Method for operating a processing system, in which product units having different product characteristics are processed

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8925713-B2
Application number	US-201113878844-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2011
Priority date	Oct 15, 2010
Publication date	Jan 6, 2015
Grant date	Jan 6, 2015

Abstract

A method for operating a processing system, in which product units of different formats are processed. The processing system contains a plurality of processing devices that are arranged one after the other in a processing line. In the event of a format changeover, certain component arrangements arranged in the processing system must be adapted to the new product format. In the event of an upcoming format change, a gap in the conveyed goods is generated while the conveying operation is maintained, wherein the gap in the conveyed goods runs through the processing system along the processing devices. As soon as the gap in the conveyed goods runs through a component arrangement to be adapted to the new format, the format is changed over at the component arrangement while the gap in the conveyed goods runs through the component arrangement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for the operation of a processing installation, in which product units with different product characteristics are processed, comprising at least one processing device, as well as conveying means for conveying the product units in the processing installation, further comprising a control device for the control of the at least one processing device, and an adjustment device for adapting at least one influencing variable for influencing the product units at the at least one processing device, to the different product characteristics,
wherein
a gap in the conveyed products is produced and is moved through the processing installation, wherein an adaptation of the at least one influencing variable to new product characteristics of a subsequent product unit is effected via the adjustment device with continued conveying operation, and wherein the adjustment device is controlled via the control device such that the adaptation of the at least one influencing variable is effected when the gap in the conveyed products passes that region in the processing device, in which the influencing variable exerts an influence on the passing product units.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one influencing variable for influencing the product units is set to the product characteristics of a subsequent product unit amid the implementation of the following steps:
feeding a last product unit with old product characteristics into the processing installation or collating a last product unit with old product characteristics in the processing installation;
feeding a first product unit with new product characteristics into the processing installation or collating a first product unit with new product characteristics in the processing installation;
producing a gap in the conveyed products after the last product unit;
moving the gap in the conveyed products through the processing installation;
adapting the at least one influencing variable for influencing the product units, to the new product characteristics of the subsequent, first product unit via the adjustment device, with continued conveying operation, wherein the adjustment device controlled via the control device such that the adaptation is effected when the gap in the conveyed products passes that region in the processing device, in which the at least one influencing variable exerts an influence on the passing product units.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the gap in the conveyed products is created by way of the non-feeding or non-compiling at least one product unit and/or by way of discharging at least one product unit out of the processing installation.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the control device determines the size of the gap in the conveyed products in dependence on the conveying speed and the required changeover time of that influencing variable, with which most time is required for the changeover to the new product characteristics, so that the time for the passage of the gap in the conveyed products through the related region, in which this influencing variable exerts an influence on the product units, is at least as long or longer than the associated changeover time.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein information on the product characteristics, in particular the formats of the products to be processed or the format of the product units, is transferred to the control device before the changeover.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the control device, on the basis of the transferred product characteristics, generates control data which is transferred to the at least one processing device, in particular to a control unit of the processing device, for the purpose of the changeover to the new product characteristics.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a central installation control assigns a data package to at least one cycle of the gap in the conveyed products and this data package is led with this cycle through the processing installation to a control unit of the at least one processing device, and the data package comprises control data or information, which is based on product characteristics, and the control unit uses the control data or information of the data package, for the changeover to the new product characteristics.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the control data or information correspond to the command variables for the adjustment means or to the output variables, such as e.g. to the characteristic variables of the product units or the products, for computing the command variables.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the product unit is a collection of different products of a different format, wherein the format of the collection is defined by its maximal width, maximal length and maximal height, and the format of the collection is either computed from the formats of the individual products or by way of measurement of the format sizes of the collection, or a combination thereof.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein for at least characteristics variable, the difference value between the preceding and the subsequent product characteristics variable is determined and is compared to a tolerance range for this characteristic variable, wherein for this characteristic variable:
a. no changeover of the at least one influencing variable is carried out in the processing installation if the difference value lies within the tolerance range; and
b. a changeover of the at least one influencing value to the new product characteristics is carried out in the processing installation if the difference value lies outside the tolerance range.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein during the changeover of the at least one influencing variable to the new product characteristics, in the processing installation, the conveying speed is changed, in particular reduced, with respect to the nominal speed before and after the changeover.

12. The method according to claim 1 , comprising the further steps of:
collating product units from individual products, in a collation device;
conveying the product units further to a packaging device and packaging the product units;
conveying the packaged product units further and carrying out a quality control in a control device;
conveying the controlled product units further to a delivery device and creating a package unit from several product units.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the influencing variable for influencing the product units corresponds to the geometry of a component arrangement in the processing device, and the adjustment device is controlled via the control device such that the adaptation of the geometry of the component arrangement is effected during the passage of the gap in the conveyed products through the related component arrangement.

14. A processing installation for processing product units with different product characteristics, comprising at least one processing device as well as conveying means for conveying the product units in the processing installation, further comprising a control device for the control of the at least one processing device, and adjustment means for adapting at least one influencing variable for influencing the product units at the at least one processing device, to the different product characteristics, for carrying out the method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the control device is designed for activating the adjustment device for the purpose of adapting the at least one influencing variable to new product characteristics, and that the design of the control dev

Assignees

• Dax Roman
• Ferag Ag

Inventors

• Dax Roman

Classifications

• B65H43/00

  Use of control, checking, or safety devices, e.g. automatic devices comprising an element for sensing a variable · CPC title

• B65H2511/10

  Size; Dimensions · CPC title

• B65H2301/435

  on collecting conveyor · CPC title

• B65H39/02 Primary

  Associating,collating or gathering articles from several sources · CPC title

• B65H43/02

  detecting, or responding to, absence of articles (B65H43/08 takes precedence) · CPC title