Method and system of fault prediction in a packaging machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11807464-B2
Application number	US-201917280815-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2019
Priority date	Sep 27, 2018
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A method and system of fault prediction in a packaging machine is disclosed. The method comprises registering data values associated with the motion of independently movable objects along a track in the packaging machine; determining a distribution of the data values; calculating a measure of central tendency of the data values in the distribution; calculating a quantified measure of a shape of the distribution; associating the measure of central tendency with said quantified measure of the shape as a coupled set of condition parameters; determining a degree of dispersion of a plurality of coupled sets of condition parameters associated with a plurality of motion cycles of the independently movable objects; and comparing the degree of dispersion with a dispersion threshold value, or determining a trend of the degree of dispersion over time, for said fault prediction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of fault prediction in a packaging machine comprising independently movable objects configured to manipulate packaging containers, the independently movable objects communicating with a control unit configured to control positions of the independently movable objects along a track, the method comprising:
by one or more sensors, registering data values associated with a motion of the independently movable objects along the track,
determining a distribution of said data values,
calculating a measure of central tendency of the data values in the distribution,
calculating a quantified measure of a shape of the distribution,
associating the measure of central tendency with said quantified measure of the shape as a coupled set of condition parameters,
determining a degree of dispersion of a plurality of coupled sets of condition parameters associated with a plurality of motion cycles of the independently movable objects,
comparing the degree of dispersion with a dispersion threshold value, or determining a trend of the degree of dispersion over time, for said fault prediction, and
indicating a fault in the packaging machine and causing repair of the packaging machine in response to:
determining that the degree of dispersion satisfies the dispersion threshold value, or
determining that the degree of dispersion at first time is smaller than the degree of dispersion at a second time subsequent to the first time.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein calculating a measure of central tendency the data values in the distribution comprises:
calculating a mean value, such as an arithmetic mean, and/or a geometric mean, and/or a harmonic mean, and/or a generalized mean, and/or other measures of a central tendency of the distribution such as a median value or a mode value.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein calculating a quantified measure of a shape of said distribution comprises:
calculating a measure of a distribution of the data values around said measure of central tendency.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein calculating a measure of a distribution of the measured data values around said measure of central tendency comprises:
calculating a measure of a deviation from a standard normal distribution.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein calculating a quantified measure of a shape of said distribution comprises:
calculating a kurtosis value of said distribution.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data values comprises vibration data, and/or acceleration data, and/or velocity data of the independently movable objects, and/or a current supplied to the track for moving the independently movable objects along the track.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data values are registered at a defined time interval when a selected independently movable object passes a defined location of the track.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining a degree of dispersion of the plurality of coupled sets of condition parameters comprises:
determining distances between a center of a distribution of the plurality of coupled sets of condition parameters and each coupled set of condition parameters.

9. A system comprising a packaging machine and an apparatus configured to predict fault in the packaging machine comprising independently movable objects configured to manipulate packaging containers, the independently movable objects communicating with a control unit configured to control positions of the independently movable objects along a track, the apparatus comprising:
one or more sensors configured to register data values associated with a motion of the independently movable objects along the track, and
a processing unit configured to:
determine a distribution of said data values,
calculate a measure of central tendency of the data values in the distribution,
calculate a quantified measure of a shape of the distribution,
associate the measure of central tendency with said quantified measure as a coupled set of condition parameters,
determine a degree of dispersion of a plurality of coupled sets of condition parameters associated with a plurality of motion cycles of the independently movable objects,
compare the degree of dispersion with a dispersion threshold value, or determine a trend of the degree of dispersion over time, for fault prediction, and
indicate a fault in the packaging machine and causing repair of the packaging machine in response to:
a determination that the degree of dispersion satisfies the dispersion threshold value, or
a determination that the degree of dispersion at first time is smaller than the degree of dispersion at a second time subsequent to the first time.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors are configured to register said data values as a current supplied to the track for moving the independently movable objects along the track.

11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors are configured to register said data values as vibration data, and/or acceleration data, and/or velocity data of a movement of the independently movable objects along the track.

12. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors are configured to register said data values as position error values associated with a difference between a set position of a selected independently movable object on the track and an actual position of said selected independently movable object on the track.

13. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors are configured to receive data values from the track and/or be attached to the independently movable objects.

14. The system according to claim 9 , wherein said processing unit is configured to calculate the measure of central tendency of the data values in the distribution by calculating a mean value, such as an arithmetic mean, and/or a geometric mean, and/or a harmonic mean, and/or a generalized mean, and/or other measures of a central tendency of the distribution such as a median value or a mode value.

15. The system according to claim 9 , wherein said processing unit is configured to calculate a quantified measure of a shape of said distribution by calculating a kurtosis value of said distribution.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the steps of the method according to claim 1 .

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises at least one of:
a microphone configured to record a sound of a movement associated with the motion of an independently movable objects along the track or induced by the movement; or
an infrared camera is configured to receive image data being indicative of a temperature of an independently movable object.

18. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises a microphone configured to record a sound of a movement associated with the motion of an independently movable objects along the track or induced by the movement.

19. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises an infrared camera configured to receive image data being indicative of a temperature of an independently movable object.

20. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises a first sensor mounted to an independently movable object and a second se

Assignees

• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Borghi Davide
• Capelli Luca
• Cavalaglio Camargo Molano Jacopo
• Cocconcelli Marco

Classifications

• B65G43/02 Primary

  detecting dangerous physical condition of load carriers, e.g. for interrupting the drive in the event of overheating · CPC title

• B65B57/04

  and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages · CPC title

• B65G54/02

  electrostatic, electric, or magnetic · CPC title

• G01M99/005

  Testing of complete machines, e.g. washing-machines or mobile phones (testing of machine parts G01M13/00; testing of electric apparatus or components G01R31/50) · CPC title

• B65G2203/0283

  Position of the load carrier · CPC title