Patent Publication Number: US-8118034-B2

Title: Brand control method for an automatic tobacco article processing machine

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a brand control method for an automatic tobacco article processing machine. 
     The present invention may be used to advantage on an automatic packing machine for producing packets of cigarettes, to which the following description refers purely by way of example. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     At one time, a cigarette packing line produced packets of cigarettes of one brand with no changes over a prolonged period of time. More recently, attempts have been made to adopt a so-called “just in time” practice, whereby the brand produced on a given cigarette packing line is changed frequently to real-time adapt to market demand and so reduce storage. As a result, automatic packing machines producing packets of cigarettes now undergo increasingly frequent brand changes. 
     Brand changing on an automatic packing machine producing packets of cigarettes normally comprises two types of intervention: “mechanical” or “hardware” changes, which consist in physically adjusting the component parts of the packing machine and/or changing component parts incompatible with the new brand; and “logic” or “software” changes, which consist in replacing the old-brand configuration with that of the new brand in the control unit of the packing machine. Brand configurations are the values of the parameters controlling the electrically controlled operating parts of the packing machine to produce the brand. In other words, the packing machine comprises various electric/electronic operating parts (i.e. electrically controlled parts, such as servovalves, electric actuators, sensors, heating resistors), each controlled by a control algorithm implemented by the control unit and which employs control parameters whose values may vary depending on the brand for production (e.g. the sealing temperature of a heating resistor may vary depending on the packing material used, or the movement of an electric actuator may vary depending on the size of the packet of cigarettes for packing, or the characteristics of the packing materials). To produce a given brand, the control unit must therefore be given the corresponding configuration, i.e. the corresponding values of the parameters controlling the electrically controlled operating parts of the packing machine. 
     On currently marketed automatic packing machines, all the producible brand configurations are memorized in a bulk storage memory of the control unit, in which each configuration is memorized and controlled as a single, indivisible database containing all the parameter values controlling the electrically controlled operating parts. And the most common way of creating a new configuration, for example, is to duplicate (i.e. “copy &amp; paste”) the existing configuration most closely resembling the new one, and then alter certain parts of the duplicate. 
     The above configuration control method has the advantage of being extremely straightforward and intuitive, but is not very efficient, on account of the configurations being completely unrelated and independent, regardless of the resemblance between them. That is, if two only slightly different configurations, e.g. 3 out of 500 values, are required, two separate, almost identical databases must still be created in the control unit bulk storage memory. And if either of the configurations is updated slightly at a later date to improve the production process (as frequently occurs in the case of packing processes), it is desirable that the same updates also be copied in the other configuration. Otherwise, the benefits of the improvement are not extended to all the configurations, and, more importantly, the configurations operate differently, thus seriously complicating maintenance, adjustment, and production process improvement. At each configuration update, the operator should therefore determine whether the same also applies to the other configurations. But since this is a long, painstaking job (especially when numerous configurations are involved) and potentially subject to error, very often it is not done. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a brand control method for an automatic tobacco article processing machine, that is cheap and easy to implement and provides for eliminating the aforementioned drawbacks. 
     According to the present invention, there is provided a brand control method for an automatic tobacco article processing machine, as claimed in the attached Claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic front view of an automatic packing machine for overwrapping packets of cigarettes and implementing the brand control method according to the present invention; 
         FIGS. 2-5  show four example tables of the way in which brand data is organized. 
     
    
    
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Number  1  in  FIG. 1  indicates as a whole a known automatic packing machine (in particular, a G.D. model C800 cellophaning machine) for overwrapping packets  2  of cigarettes in respective sheets  3  of transparent plastic wrapping. In other words, automatic machine  1  comprises a production line, along which a number of materials (i.e. packets  2  of cigarettes and sheets  3  of wrapping, normally with respective tear tapes not shown in detail) are fed and processed to produce an end product, i.e. overwrapped packets  2  of cigarettes. 
     Automatic machine  1  comprises an input spider  4 , which transfers packets  2  to a belt conveyor  5 , which feeds packets  2 , together with respective sheets  3 , to a packing wheel  6 , on which tubular wrappings are formed from sheets  3  about respective packets  2  and stabilized laterally. The tubular wrappings are transferred from wheel  6  to a belt conveyor  7 , along the path of which, sheets  3  are finish-folded about respective packets  2  and stabilized by heat sealing the ends. Packets  2 , overwrapped in respective sheets  3 , are transferred from belt conveyor  7  to a conveyor  8  and fed to an automatic cartoning machine (not shown in  FIG. 1 ). 
     Automatic machine  1  comprises a control unit  9  for supervising operation of automatic machine  1 , and which is connected to an interface (so-called HMI) device  10  enabling the operator to interact with control unit  9 . Interface device  10  comprises an industrial personal computer  11 ; an input device  12  (typically a keyboard and/or pointing device) by which the operator enters commands on control unit  9 ; and a screen  13 , on which information is displayed by control unit  9 . In a preferred embodiment, screen  13  also features a “touch-screen” device to simplify command entry by the operator, as an alternative to input device  12 . 
     Machine  1  comprises a number of known electric/electronic operating parts  14  (shown schematically) distributed along the production line and for performing respective functions when activated by control unit  9 . For example, electric/electronic operating parts  14  comprise electric motors  14   a , solenoid valves  14   b , sensors  14   c  (shown schematically in  FIG. 1  purely by way of example), and heating resistors. In a preferred embodiment, electric/electronic operating parts  14  are connected to one another, and are connected to control unit  9  over a FieldBus control network, whereas interface device  10  and control unit  9  are connected over a computer, e.g. Ethernet, network. 
     Each electric/electronic (i.e. electrically controlled) operating part  14  is controlled by a respective control algorithm implemented in control unit  9 , and which uses control parameters  15  (shown schematically in  FIG. 2 ) whose values  16  (shown schematically in  FIG. 3 ) may vary depending on the brand being produced (e.g. the sealing temperature of a heating resistor may vary depending on the packing material used, or the movement of an electric actuator may vary depending on the size of packets  2  of cigarettes for packing, or the characteristics of the packing material). It is important to note that values  16  in general may be alphanumeric, e.g. may be numeric or logic (e.g. YES/NO) values. 
     Machine  1  is potentially capable of producing numerous brands of packets  2  of cigarettes, and, to produce a given brand, must be adapted accordingly by means of a brand change. In other words, a brand change serves to adapt machine  1  to the manufacture of a given brand of packet  2  of cigarettes, and, on machine  1 , comprises two types of intervention: “mechanical” or “hardware” changes, which consist in physically adjusting the component parts of machine  1  and/or changing component parts incompatible with the new brand; and “logic” or “software” changes, which consist in replacing the old-brand configuration  17  with the new-brand configuration  17  in the automatic packing machine control unit. A brand configuration  17  is composed of a set of values  16  of the parameters  15  controlling electrically controlled operating parts  14  to produce the brand. In other words, for packing machine  1  to produce a given brand, control unit  9  must be given the corresponding configuration  17 , i.e. the corresponding set of values  16  of parameters  15  controlling electrically controlled operating parts  14 . 
     To begin with, a number of brands of packets  2  of cigarettes (i.e. of the end product) producible on automatic machine  1  are determined; and a number of configurations  17  are then created, each associated with a respective brand of packet  2  of cigarettes, and, as stated, each comprising a set of values  16  of parameters  15  controlling electrically controlled operating parts  14  to produce the brand. Configurations  17  are typically memorized in a bulk storage memory of control unit  9  or a bulk storage memory of interface device  10  for fast retrieval, so that, when a given brand of packet  2  of cigarettes (i.e. end product) is selected in control unit  9  (in particular, in a RAM memory of control unit  9 ), the configuration  17  corresponding to the selected brand of packet  2  of cigarettes (i.e. end product) is loaded to start production of the selected brand. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , a number of sections  18  (indicated  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4  . . . N in  FIG. 4  by way of example) are defined, each comprising a set of control parameters  15 , and each independent of the other sections  18 . Control parameters  15  in the same section  18  are preferably related. More specifically, control parameters  15  in the same section  18  relate to operating parts  14  in the same section  18  of machine  1  (spatial relationship) or to operating parts  14  performing the same function (functional relationship). For example, section  18  indicated “Film” may comprise all the parameters  15  controlling supply of sheets  3  of wrapping cut off a continuous reel-fed web; and section  18  indicated “Heaters” may comprise all the parameters  15  controlling the heat sealing devices for heat sealing the folded sheets  3  of wrapping. By way of example,  FIG. 2  shows, schematically, the “Film” section  18 , which comprises N parameters  15  controlling supply of sheets  3  of wrapping. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , once sections  18  are defined (at the design stage of machine  1 ), a number of recipes  19  (tagged  1 .A,  1 .B,  1 .C . . . ) are determined by assigning each section  18  at least one set of values  16  of corresponding control parameters  15 , so that each recipe  19  corresponds to a respective section  18  and contains the values  16  of control parameters  15  in the same section  18 . In other words, and as shown more clearly in  FIG. 3 , at least one recipe  19 , comprising the set of values  16  of control parameters  15  in the same section  18 , is created for each section  18 . 
     It is important to note that sections  18  are defined at the design stage of machine  1  and are not normally changed (unless structural changes are made to machine  1 ), whereas recipes  19  may be continually added, deleted or modified, depending on the production demands of machine  1  and improvements to operation of machine  1 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , each configuration  17  is defined by a combination of several compatible recipes  19 , so each recipe  19  may potentially form part of a number of different configurations  17 . In  FIG. 5 , for example, recipe  2 .A forms part of three different configurations (AAA, BBB, DDD), and recipe  4 .A of two different configurations (AAA, BBB), whereas recipe  4 .E does not form part of any of the four configurations in  FIG. 5 . 
     Each recipe  19  is preferably identified by a respective identification tag ( 1 .A,  1 .B,  1 .C . . . in  FIG. 4 ), so each configuration  17  may be defined by a list of identification tags of the corresponding recipes  19 . In other words, configuration AAA in  FIG. 5  may be defined by simply assigning it the following list of identification tags:  1 .A,  2 .A,  3 .B,  4 .A . . . N.B. 
     In a preferred embodiment, each configuration  17  is assigned a control object  20  containing a list of the sections  18  in configuration  17 . To complete each configuration  17 , each section  18  in configuration  17  must be assigned a corresponding recipe  19  to ensure each configuration  17  contains all and only the corresponding sections  18 . For example, a section  18  containing parameters  15  controlling application of a revenue strip is necessary to produce packets  2  of cigarettes fitted with revenue strips, but not for producing packets  2  of cigarettes with no revenue strips. Obviously, some sections  18  may be optional, whereas others, such as section  18  containing parameters  15  controlling supply of sheets  3  of wrapping, must always be present. 
     It is important to note that a configuration  17  may contain sections  18  that are not actually used in production and are disabled by a logic parameter in control object  20 . 
     In a further embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , each section  18  is assigned a congruence object  21 , which indicates the other sections  18  that must form part of a configuration  17  comprising that particular section  18 , and/or indicates the sections  18  that cannot form part of a configuration  17  comprising that particular section  18 . 
     It should be noted that configurations  17  are normally composed dynamically: only a few configurations  17  are ready-made when installing automatic machine  1 . Switching over to a new brand, i.e. creating a new configuration  17 , often simply involves loading into the memory of control unit  9  the recipes  19  differing from the current configuration  17  of the previous brand. Saving the new configuration  17  therefore simply amounts to saving the modified recipes  19  and the new control object  20 , which is identified by a new configuration  17  name, thus greatly speeding up the brand-change process. 
     Finally, to produce a new brand never produced before, a new configuration  17  can be created using a combination of existing recipes  19  not adopted before in an existing configuration  17 . In which case, only the new control object  20  need be saved in the control unit  9  memory or in a bulk storage memory of interface device  10 . 
     The brand control method described has numerous advantages, by being quick and easy to implement, and, above all, enabling highly efficient control of configurations  17 . That is, as opposed to configurations  17  being totally unrelated and independent of one another, regardless of the similarity between them, each configuration  17  may share numerous components (i.e. recipes  19 ) with similar configurations  17 . One configuration  17  may even differ from another by only one recipe  19 . As such, updating one recipe  19  to improve the production process is automatically applied to all the configurations  17  containing that particular recipe  19 . Consequently, the benefits of improving one recipe  19  are automatically also extended to all the configurations  17  containing that particular recipe  19 , so configurations  17  all operate the same way, thus greatly simplifying maintenance, adjustments, and production process improvements. 
     Obviously, the brand control method described relative to a machine for cellophaning packets of cigarettes may be applied to advantage to any tobacco article processing machine, such as a cigarette maker, a filter maker, a cigarette filter assembly machine, a packing machine for producing packets of cigarettes, or a cartoning machine for producing cartons of packets of cigarettes.