U.S. patent application number 13/007206 was filed with the patent office on 2011-07-14 for packaging plant with a discharge station.
This patent application is currently assigned to MULTIVAC SEPP HAGGENMULLER GMBH & CO. KG. Invention is credited to Guido Spix.
Application Number | 20110167760 13/007206 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43736041 |
Filed Date | 2011-07-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110167760 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Spix; Guido |
July 14, 2011 |
PACKAGING PLANT WITH A DISCHARGE STATION
Abstract
A packaging plant comprises several test stations as well as a
transport system and a control system. The control system is
configured to manage packages which are transported in the
packaging plant on the transport system along the test stations
such that a status is assigned on each package by the control
system which can be changed by the test stations together with the
control system. A discharge station for defective packages is
arranged in the direction of production downstream of at least two
test stations. The status of the packages can be changed by at
least two test stations to be passed one after the other, and the
packages can be marked by a marking means corresponding to their
status.
Inventors: |
Spix; Guido; (Ulm,
DE) |
Assignee: |
MULTIVAC SEPP HAGGENMULLER GMBH
& CO. KG
Wolfertschwenden
DE
|
Family ID: |
43736041 |
Appl. No.: |
13/007206 |
Filed: |
January 14, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/65 ; 53/131.2;
53/411; 53/502; 53/507 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 5/105 20130101;
B65B 61/26 20130101; B65B 9/04 20130101; B65B 57/02 20130101; B65B
57/10 20130101; B65B 31/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
53/65 ; 53/502;
53/411; 53/507; 53/131.2 |
International
Class: |
B65B 57/00 20060101
B65B057/00; B65B 61/26 20060101 B65B061/26 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 14, 2010 |
DE |
10 2010 004 630.2 |
Claims
1. A packaging plant comprising: multiple test stations for testing
packages; a transport system for transporting the packages; a
control system that is configured to manage the packages which are
transported in the packaging plant on the transport system along
the test stations within the packaging plant such that a status is
assigned to each package by the control system, wherein each test
station is adapted, together with the control system, to change the
status; a discharge station arranged in a direction of production
downstream of at least two of the test stations, the discharge
station being configured to remove defective packages from the
transport system and to sort them; and a marking device for marking
each defective package corresponding to the status of the defective
package; wherein the packages each have a status in the control
system that can be changed by at least two test stations passed one
after the other.
2. The packaging plant according to claim 1 wherein the marking
device is configured to mark the defective packages with printed
labels.
3. The packaging plant according to claim 1 wherein the marking
device is configured to mark the defective packages with printed
information.
4. The packaging plant according to claim 1 wherein the marking
device is configured to mark each defective package with a color
code.
5. The packaging plant according to claim 1 wherein the discharge
station is arranged downstream of all of the test stations.
6. The packaging plant according to claim 1 wherein the discharge
station comprises multiple receptacles for receiving defective
packages.
7. The packaging plant according to claim 6 wherein one of the
receptacles of the discharge station is only accessible for a
restricted group of persons.
8. The packaging plant according to claim 1 wherein the discharge
station comprises a receptacle for receiving defective packages,
and the receptacle is only accessible for a restricted group of
persons.
9. The packaging plant according to claim 1 wherein the discharge
station is configured to remove defective packages identified by at
least two of the test stations.
10. The packaging plant according to claim 1 wherein one of the
test stations comprises a scale.
11. The packaging plant according to claim 1 wherein one of the
test stations comprises a metal detector.
12. A method for the operation of a packaging plant with at least
two test stations, a discharge station, a control system and a
transport system to transport packages along the test stations, the
method comprising: assigning a status in the control system to each
package; tracing, by the control system, the packages along the
transport system within the packaging plant; changing the status of
one of the packages by at least one of the test stations together
with the control system if an error is detected; marking the one
package with a mark corresponding to the status of the one package;
and removing the package from the transport system at the discharge
station.
13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the marking is
performed by a marking device that is configured to automatically
apply a label onto the one package.
14. The method according to claim 12 further comprising placing the
one package in a receptacle of the discharge station corresponding
to the status of the one package.
15. The method of claim 12 wherein the discharge station is
arranged downstream of the at least two test stations.
16. A packaging plant comprising: multiple test stations for
testing packages to identify defective packages; a transport system
for transporting the packages along the test stations; a control
system that is configured to assign a status to each package,
wherein each test station is adapted, together with the control
system, to change the status for each package that is identified as
defective; a discharge station arranged in a direction of
production downstream of at least two of the test stations, the
discharge station being configured to remove defective packages
from the transport system and to sort them; and a marking device
for marking each defective package corresponding to the status of
the defective package.
17. The packaging plant according to claim 16 wherein the marking
device is configured to mark the defective packages with printed
labels.
18. The packaging plant according to claim 16 wherein the marking
device is configured to mark the defective packages with printed
information.
19. The packaging plant according to claim 16 wherein the marking
device is configured to mark each defective package with a color
code.
20. The packaging plant according to claim 16 wherein the discharge
station is configured to remove defective packages identified by at
least two of the test stations.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims foreign priority benefits under 35
U.S.C. .sctn.119(a)-(d) to German patent application number DE
102010004630.2, filed Jan. 14, 2010, which is incorporated by
reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a packaging plant as well
as to a method for operating a packaging plant.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Packaging plants usually comprise several workstations. At
the beginning of a packaging plant, containers can be transferred
to a transport system where the transport system is in most cases
configured as a conveying belt. If the containers are first
produced within the packaging plant by a shaping station, a film
web is moved along the workstations by a film transport chain on
both sides. Subsequently, products are introduced into the
containers. In a subsequent sealing station, the containers are
closed with a lid film after the containers have been evacuated
and/or treated with gas to produce a package that ensures maximum
storage life, mainly for food.
[0004] If an error occurs, for example in a sealing process, the
status of the respective packages is changed in a control system
which traces all packages in the packaging plant. The packages have
been thereby provided with a status, for example "error". These
packages must be subsequently sorted out as they must not be
delivered.
[0005] In the further course of this text, the term "status" will
be defined as a virtual condition of the container or the package
in the control system. The degree of processing by the workstations
is to be understood as the actual condition of the container or the
package in the packaging plant. A "container" is open for product
supply; a package is defined as an open or closed container,
preferably as a container closed by a lid film.
[0006] A next workstation can be a labeling station which applies a
label onto all packages. The label can contain the best before
date, article number and product information which are usually
determined by statutory provisions.
[0007] Packages that have been produced in a deep-drawing packaging
machine by a shaping station and are still joined in a coherent
film are separated by one or several cutting stations and
transported further on one or several tracks.
[0008] Deep-drawing packaging machines are already known in which a
machine control system traces the containers or packages across a
transport system within the machine from the shaping of containers,
filling of products into the containers and closing the containers
by sealing a lid film, and applying labels onto the thus produced
packages. This means that the position and the status of the
container or the package are present in the control system.
[0009] If an error occurs in the workstations for shaping, filling,
sealing or labeling, the status of these respective packages is set
to "error". Above all after the deep-drawing packaging machine has
been retrofitted, a plurality of empty packages are produced during
readjustment. These so-called empty packages should not be fed to
the production progress downstream of the deep-drawing packaging
machine. This is why these empty packages or the packages with the
status "error" are sorted out after the workstation for separating
the packages from the coherent film which is situated at the end of
each deep-drawing packaging machine.
[0010] In a packaging plant which comprises a deep-drawing
packaging machine, for example test stations follow which are
designed as independent plant components and take over the packages
from a conveying belt, transport these packages through the test
stations by means of a conveying belt, and subsequently forward
them to a following conveying belt of a following plant component.
In such test stations, means such as sliders or air nozzles are
provided to discharge packages that are detected as defective into
a provided container of the test station.
[0011] Operators of such packaging plants often buy the packaging
machines and plant components from various manufacturers. It thus
results that each plant component comprises its own discharge
system with a receptacle. Here, it is important to at least adjust
the conveying belts in the position for transferring the packages
and the transport speeds between the packaging machine and between
the plant components. Usually, the release for a start of the
packaging plant or for stopping the packaging plant is forwarded to
the control systems of the respective upstream and downstream plant
components by digital signals.
[0012] Here, the test stations work independently and also
discharge the packages detected here into a separate
receptacle.
[0013] Preferably, the packages are transported, after they have
exited from the packaging machine, through a metal detector which
checks the packages for metal residues. In case of an error, i.e.
the detection of foreign metallic matters in the package, these
packages concerned are sorted out into a preferably closable
receptacle of this test station by a mechanical slider or by means
of air nozzles. It is thus ensured that these packages can only be
withdrawn by authorized personnel, usually the personnel
responsible for quality, and the operators at the packaging plant
cannot feed the products of these packages to the packaging machine
again.
[0014] Another test station can be a pair of scales at which
packages that are not within the weight tolerance limits are sorted
out into a receptacle this station comprises.
[0015] As another test station, a vision system is common to check
the presence, the position and/or the correct design of the
printing of a label on the package. Here, too, the package is
sorted out into a receptacle of this test station in case of an
error.
[0016] Thus, by default, many receptacles with sorted out packages
are present in series along the packaging plant at the test
stations which function as independent plant components. With most
of the errors, it is admissible and common to remove the products
from the packages again and supply them to the workstation of the
packaging machine for filling the containers with the products,
because the error of the package is not always related to the
quality of the product itself.
[0017] Configuring a packaging plant with several discharge means
at the respective workstations or test stations results in a high
space requirement for the packaging plant and thus the production
area.
[0018] Moreover, the personnel have to cover long distances to
empty the receptacles with the discharged packages at the different
workstations.
[0019] The operators only identify the reason for the error on the
basis of the assignment of the respective receptacle at the
respective test station. If packages from different receptacles,
and thus with different errors, are unintentionally combined it is
no longer possible for the operators to distinguish the packages by
their kind of error.
SUMMARY
[0020] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a
packaging plant and a method for the operation of such a packaging
plant where the above described disadvantages can be
eliminated.
[0021] The packaging plant according to the present disclosure can
comprise the following workstations and test stations:
container feed or shaping station for containers, product feed,
insertion station or filling station, sealing station, labeling
station, cutting or separating station, test station metal
detector, test station scales, test station vision system,
discharge station, transfer station.
[0022] The advantage of a discharge station downstream of the test
station following a packaging plant is that defective packages can
be sorted out at this one discharge station, independent of whether
an error was detected at a workstation of the packaging machine or
one or several test stations.
[0023] Advantageously, the discharge station also comprises means
to apply an optical marking to be able to visually distinguish the
packages by the error detected in each case after they have been
removed from one or several receptacles.
[0024] A transport system transports the containers or packages
through the packaging plant along all workstations and test
stations. By means of a control system, all containers and packages
are managed within the packaging plant. This means that the
information indicating where the containers and packages are
situated on the transport system and what is the condition of the
containers and packages is present in the control system. In the
control system, each container and each package has a status
assigned to it by the control system which describes the condition
of the container.
[0025] For the further description, the condition of the container
or the package is defined as the actual degree of processing by the
workstations, and the status as virtual feature for description
within the control system.
[0026] The workstations and test stations can change the status of
the containers or packages which have been processed by the
workstations or checked by the test stations in cooperation with
the control system. A container or a package that has already been
processed by several workstations can comprise three or more
different states (e.g. no error, error 1, error 2) in the control
system as several workstations have previously processed the
container, and different causes of error and thus different states
can exist. It is conceivable that a status which represents the
combination of different errors also exists. It is also conceivable
that a container or a package where the status has already been
changed to "error" is no longer checked by further test stations
which it passes.
[0027] The packages can be provided with an optical marking which
is preferably carried out directly upstream of or at the discharge
station.
[0028] Such a central discharge station following the workstations
and test stations does not only have the advantage of one single
position in the packaging plant for removing the sorted out
packages by operators and/or quality assurance personnel, but also
of less required space for the complete packaging plant. If a robot
is used for removing the packages from the transport system, the
same can replace the individual mechanical sliders at the
respective workstations and sort out the packages in a very simple
and efficient way into a common or also into several
receptacles.
[0029] To allow the personnel to distinguish the packages located
in a common receptacle, these can be provided for example with a
label upstream of or at the discharge station. This label can
contain a text with the status or a color code which corresponds to
the status and represents the respective error in a quickly and
easily detectable manner.
[0030] For example by an ink jet printer, it is also possible to
print a text information or color code directly onto the
packages.
[0031] The discharge station is preferably disposed at the end of
the packaging plant, at least downstream of the test stations for
checking the packages according to different criteria: for example
checking for metal residues, wrong weight, wrong or missing label,
erroneous print or product residues at the sealed seam.
[0032] Due to statutory provisions, it can be necessary to have
several receptacles provided at the central discharge station, one
of them having a design which only permits an authorized group of
people to remove packages from it because in the food sector,
products with metal residues must not be returned to the packaging
process.
[0033] According to the method according to the present disclosure,
the containers are transported along the workstations, and the
workstations forward information to the control system, the latter
can lead to changes of the status of a container in the control
system.
[0034] In the direction of transport upstream of the discharge
station, the packages are optically identified with the status in
case of an error during the former processing within the packaging
plant, and removed from the transport system in the discharge
station.
[0035] By this optical marking, the personnel can visually easily
detect which error has occurred in the respective package, be it by
a color code or a printed text.
[0036] It is advantageous for the discharge station to have several
receptacles for sorting for the different states, as by the
different possible errors, different states are also possible which
have the common property that the respective packages must be
sorted out.
[0037] Below, an advantageous embodiment of the present disclosure
will be illustrated more in detail with reference to a drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0038] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of an embodiment of the
packaging plant according to the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0039] FIG. 1 shows a packaging plant 1 according to the present
disclosure where at the beginning a film web 2 is unwound from a
roller 3, and a shaping station 4 as a first workstation shapes
containers 5 for receiving products 6 into the film web 2. In FIG.
1, not all shaped containers 5 are drawn in the film web 2. An
insertion section follows in the direction of production R where a
robot 7 inserts the products 6, which are for example transported
on a conveyor belt 8, into the containers 5. A next workstation is
a sealing station 9 which supplies a lid film 10 (the course of the
lid film is not represented more in detail) into the sealing
station 9 and seals it with the film web 2 and thus forms closed
packages 11 filled with product. In the process, the packages 11
can be evacuated and/or treated with gas before the sealing
operation.
[0040] The packages 11 are further transported as coherent film
with the film web 2 and in a non-depicted workstation could be
provided with a label on their upper and/or bottom side by means of
a labeling means. For example, the labeling means could also be a
part of a further workstation. The latter is referred to as
separating station 12 as at this workstation, the packages 11 are
separated from the film web 2 and then leave this separating
station 12 one after the other as individual packages 11 on a
conveying belt 13.
[0041] If the products are for example products of the food sector,
test stations, such as an X-ray apparatus 14 or a metal detector
for checking for foreign metallic matter in the package 11, and a
pair of scales 15 for detecting the weight of the package 11 with
the product 6 follow.
[0042] A vision system 16 follows as a further test station which
for example checks the position and printing of a label or only the
presence of a label. Other test features evaluable by the vision
system 16 can also be evaluated.
[0043] At the end of the packaging plant 1, the individual packages
11 are transferred, for example, into cartons 17 or boxes. In FIG.
1, this workstation (transfer station) is configured by a robot 18
which takes the individual packages from the conveying belt 13 and
places them into a provided carton 17.
[0044] One important prerequisite for this is that only packages 11
are introduced into the carton 17 and made available for the
further transport path which are in a perfect condition with
respect to the product and package including the marking.
[0045] The determination and information whether a product is in a
perfect condition or defective is accomplished by means of a
continuous-path-control in a control system 19 of the packaging
plant 1. Here, one data record each is assigned to a container or a
package within the packaging plant 1. This data record can contain
information, such as the status, cause of defect, position of the
container or the package on the transport system within the
packaging plant.
[0046] Each workstation and test station 4, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15,
16 is connected with the control system 19 and reports, when it
identifies an error, the cause of the problem for the respective
packages 11. The control system or the workstation or test station
itself thereupon sets another value in the status of the respective
container or containers 5 or packages 11, which are all traced over
the complete transport section of the packaging plant 1 and are
displayed at an operator terminal 20 preferably graphically and/or
with colors.
[0047] The following causes of error can lead to a status
"defective" in the respective workstations and test stations:
Shaping station 4:
[0048] With an overpressure and/or a vacuum not sufficient for the
shaping process, it is not ensured that the troughs 5 exit from the
shaping station 4 in a perfect condition. Thus, all troughs
contained therein are sent to the control system as being
"defective", and the status is set to "defective--incorrect
shaping". Thereafter, the robot 7 will not place any more products
6 into these troughs.
Insertion Section:
[0049] If the robot 7 is not able to fill the provided troughs 5
with products 6, for example due to a lack of products 6 on the
supply belt 8, the status of the unfilled troughs is changed to
"defective--incorrect filling" in the control system 19.
Sealing Station 9:
[0050] A problem in the gas treatment process with a required gas
mixture can lead to an inappropriate atmosphere in the package 11
due to a missing gas type. In such a case, the state of all
packages 11 contained in the sealing station 9 is changed to
"defective--incorrect gas treatment" in the control system 19.
Separating Station 12 with Labeling:
[0051] In case of a lack of labels, for example not all packages
can be provided with labels. The status of the packages 11 which
have not obtained a label is in this case changed to
"defective--incorrect labeling" in the control system 19.
Test Station X-Ray Apparatus 14:
[0052] Individual packages 11 pass through the tunnel of the X-ray
apparatus 14. If foreign matter is detected in the package 11, the
status of this package is changed to "defective--foreign matter" in
the control system 19.
Test Station Scales 15:
[0053] On the conveying belt of the scales 15, the weight of the
package 11 with the product 6 is determined during the transport
movement. For example, with a package with a deficiency in weight
outside the predetermined tolerances, here, too, the status of this
package is changed to "defective--underweight" in the control
system 19.
Test Station Vision System 16:
[0054] If a missing or incorrectly positioned label or an erroneous
printing is evaluated by the vision system, here, too, the status
is changed to "defective--vision" in the control system 19.
[0055] To ensure that no "defective" packages 11 exit from the
packaging plant 1, a central discharge station 21 is provided
before the end of the transport section. In FIG. 1, the central
discharge station 21 is configured by a robot which is able to
remove packages from the conveying belt which are set to
"defective" via the information of the continuous-path-control 19
and place them into corresponding receptacles 22 or other discharge
belts. To be able to distinguish packages 11 which are sorted out
due to different causes of error but placed in a common receptacle,
a marking means or device 23 is provided by means of which the
packages 11 can be lettered, labeled, marked with a color or
otherwise optically marked upstream of or at the discharge station
21. For example, the marking device 23 may comprise a label
printing and application device; a printer, such as an ink jet
printer, for printing text information and/or a color code directly
onto each defective package 11; or any other suitable marking
device. Furthermore, the marking device 23 may be connected with
the control system 19, or otherwise be in communication with the
control system 19, and may be used to mark each defective package
11 with a mark, such as a letter, label and/or color, that
indicates the status of the package and the respective error
associated with the package.
[0056] The invention is not restricted to one single central
discharge station 21. Due to statutory provisions, it can also be
necessary that in addition an individual test station exists which
comprises a separate discharge means where for example the packages
are sorted out into a receptacle only accessible to authorized
personnel.
[0057] While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and
described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and
describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words
used in the specification are words of description rather than
limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *