PRODUCTION LINE FOR MANUFACTURING PACKAGED PRODUCTS WITH PREDICTIVE DETERMINATION OF REQUIRED OPERATOR INTERACTION

Abstract

A production line for manufacturing packaged products includes a plurality of workstations for performing different operations. Each of the workstations is configured to predictively determine time data during operation that define, as an interaction time, a time of an operator interaction with the respective workstation required in the future. The production line includes a central processing unit. The workstations are configured to transmit the time data to the central processing unit.

Claims

1. A production line for producing packaged products, the production line comprising: a plurality of workstations for performing different work steps, wherein each of the workstations is configured to predictively determine, during operation, time data defining, as an interaction time, a time of an operator interaction with the respective workstation required in the future; and a central processing unit, wherein the workstations are configured to transmit the time data to the central processing unit.

2. The production line according to claim 1, wherein the workstations are configured to communicate to the central processing unit interaction data corresponding to the time data, wherein the interaction data define a type of operator interaction required at the corresponding interaction time.

3. The production line according to claim 1, wherein the central processing unit is configured to determine a next upcoming operator interaction based on the time data from the workstations.

4. The production line according to claim 1, wherein the production line comprises a display device.

5. The production line according to claim 4, wherein the central processing unit is configured to control the display device so as to display the interaction times.

6. The production line according to claim 4, wherein the central processing unit is configured to control the display device so as to display interaction times by displaying a time remaining until the respective interaction time is reached.

7. The production line according to claim 4, wherein the central processing unit is configured to control the display device so as to display for each interaction time a type of operator interaction required at the interaction time.

8. The production line according to claim 4, wherein the central processing unit is configured to control the display device so as to indicate which operator interaction is due next.

9. The production line according to claim 1, wherein the central processing unit is configured to determine, based on the time data, a chronological order of the operator interactions required in the future.

10. The production line according to claim 9, wherein the production line comprises a display device, and the central processing unit is configured to control the display device to display the chronological order.

11. The production line according to claim 1, wherein the central processing unit is configured to send electronic instruction messages based on the time data.

12. The production line according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of workstations comprises one or more of the following: a portioning station, a labelling device, a packaging machine, a station of a packaging machine.

13. A method for operating a production line for manufacturing packaged products, the method comprising: operating a plurality of workstations of the production line so as to perform different work steps; predictively determining, by the workstations during operation, time data defining, as an interaction time, a time of an operator interaction with the respective workstation required in the future; and displaying the interaction times at a central display device.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein a type of operator interaction required at the interaction time is displayed at the central display device together with each interaction time.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein displaying the interaction times at the central display device comprises displaying a time remaining until the respective interaction time is reached.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein a chronological order of operator interactions required in the future is displayed at the central display device.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the operator interaction required in the future comprises at least one of: a replenishment of consumables, a supply roll change, an emptying of a waste receptacle, a re-setting of a machine, a changeover of a machine, a deactivation of a machine, a cleaning of a machine, or a servicing of a machine.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] In the following, the disclosure is further explained by means of embodiments with reference to the figures.

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a production line according to an embodiment; and

[0040] FIGS. 2 to 4 show schematic representations of a display device of the production line according to embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a production line 1 for packaging products. The products may in particular be food products, for example sausages or cheese. The production line 1 includes several work stations for carrying out different work steps for producing packaged products. In the illustrated embodiment, the production line 1 includes the following work stations: a portioning station 5, a thermoforming station 9, a sealing station 13, a labelling device 15, and a cutting station 17.

[0042] The portioning station 5 is configured to divide the products to be packaged into portions 3. For example, the portioning station 5 may include a food slicer that slices products, such as sausages or cheese. A product conveyor belt 7 conveys the portions 3 from the portioning station 5 to a packaging machine 19, which includes the thermoforming station 9, a gripper robot 11, the sealing station 13 and the slicing station 17. In the packaging machine 19, a base foil web 23 removed from a base foil supply roll 21 of the thermoforming station 9 is conveyed along a production direction P. The thermoforming station 9, the gripper robot 11, the sealing station 13, the labelling device 15 and the cutting station 17 are arranged in series along the production direction P in the illustrated embodiment.

[0043] In the thermoforming station 9, packaging cavities 25 are formed in the base foil web 23 by thermoforming. For carrying out the deep-drawing, the thermoforming station 9 includes a forming die upper part and a forming die lower part, which cooperate for deep-drawing or thermoforming the base foil web 23. Downstream of the thermoforming station 9 with respect to the production direction P, the portions 3 are transferred from the product conveyor belt 7 into the packaging cavities 25 by the gripper robot 11. Downstream of the gripper robot 11 with respect to the production direction P, the packaging cavities 25 are sealed in the sealing station 13 by sealing a cover foil 29 taken from a cover foil supply roll 27 to the base foil 23. The sealing station 13 includes a sealing tool upper part and a sealing tool lower part, which cooperate to seal the base foil web 23 to the cover foil web 29. Sealing may be performed under the action of heat and/or pressure.

[0044] Downstream of the sealing station 13 with respect to the production direction P, the packages are provided with labels by the labelling device 15. The labels may be taken from a label supply roll 31. Downstream of the sealing station 13 and/or the labelling device 15 with respect to the production direction P, the closed packaging cavities 25 are separated from the foil composite by the cutting station 17. The cutting station 17 includes a residual foil rewinder, which is a waste receptacle 33. On the residual foil rewinder, remaining foil residues, in particular a foil residual grid, are rolled up after the separation of the packaging cavities 25.

[0045] The packaging line 1 includes a central processing unit 35 and a display device 37 that may be controlled by the processing unit 35. The display device 37 may include, for example, a display.

[0046] In the illustrated embodiment, each of the work stations includes its own control unit that controls some or all of the functions of the respective work station. However, this is not mandatory and, for example, multiple workstations may share a control unit or one, multiple or all of the workstations may be controlled by the central processing unit 35.

[0047] In the illustrated embodiment, the control unit 39 of the sealing station 13 is configured as the main control unit of the packaging machine 19 and is configured to coordinate the control units of the remaining work stations of the packaging machine 19. Communication between the central processing unit 35 and the control unit 38 of the thermoforming station 9 or the control unit 40 of the cutting station 17 is accomplished via the control unit 39 of the sealing station 13. Alternatively, the control unit 38 of the thermoforming station 9 and/or the control unit 40 of the cutting station 17 may communicate directly with the central processing unit 35, which is the case for the control unit 42 of the portioning station 5 in the illustrated embodiment.

[0048] The workstations are configured to predictively determine time data during operation that defines, as the interaction time, a time of an operator interaction with the respective workstation required in the future.

[0049] In the case of portioning station 5, the operator interaction may be, for example, a refilling of additional products. The portioning station 5 may include a product sensor 41 as a state sensor, which determines a quantity of a product to be portioned that is still present in the portioning station 5 at the respective time. Measurement data determined by the product sensor 41 defines a future point in time, at which the refilling of further products is required. The point in time may be calculated by taking into account the known product throughput of the packaging line 1.

[0050] In the case of the forming station 9, the operator interaction may be, for example, a change of the base foil supply roll 21. The forming station 9 includes a base foil supply roll sensor 43 that measures how much base foil 23 is left on the base foil supply roll 21. For this purpose, the base foil supply roll sensor 43 may measure, for example, a diameter or a radius of the base foil supply roll 21 at the respective time. Measurement data determined by the base foil supply roll sensor 43 defines a future time, at which a change of the base foil supply roll 21 is required. The time may be calculated by taking into account the known production rate of the packaging line 1.

[0051] In the case of the sealing station 13, the operator interaction may be, for example, a change of the cover foil supply roll 27. The sealing station 13 includes a cover foil supply roll sensor 45 configured to determine how much cover foil 29 remains on the cover foil supply roll 27. To do so, the cover foil supply roll sensor 45 may measure, for example, a diameter or a radius of the cover foil supply roll 27 at the particular time. Measurement data determined by the cover foil supply roll sensor 45 defines a future point in time when a change of the cover foil supply roll 27 is required. The time may be calculated by taking into account the known production rate of the packaging line 1.

[0052] In the case of the labelling device 15, the operator interaction may be, for example, a change of the label supply roll 31. The labelling device 15 includes a label roll sensor 47 configured to determine how many labels remain on the label supply roll 31. For this purpose, the label roll sensor 47 may count the number of labels removed, for example. Measurement data determined by the label roll sensor 47 defines a future time when a change of the label supply roll 31 is required.

[0053] In the case of the cutting station 17, the operator interaction may be, for example, changing or emptying the waste receptacle 33. The cutting station 17 includes a fill level sensor 49 configured to determine how much residual foil grid has already been rolled up on the waste receptacle 33. For this purpose, the fill level sensor 49 may measure, for example, a roll diameter or a roll radius of the rolled-up residual foil grid at the respective point in time. Measurement data determined by the fill level sensor 49 defines a future time, at which a change or emptying of the waste receptacle 33 is required. The time may be calculated by taking into account a maximum intake capacity of the waste receptacle 33.

[0054] The workstations transmit the time data to the central processing unit 35, which may be accomplished by transmitting the measurement data of the respective sensor as the time data. Based on the transmitted measurement data, the central processing unit 35 may then determine, in particular calculate, the respective future interaction time. Alternatively, the workstations may determine, based on the measurement data of the respective sensor, the respective future interaction time and transmit it to the central processing unit 35 as the time data.

[0055] In addition to the time data, the workstations transmit to the central processing unit 35 interaction data defining a type of operator interaction required at the corresponding interaction time. The interaction data may include an identifier associated with the operator interaction. The central processing unit 35 may be configured to associate, on the basis of a table, the identifier with an operator interaction.

[0056] The central processing unit 35 determines a chronological order of operator interactions required in the future based on the time data.

[0057] The central processing unit 35 controls the display device 37 to display the interaction times and associated operator interactions in chronological order. An operator is forewarned by displays of the interaction times before the interaction times occur, and he/she may make suitable arrangements and preparations in advance to perform the corresponding operator interaction in a timely and efficient manner.

[0058] FIG. 2 shows a display of the display device 37 according to an embodiment, in which the interaction times are indicated by displaying a time remaining until the respective interaction time is reached. Next to each interaction time, it is indicated, by which event the predicted operator interaction is required. This corresponds to an indication of the type of operator interaction. For example, from the indication “end of base foil web”, the operator understands that the entry refers to the need to replace the base foil supply roll 21. The operator understands from the indication “foil residue receptacle full” that the entry refers to the requirement to empty or replace the waste receptacle 33. The entry “label supply empty” indicates to the operator that the entry refers to the need to replace the label supply roll 31. From the indication “target product quantity reached”, the operator understands that the entry refers to the requirement to stop the operation of the production line. Optionally, for each entry it may be indicated, at which workstation the respective operator interaction is to take place.

[0059] FIG. 3 shows the display of the display device 37 according to an alternative embodiment, in which the interaction times are indicated by displaying clock times corresponding to the particular time, at which the operator interaction is required. Except for the way of displaying the interaction times, the embodiment of FIG. 3 corresponds to the embodiment of FIG. 2.

[0060] FIG. 4 shows the display of the display device 37 according to another alternative embodiment, which is the same as FIG. 2 except for the display of the type of operator interaction. In the embodiment according to FIG. 4, it is explicitly displayed what the operator has to do in the respective operator interaction.

[0061] As those skilled in the art will understand, the central processing unit 35, display device 37, control units (e.g., control units 38, 39, 40, 42), sensors (e.g., sensors 41, 43, 45, 47, 49), workstations, as well as any other controller, unit, component, module, system, subsystem, interface, sensor, device, or the like described herein may individually, collectively, or in any combination comprise appropriate circuitry, such as one or more appropriately programmed processors (e.g., one or more microprocessors including central processing units (CPU)) and associated memory, which may include stored operating system software, firmware, and/or application software executable by the processor(s) for controlling operation thereof and for performing the particular algorithm or algorithms represented by the various methods, functions and/or operations described herein, including interaction between and/or cooperation with each other. One or more of such processors, as well as other circuitry and/or hardware, may be included in a single Application-Specific Integrated Circuitry (ASIC) or Electronic Control Unit (ECU), or several processors and various circuitry and/or hardware may be distributed among several separate components, whether individually packaged or assembled into a System-on-a-Chip (SoC).