EP4183695A1 - Ffs machine for filling bags with bulk material - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an FFS machine for filling sacks with bulk material, with a delivery unit (2) for delivering empty sacks; a buffer unit (4) for buffering at least one empty bag provided; a first transfer unit (5) for transferring an empty bag from the supply unit to the buffer unit; a filling station (6) with at least two filling positions for filling an empty bag each; a second transfer unit (8) for simultaneously transferring at least two empty bags from the supply unit and/or the buffer unit to the at least two filling positions in the filling station; characterized in that the buffer unit is arranged between the supply unit and the filling station.

Description

The invention is based on a form-fill-seal (FFS) machine for filling bags with bulk material, with a supply unit for supplying empty bags, a buffer unit for buffering at least one empty bag provided, a transfer unit for transferring an empty bag from the supply unit to Buffer unit, a filling station with at least two filling positions for filling one empty bag each, and a transfer unit for the simultaneous transfer of at least two empty bags from the delivery unit and/or the buffer unit to the at least two filling positions in the filling station. An automatic bag filling machine with several filling stations is already known from the publication EP 3 647 211 B1 .

FFS machines are used to bag a product (e.g. granules, powdery products, etc.). With these machines, a product is bagged at several stations arranged one after the other (e.g. bottom seam welding station, welding seam cooling station, station for filling, head seam welding station), with only one bag being processed in each station. Such FFS machines have a maximum number of bags that can be bagged per hour. The EP 3 647 211 B1 discloses an FFS machine in which two sacks can be filled at once. However, in this case, a buffer for empty bags is provided behind the supply unit for empty bags, as seen from the filling station, so that the transfer unit has to cover long distances and also has to be moved at high speed. The transfer unit is also very solid because it also transports full sacks. This means that a large mass has to be moved at high speed. This leads to high wear and strong vibrations, so that on the one hand stable guides for the transfer unit have to be provided and only a lower throughput is achieved. The FFS machine EP 3 647 211 B1 requires 3 cycles per filling process.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to further develop an FFS machine in such a way that more bags per hour can be bagged with it than with a conventional FFS machine, while at the same time there is less wear. In the solution according to the invention, the transfer unit can be made less massive since it only has to transport empty bags. Also become only 2 cycles per filling process required. The arrangement of the individual stations relative to one another according to the invention also makes it possible to install a bag store by adjusting the number of empty bag grippers. Due to the dwell time in the bag store, there is no need for a cooling unit in the bottom seam welding station.

The object is achieved by a device and a method having the features of the independent claims.

Accordingly, it is provided that the FFS machine has a second transfer unit for the simultaneous transfer of at least two empty bags from the supply unit and/or the buffer unit to the at least two filling positions in the filling station. Furthermore, it can be provided that the buffer unit is arranged between the supply unit and the filling station. Provision can be made for the buffer unit to be set up to accommodate a plurality of bags. This has the advantage that the buffer unit can be used effectively for welding seam cooling. Provision can be made for the buffer unit to store the empty sacks between the transfer positions at which the empty sacks are transferred between the first transfer unit and the second transfer unit. It can be provided that the first transfer unit also provides a buffer position for buffering an empty bag. This allows the transfer unit to be part of the buffer unit. Thus, the buffer unit does not necessarily have to be a separate module, but can also be provided by this "transfer unit", for example. This can be the case, for example, if a buffer position is provided between the supply unit and the filling station, which can be occupied by the transfer unit. As a result, two empty bags can be made available for collection by the second transfer unit at the same time, with one in the delivery unit and a second in the transfer unit located in the buffer position being available for collection. It can thereby be provided that the second transfer unit is designed for the simultaneous transfer of at least two empty bags from the supply unit and the transfer unit in the buffer position. Provision can also be made for the FFS machine to have different cycle rates when empty bags are provided and when the bags are filled. This can be implemented by providing twice as many filling positions as supply units, for example one supply unit for providing one empty sack per time unit and two filling positions for the simultaneous filling of two sacks per time unit. As a result, empty bag movements with little mass can take place quickly, while full bag movements with a high mass can take place at half the speed. As a result, the FFS machine has a longer service life, since at least the filling stations are duplicated and are therefore not subject to such high cycle rates.

It can be provided that the second transfer unit is also set up to simultaneously transfer at least two filled sacks from the filling station to a head seam welding station when transferring the at least two empty sacks from the supply unit and/or the buffer unit to the at least two filling positions in the filling station. For this purpose, the head seam welding station can have two head seam welding positions for simultaneously producing two head seams on the sacks transferred to the head seam welding station. The head seam welding position can also have a cooling device for cooling the head welds produced. The head seam welding station can be designed to carry out the production of the head weld seams and the subsequent cooling process in the time span of a sack filling process in the filling station. Alternatively, it can be provided that the top seams are produced by means of the associated gripper, which conveys the sacks from the filling station to the top seam welding station. Provision can be made for the top seams to be produced during transport. Alternatively, it can be provided that one, two or more separate head seam cooling stations for cooling the head welds produced are arranged after the head seam welding station. For this purpose, the second transfer unit can have further grippers, as a result of which the second transfer unit can be made longer.

Furthermore, the second transfer unit can have a gripper carriage with a plurality of grippers for gripping one sack each, the gripper carriage being set up for the simultaneous movement of the grippers in or against a sack conveying direction (X). The grippers can be attached to the gripper slide, in particular equidistantly. Provision can be made for the grippers to be arranged equidistantly from one another on the gripper carriage in a starting position and, starting from there, to be movable relative to one another along the gripper carriage.

It can be provided that the top seam welding station has a conveyor by means of which the filled sacks can be transported further, with the transfer of the filled sacks from the second transfer unit to the conveyor device in the top seam welding station. Provision can be made for the conveyor device to have at least one conveyor belt. Provision can be made for the conveyor device to be arranged in such a way that the filled bags stand on the conveyor device while the head welds are being produced and cooled.

Provision can be made for the filling station to have an opening device at each filling position for transferring and/or fixing the respective empty sack into an open position during the filling process. It can be provided that the grippers for opening a sack are designed pneumatically or with a servo drive. Alternatively, it can be provided that at least the corresponding grippers of the second transfer device are designed to open the empty bags in the filling station and/or to fix them in an open position.

In addition, it can be provided that the filling station has a shaking device for simultaneously shaking the at least two empty bags located in the filling station during the filling process. It can be provided that the shaking device includes a conveyor belt for the onward transport of the filled sacks. The vibrating device can have a double or parallelogram linkage, by means of which the at least two bags located in the filling station can be vibrated during the filling process.

• Bereitstellen von Leersäcken an einer Bereitstellungsposition;
• Nach dem Bereitstellen eines Leersacks an der Bereitstellungsposition: Überführen des Leersacks von der Bereitstellungsposition in eine Pufferposition und Bereitstellen eines weiteren Leersacks an der Bereitstellungsposition;
• gleichzeitiges Überführen von zumindest zwei Leersäcken aus der Bereitstellungsposition und/oder der Pufferposition an zumindest eine erste und eine zweite Befüllposition in einer Füllstation;
• gleichzeitiges Befüllen des zumindest ersten Leersacks und zweiten Leersacks in der Füllstation, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Überführen der Leersäcke von der Bereitstellungsposition in die Pufferposition in Richtung der Füllstation erfolgt.

The invention also relates to a method for filling sacks with bulk material in an FFS machine, comprising the steps:

• Provision of empty bags at a provision position;
• After the provision of an empty sack at the provision position: transferring the empty sack from the provision position to a buffer position and providing another empty sack at the provision position;
• simultaneous transfer of at least two empty sacks from the ready position and/or the buffer position to at least a first and a second filling position in a filling station;
• simultaneous filling of the at least first empty sack and second empty sack in the filling station, characterized in that the empty sacks are transferred from the ready position to the buffer position in the direction of the filling station.

It can be provided that the empty sack is transferred from the ready position to the buffer position by a first transfer unit and the at least two empty sacks are transferred from the ready position and/or the buffer position to the at least first and second filling position by a second transfer unit. Provision can also be made for a plurality of empty bags to be temporarily buffered in the buffer unit between the provision position and the buffer position. For this purpose it can be provided that the first transfer unit first transfers the empty bags into an intermediate buffer position and that the buffer unit has a follow-up gripper which is set up to transfer one empty bag from the buffer unit to the buffer position.

It can also be provided that before the at least two empty bags are transferred from the delivery position and/or the buffer position to the at least first and second filling position by the second transfer unit, the at least two empty bags in the delivery position and/or the buffer position are simultaneously transported by the second transfer unit be included. For this purpose, the second transfer unit can have a plurality of grippers, it being possible for the number of grippers to correspond in each case to twice the number of sacks made available for transfer at the same time at the delivery position and/or the buffer position. Provision can be made for the first transfer unit and the second transfer unit to be movable independently of one another in and against a bag conveying direction.

In addition, the empty sack can be transferred from the delivery position to the buffer position at a higher speed, in particular twice the speed, than the transfer of the at least two empty sacks from the delivery position and/or the buffer position to the at least first and second filling position.

Provision can furthermore be made for at least two full bags to be transferred simultaneously with the transfer of the at least two empty bags from the ready position and/or the buffer position to the at least first and second filling position Sacks from the filling position into a head seam welding position. It can be provided that the second transfer unit transfers both the empty sacks from the provision position and/or the buffer position to the at least first and second filling position, and also transfers the filled sacks from the first and second filling position to the first and second head seam welding position. For this purpose, the second transfer unit can have a one-piece gripper carriage, which carries out both transfer processes in the same movement.

Furthermore, head welds can be produced simultaneously on the at least two filled bags located in the head seam welding position. Furthermore, the head weld seams can be cooled in the head seam welding station. It can be provided that the unit of time for producing and for cooling down a head weld seam corresponds to the unit of time for filling an empty bag. Alternatively, it can be provided that the second transfer unit is set up to produce the top welds during the process of transferring the sacks from the filling station to the top seam welding station.

The method can also provide simultaneous shaking of the at least two empty bags located in the filling station during the filling process.

Provision can also be made for the at least two empty bags to be cut to length in the ready position and provided with a bottom seam at the lower end. The transfer of the empty sacks into the buffer unit or into the buffer position can be timed in such a way that the bottom weld seam produced can cool down sufficiently.

The method can also include transferring and/or fixing the at least two empty bags into an open position during the filling process.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Ansicht eines Befüllprozesses zum Befüllen von Säcken in einer FFS-Maschine;

Fig. 2

eine schematische Ansicht eines ersten Prozessschritts eines Befüllprozesses zum Befüllen von Säcken in einer FFS-Maschine;

Fig. 3

eine schematische Ansicht eines zweiten Prozessschritts eines Befüllprozesses zum Befüllen von Säcken in einer FFS-Maschine;

Fig. 4

eine schematische Ansicht eines ersten Prozessschritts eines Befüllprozesses zum Befüllen von Säcken in einer FFS-Maschine;

Fig. 5

eine schematische Ansicht eines ersten Prozessschritts eines Befüllprozesses zum Befüllen von Säcken in einer FFS-Maschine.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained using the following figures. It shows:

1

a schematic view of a filling process for filling sacks in an FFS machine;

2

a schematic view of a first process step of a filling process for filling sacks in an FFS machine;

3

a schematic view of a second process step of a filling process for filling sacks in an FFS machine;

4

a schematic view of a first process step of a filling process for filling sacks in an FFS machine;

figure 5

a schematic view of a first process step of a filling process for filling sacks in an FFS machine.

1 shows a schematic structure or process flow in an embodiment of the FFS machine 1 according to the invention. To produce an empty sack 3, a bottom seam is first produced there in a bottom welding seam station 16, then the empty sack 3 is cut to its intended length and transferred to the first transfer unit 5, which is designed as a separating gripper. The empty sacks 3 provided are then transferred by means of the separating gripper 5 to a buffer station 4 which is designed to buffer at least one empty sack 3 . Using the second transfer unit 8 , two empty bags 3 are then transferred from the buffer station 4 to the filling station 6 , which has two filling positions 7 . The second transfer unit 8 has a gripper slide 11 that can be moved along the process section and to which individual grippers 12 for gripping a bag 3, 9 each are attached. In the filling station 6, the empty sacks 3 are transferred from the second transfer unit 8 to an opening device 14, which is set up to transfer the empty sack 3 into an open position and to fix the empty sack 3 in the intended filling position. At the same time, the two empty bags 3 in the filling station 6 are placed on a vibrating device 15 or a bag shaker, which vibrates the bags being filled in order to compact the bulk material that has been filled in. The shaking device 15 is set up to shake two sacks at the same time. The sacks held in the open position are filled with the intended bulk material via a hopper 19 . Storage containers 18 are provided above the hopper, in each of which a quantity of bulk material for filling a sack is cached. The reservoirs 18 are filled via a common dosing unit 17 arranged above them. After the filling process, the filled sacks 9 are again transferred by the second transfer unit 8 to a head seam welding station 10 located downstream of the filling station 6, in which head seams are produced on the filled sacks 9 by welding the film and the filled sacks 9 are sealed. After the head seams have been welded, they are cooled in the head seam welding station 10 . When the sacks 9 are transferred to the top seam welding station 10, the second transfer unit 8 releases the sacks 9 and places them on a conveyor belt 13, by means of which the sacks 9 are transported further after the top weld seams have been produced.

2 shows a first process step of a process for filling empty bags 3 on an FFS machine 1. During the production of the empty bag in the supply unit 2 at position F1, an empty bag S5 is provided, cut to length and provided with a bottom seam at the bottom. The empty sack S5 is then transferred from the first transfer unit 5 to a buffer position F2 in the buffer unit 4 . The first transfer unit 5 can be controlled separately, in particular separately from the second transfer unit 8 . During the first process step, the grippers 12 or G1, G2, G3 and G4 of the gripper carriage 11 are located at the two filling positions 7.1, 7.2 of the filling station 6 and at the two top seam welding positions 10.1, 10.2 of the top seam welding station 10. Two empty bags 3 and S1 respectively and S2 are filled simultaneously and in parallel at the filling positions 7.1, 7.2 and also at this point in time two already filled sacks 9 or S3 and S4 are provided with a head seam at the two head seam welding positions 10.1, 10.2 simultaneously and in parallel. For opening the bag, opening grippers 15 are permanently installed at the filling positions 7.1, 7.2. To fill the sacks with bulk material, a certain quantity of the product to be filled is weighed out with a dosing unit, whereby either one scale or two scales are used and distributed to two storage containers via a material flow distributor. From there, the product to be filled reaches the two hoppers 19.1, 19.2, which also function as acceleration hoppers. A shaking device 15 in the form of a bag shaker is arranged below the opening and filling station 6 . This has a double linkage or a parallelogram linkage so that the contents of two bags can be compacted at the same time.

3 illustrates a second process step of the method according to the invention. While the two bags S1 and S2 are filled simultaneously and in parallel at the filling positions 7.1, 7.2 and the two filled bags S3 and S4 are provided with a top seam in the top seam welding positions 10.1, 10.2 of the top seam welding station 10, the first transfer unit 5 or the Separation gripper with the empty sack S5 provided in the first process step 1 to position F2 of the buffer unit 4. At the staging unit 2 in position F1, another empty sack S6 is prepared, cut to length and provided with a bottom seam at the lower end. Meanwhile, the sacks S1 and S2 are held in the filling positions 7.1, 7.2 by holding grippers during the filling process. In the second process step, the second transfer unit 8 remains at its first downstream position.

4 illustrates a third process step of the method according to the invention. In this, the gripper carriage 11 of the second transfer unit 8 with the grippers G1-G4 attached thereto is first moved counter to the bag conveying direction X into an upstream second position. Arrived in this second position, the empty sack S5 buffered in the buffer position F2 is transferred from the separating gripper of the first transfer unit 5 to the gripper G2, and the first empty sack S6 is gripped by the first gripper G1 in the delivery position F1 of the delivery unit 2. At the same time, the sacks S1 and S2, which have been filled in the meantime, are gripped by the grippers G3 and G4. Furthermore, the filled sacks S3 and S4, provided with a cooled head weld, are conveyed out of the FFS machine 1 in an upright position via the conveyor belt 13 and, if necessary, other conveyor belts.

figure 5 illustrates a fourth process step of the method according to the invention. In this first the gripper carriage 11 of the second transfer unit 8 with the attached grippers G1-G4 and the sacks S6, S5, S1 and S2 held by the grippers is moved in the sack conveying direction X back to the first position downstream. The filled sacks S1 and S2 are thereby transferred with the grippers G3 and G4 to holding devices in the top seam welding positions 10.1, 10.2 and each provided with a top seam there. At the same time, the empty sacks S5 and S6 are transferred by the grippers G1 and G2 to the respective opening grippers of the filling positions 7.1, 7.2, opened with the aid of the opening grippers 14 and then filled via the filling funnels 19.1, 19.2. Meanwhile, at the delivery unit 2 another empty bag S7 provided so that the process flow can start again from the beginning.

The features of the invention disclosed in the above description, in the figures and in the claims can be essential for the implementation of the invention both individually and in any combination.

Reference List

1

FFS machine

2

Delivery unit / empty bag production

3

empty bag

4

buffer unit

5

First transfer unit

6

filling station

7

filling position

8th

Second transfer unit

9

filled sack

10

Head seam welding station

11

gripper slide

12

gripper

13

conveyor

14

opening device

15

vibrating device

16

bottom welding station

17

dosing unit

18

reservoir

19

hopper

20

Foil roll with gusseted tube

X

bag conveying direction

S1

bag 1

S2

bag 2

S3

bag 3

S4

bag 4

S5

bag 5

S6

bag 6

S7

bag 7

G1

Gripper pair 1

G2

Gripper pair 2

G3

Gripper pair 3

G4

Gripper pair 4

Claims (20)

FFS machine (1) for filling bags with bulk material, with: a supply unit (2) for supplying empty bags (3); a buffer unit (4) for buffering at least one provided empty bag (3); a first transfer unit (5) for transferring an empty bag (3) from the supply unit (2) to the buffer unit (4); a filling station (6) with at least two filling positions (7) for filling an empty sack (3) each; a second transfer unit (8) for simultaneously transferring at least two empty bags (3) from the supply unit (2) and/or the buffer unit (4) to the at least two filling positions (7) in the filling station (6). FFS machine (1) according to claim 1, wherein the buffer unit (4) is arranged between the supply unit (2) and the filling station (6). FFS machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second transfer unit (8) is further set up, when transferring the at least two empty bags (3) from the supply unit (2) and/or the buffer unit (4) to the at least two filling positions (7) in the filling station (6) to simultaneously transfer at least two filled sacks (9) from the filling station (6) to a head seam welding station (10). FFS machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second transfer unit (8) has a gripper carriage (11) with a plurality of grippers (12) for gripping one sack (3, 9) each, the gripper carriage (11) for simultaneous movement of the grippers (12) in or against a bag conveying direction (X). FFS machine according to one of the preceding claims, which is configured in such a way that the bags are always transported in the bag conveying direction (X) and not against it. FFS machine according to Claims 3 to 5, in which the head seam welding station (10) has a conveyor device (13) by means of which the filled bags (9) can be transported further, the transfer of the filled sacks (9) from the second transfer unit (8) to the conveyor device (13) in the top seam welding station (10). FFS machine according to one of Claims 3 to 6, in which at least one head seam cooling station is arranged behind the head seam welding station (10) in the bag conveying direction (X). FFS machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the filling station (6) has an opening device (14) at each filling position (7) for transferring and/or fixing the respective empty sack (3) into an open position during the filling process. FFS machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the filling station (6) also has a shaking device (15) for simultaneously shaking the at least two empty bags (3) in the filling station (6) during the filling process. FFS machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, which is set up so that the distance between adjacent empty bags (3) varies or remains the same during the transfer between the supply unit (2) and the filling station (6). FFS machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one pre-opening station is also arranged in front of the filling station (6). Method for filling bags with bulk material in an FFS machine (1), comprising the steps: Provision of empty bags (3) at a provision position (2); After preparing an empty bag (3) at the preparation position (2): Transferring the empty sack (3) from the delivery position (2) to a buffer position (4) and delivering another empty sack (3) to the delivery position (2); simultaneous transfer of at least two empty bags (3) from the ready position (2) and/or the buffer position (4) to at least a first and a second filling position (7) in a filling station (6); simultaneous filling of the at least first empty sack (3) and second empty sack (3) in the filling station (6), characterized in that the transfer of the empty sacks (3) from the ready position (2) to the buffer position (4) in the direction of the filling station ( 6) done. Method according to Claim 12, in which the transfer of the empty sack (3) from the ready position (2) to the buffer position (4) by a first transfer unit (5) and the transfer of the at least two empty sacks (3) from the ready position (2) and/or or the buffer position (4) to the at least first and second filling position (7) by a second transfer unit (8). Method according to claim 13, wherein before the at least two empty bags (3) are transferred from the provision position (2) and/or the buffer position (4) to the at least first and second filling position (7) by the second transfer unit (8), the at least two Empty sacks (3) in the ready position (2) and/or the buffer position (4) are taken up simultaneously by the second transfer unit (8). Method according to one of Claims 12 to 14, in which the transfer of the empty sack (3) from the supply position (2) to the buffer position (4) takes place at a higher rate, in particular double the rate, than the transfer of the at least two empty sacks (3 ) from the ready position (2) and/or the buffer position (4) to the at least first and second filling position (7). A method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, further comprising:
Simultaneously with the transfer of the at least two empty sacks (3) from the supply position (2) and/or the buffer position (4) to the at least first and second filling position (7): transferring at least two filled sacks (9) from the filling position (7 ) to a butt weld position (10). The method of claim 16, further comprising:
Simultaneous production of top welds on the at least two filled bags (9) located in the top seam welding position (10). A method according to any one of claims 12 to 17, further comprising:
simultaneous shaking of the at least two empty bags (3) located in the filling station (6) during the filling process. Method according to one of Claims 12 to 18, in which the at least two empty bags (3) are provided with a bottom seam and cut to length one after the other in the ready position (2) at the lower end. A method according to any one of claims 12 to 19, further comprising:
Transferring and/or fixing the at least two empty bags (3) in an open position during the filling process.

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