DE102015008827A1 - Method for safely operating a cigarette packaging machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for safely operating a packaging machine (10) for producing packages for smokable products - such as cigarettes - wherein the packaging machine (10) has at least one servo drive for driving at least one movable member, wherein a) the servo drive automatically from the first is transferred to the second mode when, while the servo drive is in the first mode, a torque, in particular a minimum torque of predetermined magnitude, is applied to the shaft of the servomotor of the servo drive by an operator, or b) the servo drive is automatically transferred from the second to the first operating mode, if by rotations of an operator, the shaft of the servomotor of the servo drive is brought into a predetermined desired rotational position, in particular by means of a shaft coupled to the mechanical or electronic handwheel (28).

Description

The present invention relates to a method for the safe operation of a packaging machine for producing packages for smokable products - such as cigarettes - wherein the packaging machine has at least one servo drive for driving at least one movable member. The invention further relates to a packaging machine which is suitable for carrying out the method.

In cigarette packaging machines, movable organs are increasingly driven by servomotors. On a mechanical coupling of the movable organs with a vertical shaft of the machine via suitable transmission, etc. is increasingly dispensed with. Due to the use of servomotors, relevant safety questions must be answered. In particular, the servomotors must be safely shut down and / or shut down in the event of an error. Furthermore, it must be possible for an operator to be able to (safely) move the movable organs in a manual operation, for example in order to be able to remove packs which have been jammed in or through the organs.

Based on this, it is an object of the present invention to further develop the method mentioned. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a packaging machine that can be operated with such a method.

The object of the invention is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1 and by a packaging machine having the features of claim 7.

Thereafter, the servomotor may be operated in one of at least two modes of operation when the machine is first set up or after a machine stop. Namely, a first mode in which the actual rotational position of the servomotor (or its shaft / rotor) compared with a target rotational position and in case of deviations between the actual and target rotational position of the actual rotational position to the target at Adjusted rotational position. In other words, in this mode of operation of a control device of the packaging machine, usually the control unit of the servo drive, a known in the art attitude control of the servo drive implemented.

Such a position control, which would be specified as a target rotational position, for example, the stationary rotation of the shaft of the servo motor, after a targeted shutdown of the servomotors or after a targeted stopping the servo motor shaft unwanted movements of the servo motor or operatively connected to him movable member from the stationary rotation prevent or at least counteract such. Because as a result of the position control, every possible outer, d. H. Not caused by the servo motor torque action on the shaft, which would lead to a twisting of the desired rotational position, counteract a counter-torque of the servomotor, which would move the shaft back towards the desired rotational position. Thus, in this situation, it is ensured, inter alia, that the movable member is still in the original standstill position when the packaging machine is restarted and would accordingly (continue to) move synchronously with the machine cycle. Next, the position control would counteract an unwanted startup of the servomotor.

In a second operating mode of the servo drive, the control device releases the shaft of the servomotor insofar as an operator can move the servomotor shaft at least over a (possibly predetermined) rotation angle range without a position control being activated.

According to the invention, it is provided that the servo drive is automatically transferred from the aforementioned first to the second operating mode, when - while the servo drive is in the first operating mode - an (external) torque is applied to the shaft of the servomotor of the servo drive, in particular by an operator a torque of predetermined size. This makes it possible, for example, for an operator to selectively switch off the position control, for example for maintenance purposes, around the servomotor shaft or the movable member operatively connected to it (directly or indirectly by hand, possibly by means of a mechanical linkage operatively connected to the shaft) or electronic handwheel).

Alternatively or additionally, the invention provides that the servo drive can be transferred from the second to the first operating mode by the operator of the shaft of the servomotor is rotated by an operator until the shaft reaches a predetermined target rotational position.

In the scenario described above, for example, the operator could first switch off the position control (acting with the standstill rotational position as setpoint) by the described torque application of the shaft. With the position control switched off, he could then carry out maintenance or repair work on the then manually or freely movable organ. Finally, he could turn back the servo motor shaft in the then acting as a target rotational position of the second mode standstill rotational position to the position control again turn. The operator would recognize that the servomotor shaft is again in the original standstill rotational position since further rotation would counteract the active position control.

Further features and effects of the present invention will become apparent from the appended claims, the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as well as from the accompanying drawings.

Show:

1 a schematic oblique view of a cigarette packaging machine, which can be operated in accordance with the invention,

2 the device off 1 in a simplified side view,

3 exemplarily a situation in which an organ of the machine moved by a servo drive, namely a conveyor, is blocked by a packing,

4 a the situation of 3 imaging, the servo drive associated torque / angle diagram,

5 the conveyor according to 3 after a manual movement of the shaft of the servomotor of the servodrive driving the conveyor,

6 one of the 5 associated torque / angle diagram of the servo drive,

7 a representation accordingly 3 after another manual rotation of the servomotor shaft,

8th one of the 7 Assigned torque / angle diagram of the servo drive.

The invention is based on the in the 1 and 2 illustrated cigarette packaging machine 10 explained. The nature of the packaging machine ultimately does not matter according to the invention. The invention could also be applied, inter alia, to machines for packaging tobacco in pouches (bag packers) or other machines for packaging smokable products.

The illustrated device 10 is used to treat in particular cuboidal packs 11 Of relatively rigid packaging material, in particular of (thin) cardboard. It is part of a corresponding plant for the production of (cigarette) packs 11 ,

The basic operation of such a device 10 will be briefly explained below with reference to the drawings. Further technical details are in the DE 10 2011 122 327 described, the content of which is hereby incorporated into the present application.

The specific example concerns (cigarette) packs 11 in the execution as folding box or Hinge Lid Pack. The package is on all sides of an outer wrapper 12 surrounded by foil, which is thermally sealable - in the range of folding flaps - and by heat supply shrinkable (shrink film) is.

A cut of the outer wrapping 12 is so about the pack 11 folded folding box so that a (large-scale) front wall, a corresponding rear wall, narrow, upright side walls and end wall and bottom wall arise. The outer cladding 12 is folded so that on a side wall (partially) overlapping folding flaps, namely hose flaps arise. The front wall and bottom wall are provided with complex folds (envelope folding) with the formation of (trapezoidal) closing flaps. The folding flaps are connected by thermal sealing.

Those coming from a packer, except for the outer wrapping 12 finished packs 11 are intermittently via an intermediate conveyor and at a distance from each other a folding device 13 supplied, namely a folding turret. This is preferably analogous to the folding turret EP 1 103 465 A1 educated. In the area of the folding turret 13 In particular, the above-mentioned tube lobes are formed and by stapling organs 14 fixed in the sense of a stitching (connection of the folding flaps by means of small sealing surfaces). The folding turret 13 is with successive (different) stapling organs 14 Mistake.

The packs 11 arrive after the folding turret 13 to a lying in a first (horizontal) conveying plane, horizontal conveyor line 15 , The transport takes place through an (endless) conveyor 16 (Belt conveyor). In this conveyor section or along this conveyor line 16 become the packs 11 transported through a suitable folding path for the production of the flaps. These are laterally next to the conveyor 16 Faltweich known design arranged that form the folding flaps during transport.

With the (completely) folded outer cover 12 the packs arrive 11 in the range of another workstation, namely a stapling and shrinking organs having stapling and shrinking station 17 , Here are with Hefeftorganen the Stapling the folding flaps of the packs 11 completed or completed.

Superimposed with the stitch is a (first) shrinkage treatment of the upwardly facing front wall of the pack 11 ,

After the stapling and shrinking station 17 become the packs 11 with respect to the folding flaps sufficiently fixed outer sheath in the area of another processing station 18 promoted, namely to an aggregate station.

The aggregate station 18 serves on the one hand to form processing groups or processing units of several, in the present example exactly four, originally successively transported packs 11 , Furthermore, the packs 11 in the area of the aggregation station 18 transported in a vertical conveying plane or along a vertical conveying path transversely to the incoming conveying direction, in the present case vertically or in the upward direction. These are the packs 11 through a number of vertical conveyors 19 transported. This number of vertical conveyors 19 corresponds to the number of packs contained in a processing unit 11 (four).

In the area of the aggregate station 18 become the side walls of the packs 11 Shrunk, in each case several or all packs 11 one unit at a time. Furthermore, the folding flaps are connected in the region of the side wall by sealing.

Finally, a second sealing step is carried out in the area of the tube tabs.

The aggregate station 18 is equipped for this purpose with three workstations, wherein in each of these stations at the same time several - in this case four - packs 10 be processed during a standstill phase.

Following the aggregate station 18 become the packs 11 along another, horizontal and offset to the conveyor line 15 running conveyor line 20 emotional. Along the conveyor line 20 become the packs 11 by means of a conveyor 26 fed to further treatment stations, immediately after a combined sealing and shrinking station 21 , In the present case, therefore, at every work or promotion cycle the packs 11 a processing unit in the area of this station 21 discontinued. Here are the packs 11 processed during a (longer) standstill phase on different package pages.

In the sealing and shrinking station 21 Lower large-area pack sides and other packing surfaces are processed, namely sideways areas - end wall, bottom wall. It's about sealing the complex folding flaps.

A subsequent transfer station 22 serves to transfer the transport of the packages 11 from the conveyor 26 to a final conveyor 24 , This is the transfer station 22 trained in a special way. Also in the area of the transfer station 22 become the packs 11 treated during the standstill phase. Lateral sealing organs complete the sealing of the folding flaps of the sideward-directed packing walls.

The packs 11 then arrive in the area of a last treatment station 23 , There are the tops of the packs 11 subjected to a shrinking treatment, in this case the front wall.

The finished packs 11 then be on a pickup 25 filed, which supplies the packs for further processing, in particular the production of bundle packs.

Furthermore, lateral sealing organs are effective, which are moved up again to the front wall and bottom wall to complete the sealing of the folding flaps.

All driven organs of the device 10 are driven by servo drives, not shown. In each case one organ is assigned in each case a servo drive. Such as the folding turret 13 as well as the sponsors 16 . 24 - 26 , The servo drives are with each other and in relation to the machine cycle of the packaging machine 10 synchronized. Accordingly, the movements of these organs are moving 13 . 16 . 24 - 26 also synchronized or matched in speed and phase.

When it comes to a deliberate or unwanted machine stop the packaging machine 10 comes, for example because a pack 11 in the conveyor 25 or jammed in one of the other conveyors, the servo drives must be transferred to safe states. In the context of the invention, various safety functions of servo drives are used profitably.

Thus, in the event of a fault-related or a deliberate machine stop, the drives can be reliably brought to a standstill over a defined period of time as part of a defined braking process.

In the case of servo drives of movable organs, which are freely accessible to third parties or operators after opening a machine protection hood and represent a corresponding hazard, it is also important to take appropriate measures to ensure that they do not accidentally come to a standstill for the duration of the machine stop start.

Such a safety function may include, for example, a position control designed as a standstill monitoring. With this, the actual rotational position of the servomotor of the servo drive or the shaft is monitored during the standstill thereof or during the machine stop duration. The standstill rotation position forms the setpoint rotational position of the position control.

By means of a suitable position sensor, the actual position of the rotational position of the respective servomotor is detected (continuously or repeatedly at certain time intervals) and compared with the desired rotational position or the stationary rotational position. In case of deviations of the actual rotational position of the target rotational position of the corresponding servo drive reacts by applying the shaft with a torque which counteracts the deviation. In other words, an external, not initiated by the servo drive torque acting on the shaft, a counteracted by the servo drive counter torque.

Although this standstill monitoring or this position control with the stationary rotational position as the desired rotational position advantageously leads to the fact that the motor can not start by mistake, since the position control would counteract the start. Further, an operator who wants to maintain the movable members at a standstill of the machine can not readily change the standstill rotational position of the servomotor or the standstill position of the movable member, which would liberate the movable member from its synchronism with the machine cycle and cause an error in the Restarting the packaging machine 10 can lead.

However, the position control described at standstill of the servo drive is also disadvantageous in various situations. So there may be situations in practice, in which it would just be necessary to be able to move the movable organ by hand after a machine stop. For example, in a case where a trouble occurs that can be resolved only by moving the movable organ. An individual manual operation of the packaging machine or individual movable organs thereof, which is particularly necessary in order to eliminate such disturbances, would be limited.

For this reason, the invention provides for the operator to be able to switch off this position control in a simple manner. For this purpose, the servo drive is automatically transferred from the first "attitude control" mode described above to a second mode in which it no longer occurs when the operator applies torque to the servomotor servo motor shaft.

For example, it can be provided to deposit in the controller that a torque of a certain minimum size or a certain amount must be applied in order to switch off the position control or to change from the first operating mode to the second operating mode.

The torque may be applied by the operator by operating an approximately immediately adjacent movable handwheel associated with the servomotor's time, or a separate handwheel electrically or electronically coupled to the shaft. If necessary, it is also sufficient to move the coupled to the shaft movable member accordingly.

The application of this torque is detected by the servo drive or the control thereof. As an indicator, for example, can serve a measured increase in current of the operating current of the servo drive, which adjusts, since the application of the external torque (due to the position control) is answered with a corresponding counter-torque.

The scenario described above refers to a situation in which a machine servo motor was braked to a standstill during a machine stop, and then the controller selectively activates a position control related to the standstill rotational position.

With reference to the following drawings of 3 - 8th another scenario is explained:
In 3 a situation is shown in which a pack 11 between the conveyor 25 and an adjacent component 27 is trapped. This leads to an unwanted machine stop. Insofar as the servo drives were moved before the machine stop in normal or production operation of the system with a "standard" position control in which the respectively desired motion profile for the respective movable organ (synchronous to the machine cycle) by target rotational position specifications for the respective servomotor , and insofar as this position regulation also in the 3 Unintentional machine stop, as shown, remains activated (as an alternative, it may be provided that the position control of the servo drives is automatic in such a situation is switched inactive), this leads to a torque M being applied to the servomotor, cf. 4 , Because the servo drive "works" against the clamping torque of the pack 11 , According to an operator, it is not or hardly possible, the jammed cigarette packet 11 according to 3 by rotation of the conveyor 25 to liberate against the direction of conveyance.

Even in such a situation, it may be desired that the operator can turn off the attitude control of the drive in a simple manner, in order to move the shaft of the servo motor free of counter torques and the packing 11 easy to remove. For this purpose, the operator must apply an external, additional torque to the servomotor or on its shaft, cf. 6 , This can be done, for example, by using a handwheel coupled to the shaft of the servomotor 28 happen.

After switching off the position control can in the example of the 3 - 8th the conveyor are moved counter to the conveyor direction, cf. 5 so the pack 11 becomes free.

The operator initiated rotary motion of the conveyor 25 As a result, the result is also that the rotational position of the servomotor of the conveyor 25 no longer synchronous with the rotational positions of the other servomotors of the packaging machine 10 is. In order to counteract this, it is provided to enable the operator to turn the servomotor back into the synchronizing rotary position predetermined by the machine cycle or to recognize to the operator at which angle of rotation the synchronizing rotary position is reached.

The synchronous rotation corresponds in the example of 3 - 8th a rotation angle of 135 °. According to the invention, to deposit the synchronous rotary position in the second operating mode of the servo drive or, when the position control is switched off, as the desired rotary position. The control of the servo drive monitors the respective actual rotational position and, when the operator has rotated the shaft of the servo motor so far that the synchronous rotation position is reached, switches the position control automatically again: the servo drive changes from the second operating mode without position control to the first one Operating mode with position control.

In other words, the controller monitors the current operator-set rotational angle of the servomotor or servomotor shaft (or servomotor rotor). As soon as the actual rotational angle of the servo motor corresponds to the corresponding nominal rotational angle or the corresponding nominal synchronization rotational position, the position control of the motor is reactivated.

Similarly, the initial commissioning or maintenance of a machine can be significantly facilitated. It can be stored for each servo drive corresponding target synchronous loops, which would have to be set in order to operate the respective drives synchronously to the machine cycle or to the other drives can. The drives could initially be switched off in the context of the initial setup / maintenance and it would initially be activated in particular no position control.

An operator can then change the rotational positions of the servo drives by hand until the stored target synchronous rotations are reached. Then the servo drives are automatically transferred to the position control. A further twisting would not be possible due to the position control.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

packaging machine

11

pack

12

outer wrapper

13

folding

14

Heft organ

15

conveyor line

16

promoter

17

Stapling and shrinking station

18

processing station

19

vertical conveyor

20

conveyor line

21

Sealing and shrinking station

22

Transfer station

23

treatment station

24

end conveyor

25

discharge conveyor

26

promoter

27

component

28

handwheel

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102011122327 [0023]
• EP 1103465 A1 [0026]

Claims (8)

Method for safely operating a packaging machine ( 10 ) for making packages for smokable products - such as cigarettes - the packaging machine ( 10 ) has at least one servo drive for driving at least one movable member, wherein the servo drive in an initial setup of the machine ( 10 ) or after a machine stop can be operated in one of at least two operating modes, namely a first mode in which a position control of the servo motor takes place such that the respective actual rotational position of the servomotor is compared with a desired rotational position and in case of deviations between the actual rotational position. and target rotational position, the actual rotational position is adapted to the desired rotational position, and a second mode in which at least within a rotational angle range no position control of the servomotor, wherein a) the servo drive is automatically transferred from the first to the second mode, if In that the servo drive is in the first operating mode - an operator applies a torque, in particular a minimum torque of predetermined size, to the shaft of the servomotor of the servo drive, or b) the servo drive is automatically transferred from the second to the first operating mode if by rotation of an operator the shaft of the Servo motor of the servo drive is brought into a predetermined desired rotational position, in particular by means of a shaft coupled to the mechanical or electronic handwheel ( 28 ). A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the desired rotational position, in which the transfer to the first mode, corresponds to a predetermined synchronous rotation, in which a synchronism of the servomotor shaft with at least one other servomotor shaft of another servo drive of the packaging machine is given, preferably with all the others Servo drives the packaging machine, or with the machine cycle. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the servo drive or all servodrives is first transferred to a machine stop of the packaging machine in the first operating mode / are or are located in this / are. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that, while the servo drive is in the first mode, the comparison between the target and actual rotational position of the servomotor shaft and possibly the necessary adjustment of the actual rotational position to the desired rotational position takes place continuously or in several or many discrete time intervals. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the servomotor is de-energized in the second mode in which the servo drive is operated without position control. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the or all servomotors are automatically shut down deliberately targeted in case of an error of the packaging machine, and that the respective stationary rotation position is the respective target rotational position of the position control of the first mode. Packaging machine for producing packages for smokable products, such as cigarettes, with at least one servo drive for driving at least one movable member of the packaging machine ( 10 ), and with a control device which is designed such that the servo drive is operable in a first set-up of the machine or after a machine stop in at least two modes, namely a first mode in which a position control of the servomotor is carried out such that the respective actual -Drehlage the servo motor compared with a target rotational position and in case of deviations between actual and target rotational position, the actual rotational position is adapted to the target rotational position, and a second mode in which at least within a rotational angle range no position control of the servomotor, wherein a) the servo drive is automatically transferred from the first to a second mode by - while the servo drive is in the first mode - by an operator torque, in particular a minimum torque of predetermined size, is applied to the shaft of the servomotor of the servo drive, or where b) the servo drive automatically can be converted from the second to the first mode by the operator of the shaft of the servomotor of the servo drive is rotated until the shaft reaches a predetermined target rotational position, in particular by means of a coupled to the shaft, mechanical or electronic handwheel. Packaging machine according to claim 7, wherein the control device is designed such that it can implement one or more measures of claims 1-5.

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