Patent Application
20240262549
The invention relates to a method for operating a tubular-bag machine according to the preamble of claim 1.
A generic tubular-bag machine is known from DE 10 2010 028 697 A1, for example. The tubular-bag machine can be a vertically or horizontally working tubular-bag machine, meaning the tubular bags are conveyed either vertically or horizontally through the tubular-bag machine. The production of the tubular bags can either be intermittent or continuous.
When producing the tubular bag, a filling material is enclosed by the film tube in a metered amount and protected against the environment by the application of the sealing seams. For metering the filling material, suitable metering modules are disposed upstream of tubular-bag machines, the metering modules being a screw conveyor or a weighing module. In order to be able to further process the tubular bags after the sealing, processing modules are disposed downstream of the tubular-bag machine in corresponding cases, so that tubular bags can be placed in suitable repackaging, for example.
Both the tubular-bag machine itself and the upstream metering modules and/or the downstream processing modules can detect errors using suitable sensors and forward corresponding error messages to the control of the tubular-bag machine. With the known tubular-bag machines, it is common to shut down the tubular-bag machine and put it in error mode after such an error message has been received in order to allow the user to eliminate the error of the tubular-bag machine. The elimination of the error in the tubular-bag machine via the user requires much time and labor and in this respect causes undesired costs.
Starting from this state of the art, it is therefore the object of the invention at hand to propose a new method for operating a tubular-bag machine which can avoid the disadvantages mentioned above.
This object is attained by a method according to the teachings of claim 1.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.
Examinations of error events when operating tubular-bag machines have shown that a number of error events does not require entirely shutting down the tubular-bag machine. In particular error events when metering filling material upstream or when further processing the tubular bag downstream can occur only temporarily in many cases. When a tubular bag is temporarily snagged in the processing module, this blockade can resolve itself after a short period of time, resulting in temporary congestion in the processing module. An elimination of this error via the user is consequently not required in many cases. For error events of this kind, which eliminate themselves after a relatively short amount of time, it is therefore extremely unfavorable from a production point of view to entirely shut down the tubular-bag machine. According to the invention, a change of the processing speed of the tubular-bag machine as a function of receiving a corresponding error message in the control of the tubular-bag machine is therefore intended for error events of this kind. In particular, the processing speed of the tubular-bag machine can be reduced temporarily in order to enable eliminating an error event without the user having to directly intervene. If, for example, congestion arises in the downstream processing apparatus of the tubular-bag machine, the processing speed of the tubular-bag machine can be temporarily reduced to thus resolve the congestion of the tubular bags caused in the processing module. Users are not required to directly intervene in these cases. In which manner the processing speed of the tubular-bag machines is changed after receiving an error message is generally arbitrary and depends on the corresponding requirements profile. Preferably, the number of cycles of the tubular-bag machine which indicates the number of tubular bags to be produced in the tubular-bag machine per time unit can be reduced by a predetermined number of cycles of changes as soon as a corresponding error message has been received in the control of the tubular bag machine.
The amount of time required for reducing the speed of the tubular-bag machine for autonomously eliminating the error without the intervention of the user depends strongly on the prevailing error event. For this reason, it is particularly advantageous if the different error messages are each assigned to a specific number of cycles of change. These numbers of cycles of change assigned to the error signals can be determined via suitable tries or empirical values. After the processing speed of the tubular-bag machine has been changed, it is desirable, of course, the processing speed to be returned to its target level after the corresponding elimination has taken place. In order to achieve this, it is particularly advantageous if the processing speed of the tubular-bag machine is increased to the original level after a predetermined observation time or a predetermined number of cycles for observation has ended.
For which error signals a change of the processing speed of the tubular-bag machine take places is generally arbitrary. A particularly great advantage arises for the user when the error signal signals the inclusion of filling material in the sealing zone formed between the transverse jaws. For this error pertains to merely a tubular bag, meaning a corresponding error elimination takes place without difficulty by the corresponding tubular bag continuing to roll.
Alternatively or additionally, the error signal can signal not meeting the sealing temperature in the sealing zone formed between the transverse jaws. By reducing the processing speed, less heat is dissipated from the transverse jaws, meaning the sealing temperature returns to the desired target temperature.
Great advantages are also attained with the method according to the invention when the control of the tubular-bag machine receives the error signal from a weighing apparatus having at least one set of scales and being disposed upstream of the tubular-bag machine for metering. In these weighing apparatuses, a plurality of scales can be contained so that undesired error works can arise at one set of scales because of error events. It is unnecessary in many instances, as alternative metering strategies are possible among the sets of scales, even if one or individual set(s) of scales are impaired, e.g., overfilled.
Of great importance when eliminating errors in weighing apparatuses is an insufficient metering amount of the filling material in the individual tubular bags. Via a suitable reduction of the processing speed of the tubular-bag machine, a sufficient amount of the filling material can be metered via the weighing apparatus again.
Errors also occur when individual sets of scales in the weighing apparatus are overfilled, these errors being able to be eliminated via adequate changes to the processing speed of the tubular-bag machine, without the intervention of the user.
Another case of operation of the method according to the invention is when the control of the tubular-bag machine receives the error signal from a repackaging apparatus downstream of the tubular-bag machine for repackaging. In this context, this can pertain to an error signal signaling congestion in the repackaging apparatus.
What kind of repackaging apparatus the error signal generates is generally arbitrary. This kind of autonomous error elimination is of great importance in cartoning machines or in packaging machines which are disposed downstream of the tubular-bag machine. Of growing importance in the field of producing tubular bags is the sustainable use of packaging material. In order to enable a use of packaging material which is as resource-efficient as possible, it is therefore particularly advantageous when the film web has a high paper content, as this paper content is largely recyclable.
It is particularly advantageous if the film web has a paper content of at least 95%.
In particular when using block pack machines for producing SBS block bags, the method according to the invention has proven particularly advantageous.
An embodiment of the invention is schematically shown in the drawing and is exemplarily described in the following.
Film tube 05 slides downward on the exterior of a forming tube 06 driven by a film take-off unit 07, film tube 05 being longitudinally sealed parallel to a transport direction by means of longitudinal-sealing apparatus (not shown in
Below forming tube 06 is located a transverse-sealing apparatus 08 having two transverse jaws for generating transverse seams via which film tube 05 is transversally sealed to form individual tubular bags 10.
In transverse jaws 09, a separator 11 is integrated by means of which individual tubular bags 10 can be separated from each other after the transverse sealing.
Filling material 12 for filling tubular bags 10 is added in such a manner using a metering module 13, e.g., a scale, disposed upstream of tubular-bag machine 01 that the filling amount intended for a tubular bag 10 is achieved in each instance. Measured filling material 12 falls into the funnel below because of an opening pulse of the scales in metering module 13. Via the funnel, filling material 12 is reduced to the diameter of forming tube 06.
Downstream of tubular-bag machine 01 is a processing module 14, e.g., a cartoning machine, in which individual tubular bags 10 can be repackaged. Control 15 of tubular-bag machine 01 is connected to metering module 13 and processing module 14 via adequate communication lines.
Tubular bags 10 are produced continuously in tubular-bag machine 01 and at a high number of cycles, i.e., at a very fast processing speed. To this extent, errors can arise when metering in metering module 13, when producing the tubular bags in tubular-bag machine 01 and when further processing tubular bags 10 in processing module 14. The corresponding error messages are forwarded to control 15. If control 15 receives an error message of this kind, this error is compared to error events stored in a databank. For individual error messages, suitable changes to the processing speed of the tubular-bag machine are assigned in the databank. If, for example, congestion of tubular bags 10 occurs in processing module 14, the processing speed of tubular-bag machine 01 is significantly reduced for a predetermined number of work cycles, making it possible for the congestion in processing module 14 to be resolved without intervention from the user. If errors arise in metering module 13 or arise in the tubular-bag machine itself, a suitable change to the processing speed, in particular a reduction of the processing speed, can also be initiated.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2021 114 049.8 | May 2021 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2022/061777 | 5/3/2022 | WO |
