Measuring assembly for measuring the wear of a rotating surface of a rotating member, machine comprising said assembly and measuring method

Abstract

A measuring assembly (11) for measuring the wear of a rotating surface of a rotating member, comprising: a support structure (13); a bar (15) having a first sliding motion in a direction having a rectilinear component (S1) with respect to the support structure (13); a cam guide (17) having a second relative motion with respect to the sliding bar (15); at least one roller (19a, 19b) rotatably fixed to the sliding bar (15) and in rolling contact with a respective track (21a, 21b) of the cam guide (17), so that the second relative motion between the cam guide (17) and the sliding bar (15) causes the first motion of the bar (15) along the sliding direction (S1); wherein the measuring assembly (11) comprises an indicator (23) of the position of the at least one roller (19a, 19b) along the rectilinear component (S1), the indicator being able to generate an electrical signal indicative of the distance (d) between the indicator (23) and the roller.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a measuring assembly for measuring the wear of a rotating surface of a rotating component, a machine including said assembly, and a corresponding measuring assembly. Background Technology

[0002] In many technical fields, the use of a rotating member is known, which is rotatably fixed to a transmission member and engages with a cam guide that defines a non-linear path for the rotating member, thereby applying a first relative motion between the cam guide and the rotating member, such that the transmission member has a second sliding motion in a direction having a generally linear component.

[0003] With this arrangement of mechanical components, the rotating member, typically composed of rotating rollers, travels multiple paths while maintaining contact with a track defined by cam guides. Therefore, the rotating surface, i.e., the outermost surface of the roller in contact with the track, gradually wears proportionally with use and the pressure applied by the roller to the track. The curvature of the path applied to the roller by the guides, the speed at which the roller slides on the track of the guides, and the material of the roller's manufacture are three parameters that affect the wear of the roller and thus its lifespan. Furthermore, the combination of these factors and variations in the operating environment of the machine containing these mechanical components makes it difficult to predict the wear condition of the roller based on statistical analysis derived from data collected over time on the same or similar machines.

[0004] Typical applications of this combination of mechanical components are exemplified in machinery used to handle containers, particularly bottles, such as capping machines, labeling machines, and filling machines. These machines typically feature a disc conveyor belt comprising multiple reciprocating rods or pistons that repeat back-and-forth motion in a substantially linear direction at a very high frequency while rollers carrying the rods roll along cam guides that define a flexural path for the rollers.

[0005] In the aforementioned movement, the lever can be guided by a pair of rollers or a single roller that rolls in contact with a corresponding track defined by a cam guide. These rollers are typically referred to as cam-driven rollers and are rotatably fixed to a fork-like component integral with the lever. The fork-like component is guided by the cam-driven rollers, which wear over time during normal operation, causing a change in the vertical position of the fork-like component and consequently altering the machine's performance.

[0006] Examples of machines of the above type are disclosed in EP1462411, which specifically relate to a head for applying an aluminum cladding to the neck of a bottle.

[0007] It is well known that roller wear can lead to inaccurate machine operation, increased noise, and a decline in overall performance, drawbacks that are particularly severe and undesirable in the bottling industry. Therefore, it is clear that the machine requires immediate repair to replace the excessively worn rollers with new ones.

[0008] Therefore, it is clearly necessary in many technical fields to prevent this type of machine from operating under worn rollers and suboptimal conditions.

[0009] Therefore, the first problem that the present invention aims to solve and address is how to issue a signal when the rollers of a machine employing the motion experience excessive wear.

[0010] Roller replacement inevitably requires machine downtime and a considerable amount of intervention time, resulting in economic losses due to downtime and maintenance costs.

[0011] Therefore, the second problem that this invention aims to solve and address is how to predict roller wear so that all rollers requiring maintenance can be intervened on simultaneously within the same downtime, thereby avoiding a series of downtimes each time a roller needs to be replaced.

[0012] Currently, according to existing technology, the diameter of the roller is measured periodically at preset intervals based on the number of hours the machine operates, thus wasting time and labor.

[0013] For example, US2019 / 0308820 discloses a solution for determining the wear of rotating rollers.

[0014] For example, application GB1261644(A) discloses a capping machine with a continuously moving conveyor, wherein a screw cap is applied to a container located on the conveyor by means of a friction roller rotating in opposite directions. An automatic adjustment mechanism is provided to move the rotation axis of the friction roller to compensate for wear on the peripheral rubber portion of the roller. Therefore, the teaching of this document is limited to solutions for compensating for gaps caused by wear of the friction parts of rotating mechanical components, but it does not address how to determine and predict roller wear.

[0015] The purpose of this invention is to provide a solution to the problem of how to determine the wear degree of moving parts, such as rotating rollers, which support and induce linear motion of machine parts.

[0016] More specifically, but not exclusively, the present invention aims to provide a solution to the aforementioned problems, which can be applied to a cam-driven roller having a vertical hub function that guides vertically moving parts, responsible for performing the step of applying a sealing element to a container, i.e., for sealing or filling the container, especially a bottle.

[0017] Another object of the present invention is to provide a solution to the above-mentioned problems that is reliable and can be applied at low cost in industry, and is therefore suitable for large-scale industrial production.

[0018] These and other objectives are achieved by a measuring assembly for measuring the wear of a rotating surface of a rotating component, a machine having said measuring assembly, and a measuring method as defined in the appended claims. Summary of the Invention

[0019] The objective of this invention is essentially achieved through a sensor of the wear degree of a moving part, which is a mechanical device that supports and causes the vertical movement of machine parts.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a sensor in a fixed position that measures the distance between the sensor and the component connected to each machine roller in a non-contact manner.

[0021] The signals generated by the sensors are preferably processed by a processing algorithm that aims to provide data indicating the wear condition of each roller present in the machine, so as to signal its wear condition and whether replacement may be necessary.

[0022] The sensor performs indirect measurement, that is, it detects roller wear by detecting changes in position on the surface of machine parts, including, for example, roller support portions, preferably roller holding fork-shaped components. By detecting wear on the corresponding roller through such positional changes, and through appropriate predictive algorithms, how the wear of rotating components will develop can be predicted, thereby issuing an early signal that replacement is needed. The operation of the predictive algorithm will become clearer in the description below.

[0023] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a measuring assembly for measuring the wear of the surface or rotating surface, or contact surface, of a rotating component, such as a roller, needle roller, drum, bushing, etc., mainly includes:

[0024] Supporting structure or frame;

[0025] A rod or piston that has a first sliding motion relative to the support structure in a direction having a linear component;

[0026] A cam guide having a second relative motion with respect to a sliding rod, and capable of moving the rod along the sliding direction;

[0027] At least one roller is rotatably fixed to the sliding rod and rolls in contact with a corresponding track defined in the cam guide, whereby a second relative movement between the cam guide and the sliding rod causes the first movement of the rod along the sliding direction.

[0028] According to the present invention, the measuring component includes an indicator or sensor of the position of the roller along the linear component, the indicator being capable of generating an electrical signal indicating the distance between the indicator and the roller.

[0029] Preferably, when the rod is mounted vertically relative to the support structure, the roller is rotatably fixed to a sliding rod or piston at the upper end of the rod.

[0030] Preferably, the roller is rotatably fixed to the sliding rod by a supporting fork-shaped member, and more preferably, the indicator is capable of generating an electrical signal indicating the distance between the indicator and the portion or end of the fork-shaped member near the indicator, preferably along the sliding direction of the rod, in a linear component. Alternatively, the roller is rotatably fixed directly to the sliding rod or piston.

[0031] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, each rod includes a pair of rollers rotatable about a parallel axis, each roller rolling in contact with a corresponding track defined in the cam guide.

[0032] According to this preferred embodiment of the invention, two rollers in each pair are rotatably fixed to the rod via the same fork-shaped member.

[0033] Furthermore, the axis of rotation of each of the pair of rollers preferably intersects the linear component of the sliding direction of the rod.

[0034] According to the present invention, the distance measured by the position sensor is preferably measured by the linear component parallel to the sliding direction of the rod.

[0035] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the measuring assembly includes a plurality of the aforementioned rods or pistons. Furthermore, the sensor is preferably a single sensor integrated with the support structure and configured to measure the distance of the support fork-like member of the roller of each rod when the rod is perpendicularly aligned with the sensor. In other applications, several sensors may be provided associated with the support structure or cam guide, or arranged in other ways.

[0036] Preferably, the second motion is a periodic cyclic motion that causes the rod to move back and forth.

[0037] According to the present invention, the position sensor is preferably an eddy current-based inductive sensor, which is typically used for non-contact measurement of displacement, distance, position, thickness, oscillation and vibration.

[0038] Preferably, the measuring component of the present invention further includes a counter device, preferably associated with an electronic control unit, wherein the signal from the position sensor is processed by means of appropriate software. The counter device is capable of generating a signal indicating the presence of one of the roller holding rods. This rod is typically referred to as the "zero" rod, and thus the signal generated by the counter device when the "zero" rod passes corresponds to the completion of an operating cycle in which all other rods have passed the position sensor.

[0039] Preferably, the measuring component further includes a trigger sensor, which is preferably associated with the electronic unit and capable of generating a signal indicating the passage of each rod at the trigger sensor.

[0040] According to one specific embodiment of the invention, during the operation of the measuring component, each lever will pass through the counter device, but preferably, only the "zero" lever equipped with a device configured to interact with the sensor will cause the counter device to generate a corresponding signal.

[0041] The signal generated by the trigger when any lever passes the trigger is processed in the electronic unit to increment the counter device, which is then preferably reset to zero when the "zero" lever passes. In this way, the electronic unit can advantageously associate the position value generated by the position sensor with the corresponding lever. Therefore, it is advantageous to detect the wear of the rollers in each lever and intervene in those rollers that require maintenance.

[0042] The method of the present invention basically includes a calibration step, a measurement step, and a prediction of concurrent signals.

[0043] The calibration steps are preferably performed after the machine is installed, or immediately after maintenance activities that affect the measurement components.

[0044] According to the present invention, in a measuring assembly comprising a plurality of said sliding rods, the calibration step is performed on each of the plurality of rods.

[0045] This calibration step provides a calibration or setup cycle, the purpose of which is to identify a comparison value so that the wear of the rollers can be subsequently checked during normal use of the machine.

[0046] For each sliding rod or piston, this step determines the calibration values: average measurement distance and measurement dispersion (maximum and minimum values).

[0047] For each lever, distance measurements are taken and repeated numerous times during machine operation. A weighted moving average of the detected values ​​is then calculated to filter out possible anomalous fluctuations in the readings. Since the maximum and minimum values ​​are stored, dispersion can also be calculated. Therefore, for each lever, a pair of reference values ​​is obtained: a value representing the average detected distance and a value representing the dispersion between the detected minimum and maximum values.

[0048] The measurement step of the method of the present invention provides preferably continuous measurement of the position value of each rod, which will be compared with the value found and stored in the calibration step.

[0049] According to the present invention, a deviation threshold is provided, which represents the maximum deviation of a value measured during normal machine operation from the value stored for each lever during the calibration step. This deviation threshold allows the determination of two typical parameters of the roller and corresponding wear indicators.

[0050] Specifically, the deviation from the average value indicates the wear of the roller, that is, the wear of the roller diameter, while the deviation from the deviation value indicates the ellipticization of the roller, that is, the deviation from the circle or the asymmetrical wear of the roller.

[0051] According to the invention, the method also provides a predictive concurrent signaling step, wherein, based on measurements obtained over time, a signal is generated indicating the need to replace the worn roller and whether such need is imminent, or when the roller must be provided and replaced. This prediction can also be based on statistical information stored in a database, and thus by taking into account the operation of the same mechanical components—i.e., the same mechanical components of the roller—on different machines, or by using a predictive algorithm to operate locally.

[0052] A particular advantage of the present invention lies in the selection of the preferred connection location of the sensor, the type of sensor, and the use of the above-described measurement algorithm. Attached Figure Description

[0053] With reference to the accompanying drawings, some preferred embodiments of the present invention are provided by way of non-limiting examples, wherein:

[0054] Figure 1A This is a schematic front view of a measuring component manufactured according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 1B yes Figure 1A A detailed perspective view of the measurement components;

[0056] Figure 2 This is a front view of the rotator of a capping machine that includes the measuring components of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 3 This corresponds to a specific embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1B The image. Detailed Implementation

[0058] refer to Figure 1A and 1B It shows a measuring component 11 according to the invention, which is used to measure the wear of rotating surfaces or contact surfaces of rotating components such as rollers, needle rollers, drums, bushings, etc.

[0059] In the illustrated embodiment, component 11 mainly includes:

[0060] Support structure 13;

[0061] Multiple rods 15 have a first sliding motion relative to the support structure 13 in a direction having a linear component "S1" and parallel to the vertical axis of each rod 15;

[0062] The cam guide 17 has a second relative motion with respect to the sliding rod 15, the second motion being capable of causing the rod 15 to move along the sliding direction "S1";

[0063] A pair of rollers 19a, 19b, which are rotatably fixed to each sliding rod 15 and roll in contact with corresponding tracks 21a, 21b defined in the cam guide 17, thereby causing a second relative movement between the cam guide 17 and the sliding rod 15 to cause a first movement of the rod 15 along the sliding direction “S1”.

[0064] According to the invention, the measuring component 11 includes an indicator 23 or sensor that indicates the position of at least one of the pair of rollers 19a, 19b along the linear direction "S1". The indicator is capable of generating an electrical signal indicating the distance between the indicator 23 and at least one of the pair of rollers 19a, 19b. In the illustrated embodiment, the indicator 23 is capable of detecting the position of the upper roller 19a of the pair of rollers 19a, 19b, i.e., the roller closer to the upper end of the rod 15. In another embodiment of the invention, the indicator 23 is capable of detecting the positions of both rollers 19a and 19b of the pair of rollers 19a, 19b, or only the lower roller 19b, i.e., the roller furthest from the upper end of the rod 15.

[0065] Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the indicator 23 or sensor is fixed to the support structure 13. In other embodiments, it may take different positions.

[0066] In this embodiment, when the rod is mounted vertically relative to the support structure 13, the pair of rollers 19a and 19b are rotatably fixed to the rod 15 at the upper end of the rod. More specifically, the pair of rollers 19a and 19b are rotatably fixed to the sliding rod 15 by a single support fork-shaped member 25, and the indicator 23 is capable of generating an electrical signal indicating the distance between the indicator 23 and the upper end 25a of the fork-shaped member 25 adjacent to the indicator 23.

[0067] The distance “d” measured by the position indicator 23 is measured in the straight line direction “S1” parallel to the sliding of the rod 15.

[0068] Furthermore, the indicator 23 is connected to the support structure 13 via a curved plate 27 with an eyelet 27a. The indicator 23 is fixed in the eyelet 27a and its position can be adjusted so that when the corresponding rod 15 is perpendicularly aligned with the sensor 23, the indicator is aligned in the direction "S1" through the rotation axis of the two rollers 19a, 19b. The distance "d" between the indicator 23 and the upper end 25a of the fork-shaped member 25 is measured at this aligned position. The signal generated by the indicator 23 is transmitted via a wire 23a to an electronic control unit (not shown), which is programmed to process the signal and implement the measurement method according to the invention.

[0069] In this embodiment of the invention, the indicator 23 includes an eddy current-based inductive position sensor.

[0070] In the illustrated embodiment, the rotation axes of rollers 19a and 19b are parallel to each other, and rollers 19a and 19b are in rolling contact with corresponding rolling tracks 21a and 21b defined in the cam guide 17.

[0071] Furthermore, the axis of rotation of each of the pair of rollers 19a, 19b intersects the linear direction “S1” of the sliding of the rod 15.

[0072] refer to Figure 2 It shows a rotator 31 of a capping machine 33 having a measuring component 11 according to the invention.

[0073] The capping machine 33 includes a support structure 13, on which a disc conveyor belt 45 of capping heads 37 is rotatably mounted about a vertical axis “S2”. Each capping head is used to apply a seal to a corresponding bottle. Bottles are brought onto a platform 39, which can also rotate synchronously with the disc conveyor belt 35 about the same axis “S2”, such that each bottle carried by the rotating platform 39 and moving along a circular trajectory about axis “S2” is followed by a corresponding capping head 37 after receiving a cap to be applied from a cap reservoir (not shown) at its neck.

[0074] During the rotation of the disc conveyor belt 35, each capping head 37 is lowered onto the bottle and moves vertically along the direction "S1" to apply the cap to the bottle.

[0075] In this embodiment, the relative motion between the disc conveyor belt 35 and the cam guide 17 associated with the component 11 carried by the rotator 31 is a periodic cyclic motion, which is enabled by the cooperation between the pair of rollers 19a, 19b and the tracks 21a, 21b of the cam guide 17, so that each rod 15 can move back and forth along the corresponding direction "S1".

[0076] Now for reference Figure 3 It shows a rotator 31 of a capping machine 33 incorporating a measuring component 11 according to a specific embodiment of the invention.

[0077] In this embodiment, the measuring component 11 further includes a counter device 41, which is preferably associated with an electronic control unit in which signals from the indicator 23 are processed by appropriate software. The counter device 41 is capable of generating a signal indicating the presence of one of the sliding rods 15 of the bearing rollers 19a and 19b. This rod 15 is generally referred to as the "zero" rod, and thus, the signal generated by the counter device 41 when the "zero" rod passes corresponds to the completion of one operating cycle during which all other rods 15 have passed the indicator 23.

[0078] Preferably, the measuring component 11 according to this embodiment of the invention further includes a trigger sensor 43, which is preferably associated with the electronic unit and is capable of generating a signal indicating that each lever 15 has passed at the trigger sensor 43.

[0079] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, during the operation of the measuring component 11, each lever 15 will pass through the counter device 41, but preferably, only the "zero" lever equipped with a device configured to interact with the counter device 41 will cause the counter device 41 to generate a corresponding signal.

[0080] When any lever 15 passes the trigger, the signal generated by the trigger 43 is processed in the electronic unit to increment the counter device, and then preferably, the counter device is reset to zero when the "zero" lever passes. In this way, the electronic unit can advantageously associate the position value generated by the indicator 23 with the corresponding lever 15. Therefore, it is advantageous to detect the wear of rollers 19a, 19b in each lever 15 and intervene only in those rollers that require maintenance.

[0081] According to a specific embodiment of the invention, the device configured to interact with the counter device 41 includes a cylindrical reference element 45 attached to a rod 15, which has been selected as the "zero" rod, preferably parallel to the linear component of the sliding direction of the rod 15. Furthermore, it is advantageous that the plate 27 is provided with a second eyelet 27b in which the counter device 41 is fixed.

[0082] Therefore, in the illustrated embodiment, the counter device 41 is attached to a rotational diameter that is different from and larger than the diameter of the wear indicator 23 and the trigger 43, both of which are received in the eyelet 23a.

[0083] During operation, lever 15, which is selected as "zero", passes through counting device 41 with each rotation, thereby allowing the software to recognize that a complete rotation has been performed.

[0084] When the forked component passes the trigger 43 located directly upstream of the indicator 23, the software updates the counter device 41 by increasing the counter device 41 piston by piston until the total number of pistons is reached, and records the corresponding wear degree in association with its piston.

[0085] Within the same inventive principle, several modifications and variations can be made to the invention described and illustrated.

Claims

1. A container processing machine comprising a measuring assembly (11) for measuring the wear of a rotating surface of a rotating component, said measuring assembly comprising: Support structure (13); The sliding rod (15) has a first sliding motion relative to the support structure (13) in a direction having a linear component (S1); Cam guide (17) having a second relative motion with respect to sliding rod (15); At least one roller (19a, 19b) is rotatably fixed to the sliding rod (15) and rolls in contact with the corresponding tracks (21a, 21b) of the cam guide (17), such that the second relative motion between the cam guide (17) and the sliding rod (15) causes the sliding rod (15) to undergo the first sliding motion in the direction having the linear component (S1); The measuring component (11) includes an indicator (23) indicating the position of the at least one roller (19a, 19b) along the linear component (S1), the indicator being capable of generating an electrical signal indicating a distance (d) between the indicator (23) and the roller (19a, 19b); characterized in that: the distance (d) is compared with at least one deviation threshold to determine the degree of wear on the surface of the at least one roller (19a, 19b); and the distance (d) is compared with at least one deviation threshold of a value measured during normal operation of the machine relative to a value stored in a calibration step.

2. The container processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rollers (19a, 19b) are rotatably fixed to the sliding rod (15) by means of a support fork (25), and the indicator (23) is capable of generating an electrical signal indicating the distance between the indicator (23) and the end (25a) of the fork (25) near the indicator (23).

3. The container processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sliding rod (15) includes a pair of rollers (19a, 19b) rotatable about a parallel axis, each roller rolling in contact with the tracks (21a, 21b) of the cam guide.

4. The container processing machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The axis of rotation of each of the pair of rollers (19a, 19b) intersects with the linear component.

5. The container processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance (d) is measured parallel to the linear component.

6. The container processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The component includes multiple sliding rods (15).

7. The container processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second relative motion is a periodic cyclic motion that causes the sliding rod (15) to move back and forth.

8. The container processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The indicator (23) is a non-contact touch sensor.

9. The container processing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A counter device (41) is also provided, which is capable of generating a signal indicating the presence of one of the sliding bars (15) that hold the rollers (19a, 19b), such that the signal generated by the counter device (41) when the sliding bar passes corresponds to the completion of an operating cycle in which all other sliding bars (15) have passed the indicator (23).

10. The container processing machine according to claim 9, characterized in that: A trigger sensor (43) is also provided, which is capable of generating a signal indicating that each slider (15) passes through the trigger sensor (43).

11. A method for measuring the wear of a rotating surface of a rotating component in a container handling machine including a measuring assembly, the measuring assembly comprising: Support structure (13); The sliding rod (15) has a first sliding motion relative to the support structure (13) in a direction having a linear component (S1); Cam guide (17) having a second relative motion with respect to the sliding rod (15); At least one roller (19a, 19b) is rotatably fixed to the sliding rod (15) and rolls in contact with the corresponding tracks (21a, 21b) of the cam guide (17), such that the second relative motion between the cam guide (17) and the sliding rod (15) causes the sliding rod (15) to undergo the first sliding motion in the direction having the linear component (S1); The method includes the step of providing an indicator (23) indicating the position of the at least one roller (19a, 19b) along the linear component (S1), the indicator being capable of generating an electrical signal indicating a distance (d) between the indicator (23) and the roller (19a, 19b); characterized in that: the distance (d) is compared with at least one deviation threshold to determine the degree of wear on the surface of the at least one roller (19a, 19b); and the distance (d) is compared with at least one deviation threshold of a value measured during normal operation of the machine relative to a value stored in a calibration step.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The calibration process includes multiple operating cycles of the measurement component and measurements of the moving average and measurement dispersion of the distance.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The component includes a plurality of the sliding rods (15), and the step of calibrating the measuring component includes calibrating each of the plurality of sliding rods (15).

14. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The step of evaluating the presence of one of the sliding bars (15) by means of a counter device (41), wherein the counter device (41) is capable of generating a signal indicating the presence of the sliding bar (15) that holds the rollers (19a, 19b), such that when the sliding bar passes, the signal generated by the counter device (41) corresponds to the completion of an operating cycle in which all other sliding bars (15) have passed the indicator (23).

15. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that: It also includes the step of identifying each slider (15) by a trigger sensor (43) capable of generating a signal indicating that each slider (15) has passed at the trigger sensor (43).

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