Patent Description:
Within the food industry, it is common practice to pack liquid food in packages manufactured from paper-based laminates comprising a core layer of paper or paperboard and one or more barrier layers of, for example, plastic.

One common package type is manufactured by forming a sleeve of the above-described paper-based laminate, sealing one end of the sleeve to form a neck that defines a pouring spout, attaching a cap on the pouring spout, filling a liquid food product through the opposite open end of the sleeve, and sealing the open end to form a final package ready for distribution. This is only one example. There are many other types of paper-based laminate packages where caps are attached on a pouring spout.

The attachment of the cap is made in a capping machine, which is configured to rotate the cap so that threads on the cap engage firmly with corresponding threads on the neck. An example of such a capping machine is described in <CIT>, which also discloses a method in accordance with the preamble of claim <NUM>.

Industrial production and packaging of liquid food is automated and involves advanced process control of machinery to achieve high-volume production. Safe and reliable operation is of great significance since operational failures and ensuing production standstills may have a profound impact on production cost and product quality. For example, it is vital to avoid operational failures that may damage machinery or lead to rejection of large production volumes of packages.

The capping operation is vulnerable to operational errors since incorrect attachment of the cap to the neck may result in damaged threads, insufficient sealing, leakage, etc. Such packages need to be rejected. Incorrect attachment may also cause consequential issues in downstream production, for example a need to clean a filling station of leaked food products.

Aforesaid <CIT> proposes to determine a starting angle of the cap to be used when the cap is brought into engagement with the neck and to configure the capping machine to use this starting angle in production. The determination is done by performing a plurality of capping operations at different starting angles while seeking for a starting angle that results in poor capping performance. The machine is then configured to use a starting angle shifted by <NUM>° in relation to the starting angle that results in poor capping performance. The underlying rationale is that poor capping performance occurs when thread ends on the cap meet thread ends on the neck. By shifting the starting angle by <NUM>°, the thread ends on the cap should be arranged midway between the thread ends on the neck, assuming that the cap and the neck have three threads each where the starting points of the threads are separated by <NUM>°.

However, it has been found that this blind shift from poor capping performance may fail to provide a proper starting angle to avoid incorrect attachment of the cap to the neck in production. There is thus a need for an alternative technique of configuring a capping machine.

It is an objective to at least partly overcome one or more of the above-identified limitations of the prior art.

One such objective is to provide a technique of configuring a capping machine to screw a threaded cap onto a threaded neck of a container.

Another objective is to provide a technique of finding a proper starting angle for the cap in relation to the neck to mitigate the risk that the cap is incorrectly attached to the neck.

One or more of these objectives, as well as further objectives that may appear from the description below, are at least partly achieved by a computer-implemented method of configuring a capping machine, as defined by the claims.

A first aspect relates to a computer-implemented method of configuring a capping machine which, when configured, is operable to arrange a cap in a given angular position in relation to a neck on a container and to rotate the cap in relation to the neck to fully engage a threaded portion of the cap with a corresponding threaded portion of the neck. The method comprises: sequentially selecting an angular position from a predefined set of angular positions of the cap until a termination condition is fulfilled, wherein the angular positions in the predefined set correspond to different orientations of the threaded portion of the cap relative to the threaded portion of the neck; operating, for each selected angular position, the capping machine to perform a plurality of capping operations, in which each of a plurality of caps is arranged in the selected angular position and rotated to fully engage with a respective neck on a respective container; and evaluating the plurality of capping operations for consistent capping performance at the selected angular position. The termination condition requires detection of the consistent capping performance for a sequence of adjacent angular positions that correspond to a sequence of spatially adjacent orientations of the threaded portion of the cap relative to the threaded portion of the neck. The method further comprises: configuring the capping machine by setting the given angular position in relation to the sequence of adjacent angular positions.

The method of the first aspect performs an active search for consistent capping performance among a set of predefined angular positions. The active search is terminated when consistent capping performance is detected for a coherent range of the cap orientations that are represented by the sequence of adjacent angular positions. In other words, the sequence of adjacent angular positions define spatially consecutive steps in cap orientation relative to the neck on the container. Compared to the prior art, the method of the first aspect significantly reduces the risk that the capping machine outputs containers with incorrectly attached caps during production. The active search for a sequence of adjacent angular positions with consistent capping performance inherently results in a verification, with high probability, that there exists a coherent range of cap orientations that may be used for configuring the capping machine. The verification, in turn, makes it possible to configure the capping machine so as to achieve a stable and consistent capping performance in production. The method of the first aspect limits the consumption of containers and caps, since the search is automatically terminated when the termination condition is fulfilled. Thus, the search need not be performed for all of the predefined angular positions.

As used herein, "liquid food" refers to any food product that is non-solid, semiliquid or pourable at room temperature, including beverages, such as water, fruit juices, wines, beers, sodas, as well as dairy products, sauces, oils, creams, custards, soups, pastes, etc., and also solid food products in a liquid, such as beans, fruits, tomatoes, stews, etc..

As used herein, "a package" refers to any package or container suitable for containment of liquid food products, including but not limited to containers formed of cardboard or paper-based laminate, and containers made of or comprising plastic material.

Still other objectives, features, embodiments, aspects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description as well as from the accompanying schematic drawings.

Embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all, embodiments are shown.

Like reference signs refer to like elements throughout.

<FIG> schematically illustrates an example production line for production of sealed packages that contain liquid food. The production line comprises a sequence of stations <NUM>-<NUM>. A sleeve forming station <NUM> is configured to re-shape a sheet material into a cylindrical package body ("sleeve"). The sheet material may be made of a paper-based laminate as discussed in the Background section. A top forming station <NUM> is configured to receive the sleeve from station <NUM> and provide a top portion on one open end of the sleeve, to form a container. The top portion comprises a threaded neck that defines an access opening. The neck is also denoted "finish" in the art. The access opening may or may not be covered by a membrane (foil). The neck is typically made of plastic material and may be incorporated into the top portion is different ways. In one implementation, for example as described in <CIT>, the top forming station <NUM> is configured to provide the entire top portion by injection molding. In another implementation, for example as described in <CIT> and <CIT>, the material of the sleeve is folded or otherwise manipulated to engage a ready-made neck element. After the top forming station <NUM>, the container has an open end opposite to the end that is provided with the top portion. A capping station <NUM> is configured to receive the container from station <NUM> and screw a threaded cap onto the threaded neck. A filling station <NUM> is configured to fill liquid food into the container, through its open end, and then seal the open end to form a final package containing liquid food. The filling station <NUM> may also be configured to perform a sterilization of the package before the filling operation.

Although not shown in <FIG>, any one of the stations <NUM>-<NUM> may be duplicated to operate in parallel to increase the throughput of the production line. Each station <NUM>-<NUM> may include one or more machines for performing the processing operations of the station. It is also conceivable that more than one station is implemented by a single machine.

The structure of the respective station <NUM>-<NUM> will not be described in detail since many implementations are available and well-known to the person skilled in the art. The present disclosure is related to a technique of configuring the capping station or machine <NUM>. Thus, the method and capping station described herein may be used for any type of package where a cap is arranged on a neck of the package, i.e. regardless of how the package body and how the package neck are manufactured.

A non-limiting example of a capping machine <NUM> is schematically shown in <FIG>. The capping machine <NUM> comprises a first manipulator <NUM>, which is configured to receive and hold a container <NUM> produced by e.g. a top forming station <NUM>, and a second manipulator <NUM>, which is configured to hold and arrange a threaded cap <NUM> in relation to the threaded neck on the container <NUM> and rotate the cap <NUM> so that its threads engage with the threads on the neck. When the cap <NUM> has been rotated into engagement with the neck, the second manipulator releases the cap <NUM> and the first manipulator releases the container <NUM>, e.g. for transportation to the filling station <NUM>.

<FIG> also includes a control device <NUM>, which is configured control the operation of the capping machine <NUM>. The control device <NUM> may or may not be part of the machine <NUM>. The control device <NUM> may be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware. In the illustrated example, the control device <NUM> comprises processor circuitry <NUM>, computer memory <NUM> and a signal interface <NUM>. The processor circuitry <NUM> may, for example include one or more of a CPU ("Central Processing Unit"), a DSP ("Digital Signal Processor"), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, an ASIC ("Application-Specific Integrated Circuit"), a combination of discrete analog and/or digital components, or some other programmable logical device, such as an FPGA ("Field Programmable Gate Array"). A control program comprising computer instructions may be stored in the memory <NUM> and executed by the processor circuitry <NUM> to perform methods and procedures as described in hereinbelow. The control program may be supplied to the control device <NUM> on a computer-readable medium, which may be a tangible (non-transitory) product (e.g. magnetic medium, optical disk, read-only memory, flash memory, etc.) or a propagating signal. The signal interface <NUM> may be configured in accordance with conventional practice to receive input signals and provide output signals. In the illustrated example, the control device <NUM> is further connected to a feedback device <NUM> which is configured to generate audible and/or visible feedback to an operator of the machine <NUM>. For example, the feedback device <NUM> may comprise one or more of a display, an indicator lamp, a speaker, a siren, etc..

The operations of the manipulators <NUM>, <NUM> are controlled by control signals from the control device <NUM>, represented by C1, C2, based on input signals from the respective manipulator, represented by S1, S2. The manipulators <NUM>, <NUM> may be configured in many different ways to perform their respective function and will not be described in detail. Examples are found in aforesaid <CIT> and <CIT>.

<FIG> are perspective views of a cap <NUM> before and after a capping operation. In <FIG>, the cap <NUM> is spaced from and aligned with the neck <NUM> on a container <NUM>. In the illustrated example, the neck <NUM> has a threaded portion <NUM> comprising three threads <NUM>. Although not shown in <FIG>, the cap <NUM> has three corresponding threads. In <FIG>, the cap <NUM> has been rotated in the direction of arrow R to engage its threads with the threads <NUM> on the neck <NUM>.

As stated in the Background section, it is known that the starting orientation of the thread(s) on the cap in relation to the thread(s) on the neck is important for the outcome of the capping operation. This is further illustrated in <FIG>, which are side views of a cap <NUM>, which is slid onto the neck (finish) <NUM> of a container <NUM> in two different starting orientations. Structures located inside the cap <NUM> are shown by thinned lines. As seen, the cap <NUM> defines an inner cavity <NUM>, which is configured to receive the neck <NUM>. The inner cavity <NUM> has a threaded portion <NUM> on a circumferential wall. The threaded portion <NUM> comprises one or more threads <NUM>, which are configured in conformity with one or more threads <NUM> on the threaded portion <NUM> of the neck <NUM>. The cap <NUM> is aligned with the neck <NUM>, by a center/symmetry axis 10a of the cap <NUM> being aligned with a center/symmetry axis 21a of the neck <NUM>.

Generally, a "thread" is a helical structure, which is wrapped around a cylinder or cone in the form of a helix. In the examples shown herein, the cap <NUM> defines one or more inner (female) threads <NUM>, and the neck <NUM> defines one or more outer (male) threads <NUM>. The respective thread <NUM>, <NUM> has an externally facing thread end or thread tip 13a, 23a, from which the thread <NUM>, <NUM> winds into the cap <NUM> and onto the neck <NUM>, respectively. In the field of packages for liquid food, it is common to provide the cap <NUM> and the neck <NUM> with three threads each to limit the required rotation of the cap when it is to be removed from the package. The examples given herein all presume the provision of three threads. However, the disclosure is applicable to any number (n) of threads, n ≥ <NUM>.

In <FIG>, the cap <NUM> is arranged with a thread end 13a facing a gap between two thread ends 23a on the neck <NUM>. Thereby, as the cap <NUM> is turned in the direction R, the thread end 13a will slide in between the thread ends 23a, and the thread <NUM> will be guided along the threads <NUM> until the cap <NUM> is firmly engaged with the neck <NUM>.

In <FIG>, the cap <NUM> is instead arranged with a thread end 13a facing a thread end 23a on the neck <NUM>. Thereby, as the cap <NUM> is turned in the direction R, the thread end 13a may slide either to the left of the thread end 23A, as indicated by arrow <NUM>, or to the right of the thread end 23A. Thereby, the orientation of the cap in <FIG> results in a capping instability. This instability may cause the cap to be incorrectly mounted on the neck. For example, the cap may be mounted askew on the neck. The incorrectly mounted cap may result in an insufficiently sealed container, damaged threaded portions on the neck and/or cap, or a final package that is too easy to open. Such final packages need to be discarded. Further, if leaks occur in the filling station <NUM>, the production line may need to be shut down for cleaning, causing costly standstill of production.

The following disclosure relates to a technique of configuring a capping machine <NUM>, specifically a technique for determining a proper starting orientation of the cap <NUM> in relation to the neck <NUM> of the container <NUM> so as to achieve a consistent capping performance of the capping machine <NUM> when the production line is operated to produce final packages. The technique is based on the fundamental insight that a search for a proper starting orientation of the cap should be designed to test the capping performance at different test orientations of the cap in relation to the neck and seek for a sequence of adjacent test orientations that all yield consistent capping performance. This sequence of adjacent test orientations will define a coherent range of cap orientations in which the capping machine is likely to operate properly. The proper starting orientation is therefore selected from this range and the capping machine is configured accordingly. In the following, the test orientation of the cap is also denoted "starting angle" or "angular position", abbreviated AP.

<FIG> is a bottom plan view towards the cavity <NUM> of an example cap <NUM>. The cap in <FIG> will be used to further explain and exemplify the configuration technique. The cap <NUM> comprises three inner threads, which are identical but shifted in the circumferential direction of the cap <NUM>. Specifically, as shown in <FIG>, the thread ends 13a are equidistantly distributed around the perimeter of the cap <NUM>. The threads are not shown for clarity of presentation. The angular spacing (angular range), ΔA, between adjacent thread ends 13a, in relation to the center axis 10a of the cap <NUM>, is <NUM>° in this example with three threads. The skilled person understands that the starting orientation of the cap <NUM> only needs to be sought within ΔA, due to the symmetry of the thread ends 13a. <FIG> also shows, by reference sign [AP], a predefined set of test orientations within ΔA. Each test orientation is represented by a dot and corresponds to an angular position, AP, of the cap in relation to the neck on the container. In the illustrated example, <NUM> dots are equiangularly distributed within ΔA, resulting an angular spacing of <NUM>° between adjacent dots. In some embodiments, described below with reference to <FIG>, the test orientations are classified into two different categories; PAP (open dots) and SAP (filled dots).

As shown in <FIG>, the cap <NUM> comprises at least one reference element <NUM> (one shown), which has a known location in relation to the thread ends 13a. The reference element <NUM> is used to identify the location of the thread ends 13a on the cap <NUM> to the capping machine <NUM>. Based on the reference element(s) <NUM>, the capping machine <NUM> is operable to arrange the cap <NUM> with any selected angular position between its thread ends 13a and the thread ends 23a on the neck <NUM> of the container <NUM>. This assumes that capping machine <NUM> is also operable to arrange the container <NUM> with a known orientation of its thread ends 13a. The reference element <NUM> may be a three-dimensional structure, which is configured to mate with a corresponding structure on a gripping element of the manipulator <NUM> (<FIG>). For example, the reference element <NUM> may be a projection/depression of a specific shape, which matches with a depression/projection of corresponding shape on the gripping element, thereby causing the cap to attain a predefined orientation on the gripping element. In another example, the reference element <NUM> is a visual marking, which is detected by the manipulator <NUM> and used for arranging the cap <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flow chart of a test procedure <NUM> which is performed to evaluate the capping performance for a selected test orientation of the cap. In the following, the procedure <NUM> is also denoted cap mounting test, abbreviated CMT. The procedure <NUM> may be implemented by the control device <NUM> (<FIG>), which is operated to receive input signals S1, S2 from and provide control signals C1, C2 to the capping machine <NUM> via the signal interface <NUM>. During a CMT, the capping machine is operated to perform a plurality of capping operations at the selected test orientation and measure the capping performance for each capping operation. The number of capping operations is at least two, typically at least <NUM> or <NUM>. Each capping operation consumes one cap and one container. The number of capping operations is a trade-off between obtaining sufficient data for a subsequent evaluation of the capping performance and limiting the consumption of containers and caps.

In step <NUM>, the control device <NUM> waits for a container to be in position for capping. For example, in step <NUM>, the control device <NUM> may wait until signal S2 (<FIG>) confirms that a container <NUM> is in position on the manipulator <NUM>. Alternatively, the control device <NUM> may wait for a predefined time period in step <NUM>.

In step <NUM>, the capping machine <NUM> is operated to arrange a cap <NUM> in the selected test orientation and rotate the cap <NUM> to screw it onto the neck <NUM> of the container <NUM>. The cap <NUM> is rotated for the purpose of fully engaging with the neck <NUM>. Here, "fully engaging" implies that the cap <NUM> is rotated until it fulfils a predefined engagement criterion. In some embodiments, the cap is fully engaged with the neck when the torque acting on the cap <NUM>, or equivalently on the container <NUM>, during the cap rotation exceeds a predefined threshold. The torque may be given by or derived from a momentary drive power or drive current of a drive unit in the manipulator <NUM> (<FIG>), or from a dedicated torque sensor in the capping machine <NUM>. Signal S1 may be indicative of the torque.

In step <NUM>, the capping performance of step <NUM> is measured or otherwise quantified. Thus, step <NUM> results in one or more parameter values indicative of capping performance. In the following examples, capping performance is given by the parameter "rotation path length" (path length), which is to the total rotation of the cap from the selected test orientation until it is fully engaged. For example, the path length may be given in degrees (°) or any equivalent unit. In the following examples, the path length is set to a predefined maximum length value (MLV) if the cap fails to be fully engaged when the path length reaches the MLV. In the example of <FIG>, the path length is given by signal S1, which may be generated by the above-mentioned drive unit in the manipulator <NUM> or by a dedicated rotation sensor in the capping machine.

It may be noted that the capping performance may be quantified in other ways in step <NUM>. In one example, the capping performance is evaluated by computer vision, based on digital images or video of the cap <NUM> and neck <NUM> during the capping operation, and graded according to a predefined scale. In another example, the cap is rotated in step <NUM> for a predefined time period or until it is fully engaged, and the capping performance is given by the maximum torque attained during the predefined time period.

In step <NUM>, the control device checks if all capping operations have been performed. If not, the control device returns <NUM> to step <NUM> to wait for the next container to be in position for capping. If all capping operations have been performed, the CTM <NUM> ends <NUM>.

As shown by dashed lines, the CMT <NUM> may include a step <NUM> which ends the CTM <NUM> if the path length during a capping operation is too long. The fast termination of step <NUM> will be further discussed below with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> is a graph of measurement data obtained by CMTs at test orientations ("starting angles") within an angular range from <NUM>° to <NUM>°, in steps of <NUM>°. For each angle, the CMT includes ten capping operations. The measurement data is given as rotational path length in degrees (°). The measurement data may be separated into three different regions <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, as indicated by dotted lines. It may be noted that starting angle <NUM>° is equivalent to starting angle <NUM>° (cf. <FIG>), so region <NUM>' is redundant. In region <NUM>, there is a bimodal distribution of path lengths at each test orientation, with some capping operations having a path length of about <NUM>° and some having a path length of about <NUM>°. Thus, region <NUM> exhibits an unstable capping performance. The bimodal distribution in region <NUM> is likely to occur when the thread ends on the cap and the neck meet, as illustrated in <FIG>. In region <NUM>, there is another bimodal distribution of path lengths, with one group of path lengths being close to or at the maximum length value (MLV), which in this example is at <NUM>°. Thus, region <NUM> also exhibits an unstable capping performance. In the illustrated example, some of the capping operations for each test orientation in region <NUM> have failed to fully engage the cap with the neck. This may occur if the threads on the cap "cog over" the threads on the neck. It is also believed that certain shapes of the top portion of the container may promote the occurrence of region <NUM>, for example if the top portion is prone to be deformed when the cap is tightened onto the neck. Such a deformation may cause a prolonged path length. Region <NUM>, on the other hand, exhibits stable capping performance. In the illustrated example, region <NUM> spans starting angles of <NUM>°-<NUM>°.

From <FIG>, it is realized why the prior art technique described in the Background section may fail. If poor capping performance is detected for a starting angle in region <NUM>, a shift of <NUM>° in starting angle will end up in region <NUM>. If poor capping performance is detected for a starting angle in region <NUM>, a shift of <NUM>° in starting angle is likely to end up in region <NUM>. The Applicant has developed a fundamentally different approach, by instead actively searching for a sequence of adjacent angular positions (APs) that result in stable capping performance, i.e. to actively identify at least part of the stable region <NUM>. In the example of <FIG>, region <NUM> includes a sequence of four such adjacent APs, at <NUM>°, <NUM>°, <NUM>° and <NUM>°. The sequence should include at least two adjacent APs, and preferably at least three adjacent APs to increase the certainty that the stable region <NUM> has been found. It should be noted that the search for APs with acceptable performance is made among a set of predefined APs (test orientations). This set is denoted "predefined set" and designated [AP] in the following. With reference to the test results in <FIG>, the number of predefined APs is <NUM>, extending from <NUM>° to <NUM>° with a spacing of <NUM>°. Preferably, the predefined APs in [AP] span the angular range, ΔA (<FIG>) to cover the complete range of relevant test orientations. The predefined APs may or may not be equidistantly distributed within ΔA. An equidistant distribution (equal angular spacing) is believed to be more efficient in detecting the stable region <NUM>. Each AP corresponds to an orientation of the cap, and "sequence of adjacent APs" implies that the APs correspond to a sequence of spatially adjacent orientations of the cap. To emphasize the spatial relation, "adjacent APs" is used synonymously with "spatially adjacent APs" herein. In the example of <FIG>, AP=<NUM>° and AP=<NUM>° are spatially adjacent to AP=<NUM>°. It is important to note that the angular positions wrap around at the end of the angular range, since AP=<NUM>° is equivalent to AP=<NUM>°. Thus, in <FIG>, AP=<NUM>° and AP=<NUM>° are spatially adjacent to AP=<NUM>°.

<FIG> is a flow chart of an example configuration method <NUM> in accordance with some embodiments. The method <NUM> is performed whenever a need to configure the capping machine arises, for example when the capping machine is started or restarted, after service or maintenance, when a new type of container/cap is to be processed, etc. The method <NUM> may be implemented by the control device <NUM> (<FIG>). In step <NUM>, an AP is selected from the above-mentioned predefined set, [AP]. The APs in [AP] are ordered and step <NUM> selects APs in accordance with the ordering. Thus, step <NUM> involves sequentially selecting an AP from [AP]. As will be seen, step <NUM> is repeated until a termination condition is fulfilled in step <NUM> (below). After step <NUM>, the method <NUM> proceeds to perform a CMT <NUM> at the selected AP, for example in accordance with <FIG>. Thus, the CMT <NUM> results in parameter values indicative of the capping performance for a plurality of capping operations at the selected AP. In step <NUM>, the capping performance is evaluated for detection of consistent capping performance, abbreviated CCP. As used herein "consistent capping performance" implies a sufficiently low variability in the parameter values produced by the CMT <NUM>. In the following description, the parameter value is path length and CCP is detected when the variability of the path lengths is below a variability threshold. The variability may be given by any suitable metric, including but not limited to variance, standard deviation, range, interquartile range, coefficient of variation, sum of absolute deviations, mean absolute deviation, etc. If step <NUM> fails to detect CCP, the method returns to step <NUM>, in which the next AP is selected from [AP]. If step <NUM> detects CCP, the method proceeds to step <NUM>, in which a termination condition is evaluated. The termination condition requires detection of CCP for a sequence of N spatially adjacent APs, with N≥<NUM>. As will be described further below, the termination condition may include additional criteria. If the termination condition is not fulfilled, the method returns to step <NUM>. If fulfilled, the method proceeds to step <NUM> in which the capping machine is configured by setting an operational AP, to be used as starting angle of the cap when the capping machine is operated in production. The operational AP is set in relation to the sequence of N spatially adjacent APs, typically within the range of APs spanned by the sequence. For example, the operational AP may be set to an average or median of the APs in the sequence or to one of the APs in the sequence.

It may be noted that the ordering of APs in the predefined set [AP] defines the search order of the method <NUM> and thus the order in which APs are searched for detection of CCPs. In one example, the APs are arranged in random order in [AP]. In another example, the APs are arranged in [AP] to represent consecutive spatial orientations of the cap. This may be achieved by arranging APs by increasing or decreasing magnitude, for example from <NUM>° to <NUM>° in <FIG>. However, the ordering may start from another AP and account for the wrapping of APs, for example <NUM>°,. , <NUM>°, <NUM>°,. , <NUM>° in <FIG>.

In some embodiments, step <NUM> may further require that the sequence of N spatially adjacent APs spans a predefined width (angular subrange) for the termination condition to be fulfilled. This will increase certainty that a stable region (<NUM> in <FIG>) is indeed being detected. The predefined width may be set in the range of about <NUM>%-<NUM>% of the angular range, ΔA. In some embodiments, the predefined width is set in the range of <NUM>%-<NUM>%. The predefined width should be set to be less than the expected width of the stable region, which would be approximately <NUM>° in the example of <FIG>.

Every CMT that is performed by the method <NUM> consumes containers and caps. It is thus desirable to minimize the number of CMTs. This may be achieved by clever ordering and use of the predefined set, [AP], to achieve a more efficient search for the stable region. In some embodiments, [AP] is defined to include a first subset of primary angular positions, PAPs, and second subset of secondary angular positions, SAPs, which are dispersed intermediate the PAPs. In the context of <FIG>, step <NUM> is implemented to sequentially select APs among the PAPs in first subset. When a CCP is detected in step <NUM>, at least one SAP is selected from the second subset, the selected SAP(s) being spatially adjacent to the selected PAP, whereupon CMT is performed for each selected SAP. Step <NUM> then terminates the method if CCP is detected at each selected SAP, otherwise the method returns to step <NUM> to select the next PAP from the first subset. This search method is graphically illustrated in <FIG>, in which open dots represent PAPs and filled dots represent SAPs. The dots in <FIG> correspond to the dots in <FIG>. The first and second subsets are designated by [PAP] and [SAP], respectively. In the illustrated example, the APs are distributed with equal spacing within ΔA, and each PAP has two neighboring SAPs; one smaller and one larger. In <FIG>, solid arrows <NUM>-<NUM> designate the ordering of the PAPs in [PAP], and dashed arrows with primed (') and double-primed (") numbers designate the neighboring SAPs that are associated with the respective PAP. In the illustrated example, PAP=<NUM>° is the first selected AP. If CCP is detected for PAP=<NUM>°, a respective CMT is performed for at least one of SAP=<NUM>° and SAP <NUM>°, as indicated by arrows <NUM>', <NUM>". If CCP is not detected for the SAP(s), PAP=<NUM>° is selected, and so on.

Based on the foregoing, it is realized that the selection of SAPs is conditioned by detection of a CCP for a PAP. This means that fewer CMTs need to be performed when searching ΔA for detection of a stable region. It is currently believed that, depending on the configuration of the capping machine, the container and the cap, there should be <NUM>-<NUM> PAPs in the predefined set to provide a sufficient coverage of ΔA. In the example of ΔA=<NUM>° and equidistant PAPs, this corresponds to a spacing of <NUM>°-<NUM>° between spatially adjacent PAPs. In <FIG>, the spacing between spatially adjacent PAPs is <NUM>°.

In the example of <FIG>, there is one SAP between each pair of spatially adjacent PAPs, so that each PAP has two neighboring SAPs, one on each side. It is conceivable that there are more than one neighboring SAPs on one or both sides of the respective PAP. The SAPs may or may not be uniformly distributed between the PAPs.

It may be advantageous to match the distribution of PAPs and SAPs to the termination condition. For example, if the termination condition stipulates N=<NUM>, i.e. CCP should be detected for three spatially adjacent APs, it may be beneficial to have one SAP between each pair of PAPs, as in <FIG>. If the termination condition stipulates N=<NUM>, it may be beneficial to have two SAPs between each pair of PAPs. Generally, if N≥<NUM>, efficient detection of the stable region may be achieved by defining the termination condition to require detection of CCP at a PAP as well as at one or more SAPs on both sides of the PAP. In the example of <FIG>, this corresponds to detecting CCP at an open dot and at the two filled dots that are indicated by the dashed arrows from this open dot.

As understood from <FIG>, the PAPs need not be ordered strictly by magnitude in [PAP]. The ordering shown in <FIG> is designed to further speed up the search for a stable region. According to this ordering, [PAP] comprises a first subsequence SS1 of PAPs ordered by magnitude, and a second subsequence SS2 of PAPs which are interleaved with the PAPs of SS1 and ordered by magnitude, with SS2 being subsequent to SS1 in [PAP]. As shown by the solid arrows <NUM>-<NUM>, this results in two consecutive scans of ΔA at different PAPs. Effectively, the first scan skips every second PAP, and the second scan is then made for the skipped PAPs. In a variant, more than one PAP may be skipped in the first scan. It is currently believed that the "jump" between PAPs in the first scan, which is given by the spacing of PAPs in SS1, should be less than the expected width of the stable region.

As further shown in <FIG>, the PAPs in SS1 and SS2 are both ordered by increasing magnitude. This means that the first and second scans are made in the same direction across ΔA. Although the underlying reason is not fully understood, this has been found to speed up the search for a stable region. This is also true when the PAPs in SS1 and SS2 are both ordered by decreasing magnitude.

It is important to note that the separation of [PAP] into SS1 and SS2 is an optional feature. Adequate results may also be achieved by other orderings of [PAP], for example increasing or decreasing magnitude, random ordering, etc..

<FIG> is a flow chart of a configuration method <NUM>' that implements the use of PAPs and SAPs as described in the foregoing. The method <NUM>' may be performed by the control device <NUM> (<FIG>). In step 201A, by analogy with step <NUM> in <FIG>, a PAP is selected from [PAP] in accordance with its ordering. The method then proceeds to perform CMT <NUM> at the selected PAP. Step <NUM> evaluates the parameter values measured in the CMT for detection of CCP. If step <NUM> fails to detect CCP, the method returns to step 201A, in which the next PAP is selected from [PAP]. As shown, step <NUM> may be performed to check if there are PAPs left in [PAP] and cause an alert to be generated if all PAPs have been processed (step <NUM>). The alert may be generated by activating the feedback device <NUM> (<FIG>). If step <NUM> detects CCP, the method proceeds to step 201B. In step 201B, an SAP is selected from [SAP]. The selected SAP is spatially adjacent to the latest selected PAP. The method then proceeds to perform CMT <NUM> at the selected SAP. Step <NUM> evaluates the parameter values measured in the latest CMT for detection of CCP. If step <NUM> fails to detect CCP, the method returns to step 201A. If step <NUM> detects CCP, the method proceeds to step <NUM>' to check if CCP has been found for a sufficient number N of spatially adjacent APs. If not, step <NUM>' proceeds to step 201B, in which another spatially adjacent SAP is selected from [SAP]. When CCP has been found for a sufficient number N of adjacent APs, step <NUM>' proceeds to step <NUM>. In step <NUM>, the capping machine is configured as described hereinabove. It is realized that step <NUM>' corresponds to evaluation of a termination condition. As shown, the method <NUM>' may also include a validation step <NUM> to be performed after step <NUM>'. If the validation fails, the method returns to step 201A. If the validation succeeds, the method proceeds to step <NUM>. Step <NUM>, which also corresponds to evaluation of a termination condition, will be described further below with reference to <FIG>.

The operation of the method <NUM>' is further illustrated in <FIG> in relation to the measurement data in <FIG>. Here, it is assumed that PAPs have a spacing of <NUM>° and have the following ordering in [PAP]: <NUM>°, <NUM>°, <NUM>°, <NUM>°, <NUM>°, <NUM>°, <NUM>°, <NUM>°, and that each PAP has two neighboring SAPs, shifted by -<NUM>° and +<NUM>°, respectively. It is also assumed that the termination condition requires three spatially adjacent APs to result in CCP (N=<NUM>). At PAP=<NUM>° (AP1), CMT results in path lengths with a bimodal distribution, resulting in a variability that exceeds the variability threshold. Thus, no CCP is found at PAP=<NUM>°. Next, as indicated by a solid arrow, CMT is performed at PAP=<NUM>° (AP2). Here, the variability is below the variability threshold and CCP is found. Therefore, CMT is performed at SAP=<NUM>° (AP2'). Here, CCP is also found. Since N=<NUM>, CMT is also performed at SAP=<NUM>° (AP2"). Since CCP is found at AP2, AP2' and AP2", a stable region has been detected and the operational AP (OAP) is set within the stable region, in this example at <NUM>° (AP2).

<FIG> shows another example of the operation of the method <NUM>' in relation the measurement data in <FIG>. Here, it is assumed that PAPs have the following ordering in [PAP]: <NUM>°, <NUM>°, <NUM>°, <NUM>°, <NUM>°, <NUM>°, <NUM>°, <NUM>°, and that each PAP has two neighboring SAPs, shifted by -<NUM>° and +<NUM>°, respectively. It is also assumed that the termination condition requires N=<NUM>. As seen, no CCP is found at PAP=<NUM>° (AP1), PAP=<NUM>° (AP2), or PAP=<NUM>° (AP3). At PAP=<NUM>° (AP4), CCP is found, and also at SAP=<NUM>° (AP4') and SAP=<NUM>° (AP4"). Since CCP is found at AP4, AP4' and AP4", a stable region has been detected and OAP is set within the stable region, in this example at <NUM>° (AP4).

Reverting to <FIG>, the CMT <NUM> may include a fast termination step <NUM>, which serves to further speed up the search for a stable region and reduce the consumption of containers and caps. Step <NUM> checks if the respective path length determined by step <NUM> for a capping operation exceeds a length threshold, TH1. If so, the CMT is terminated. The rationale behind step <NUM> is that if a selected AP results in an excessive path length, it cannot be in a stable region. The location of TH1 is exemplified in <FIG>. The skilled person realizes that the path length for a proper capping operation is inherently changed with cap orientation. This is represented as a changing baseline, BL, for the path length in <FIG>. TH1 should be located well above BL and well below the maximum length value (MLV) that is assigned to non-engaged caps.

As an alternative to the fast determination step <NUM>, the evaluation step <NUM> in the configuration method <NUM>, <NUM>' may apply TH1 when detecting CCP, by requiring all measured path lengths to be below TH1. Thus, in one example, CCP is detected only if the variability in measured path lengths at a selected AP is below a variability threshold, and all measured path lengths at the selected AP are below the length threshold, TH1.

In some embodiments, TH1 is given as a predefined value. In other embodiments, TH1 is determined by an initial calibration procedure or operation <NUM> exemplified in <FIG>. The procedure <NUM> may be performed by the control device <NUM> (<FIG>). In step <NUM>, an AP is selected from the predefined set [AP]. After step <NUM>, a limited CMT <NUM> is performed at the selected AP. To limit the consumption of containers and caps, the limited CMT <NUM> comprises a smaller number of capping operations than the CMT <NUM> that is performed during the method <NUM>, <NUM>'. For example, the limited CMT <NUM> may involve <NUM>-<NUM> capping operations. Steps <NUM> and <NUM> are repeated, through step <NUM>, until all APs in [AP], or a predefined subset of [AP], have been selected. Then, in step <NUM>, TH1 is determined based on the path lengths that have been measured for the respective capping operation during the limited CMT (cf. step <NUM> in <FIG>). Step <NUM> may be implemented in many different ways to locate TH1 between BL and MLV (<FIG>), for example by histogram analysis.

The procedure <NUM> is an implementation of an initial calibration operation in which the capping machine is operated to perform at least one capping operation at each of the AP in [AP], or a subset thereof, and the length threshold, TH1, is determined based on the path lengths of the caps during the initial calibration operation.

<FIG> is a flow chart of an example of a validation <NUM> that may be performed as part of the method <NUM>, <NUM>', as exemplified in <FIG>. The validation <NUM> is optional and may be implemented to improve the certainty of detecting a stable region. Before describing the validation <NUM>, reference is made to <FIG> which is a graph of measured path lengths as a function of AP. Thus, if a respective CMT is performed at AP=<NUM>°, AP=<NUM>° and AP=<NUM>°, the resulting distribution of path lengths are represented by filled rectangles <NUM>. The variability in path lengths is low at each rectangle <NUM>, and a stable region <NUM> may be identified by the method <NUM>, <NUM>'. The Applicant has found that there may be a latent instability in capping performance at an AP, which means that the instability may not show up in the measured path lengths, for example if the number of capping operations is small in relation to the probability that an instability occurs. Turning to <FIG>, a latent instability is indicated at AP=<NUM>°, where the filled rectangle <NUM> represents measured path lengths and the open rectangle <NUM>' represents path lengths that would also be measured if the number of capping operations were increased. As indicated by the rectangles <NUM>, since the variability in measured path lengths is low at each of AP=<NUM>°, AP=<NUM>° and AP=<NUM>°, a stable region <NUM> may be falsely identified by the method <NUM>, <NUM>'. This problem is avoided by validation <NUM>.

In the example of <FIG>, the validation <NUM> comprises a step <NUM> of obtaining the path lengths for the sequence of APs that result in CCP, i.e. APs that have been identified as potentially being included in a stable region. For example, the path lengths may be retrieved from memory <NUM> in step <NUM>, assuming that measured paths lengths have been stored in the memory <NUM> during the CMT <NUM>. In step <NUM>, a variability constraint is obtained, for example from memory <NUM>. The variability constraint may be predefined and is designated by ΔL in <FIG>. The variability constraint ΔL defines the maximum allowable variability or spread of the measured path lengths obtained in step <NUM>. The variability may be given by any suitable metric and may have a predetermined value. In step <NUM>, the measured path lengths are collectively evaluated in relation to the variability constraint. If the variability of the measured path lengths are within the variability constraint, step <NUM> proceeds to step <NUM> and the validation is deemed successful. Otherwise, step <NUM> proceeds to step <NUM> and the validation is deemed to fail. As shown in <FIG>, the outcome of the validation <NUM> may impact whether the termination condition is fulfilled or not. In <FIG>, the validation <NUM> will be successful, and region <NUM> will be deemed a stable region. In <FIG>, the validation <NUM> will fail, and region <NUM> will not be deemed a stable region.

As indicated in <FIG>, the variability constraint ΔL may be set in view of the changing baseline, BL, which is known and given by the structure of the threads on the cap and the container. Specifically, ΔL may be set with a margin to the known change in BL for the required number (N) of spatially adjacent APs to be detected within a stable region.

Claim 1:
A computer-implemented method of configuring a capping machine (<NUM>) which, when configured, is operable to arrange a cap (<NUM>) in a given angular position (OAP) in relation to a neck (<NUM>) on a container (<NUM>) and to rotate the cap (<NUM>) in relation to the neck (<NUM>) to fully engage a threaded portion (<NUM>) of the cap (<NUM>) with a corresponding threaded portion (<NUM>) of the neck (<NUM>), said method comprising:
sequentially selecting (<NUM>) an angular position from a predefined set ([AP]) of angular positions of the cap (<NUM>) until a termination condition is fulfilled (<NUM>), wherein the angular positions in the predefined set ([AP]) correspond to different orientations of the threaded portion (<NUM>) of the cap (<NUM>) relative to the threaded portion (<NUM>) of the neck (<NUM>),
operating (<NUM>), for each selected angular position, the capping machine (<NUM>) to perform a plurality of capping operations, in which each of a plurality of caps (<NUM>) is arranged in the selected angular position and rotated to fully engage with a respective neck (<NUM>) on a respective container (<NUM>), and
evaluating (<NUM>) the plurality of capping operations for consistent capping performance at the selected angular position,
characterized in that
the termination condition requires detection of said consistent capping performance for a sequence of adjacent angular positions that correspond to a sequence of spatially adjacent orientations of the threaded portion (<NUM>) of the cap (<NUM>) relative to the threaded portion (<NUM>) of the neck (<NUM>), and
wherein said method further comprises: configuring (<NUM>) the capping machine (<NUM>) by setting the given angular position (OAP) in relation to the sequence of adjacent angular positions.