IT202100028910A1 - PRODUCTION LINE AND PROCESS OF A PRODUCT, IN PARTICULAR FOOD, CHEMICAL, PHARMACEUTICAL OR COSMETIC - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

Attached to patent application for INDUSTRIAL INVENTION having as title

?PRODUCTION LINE AND PROCESS OF A PRODUCT, IN

FOOD, CHEMICAL, PHARMACEUTICAL OR PARTICULAR

COSMETIC?

The present invention has as its object a line and a process for the production of a product, in particular food, chemical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic.

The invention finds application in the industrial preparation of food, chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic products or similar sectors.

At the state of the art, the industrial preparation of food, chemical, pharmaceutical products, etc. takes place within plants (or lines) made up of different ingredient loading stations, or treatment or processing of semi-finished products.

The preparation ? guided by recipes, that is? lists containing the ingredients, quantities, order of introduction, mixing times, resting times and reaction times.

Generally, in the preparation of a product, "main" ingredients are distinguished. and ?minor? ingredients.

The main ingredients, whether in powder or fluids or liquids, present in the product in greater percentages, are usually dosed automatically (i.e. without the intervention of operators) according to the provisions of the relevant recipe stored in the memory of the control system of the product. plant.

Minor ingredients, however, have lower percentages than the main ones. Current solutions require manual loading of minor ingredients by operators, who generally follow the recipe displayed on a display or on a paper report in order to introduce each ingredient in the quantity. pre-established, in the correct loading order, and according to the processing times foreseen by the recipe.

When the recipe includes the introduction of a minor ingredient or an activity? intermediate preparation stage, the system then switches from automatic to manual operation.

At the end of the manual introduction operations, the operator confirms the successful loading and the system returns to automatic operation. The loading of minor ingredients is recorded manually by the operators or semi-automatically using a scanner that reads the identification codes.

? It is clear that the loading of the main ingredients occurs automatically, therefore? essentially free from errors. On the contrary, the load of minor ingredients is ? exposed to the risk of errors due to a plurality? of causes? sometimes concomitant? linked to the operator's manual execution.

As an example, the operator can? load the wrong ingredient, or load a quantity? incorrect, or load the ingredients in an incorrect sequence, etc.

The result of these errors translates into a qualitatively unacceptable product, which very often has to be discarded.

Another mistake can? be linked to the incorrect recording of the ingredients by the operator, which leads to the generation of a production report that is not consistent with the ingredients introduced, invalidating subsequent quality control processes? and traceability.

In this context, the technical task underlying the present invention is? propose a line and a production process for a product, in particular food, chemical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic, which overcome the drawbacks of the prior art mentioned above.

In particular, the purpose of the present invention? make available a line and a process for the production of a product, in particular food, chemical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic, which allow the elimination or at least reduction of errors linked to the manual loading of ingredients, in particular "minor" ingredients, during preparation of the product.

Another purpose of the present invention? make available a line and a production process for a product, in particular food, chemical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic, which allow obtaining a reliable production report, with a view to traceability? of the supply chain.

The specified technical task and the specified purposes are substantially achieved by a production line of a product, in particular food, chemical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic, comprising:

? a memory containing at least one recipe, that is? a list of ingredient identification codes and data relating to those ingredients;

? one or more? loading stations, each responsible for the introduction of one or more? of the ingredients;

? for each loading station a display element communicating with the memory;

? for each loading station, a code reading device placed on a package of ingredient to be dosed;

? a unit? control electronics configured at least for:

? enable on each display device at least the projection of the identification code of the ingredient or ingredients to be loaded into the corresponding loading station; ? receive the code detected by each reading device on the package;

? search for the code detected by each reading device within the recipe contained in the memory and, in response to finding this code in the recipe and associated with the loading station combined with the reading device, prepare the corresponding loading station for the transfer of the ingredient in the production line.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the production line further includes an automatic barrier for each loading station. The automatic barrier? moveable at least between: ? an enabling position in which the automatic barrier allows the transfer of the ingredient from the corresponding loading station to the production line;

? a blocking position in which the automatic barrier prevents the transfer of the ingredient from the corresponding loading station to the production line.

The unit? control electronics? configured to command the automatic barrier of each loading station to assume the enabling position or the blocked position.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the production line further includes weighing means arranged in one or more? loading stations.

The unit? control electronics? therefore also configured for:

? receive a measurement of the weight of the ingredient from each of the weighing means present in the production line;

? enable the transfer of the weighed ingredient from the loading station to the production line upon reaching a weight measurement indicated in the recipe for that ingredient.

For example, the weighing means include an electronic load cell.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the production line further includes a screen or monitor, the display element being a monitor display.

According to one embodiment, the code ? a barcode and the reading device? a barcode reader.

According to one embodiment, the code ? a QR code and the reading device? a QR code reader.

According to one embodiment, the code ? an RFID code and the reading device? an RFID code reader.

The specified technical task and the specified purposes are substantially achieved by a process of producing a product starting from ingredients dosed in a plurality? of loading stations following a recipe including a list of ingredient identification codes and data relating to these ingredients, which are contained in packages, the process being performed by an electronic computer and including the phases of:

? at each loading station project onto a display element an identification code of each ingredient to be introduced at the loading station;

? at each loading station acquire a code placed on the package of each ingredient to be dosed using a reading device;

? search for the code detected by each reading device within the recipe stored in a memory and, in response to finding the code in the recipe and associated with the loading station combined with the reading device, prepare the corresponding loading station for the transfer of the ingredient in the production line.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the process further includes a step of configuring an automatic barrier for each loading station at least in:

? an enabling position in which the automatic barrier allows the transfer of the ingredient from the corresponding loading station to the production line, or

? a blocking position in which the automatic barrier prevents the transfer of the ingredient from the corresponding loading station to the production line.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear clearer from the indicative, and therefore non-limiting, description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a line and a process for producing a product, in particular food, chemical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic, as illustrated in the attached drawings in which:

- figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of a production line for a product, in particular food, chemical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic, in accordance with the present invention.

With reference to the figures, the number 1 indicates a production line for a product, in particular food or chemical or pharmaceutical or cosmetic. The product is obtained by combining a plurality? of ingredients.

These ingredients are indicated in a recipe, which also contains further information relating to the production process.

In this context, recipe means a list or list of ingredient identification codes and data relating to each such ingredient. More? further details? the structure of a recipe is better.

The production line 1 includes a memory 2 containing at least one recipe. Memory 2 preferably contains a plurality? of recipes, each for the creation of a different product.

Memory 2 can? be resident on a computer located in proximity? of production line 1 or can? be resident on a remote server, that is? physically separated from the area where the actual production takes place.

Production line 1 includes one or more? 3 loading stations, each responsible for the introduction of one or more? of the ingredients of the recipe.

The ingredients are contained in packages, possibly temporary. With reference to the figures, the number 100 indicates the package of a single ingredient.

Ingredients can be in any physical state, for example liquid, solid, powder or grain, etc.

The 100 packs can be bags, envelopes, bottles, cans, etc. On each pack 100? there is at least one code 50 identifying the ingredient contained in the package 100.

In this context, code 50 can? identify the type of ingredient, or an ingredient associated with a pre-established manufacturer or an ingredient associated with a possible container.

The choice of associating codes with ingredients ?in a broad sense? or the producers have no impact on the invention as presented and its advantages. According to one embodiment, the code 50 ? a barcode. In accordance with another embodiment, the code 50 is an RFID code. In accordance with another embodiment, the code 50 is a QR code. Code 50 can? be applied or printed on the 100 package. For example, a 50 RFID code? preferably applied to package 100 using adhesive.

A 50 bar or QR code? preferably printed on the package 100, for example by laser or inkjet.

Each pack 100 can? also bear other identification codes, for example of the production batch.

The introduction of an ingredient in the production line 1 can? happen in two ways:

- pouring the contents of the entire 100 pack of the ingredient, which corresponds to the dose already pre-weighing necessary for the execution of the recipe, or

- weighing the ingredient inside the loading station 3 and transferring the weight dose required by the recipe.

In the first case, loading station 3 will have to to enable ? that is? authorize - the transfer of the ingredient contained in pack 100 without having to weigh it (since the dose is the entire contents of pack 100).

In this first case, the 100 pack can? be purchased already? ready, for example in the form of a closed and sealed bag.

Alternatively, can you? carry out the pre-weighing of each ingredient, which is transferred into a temporary package 100, for example a bucket or any other container, to which? assigned an identification code 50, which is also temporary. For example, the identification code 50 ? a label applied to the bucket.

In the second case, however, the loading station 3 will have to to enable ? that is? authorize - the transfer only upon reaching the correct weight dose of the ingredient.

At each loading station 3 ? there is a display element 4 communicating with the memory 2.

For example, display element 4 ? a display of a screen or monitor. The monitor can be the monitor of a computer, or a television, or an interactive multimedia whiteboard, or a tablet, or a smartphone, or a cell phone.

At each loading station 3 ? there is also a device 5 for reading the codes 50 placed on the 100 packages.

In particular, in the preferred embodiment in which the code 50 ? a barcode, the reading device 5 ? a barcode reader.

For example, the reading device 5 ? a laser scanner or a high-resolution camera. These devices are of a known type and will not be described further.

Alternatively, the reading device 5? suitable for reading the specific code 50 located on the package 100, for example a QR code reader or an RFID code reader.

Production line 1 also includes a unit control electronics 6 which ? configured at least for:

- enable on each display device 4 at least the projection of the identification code of the ingredient to be dosed in the corresponding loading station 3, as established by the recipe;

- receive the code 50 detected by each reading device 5;

- search for code 50 detected by each reading device 5 within the recipe contained in memory 2 and, in response to finding said code in the recipe, prepare the corresponding loading station 3 for the transfer of the ingredient to the production line 1 .

In other words, the operation of production line 1 for loading ingredients is already weighed (entire package) occurs as follows.

In each loading station 3, the operator displays the identification code of each ingredient to be dosed on the display device 4. This code is loaded from memory 2. This code can? also be a temporary code, in case a pre-weighing of the ingredient has been carried out (upstream).

The operator then manually selects the package 100 that refers to that ingredient, retrieving it for example from a shelf. The manual selection is confirmed thanks to the detection of the code 50 present on the package 100 by the reading device 5.

The unit? control electronics 6 verifies, in fact, that the code 50 detected by the reading device 5 is present within the recipe contained in the memory 2. If this code 50 is actually present in the recipe and its introduction is foreseen at the specific station of load 3 in which the operator is located, then ? It is possible to transfer the ingredient contained in package 100 from loading station 3 to production line 1.

Conversely, if this correspondence is not found (code 50 is not present in the recipe or loading station 3 for this code 50 is not the current one), the transfer is not successful. qualified.

If the ingredient is contained in a temporary 100 container, for example a bucket bearing a temporary 50 code, the recipe will report such information even if temporary.

Preferably, the enabling (authorisation) or blocking of the ingredient transfer is delegated to an automatic barrier 7 for each loading station 3.

This automatic barrier 7? moveable at least between:

? an enabling position in which it allows the transfer of the ingredient from the corresponding loading station 3 to the production line 1;

? a blocking position in which it prevents the transfer of the ingredient from the corresponding loading station 3 to the production line 1.

The unit? control electronics 6 ? configured to command the automatic barrier 7 of each loading station 3 to assume the enabling position or the blocked position in response to the retrieval or failure to find the code 50 in the recipe for that specific loading station 3.

Can the automatic barrier 7? be made as a bar that raises or lowers, or as a shutter, etc. The particular embodiment chosen for the automatic barrier 7 is not ? relevant for the purposes of the invention.

In an embodiment, once the automatic barrier 7 has been configured in the enabling position ? the activation of a light alert is expected which confirms the acquisition of the ingredient code 50.

If the transfer of the ingredient is occurred without problems in production line 1, the operator then confirms the transfer by pressing a local button that signals the "loading" has taken place.

The information regarding the successful transfer is then stored in the same memory 2 in which the recipe is stored or in another memory.

As an example, do you archive one or more? of the following information: - code of the ingredient actually loaded;

- batch code (if present) of the loaded ingredient;

- loading date and time;

- photo of the package of the uploaded ingredient.

To this end, for each loading station 3 ? is there a camera to acquire images of the 100 pack and is it included? a clock or counter is provided which allows you to record the loading time.

Until now ? The operation of a loading station 3 in which the entire contents of the package 100 is transferred to the production line 1 has been described.

More than 3 can be loaded in the same loading station. ingredients, each contained in its 100 pack, so always proceed as above.

The operation is repeated similarly, in the sequential order foreseen by the recipe, for all the loading stations 3 in which the entire contents of the packages 100 must be introduced into the production line 1.

If it is necessary to transfer only a pre-established weight dose of the ingredient or ingredients (if there are more than one), the loading station 3 has weighing means 8, for example an electronic load cell.

In this case, the unit? control electronics 6 ? configured to receive a measurement of the weight of the ingredient from each of the weighing means 8 and verify whether this weight measurement corresponds to what is foreseen by the recipe for that ingredient.

If so, for that ingredient one of the data stored in the recipe is ? weight. Upon reaching the desired weight, the unit? control electronics 6 ? configured to enable the transfer of the ingredient weight dose from loading station 3 to production line 1.

Also in this case, the enabling (authorisation) or blocking of this transfer is preferably delegated to an automatic barrier 7 located in the loading station 3.

The unit? control electronics 6 ? configured to command the automatic barrier 7 of this loading station 3 to assume the enabling position or the blocked position in response to the achievement or failure to reach the weight indicated in the recipe.

The information relating to the successful transfer is then stored in the same memory 3 or in another memory, as already done. seen above. As an example, do you archive one or more? of the following information: - code of the ingredient actually loaded;

- batch code (if present) of the loaded ingredient;

- weight of the ingredient actually loaded;

- loading date and time;

- photo of the package of the uploaded ingredient.

The unit? control electronics 6 pu? be created as a single software or firmware module, or can it? have a distributed architecture.

The 3 loading stations described above? with or without weighing means 8 ? they are preferably loading stations for ?minor? ingredients.

In this context, a single ingredient? considered ?minor? self ? present in a weight percentage less than or equal to 10% of the weight of the entire product in the recipe.

A set of ingredients? defined as ?minor? if overall their weight percentage on the weight of the entire product is? less than or equal to 20%.

Each recipe preferably includes, for each ingredient, also the corresponding introduction position (for example the sequential order of introduction or the indication of the loading station 3 in which it must be introduced). Furthermore, ? It is also possible to record the processing times for each ingredient. In fact, some ingredients must be introduced and left to rest, or introduced and left to react, or the semi-finished product must continue to be shaken after introducing the product.

In the above description yes? always made reference to the presence of an operator at the loading stations 3.

However, the transfer operations of the authorized ingredient (or the plurality of authorized ingredients) can also be carried out by an anthropomorphic robot.

Mixed solutions are also envisaged in which the operator is assisted by an anthropomorphic robot.

From the description carried out, the characteristics of a line and a production process of a product, in particular food, chemical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic, according to the present invention, are clear, so the advantages are clear.

In particular, thanks to the fact that in each loading station the actual transfer of the ingredient is authorized by a unit control electronics that verifies the presence of this ingredient within the recipe to be followed (possibly with the indication of its weight and loading point), supervision of the transfer is guaranteed, eliminating or in any case reducing human errors.

In this way, is the defect eliminated or at least reduced? of the product obtained and production waste is avoided (or reduced).

In fact, the introduction of each ingredient is verified step by step and authorized only if the aforementioned verification has given a positive result. Not only is it verified that the ingredient introduced is correct, but that it is introduced in the correct quantity. required by the recipe and at the right loading point. If one of these conditions is not ? verified, the automatic barrier is kept in a blocked condition.

Furthermore, you get automatic tracking of all ingredients, both major and minor ones. The production report obtained? adherent to the recipe.

Having automated the control, even for minor ingredients, overall production times are also reduced.

Finally, the proposed invention is can be used both in systems built from scratch and in the updating of pre-existing systems.

Claims (11)

1. Production line (1) of a product, in particular food, chemical, pharmaceutical or cosmetic, said production line (1) including: ? a memory (2) containing at least one recipe, that is? a list of ingredient identification codes and data relating to said ingredients; ? one or more? loading stations (3), each responsible for the introduction of one or more? of said ingredients; ? for each loading station (3) a display element (4) communicating with said memory (2); ? for each loading station (3) a device for reading (5) a code (50) placed on a package (100) of ingredient to be dosed; ? a unit? control electronics (6) configured at least for: ? enable on each display device (4) at least the projection of the identification code of the ingredient or ingredients to be loaded into the corresponding loading station (3); ? receive the code (50) detected by each reading device (5) on the package (100); ? search for the code (50) detected by each reading device (5) within the recipe contained in said memory (2) and, in response to the retrieval of said code (50) in the recipe and associated with the loading station (3) combined with the reading device (5), prepare the corresponding loading station (3) for transferring the ingredient to the production line (1). 2. Production line (1) according to claim 1, further comprising an automatic barrier (7) for each loading station (3), said automatic barrier (7) being moveable at least between: ? an enabling position in which said automatic barrier (7) allows the transfer of the ingredient from the corresponding loading station (3) to the production line (1); ? a blocking position in which said automatic barrier (7) prevents the transfer of the ingredient from the corresponding loading station (3) to the production line (1), said unit? control electronics (6) being configured to command the automatic barrier (7) of each loading station (3) to assume the enabling position or the blocked position. 3. Production line (1) according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising weighing means (8) arranged in one or more? loading stations (3), called unit? control electronics (6) being furthermore configured for: ? receive a measurement of the weight of the ingredient from each of the weighing means (8) present in the production line (1); ? enable the transfer of the weighed ingredient from the loading station (3) to the production line (1) upon reaching a weight measurement indicated in the recipe for said ingredient. 4. Production line (1) according to claim 3, wherein said weighing means (8) comprise an electronic load cell. 5. Production line (1) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a screen or monitor, said display element (4) being a display of said monitor. 6. Production line (1) according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein said code (50) is? a bar code and said reading device (5) ? a barcode reader. 7. Production line (1) according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein said code (50) is? a QR code and said reading device (5) ? a QR code reader. 8. Production line (1) according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein said code (50) is? an RFID code and said reading device (5) ? an RFID code reader. 9. Production process of a product starting from ingredients dosed in a plurality? of loading stations (3) following a recipe comprising a list of ingredient identification codes and data relating to said ingredients, said ingredients being contained in packages (100), said process being carried out using an electronic computer and including the phases of: ? in each loading station (3) project onto a display element (4) an identification code of each ingredient to be introduced at said loading station (3); ? in each loading station (3) acquire a code (50) placed on the package (100) of each ingredient to be dosed using a reading device (5); ? search for the code (50) detected by each reading device (5) within the recipe stored in a memory (2) and, in response to the retrieval of said code (50) in the recipe and associated with the loading station (3) combined with the reading device (5), prepare the corresponding loading station (3) for transferring the ingredient to the production line (1). 10. Process according to claim 9, further comprising a step of configuring an automatic barrier (7) for each loading station (3) at least in: ? an enabling position in which said automatic barrier (7) allows the transfer of the ingredient from the corresponding loading station (3) to the production line (1), or ? a blocking position in which said automatic barrier (7) prevents the transfer of the ingredient from the corresponding loading station (3) to the production line (1). 11. IT product that can be loaded into the memory of a computer or unit? control, called a computer product comprising instructions which, when executed by the computer or unit? control, determine the execution of the process phases according to any of claims 9 to 10.