls from the defined feed and places them in the packaging machine.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention further proposes a method for conveying, providing and / or handling and / or replacing reels with products wound thereon and as packaging material for packaging at least partially enveloping products such as piece goods, containers or similar article compositions serving flat and / or sheet material, wherein when a product change in a packaging machine, a partially unwound and / or used up role from at least one mounting position within the packaging machine removed and stored for further and / or reuse, while one on the new Product matched new role with flat and / or sheet material inserted into the respective at least one mounting position and welded to a material web located in the packaging machine. The method provides that at least a partial section of the material web located in the packaging machine is pulled back against the conveying direction for the packaging and removed from the conveying region of the packaging machine. In addition, a preferred option of the method provides that at least a part of the conveyed material web section is conveyed into a temporary storage and stored there. This buffer can preferably be emptied cyclically or as needed, wherein the cyclic or as needed removal by means of suitable handling devices such as robots o. The like. Can be done. In particular, the buffer may be arranged spatially in an area above the at least one installation position, whereby it is arranged in the immediate vicinity of at least one installation position for the rolls of packaging material and is optimally placed for receiving short material web sections, which are no longer needed in a product change.

To prepare for a product change, the material web, which is no longer suitable for the new product or does not optimally fit the new product, can be withdrawn and / or placed in the intermediate storage prior to a separating operation in the direction opposite to the normal conveying direction, as intended for packaging. After retracting and / or separating the material web from the roll to be removed, a defined length of the new material web can then be drawn from the newly inserted roll in the conveying direction so that the packaging process of the new products is continued with the respectively provided flat or film material can.

In a variant of the method according to the invention, the rolls, which are only partially consumed and removed from the packaging machine, are stored temporarily and / or kept ready for renewed insertion into the packaging machine. This variant allows for temporary storage and reuse of the rolls at a later time by delivering them to a clipboard location, where they can be taken up again at any later time and inserted into the packaging machine. In addition, it may be advantageous if relevant data of the canned from the packaging machine and cached for reinsertion rollers are detected, in particular data on the consumption state and / or the remaining length of the material web still on the roll. These relevant data of the rolls can be used to advantage in order to make them available to the packaging machine after the reinsertion of the roll, so that an exact time of a necessary exchange for a new roll can be determined.

A roll change normally takes place in such a way that, after the respective insertion of a new roll, an outer layer of this new roll is pulled off near or in the region of its free end and joined to a further roll in order to form a continuous material web with a section of a material web guided in the packaging machine , in particular welded or glued. Since the new roll must be connected to a packaging material section already in the machine during a product change that is to be prepared with new piece goods dimensions and / or modified printings of the packaging material, this is part of the Machine located packaging material, however, is not suitable for further use, this relatively short section must be disposed of, in particular cached and possibly removed from the packaging machine at a later date. New rolls are normally provided to the packaging machine in a defined feed, eg by means of pallets, shelving systems, AGVS (ie driverless transport systems) or the like, and are inserted into the respective installation position by means of at least one gripping and / or handling device, after there has previously been a spent or partially used and later reused. The rollers are preferably picked up independently of the orderly feed by means of handling and gripping devices and inserted into the packaging machine.

The aforementioned gripping and / or handling device can be formed, for example, by a multi-axis robot, which picks up new rolls from the defined feed and places them in the packaging machine. In addition, the handling device or the multi-axis robot may have a holding mandrel, which dips into the front side designed as a hollow body respective new roles, increases its maximum cross-sectional diameter and thereby fixed the respective new role by clamping the handling device or the multi-axis robot. Optionally, in the method according to the invention, the gripping and / or handling device can also be formed by a driverless and / or remote-controlled transport system (FTS, at least one self-propelled shuttle) which picks up new rolls from the defined feed and places them in the packaging machine. This FTS or the shuttle of the AGV may, for example, have a gripper arm or the like for receiving and handling the rollers, with which it picks up the roller, places it on a transport support, after which it travels together with the roller to the packaging machine and uses the roller there ,

New rollers can be moved, for example, via a horizontal conveyor into the area of the handling device and removed directly from the horizontal conveyor by means of the handling device. Also possible is a delivery of new rolls on pallets, so that, for example, four respective standing rolls are arranged on a pallet, which are brought by means of a suitable delivery in the movement space of the gripping and / or handling device to be picked up by this and in the packaging machine to be used, possibly including the clipboard, as described as an option above.

• Fig. 1 zeigt eine schematische Perspektivansicht einer Ausführungsvariante einer erfindungsgemäßen Verpackungsmaschine. Zudem verdeutlicht Fig. 1 eine denkbare Umsetzung einer Ausführungsform für das erfindungsgemäße Verfahren.
• Fig. 2 zeigt eine schematische Perspektivansicht zweier Einbaupositionen für Rollen innerhalb der Verpackungsmaschine, die mit einer Vorrichtung gemäß dem Ausführungsbeispiel aus der Fig. 1 zusammenwirken kann.
• Fig. 3 zeigt die Einbaupositionen der Fig. 2 mit eingesetzter neuer Rolle für die zweite Einbauposition.
• Fig. 4 zeigt die Einbaupositionen der Figuren 2 und 3 mit abgezogener äußerer Lage der in die zweite Einbauposition eingesetzten neuen Rolle.
• Fig. 5 zeigt eine schematische Ansicht zur Verdeutlichung beispielhafter Positionierungen eines Zwischenspeichers für zu entfernende Folienreste.

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 shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a packaging machine according to the invention. In addition clarifies Fig. 1 a conceivable implementation of an embodiment of the inventive method.
• Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of two installation positions for roles within the packaging machine, which with a device according to the embodiment of the Fig. 1 can interact.
• Fig. 3 shows the installation positions of the Fig. 2 with inserted new role for the second installation position.
• Fig. 4 shows the installation positions of the Figures 2 and 3 with deducted outer layer of the new role used in the second mounting position.
• Fig. 5 shows a schematic view to illustrate exemplary positioning of a buffer for removing film residues.

For identical or equivalent elements of the invention, identical reference numerals are used. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, only reference symbols are shown in the individual figures, which are required for the description of the respective figure. The illustrated embodiments merely represent examples of how the packaging machine according to the invention and the method according to the invention can be designed and do not represent a conclusive limitation.

The schematic perspective view of Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of an inventive device 10 for handling rollers 12 during their insertion and / or removal from a packaging machine 14. In addition illustrates the Fig. 1 also a conceivable implementation of an embodiment of the inventive method described above.

The device 10 is used to handle flat packaging material such as shrink film or packaging films, which is wound on large, due to their weight usually not manually manageable rollers 12. schematically implied can be found in Fig. 1 a part of the packaging machine 14, 16 new rolls 12 are supplied via a later to be described in detail gripping and / or handling device. In addition, the gripping and / or handling device 16 provides for the removal of used or partially used rolls 20 from the packaging machine 14. The gripping and / or handling device 16 embodied as a stationary arranged multi-axis robot 18 in the illustrated embodiment sets the respective new rolls to be fed to the packaging machine 14 12 in two different mounting positions EB1 and EB2, which in Fig. 1 can only be seen to some extent and in the detailed view of Fig. 2 exemplified be clarified.

Like a synopsis of FIGS. 2 to 4 With Fig. 1 shows, by means of the gripping and / or handling device 16 or with the help of Mehrachs- or handling robot 18 individual new roles 12 used in one of the two installation positions EB1 and EB2, while in the other installation position EB2 or EB1 still consumed or partially used roll 20 is located, of which still during the onset of each new roll 12 a material web located thereon 22 is further processed, which is processed in the packaging machine 14 as a packaging material. During the further unwinding of the material web 22 from the nearly applied or even partially used-up roll 20, a connection or welding of the outer layer 24 takes place (cf. Fig. 4 ) of the new roll 12 with the web 22, whereby the device 10 can run in a continuous operation, without the packaging process would have to be interrupted for replacing an applied roll 20 against a new roll 12.

The new rolls 12 are each composed of the wound-up flat packaging material 22 or of the packaging or shrink film and a core 26 on which the packaging material 22 or the shrink film is wound up. To accept a new role 12 from one of the in Fig. 1 indicated pallets 52 or optionally from a horizontal conveyor, not shown, the handling device 16 and the handling robot 18 dives over an end of his movable arm 30 movably arranged holding mandrel 32 frontally into a core 26 of a new roll 12 a. An arm portion 34 of the handling device 16 or of the handling robot 18 can for this purpose be moved in rotation about a rotation axis. After immersing the retaining mandrel 32 in the core 26, the cross-sectional diameter of the retaining mandrel 32nd increases, so that the new roller 12 is fixed to the retaining mandrel 32 by clamping. The core 26 is hollow-cylindrical, the shape of the retaining mandrel 32 corresponding thereto, so that the retaining mandrel 32 is for clamping fixing the new roller 12 via its outer periphery with an inner circumferential surface of the core 26 in conjunction.

By means of the pallets 52 supplied regularly to the vicinity of the gripping and / or handling device 16 or the handling robot 18, new rolls 12 can be made available in an uninterrupted sequence. Optionally, the pallets 52 can be delivered in coordination with the signals of a room monitoring device 42, which can be formed in particular by an optical detection device or a camera 44, possibly also by a plurality of cameras 44, which detect at least the range of motion of the multi-axis robot 18 and its movements , Which also means the exact movements of the cantilever arm 30 with the pivoting mandrel 32 arranged thereon in relation to each new roller 12 to be detected.

The Fig. 1 further shows an open-topped container 56, which is located in the working area of the gripping and / or handling device 16. If the supply of packaging material or shrink film of a roller 12 or 20 placed in the packaging machine 14 is exhausted, by means of the handling robot 18 the core 26 of cellulose, plastic, wood or cardboard is taken out of the packaging machine 14 and empty Container 56 stored. Only after removal of the core 26, a new roll 12 can be used in the respective installation position EB1 or EB2 of the packaging machine 14, so that the gripping and / or handling device 16 and the handling robot 18 first removes the core 26 and temporally following a insert new roller 12 in the respective installation position EB1 or EB2.

On each of the pallets 52 shown are four edgewise rollers 12, each received individually by the handling robot 18 and inserted into the packaging machine 14. To accommodate a new roll 12 of one of the range within, ie within the range of movement of the gripping and / or handling device 16 and the multi-axis robot 18 standing pallets 52 dives the handling device 16 and the handling robot 18 via the end of his movable boom 30 movable arranged holding mandrel 32 frontally into a core 26 of a new roll 12 a. About the regularly supplied in the exercise room pallets 52, each with four new rollers 12 of the gripping and / or handling device 16 and the handling robot 18 new roles 12 in continuous sequence provided so that upon removal of all new rolls 12 of one of the pallets 52, this empty pallet 52 can be exchanged for a new pallet 52 with another four rolls 12, which in turn move into the movement space of the gripping and / or handling device place is. This delivery can take place by means of suitable industrial trucks, for example by means of so-called FTS (driverless transport systems), which are formed by self-propelled, remotely controlled and / or own sensor systems for steering transport vehicles, for example. Each a pallet 52 with rollers 12 placed in it can move the movement room. These transport systems or FTS can be operated clocked as desired in the desired manner.

In order to keep different packaging materials available in the case of a product change required in the packaging machine 14, it is also possible to remove rollers 21 that are not completely exhausted but also only partially used up. In order to keep these partially unwound rolls 21 available for later use in the packaging machine 14 in a new product change, the in Fig. 1 shown variant of the device 10 in the movement space of the gripping and handling device 16 and in the immediate vicinity of a clipboard 60 provided for the partially unwound rolls 21, which essentially serves the not to be mixed with the new rollers 12 removed rollers 21, however continue to be available for their re-use within the reach of the gripping and / or handling device 16 to keep available.

In this connection, it is advantageous if relevant data of the rolls 21 removed from the packaging machine 14 and deposited on the clipboard 60 for renewed insertion are recorded, in particular data on the consumption state and / or the remaining length of the material web still on the respective roll 21 22. These relevant data of the rollers 21 can be advantageously used to make them available to the packaging machine 14 after the reinsertion of the roller 21, so that an exact time of a necessary exchange with a new roller 12 can be determined

The in Fig. 1 Within the movement space 46 standing user 50 usually holds there only for maintenance purposes, but not during operation of the gripping and / or handling device, which may also be controlled by the room monitoring device 42.

The schematic perspective view of Fig. 2 illustrates the previously mentioned mounting positions EB1 and EB2 for the rollers 12, in the packaging machine 14 according to the variant accordingly Fig. 1 are defined. Each of the installation positions EB1 and EB2 is defined by its own rotatable receiving mandrel 70. In each case, by means of the gripping and / or handling device (see FIG. Fig. 1 ) attached a new roller 12 and fixed by clamping the diameter of the mandrels 70 by clamping the roller core 26 on the respective mandrel 70 by clamping. The Fig. 2 also reveals a welding bar 72, which is used to connect an outer layer 24 (cf. Fig. 3 . Fig. 4 ) of the new roller 12 inserted into the respective installation position EB1 or EB2 (cf. Fig. 3 ) is provided with the remaining in the packaging machine 14 material web 22 and this is lowered vertically. After joining the outer layer 24 (see. Fig. 3 ) with the material web 22 remaining in the packaging machine 14, the temperature-controlled welding bar 72 is lifted vertically and into the in Fig. 2 shown position brought.

In the presentation of the Fig. 2 In the first installation position EB1, a virtually worn-out roller 20 rests on the receiving mandrel 70 of the first installation position EB1 and is moved in rotation by the mandrel 70 or by the removal of the material web 22. In this case, the packaging material or the shrink film of the seated on the mandrel 70 of the first installation position EB1 roller 20 is unwound. In the second installation position EB2, a used-up roll 20 has already been completely unwound and the core 26 (cf. Fig. 1 ) is removed via the handling device 16 so that the second installation position EB2 or the receiving mandrel 70 of the second installation position EB2 is ready to receive a new roll 12 with packaging material.

Each of the installation positions EB1 and EB2 can also be assigned its own sensor or a camera 74, by means of which at least approximately completely unwound and / or used up rollers 20 and partially unwound rollers 21 (see. Fig. 4 ) can be recognized optically. If a roll 20 is at least approximately completely unwound and / or used up or if a product change is due and therefore a partially unwound roll 21 is to be removed, the respective camera 74 sends information about the respective at least partially completed and / or used up rolls 20 and 21 respectively to a control unit 38. On the basis of numerous data, including the cameras 74 within the packaging machine 14, this control unit 38 controls the gripping and / or handling device 18 or the handling robot 18 (cf. Fig. 1 ) to Removing the respective at least partially unwound and / or applied roller 20, 21 or for removing the core 26 of the respective roller 20 or 21. So that the roller 20 or 21 can be removed from their respective installation position EB1 or EB2, will be previously solved between the respective roller 20, 21 and the mandrel 70 formed clamping connection. This is typically done by reducing the cross-sectional diameter of the respective mandrel 70, thereby allowing the roll core 26 to be peeled off. The release of the clamping connection or the reduction of the cross-sectional diameter of the receiving mandrels 70 is further specified by the control unit 38.

To remove the at least partially unwound and / or used up roller 20 or 21 from their respective installation position EB1 or EB2, the gripping and / or handling device 16 dives via its retaining mandrel 32 into the core 26 of the roller 20 or 21 to be removed. By enlarging the cross-sectional diameter of the receiving mandrel 70, the respective roller 20, 21 is then fixed to the holding mandrel 32 of the handling device 16. An enlargement of the cross-sectional diameter of the retaining mandrel 32 for clamping the roller 20 or 21 or of the roller core 26 is likewise predetermined via the control unit 38. After fixing the roller 20 or 21 on the holding mandrel 32, the roller 20 or 21 by means of gripping and / or handling device 16 and under specification by the control unit 38 in the direction of the container 56 or the clipboard 60 (see. Fig. 1 ) and stored there by reducing the cross-sectional diameter of the retaining mandrel 32.

After the removed roll 20 or the core 26 in the container 56 or the partially unwound roll 21 on the clipboard 60, the gripping and / or handling device 16 via the control unit 38 for inserting a new roll 12 in the respective installation position EB1 or EB2 within the packaging machine 14 is controlled. The device 10 can be operated in this way together with the packaging machine 14 automated.

The further schematic perspective view of Fig. 3 shows the installation positions EB1 and EB2 according to the Fig. 2 with inserted new roll 12 for the second mounting position EB2. Starting from Fig. 2 was in the presentation of the Fig. 3 by means of the gripping and / or handling device 16 (cf. Fig. 1 ) a new roller 12 is pushed onto the mandrel 70 of the second mounting position EB2. Furthermore, packaging material 22 or shrink film of the almost used or unwound and therefore soon to be removed role 20 of the first mounting position EB1 unwound, so that the packaging machine 14 (see. Fig. 1 ) can be operated even when replacing the roller 20 from the first installation position by switching to the new roll 12 of the second mounting position EB2. If a new roll 12 is then subsequently inserted into the first installation position EB1, then packaging material 22 or shrink film can be unwound from the roll 12 of the second installation position EB2, whereby the required continuous and uninterrupted operation of the packaging machine 14 can be ensured.

The installation positions EB1 and EB2 of Figures 2 and 3 with deducted outer layer 24 of the inserted into the second mounting position EB2 new role 12 shows the schematic perspective view of Fig. 4 , In addition, there is an incompletely unwound roll 21 in the first installation position EB1 to recognize, which is removed because of a product change from the packaging machine 14 and replaced by a new roll 12. Both rollers 12 and 21 rotate on their respective associated mandrels 70 with the same direction of rotation, here counterclockwise. A rotational direction-compliant insertion of the new rollers 12 is necessary in order to ensure a trouble-free and functioning operation of the device 10 or packaging machine 14 can.

The Fig. 4 also indicates a buffer 76, which is required for receiving a web portion 78, which comes after a product change from the to be removed, not yet needed, but not yet unwound roll 21, but for the new product to be packaged is not suitable. In this latch 76, which may be located in particular above the mounting positions EB1 and EB2 in the packaging machine 14, these shorter track sections 78 may be transported to dispose of them later.

To prepare for a product change, the material web 22, which is no longer suitable for the new product or does not optimally fit the new product, may be withdrawn and / or transported into the intermediate storage 76 before a separation process contrary to the normal conveying direction as provided for packaging become. After retracting and / or separating the material web 78 from the roll 21 to be removed, a defined length of the new material web 22 can then be drawn in the conveying direction by the newly inserted roll 12, so that the packaging process of the new products is carried out with the respective flat roll. or sheet material can be continued.

The schematic view of Fig. 5 Finally, illustrate exemplary positioning of the buffer 76 for the remnants of film to be removed. Thus, the intermediate memory 76, as already mentioned, for example, be arranged spatially in an area above the at least two mounting positions EB1 and EB2 (see. Fig. 4 ). The buffer 76, however, can according to Fig. 5 within the packaging machine 14 may also be arranged spatially in an area in the vicinity of a film wrapping module 80 or on the way before the installation position to the film wrapping module 80. In the arrangement in the region in the vicinity of the film wrapping module 80, for example, a removal point 82 may be provided for the film to be removed. Optionally, the latch 76 may be formed as a hinged basket 84 o. The like., As each as an alternative arrangements in Fig. 5 is indicated.

The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications or changes may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the following claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

device

12

Role, new role

14

packaging machine

16

Gripping device, handling device, gripping and / or handling device

18

Multi-axis robot, handling robot

20

Roll, spent roll

21

Roll, partially used roll, partly unwound roll

22

Material web, packaging material

24

outer location

26

Core, roll core

30

boom

32

holding mandrel

34

Arm section, gripper arm

38

control unit

42

Monitoring device

44

optical detection device, camera

50

User, operator

52

palette

56

Container

60

clipboard

70

Thorn, mandrel, retaining pin

72

welding bars

74

camera

76

cache

78

Material web section

80

Film wrapping module

82

sampling point

84

folding basket

EB1

first installation position

EB2

second installation position

Claims (11)

1. A packaging machine (14) used to package products, such as piece goods, bundles, or the like article sets, that are to be at least partly wrapped in flat material and/or film material pulled off from rolls (12, 20, 21), the packaging machine (14) comprising

   - at least one installation position (EB1, EB2) for the rolls (12, 20, 21);

   - at least one device (16) used to remove used up (20) and/or partly used up rolls (21) from the at least one installation position (EB1, EB2) and/or to introduce new rolls (12) into the at least one installation position (EB1, EB2) in order to replace used up (20) or partly used up rolls (21);

   characterised in that
   at least one intermediate deposit (60) is assigned to the packaging machine (14), the intermediate deposit (60) being used as intermediate storage for partly used up rolls (21) and for the staging thereof in order to be used again in the packaging machine (14).
2. The packaging machine according to claim 1, having a heat-sealing station (72) used to join a material web (22) from a roll (12) that has been newly introduced into the at least one installation position (EB1, EB2) to a material web (22) present in the packaging machine (14), as well as having a temporary store (76) used to accommodate a part of the material web section (78) from the roll (21) that is to be removed, with the material web section (78) having been removed during the heat-sealing procedure.
3. The packaging machine according to claim 2, in which the temporary store (76) is disposed spatially in an area near a film wrapping module (80) or along the stretch from the at least one installation position (EB1, EB2) to the film wrapping module (80).
4. The packaging machine according to one of the claims 1 to 3, having a data memory used to capture, store, and hold ready relevant data on the consumption status and/or on the residual length of the material web (22) from a roll (21) that has been removed from the packaging machine (14) and temporarily stored in order to be again introduced thereinto, with the material web (22) still being still present on the roll (21).
5. The packaging machine according to one of the claims 1 to 4, to which is assigned a gripping device and/or handling device (16), in particular at least one handling robot (18) placed at the packaging machine (14) and used to remove the partly used up and intermediately stored rolls (21) from the at least one installation position (EB1, EB2), and to re-introduce these intermediately stored rolls (21) back into the at least one installation position (EB1, EB2) of the packaging machine (14), and/or to introduce new rolls (12) thereinto.
6. A method for supplying, staging, and/or handling, and/or for replacing rolls (12, 20, 21) with flat material and/or film material wound thereonto and serving as packaging material (22) for packaging products, such as piece goods, bundles, or the like article sets, that are to be at least partly wrapped, characterised in that partly unwound and/or depleted rolls (20, 21) are removed from at least one installation position (EB1, EB2) inside the packaging machine (14) in the instance of a change of product in the packaging machine (14) and are intermediately stored for a further use and/or for being used again, while a new roll (12) of flat material and/or film material that is adjusted to the new product is introduced into the at least one installation position (EB1, EB2) and is heat-sealed to a material web (22) present in the packaging machine (14), wherein at least one partial section (78) of the material web (22) present in the packaging machine (14) is pulled back opposite to the conveying direction for the packaging and is removed from a conveyor area of the packaging machine (14).
7. The method according to claim 6, in which at least a part (78) of the material web section (22) that has been conveyed back is conveyed into a temporary store (76) and put aside there.
8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, in which the material web (78) is pulled back opposite to the conveying direction to the packaging and/or is conveyed into the temporary store (76) prior to a separation procedure.
9. The method according to claim 8, in which a new material web from the newly introduced roll (12) is pulled forward in conveying direction after the material web (78) from the roll to be removed (21) has been pulled back and/or separated.
10. The method according to one of the claims 6 to 9, in which the rolls (21) that have been used up only partly and that have been removed from the packaging machine (14) are intermediately stored and/or are held ready for being introduced into the packaging machine (14) again.
11. The method according to claim 10, in which rolls (21) that have been removed from the packaging machine (14) and temporarily stored for being introduced again have relevant data on the consumption status and/or on the residual length of the material web (22) still present on the roll (21) assigned to them and made available to the packaging machine (14) after the roll (21) has been introduced again.

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