WO2011141394A1

WO2011141394A1 - A machine unit with improved recipe handling

Info

Publication number: WO2011141394A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/057366
Authority: WO
Inventors: Niklas Svanberg; Anders Olsson; Tomas Olsson
Original assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
Priority date: 2010-05-10
Filing date: 2011-05-09
Publication date: 2011-11-17
Also published as: AR081497A1

Abstract

A machine unit comprising a recipe handler configured to receive a reference associated to a recipe, a recipe database comprising a number of machine recipes, and a number of machine function processors configured to control machine functions of said machine unit. Each recipe is associated to a number of instances; each instance is associated to a set of parameters, and each parameter of said set being associated with a parameter value. The recipe handler is configured to collect parameter values from said recipe database using said reference, and to send said parameter values to said machine function processors.

Description

A machine unit with improved recipe handling

Technical Field

The invention generally relates to the field of packaging technology. More particularly, the invention relates to a machine unit with improved recipe handling and a line controller for communicating with the machine unit.

Background of the invention

A system for packaging liquid food, such as milk, juice or nectar, often comprises a number of machine units, such as a filling machine, a cap applicator and a secondary packaging unit. In most cases these machine units are connected to each other by conveyors.

Since a packaging system is a big investment, the companies packaging liquid food products are interested to have as high degree of utilization as possible. This implies, in turn, that the system should be reliable such that the downtime due to system failure is as low as possible. However, it also implies that the system should be easy to use for the operators such that the risk of making unwanted settings is decreased.

Further, it is also important to have an efficient packaging system as a whole in the sense that the machine units of the packaging system cooperate efficiently. There are a number of reasons why efficient machine units are wanted. For instance, it is in the interest of the companies to a have a packaging system with a low set up time having the effect that fewer hours to set up a running packaging system is needed. Further, since the same packaging system is often used for different products, a flexible packaging system is wanted, since this implies that the system downtime when changing from one product to another is reduced. Yet another problem is the system downtime when one of the machine units is replaced by another. If having an efficient packaging system also this time can be reduced. Still a problem associated to the packaging system efficiency is how to add a recipe for a new product to the system with as low system downtime as possible.

In order to have an efficient packaging system it is of great importance that the machine units are built to cooperate, especially complex machine units being dependent on a large number of parameter values.

Summary

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to overcome or alleviate the above-described problems.

According to a first aspect a machine unit is provided. The machine unit comprises a recipe handler configured to receive a reference associated to a recipe, a recipe database comprising a number of machine recipes, each recipe being associated to a number of instances, each instance being associated with a set of parameters, each parameter of said set being associated with a parameter value, a number of machine function processors configured to control machine functions of said machine unit, wherein said recipe handler is configured to collect parameter values from said recipe database using said reference, and to send said parameter values to said machine function processors.

An advantage is that only a small amount of data is required to be transferred from the line controller, or other external device, to the machine unit, namely the reference associated to the recipe.

A further advantage is that by having recipes associated to instances new recipes can easily be made by combining instances.

Still an advantage is that by using instances coupled to parameters, in turn, coupled to parameter values is that the parameters may be added to or removed from the instances.

Another advantage is that the parameter values may be amended efficiently. For instance, an amended parameter value for a specific parameter will have a direct effect for all instances including that specific parameter. Yet another advantage is that by choosing intuitive instances and communicating these to the operator an improved user interface is achieved, in turn resulting in less downtime when starting or switching production.

A further advantage is that by only receiving a reference to a recipe instead of for instance the parameter and the parameter values the actual parameters and parameter values are kept within the machine unit, thereby protecting business critical data.

The instances may be divided in a number of categories and each recipe may contain one instance of each category.

An advantage is that the risk for incorrect input is reduced since a recipe should not contain two instances of the same category.

Further, an advantage is that the input time of a recipe can be reduced since available instances may be updated continuously as instances are chosen by the operator.

Further, each instance of the same category may comprise the same parameters.

The parameter values may be used as input to machine instructions for said machine unit.

The machine unit may further comprise a machine control device configured to receive said reference and to send said reference to said recipe handler, and to monitor said machine function processors.

Further, the machine unit may comprise a user interface configured to receive a new recipe associated to a number of instances, and a recipe update handler configured to send a reference to said new recipe to a line controller as described below or other external device.

The machine unit may be a filling machine.

Moreover, the recipe may comprise three instances chosen from categories package related parameters, package material related parameters and product related parameters, respectively.

According to a second aspect a line controller may be provided. The line controller may comprise a user interface presenting available recipes for a machine unit according to any one of the preceding claims, a user input device to receive a user input actuation, a recipe reference handler configured to select a user selected recipe among said available machine recipes based on said user input actuation, and a recipe sender configured to send a reference to said user selected recipe to said machine unit.

The line controller may further comprise a recipe update handler configured to receive a new recipe from said machine unit and to add said new recipe to said available recipes for said machine unit.

According to a third aspect a method for configuring a machine unit is provided. The method comprises receiving a reference to a recipe, said recipe being associated to a number of instances, each instance being associated with a set of parameters, each parameter of said set being associated with a parameter value, collecting parameter values associated to said recipe from a recipe database, and sending said parameter values to a number machine function processors.

According to a fourth aspect a computer program is provided. The computer program comprises computer program code adapted to perform the method according to the fourth aspect when said computer program is run on a computer.

The method may be performed by a machine control device together with a recipe handler both placed in the machine unit. Alternatively, the method may be performed by one single piece of hardware placed in the machine unit. Still an option is to have one or both of the machine control device and the recipe handler or the one single piece of hardware placed outside the machine unit communicating remotely with the machine unit.

The computer program may be embodied on a computer readable medium.

Brief description of the drawings

The above, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be better understood through the following illustra- tive and non-limiting detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, with reference to the appended drawings, wherein:

Fig 1 generally illustrates a packaging system comprising a number of machine units and a line controller. Fig 2 illustrates generally how a new machine recipe may be sent from a machine unit to the line controller.

Fig 3 generally illustrates a production recipe and its components.

Fig 4 generally illustrates a machine recipe for a filling machine and its components.

Fig 5 schematically illustrates two machine recipes comprising one parameter from each of the categories package, package material and product.

Fig 6 schematically illustrates how machine recipes can be handled within a filling machine.

Fig 7 schematically illustrates how parameter values are extracted from the machine recipe within a recipe handler.

Fig 8 schematically illustrates a method for configuring a machine unit. Detailed description of preferred embodiments

Fig 1 illustrates an example of a packaging system 100 comprising a number of machine units, namely a filling machine 102, an accumumlator unit 104, a straw applicator 106, a film wrapping unit 108, a secondary packaging unit 1 10 and a palletizer 1 12. In order to control the packaging system 100 a line controller 1 14 is provided. The line controller can be arranged to communicate with the machine units via wire or wireless.

In order to transport packages between the machine units conveyors can be provided. In the example illustrated in fig 1 a conveyor is provided between the filling machine 102 and the accumumaltor unit 104 such that packages can be transported from the filling machine 102 to the accumulator unit 104. In the same way, conveyors are provided between the accumulator unit 104 and the straw applicator 106, between the straw applicator 106 and the film wrapping unit 108, between the film wrapping unit 108 and the secondary packaging unit 1 10 and between the secondary packaging unit 1 10 and the palletizer 1 12. However, as illustrated in fig 1 , there is also provided a conveyor between the accumulator unit 104 and the film wrapping unit 108, or more particulary the conveyor between the accumulator unit 104 and the straw applicator 108 is provided with a first switch 1 16 such that packages can be directed to the conveyor between the accumulator unit 104 and the film wrapping unit 108 and it is provided a second switch 1 18 such that packages transported from the accumulator unit 104 can be directed onto the conveyor between the straw applicator 106 and the film wrapping unit 108. The first switch 1 16 and the second switch 1 18 can be connected to the line controller 1 14.

Due to the design of the packaging system 100 it may be set according to a first packaging line comprising the filling machine 102, the accumulator unit 104, the straw applicator 106, the film wrapping unit 108, the secondary packaging unit 1 10 and the palletizer 1 12, and according to a second packaging line comprising the filling machine 102, the accumulator unit 104, the film wrapping unit 108, the secondary packaging unit 1 10 and the palletizer 1 12. This means that the packaging system can easily be changed from producing packages with straws, applied to the packages by the straw applicator 106, to produding packages without straws by changing from the first packaging line to the second packaging line.

Further, when changing from producing one type of packed product to another, information can be sent from the line controller 1 14 to the machine units about what to produce. This information is herein referred to as a machine recipe, or only recipe.

The recipe vary for different machine units. A card board packer, which is a type of secondary packaging unit 1 10, may be sent a recipe comprising information about pack pattern and tray size. On the other hand, a filling machine 102 may be sent a recipe comprising information about package (shape, volume), package material and product to be packed.

In order to reduce the time to switch from one product to another available machine recipes are sent from the machine units to the line controller. This may be made automatically or manually, that is the machine unit may itself detect available combinations and send this to the line controller 1 14 or an operator may create a new machine recipe for a certain machine unit by combining a number of parameters when needed and when this is registered by the machine unit the new machine recipe can be sent to the line controller such that the line controller becomes aware of this new machine recipe.

Fig 2 illustrates an example showing a situation where a new recipe has been added to the filling machine 102. In this example the adding of the new recipe has the effect that the filling machine 102 sends an updated list of machine recipes for the filling machine to the line controller 1 14.

In order to make it easier to replace one machine unit by another similar machine unit, the machine units comprise machine settings which are created during production of the machine unit, more particularly during tuning of the machine unit. In one embodiment, these settings are handled only within the machine unit and they are arranged such that no other information than the machine recipe is needed for making the machine unit capable of performing according to the machine recipe.

In order to make it is easy for the operator to change from producing one type of packed product to another a number of production recipes are made available to choose from via the line controller 1 14. As illustrated in fig 3, the production recipe 300 can comprise a recipe layout 302, a combination of machine recipes 304 and line automation parameters 306.

The recipe layout 302 comprises information about which packaging line that is associated to the production recipe 300. For example, if the production recipe 300 is for producing 250 ml brick-shaped carton packages with straws loaded 12 by 6 in a cardboard tray, the recipe layout 302 will contain information that the first packaging line, including the straw applicator 106, should be chosen.

Continuing with the example above, the combination of machine recipes 304 may comprise a machine recipe for the filling machine 102 indicating that the shape of the packages to produce is brick shaped, the volume of the packages is 250 ml, as well as which packaging material to be used. The machine recipe for the secondary packaging unit 1 10, which in this example is a cardboard packer, can contain information that the packages should be packed 12 by 6, as well as which type of cardboard blanks that should be used. Instead of presenting a combination of machine recipes 304, the production recipe may comprise the individual machine recipes for the machine units.

Further, the production recipe 300 can comprise line automation parameters 306. These parameters may comprise information regarding package distance, that is, the distance between two consecutive packages on the conveyors, queue guard delays and other package line specific

parameters.

Fig 4 illustrates a machine recipe 400 for a filling machine. The machine recipe 400 may comprise package information 402, package material information 404 and product information 406. More particularly, the package information 402 may comprise information about shape and volume of the packages to be produced, e.g. 250 ml brick shaped packages. The package material information 404 may e.g. be a type of packaging material comprising a number of layers and having a certain thickness. The product information 406 may be e.g. UHT milk with a certain fat content.

Based on the information comprised in the machine recipe 400 settings needed for producing according to the machine recipe 400 may be determined. For instance, based on the package information 402 volume and shape dependent parameter values may be determined, such as sheet length and fin length. Based on the packaging material information 404 parameter values related to web and strip material may be determined for the filling machine. Further, if the filling machine is designed to mold a top section of the packages, information about plastic granulates input to the filling machine may be provided, as well as caps or cap/neck combinations input to the filling machine, and based on this information production settings, such as molding time, may be determined. Based on the product information 406 parameter values, such as filling valve opening and closing times and filling pumps activity, may be determined.

Thus, by having a line controller connected to the machine units of a packaging system and an information structure as illustrated in fig 3 and fig 4, and described above, a more flexible packaging system is achieved. More particularly, the setup time for a packaging system may be decreased since less parameters need to be input by the operator, the time for changing from producing one type of product to another is decreased since less input is needed from the operator, the downtime when replacing one machine unit is decreased since machine units of a certain kind require the same input, and the time to add a new recipe is decreased since only a few paramters are needed.

Further, in one embodiment only a recipe head containing a reference to the machine recipe is communicated between one of the machine units and the line controller, that is, the actual machine recipe can be stored in the machine unit and a reference to this machine recipe can be communicated to the line controller.

An advantage of having machine recipes stored in the machine units, is that the extraction of settings for the machine based on information input to the machine via the machine recipe may easily and reliably be changed since this extraction is made in the machine units. Thus, for example, if having the machine units remotely accessible an updated software for extracting production settings from the machine recipe may be uploaded from a remote computer.

Fig 5 illustrates in further detail two examples of machine recipes for a filling machine. The machine recipes comprise three categories of recipe parameters, namely package information 502, package material information 504 and product information 506. Each of these categories are in turn divided into a number of instances. For instance, one instance of the category package information 502 may be "250 ml brick shaped package", one instance of the category package material information 504 may be "Big Dairy Cream with Red Cap", and one instance of the category product information 506 may be "40% Cream".

Each instance is associated to a number of parameters. For instance, an instance of the category package information 502 may be associated with parameters, such as sheet length and bottom diameter. Further, an instance of the category package material information 504 may be transversal sealing energy, longitudinal strip applicator oven temperature, etc. An instance of the category product information 506 may be fill valve open time, pump curve amplitude, etc. Further, each instance of a category can be associated to the same parameters, but with different parameter values.

As illustrated in fig 5, the first recipe comprises instance 4 508 of the category package related information 502, instance 1 510 of the category package material 504 and instance 3 512 of the category product related information 506. The second recipe comprises the same instance of the category package related information, namely instance 4 508, but unlike the first recipe, instance 5 514 of the category package related information 504 and instance 5 516 of the category product related information 506.

An advantage of this approach is that when choosing a recipe, or when creating a recipe, the instances needed to be set by the operator is easy to access and understand. This implies that it becomes easier to create new recipes and that the risk of incorrect input by the operator is reduced.

Further, an advantage of forming a recipe of instances from each of a number of categories, in this case three, is that the interpretation software engine may be changed in an efficient way. For instance, if the parameter pump curve amplitude associated to instances of the category product information 506 is changed for the parameter "40% Cream" all recipes comprising this parameter will be changed. For instance, if there is two recipes including the instance "40% Cream", such as "250 ml brick shaped"- "Swedish Dairy Cream with Red Cap"-"40% Cream" and "500 ml brick shaped"- "Swedish Dairy Cream with Red Cap"-"40% Cream", both of these recipes will be changed.

Fig 6 illustrates a general overview of how communciation and information can be handled within a machine unit, herein exemplified by the the filling machine 102.

The filling machine 102 can comprise a machine control device 600 communiciating with the line controller 1 14. If the filling machine 102 is to be reconfigured, e.g. in order to produce another product packed in a different package, a reference to a recipe can be sent from the line controller 1 14 to the machine control device 600. If a new recipe is generated this new recipe can be sent from machine control device 600 to the line controller 1 14 such that the line controller can update the list of available recipes. The machine control device 600 can in turn communicate with the Recipe Handler 602, which may be an industrial PC. The recipe handler 602 can determine the instances associated to the recipe, the parameter and the parameter values based on the recipe as illustrated further in fig 7.

The recipe handler 602 communicates with an operator panel 604 thereby provding for that e.g. the operator is able to create new recipes based on available parameters.

Further, when having determined the parameter values for the recipe, the parameter values associated to this recipe is sent to a number of machine function processors 606. The machine function processors 606 may be set to control different parts of the filling machine 102. For instance, one of the machine function processors 606 may be dedicated to control the flow of gases within the filling machine 102 in order to keep aseptic conditions, another one of the machine function processors 606 may be dedicated to measure conditions within the filling machine 102 and send alerts if these conditions are not within preset limits. Relevant parameter values may be sent to each of the machine processors 606. Alternatively, all parameter values are sent to all machine processors.

As illustrated, the machine control device 600 may be connected to the machine function processors 606 in order to ensure that these are working properly.

In the example illustrated in fig 6, the machine control device 600 and the recipe handler 602 are different modules. An advantage of this is that the machine control device 600 may be a dedicated control system component, such as a PLC, while the recipe handler 602 may be an industrial PC.

However, as can be readily understood, the two devices may be integrated in one device as well.

Fig 7 illustrates a general overview of how information is handled within the recipe handler 602. A recipe handler application 700 determines queries based on the recipe. The queries can be sent to a recipe database 702 holding the information of the recipes, such as instances associated to the recipe and the parameter and parameter values associated to the instances. As a response to the queries parameter values can be sent back to the recipe handler application 700, which in turn, as described, can send these to machine function processors 606.

Parameter values may also be sent to the recipe database 702. For instance, if a parameter value is concluded to be wrong this may be replaced by a new correct one.

Fig 8 illustrates a method for configuring a machine unit. In a first step the machine recipe is received by the machine unit. In a second step parameter values are collected from the recipe database. In a third step the parameter values are sent to the machine function processors.

Further, even though not illustrated, the recipe handler may be remotely connected to another computer. In this way the recipe database may be monitored remotely and updated remotely. This is especially an advantage in combination with having machine settings compensating for the individual machine units of the same type, since data in this way may be collected and analysed, and based on the analysis send updates to the machines.

The wording recipe and reference to a recipe should be interpreted openly as information about the parameter values related to the recipe or information on where and how to find this information, that is, reference to a recipe could be any information making it possible for the machine unit to get the information needed for configuring the machine unit.

The invention has mainly been described above with reference to a few embodiments. However, as is readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, other embodiments than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended patent claims.

Claims

1 . A machine unit comprising

a recipe handler configured to receive a reference associated to a recipe,

a recipe database comprising a number of machine recipes, each recipe being associated to a number of instances, each instance being associated with a set of parameters, each parameter of said set being associated with a parameter value,

a number of machine function processors configured to control machine functions of said machine unit,

wherein said recipe handler is configured to collect parameter values from said recipe database using said reference, and to send said parameter values to said machine function processors.

2. The machine unit according to claim 1 , wherein said instances are divided in a number of categories and each recipe contains one instance of each category.

3. The machine unit according to claim 2, wherein each instance of the same category comprises the same parameters.

4. The machine unit according to claim 3, wherein said parameter values are used as input to machine instructions for said machine unit.

5. The machine unit according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising

a machine control device configured to receive said reference and to send said reference to said recipe handler, and to monitor said machine function processors.

6. The machine unit according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a user interface configured to receive a new recipe associated to a number instances, and

a recipe update handler configured to send a reference to said new recipe to a line controller according to claim 9.

7. The machine unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said machine unit is a filling machine.

8. The machine unit according to claim 7, wherein said recipe comprises three instances chosen from categories package related parameters, package material related parameters and product related parameters, respectively.

9. A line controller comprising

a user interface presenting available recipes for a machine unit according to any one of the preceding claims,

a user input device to receive a user input actuation,

a recipe reference handler configured to select a user selected recipe among said available machine recipes based on said user input actuation, and

a recipe sender configured to send a reference to said user selected recipe to said machine unit.

10. The line controller according to claim 9, further comprising a recipe update handler configured to receive a new recipe from said machine unit and to add said new recipe to said available recipes for said machine unit.

1 1 . A method for configuring a machine unit, said method comprising receiving a reference to a recipe, said recipe being associated to a number of instances, each instance being associated with a set of parameters, each parameter of said set being associated with a parameter value, collecting parameter values associated to said recipe from a recipe database, and

sending said parameter values to a number machine function processors.

12. A computer program comprising computer program code adapted to perform the method according to claim 1 1 when said computer program is run on a computer.

13. The computer program according to claim 12 embodied on a computer readable medium.