Control methods to reduce the frequency of carton sealing machine downtime

Abstract

This invention discloses a control method for reducing the frequency of downtime due to malfunctions in carton sealing machines, belonging to the field of tobacco packaging machinery and industrial automation control technology. Addressing the pain point of excessively high downtime frequency in existing carton sealing machines, this invention solves the core problems of flawed full-box detection logic leading to cigarette squeezing failures, the inability of constant-speed control of the swing arm to balance stability and production efficiency, and frequent box layer adhesion failures. This method sequentially executes three core steps along the cigarette packing and packaging production process: interlocking error prevention control for cigarette pack stacking and pushing, pre-release control of internal box adhesion force, and dual-speed adaptive control of box transfer speed, forming a systematic optimization scheme combining hardware and software. After implementation, the frequency of equipment downtime due to malfunctions decreased from 31 times / shift to 5.76 times / shift, a reduction of 81.4%, significantly improving production efficiency, requiring minimal modification, and adapting to continuous production needs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tobacco packaging machinery and industrial automation control technology, specifically to a control method for reducing the frequency of shutdowns due to malfunctions in carton sealing machines. It is mainly applied to improving the operational stability of equipment and controlling the downtime rate in the cigarette carton sealing process. Background Technology

[0002] The carton sealing machine is a core auxiliary equipment in the cigarette production and packaging workshop. It mainly completes the entire process of stacking cigarette packs, absorbing and unfolding the carton wrappers, and sealing the cartons. Its operational stability directly determines the production efficiency and finished product output quality of the cigarette production line.

[0003] In existing production applications, the YP18 carton sealing machine has a prominent problem of excessively high downtime due to malfunctions. On-site production data shows that before the upgrade, the average downtime frequency of the equipment was as high as 31 times per shift, which seriously restricted the continuous production capacity of the production line. Frequent downtime also increases the loss of raw and auxiliary materials, raises the risk of product quality, and significantly increases the workload of operators and maintenance personnel.

[0004] Based on on-site fault statistics and root cause analysis, the faults of the existing YP18 carton sealing machine are concentrated in two core processes, accounting for more than 83% of the total, which are the core reasons for the high frequency of equipment failures and downtime: the first is the cigarette bar stacking and pushing process, which accounts for 49.54% of the total failures and downtimes; the second is the carton suction and unfolding process, which accounts for 34.01% of the total failures and downtimes.

[0005] Regarding the aforementioned core faults, existing technologies and conventional maintenance methods have fundamental flaws that cannot be remedied by simple repairs, specifically manifested in the following ways:

[0006] (1) There is a program logic defect in the full box detection process: the equipment relies on a single sensor signal to trigger the smoke pushing action and has no error prevention interlock protection mechanism. When the detection device is installed incorrectly, has insufficient sensitivity, or is affected by dust, it is very easy to make a misjudgment or miss the judgment. The program will continue to trigger the smoke pushing action because it does not detect a valid full box signal, which will eventually lead to smoke squeezing failure and long-term shutdown. Conventional sensor replacement and installation calibration cannot solve the problem of malfunction caused by program logic defects from the root.

[0007] (2) The carton skin suction swing arm adopts constant speed control, which cannot balance stability and efficiency: The carton skin swing arm motor adopts 35Hz fixed frequency constant speed control, and the swing arm runs for only 1.17s at a time. The speed is too fast, which causes the suction cup to be unable to complete stable suction. Frequent failures such as carton skin being sucked off, transfer deviation, inaccurate release positioning, and incomplete unfolding occur. Such failures account for 77.8% of the total failures in the carton suction and unfolding process. If the operating frequency is simply reduced to alleviate the failures, it will directly reduce the production cycle of the equipment, which contradicts the needs of efficient production in the workshop.

[0008] (3) The equipment lacks an internal adsorption force release mechanism for the carton skin, resulting in frequent layering failures: Due to the vacuum coating, the stacked carton skins form a strong internal vacuum adsorption force. The average separation tension between a single carton skin and the stacked carton skins reaches 5.3N, which far exceeds the 3N threshold for stable suction of the equipment's suction cups. This easily causes the carton skins to stick together, double-sheet suction, and failure to unfold after suction. Such failures account for 81.6% of the total failures in the carton suction and unfolding process. Existing conventional methods can only solve the problem by manually pre-treating the carton skins, which is extremely inefficient and cannot match the continuous production rhythm. The solution of adding high-pressure blowing and static elimination devices has problems such as complex air circuit modification, easy carton skin displacement, and high maintenance costs in the later stage.

[0009] (4) Existing solutions are fragmented and lack systematic optimization: Existing technologies only perform passive maintenance for single faults and lack systematic optimization solutions that combine hardware and software to address the three core factors mentioned above. They cannot reduce the overall downtime frequency of equipment failures from the root cause, and the effects of the modification are not sustainable and are prone to failure rebound.

[0010] In summary, the existing carton sealing machine has obvious defects in its control logic, motion control method and mechanical structure. There is an urgent need for an optimized solution that can fundamentally solve the core faults, take into account production efficiency, is easy to modify and adapt to continuous production, so as to reduce the frequency of equipment failure and downtime and improve the stability of production line operation. Summary of the Invention

[0011] To overcome the above-mentioned defects, this invention provides a control method to reduce the frequency of carton sealing machine downtime due to malfunctions. It addresses the three core issues of misjudgment of carton full detection causing smoke discharge, unstable constant speed of the carton skin swing arm, and inability to release the carton skin's adsorption force from three dimensions: program logic, motion control, and mechanical structure. This method significantly reduces the frequency of downtime due to malfunctions. At the same time, it takes into account production efficiency, requires minimal modification, is easy to implement, and is perfectly suited to the continuous production needs of the workshop.

[0012] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is as follows: A control system for reducing the frequency of downtime due to malfunctions in the carton sealing machine is provided. The carton sealing machine is equipped with a cigarette conveying mechanism, a cigarette stacking station, a carton pusher mechanism, a carton skin conveying mechanism, a carton skin adsorption mechanism, a carton skin unfolding station, and a carton sealing station in sequence along the cigarette packing production process. It also includes a carton pusher interlocking error prevention control component, a carton skin internal adsorption force release component, and a carton skin swing arm fast and slow dual-speed adaptive control component. The interlocking error prevention control component for the in-box pusher is installed at the cigarette stacking station and the in-box pusher mechanism, and is used to perform multiple interlocking error prevention control on the cigarette pushing action. The box skin internal adsorption force release component is set on the detection bracket between the box skin conveying mechanism and the box skin unfolding station, and is used to break the vacuum adsorption force inside the box skin during the box skin transfer process. The box skin swing arm fast and slow dual-speed adaptive control component is electrically connected to the swing arm drive end of the box skin adsorption mechanism, and is used to control the swing arm to perform a dual-speed motion mode of "low-speed stable suction + high-speed transfer and reset".

[0013] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is as follows: A control method for reducing the frequency of carton sealing machine downtime due to malfunctions, implemented based on the aforementioned control system, includes the following steps: S1 cigarette bar stacking and push-in interlocking error prevention control: For the process of stacking and boxing cigarette packs, anti-shake verification is performed on the box full detection signal, and the number of times the cigarette pushing action is interlocked and the stroke is protected by dual protection. S2 Box Skin Internal Adsorption Force Pre-release Control: For the container skin suction and separation process, mechanical impact is used during container skin transfer to break the vacuum adsorption force inside the container skin, thereby achieving effective separation of individual container skins; S3 Box and Leather Transfer Fast / Slow Dual-Speed ​​Adaptive Control: For the box skin adsorption and transfer process, the box skin adsorption swing arm is controlled to perform a dual-speed motion mode of "low-speed stable adsorption + high-speed transfer and reset".

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: (1) Addressing the core faults at their root causes has resulted in significant cost reduction and efficiency improvement. This invention addresses the two core issues causing over 83% of YP18 carton sealing machines to fail and stop. It implements precise optimizations from three dimensions: program logic, motion control, and mechanical structure. After implementation, the frequency of equipment failures and downtime decreased from 31 times / shift to 5.76 times / shift, far below the target value of 9 times / shift. Production efficiency was significantly improved, downtime and raw material consumption were greatly reduced, and equipment maintenance and manual operation load were lowered.

[0015] (2) The combination of hardware and software requires minimal modification, is easy to implement, and does not affect normal production. The optimization of the control system is based on the existing PLC and frequency converter hardware platform of the equipment. No new hardware equipment is required. The program can be downloaded and debugged during the equipment production interval without long-term production stoppage. The mechanical device only requires lightweight modification of the original detection bracket without changing the original main structure of the machine or compromising the original compliance of the equipment. The installation and debugging cycle is short, and the modification of a single piece of equipment can be completed in a single production interval, which is suitable for the continuous production needs of the cigarette workshop.

[0016] (3) The solution is highly stable and versatile, and has high value for replication and promotion. The error-proof control logic and dual-speed control mode both adopt incremental optimization, without altering the original core operating logic of the equipment, eliminating program compatibility and equipment operation risks. The mechanical release device is a purely mechanical structure, requiring no electrical or pneumatic modifications, ensuring no secondary failures during long-term operation and extremely low maintenance costs. The entire solution can be directly replicated and applied to the same model YP18 carton sealing machine. The core control logic and design concept can also be extended to other models of carton sealing and unsealing machines such as YP11, resulting in a wide range of applications.

[0017] (4) Multiple safety and fault-tolerant designs ensure safe and reliable operation. The control system features multiple interlock protections, anti-shake verification, and travel limit logic to prevent equipment collisions and smoke-filled malfunctions caused by erroneous actions. The human-machine interface also features a visual alarm function, significantly reducing the difficulty of troubleshooting. The mechanical devices are equipped with flexible buffers and adaptive avoidance structures, eliminating the risk of damaging the casing or obstructing the equipment, and ensuring the safe and stable operation of the equipment in all aspects. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall layout of the optimized carton sealing machine device of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal adsorption force release device of the box skin according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the error-proof control logic for the box-entry pusher interlock of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the installation position and movement trajectory of the box skin adsorption force release device of the present invention.

[0020] Reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1-Cigarette conveying mechanism, 2-Cigarette stacking station, 3-Box pusher mechanism, 4-Box flaring mechanism, 5-Box conveying mechanism, 50-Box, 61-Main suction arm, 62-Side suction arm, 63-Bottom suction cup, 71-Detection bracket, 8-Tape pasting mechanism, 91-Mounting base, 92-Pin rotating pair, 93-Modible impact baffle, 94-Limit bolt. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] This embodiment discloses a control system for reducing the frequency of downtime due to malfunctions in a carton sealing machine. It is implemented based on the YP18 carton sealing machine in the cigarette packaging workshop of this cigarette factory. All optimizations are completed based on the existing PLC control system, mechanical structure and hardware platform of the equipment. The core operating logic of the equipment is not modified. Those skilled in the art can implement this embodiment without creative effort.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, the carton sealing machine is arranged sequentially along the cigarette packing production process: cigarette pack conveying mechanism 1, cigarette pack stacking station 2, carton pusher mechanism 3, carton flap flaring mechanism 4, carton flap conveying mechanism 5, carton flap adsorption mechanism, carton flap unfolding station, carton sealing station, tape pasting mechanism 8, and coding mechanism.

[0024] The cigarette stacking station 2 and the box-entry pusher mechanism 3 are equipped with a box-entry pusher interlocking error prevention control component. The detection bracket 71 between the box skin conveying mechanism 5 and the carton sealing station is equipped with a box skin internal adsorption force release component. The drive end of the box skin adsorption mechanism is equipped with a box skin swing arm fast and slow dual-speed adaptive control component. The three components work together along the production process to achieve fault prevention and stable operation throughout the process.

[0025] In this embodiment, the production process of packing and packaging cigarettes is as follows: the cigarettes are sent to the cigarette stacking station 2 through the conveying channel of the cigarette conveying mechanism 1 to complete the layered stacking → the box pusher mechanism 3 pushes the stacked cigarettes into the box to be sealed → the swing arm of the box skin adsorption mechanism (including the main suction arm 61, the side suction arm 62 and the bottom suction cup 63) picks up a single box skin 50 from the box skin conveying mechanism 5 → the box skin 50 is separated by the internal adsorption force release component of the box skin → the swing arm transfers the box skin 50 to the box skin unfolding station in a dual-speed mode → the box skin 50 unfolds and is formed → the cigarette carton is sealed → the tape pasting mechanism 8 and the coding complete the finished product output.

[0026] The aforementioned box-entry pusher interlocking error-proof component corresponds to the cigarette bar stacking and pushing process, and includes a SIMATIC PLC controller, a box full detection sensor, a pusher motor encoder, a mechanical limit device, and a WinCC human-machine interface. Specific implementation steps include: S1, Box full detection signal anti-shake verification After the cigarette sticks are stacked five layers at cigarette stick stacking station 2, the box-entry pusher mechanism 3 starts pushing the stack. The box full detection sensor collects the full signal of cigarette sticks in the box in real time. The PLC controller performs anti-jitter verification on the sensor signal for three consecutive scanning cycles. Only when the signal is continuously and stably output is it determined to be a valid box full signal, shielding against instantaneous false signals caused by cigarette stack rebound, dust interference, etc. The verification logic is as follows: Figure 3 As shown.

[0027] S2, Interlocking limit on the number of times cigarettes are pushed The PLC controller is preset to push smoke into a single box a maximum of 2 times. If a valid box full signal is not collected after 2 push actions, the PLC controller immediately cuts off the action command of the pusher drive frequency converter, locks the box pusher mechanism 3, prohibits the output of subsequent push actions, and sends an alarm signal to the human-machine interface to avoid the smoke squeezing failure caused by multiple push actions from the root.

[0028] S3, dual limiter for pusher travel The PLC controller synchronously collects the position signal of the pusher motor encoder and the detection signal of the mechanical limit device in real time, and constructs an electrical + mechanical dual stroke interlock; when the pusher runs to the limit stroke position of the equipment but has not completed pushing the stack, it immediately triggers the emergency stop protection to prevent mechanical collision and damage to the cigarette bar by squeezing.

[0029] S4, Chimney Stack Stabilization and Anti-Shake Control After the pusher completes its second push action, the PLC controller inserts a 0.2s pause and hold segment, controlling the pusher to remain in the push position for 0.2s before returning to its original position, ensuring that the tobacco stack is completely stable inside the box and eliminating false judgments of box full detection caused by tobacco stack rebound.

[0030] S5, Visualized Fault Alarm The WinCC HMI allows for the setting of three types of dedicated alarm pop-ups: abnormal box full detection, excessive number of smoke pushes, and abnormal pusher stroke. These pop-ups display fault codes, locations, and one-click troubleshooting instructions in real time, enabling operators to quickly locate and resolve faults and reduce downtime.

[0031] The internal adsorption force release component of the box skin corresponds to the box skin suction and separation process, refer to... Figure 2 It consists of an adjustable mounting base 91, a pin-shaft rotary joint 92, a movable impact baffle 93, and a limiting bolt 94. The adjustable mounting base 91 is fixed to the mounting holes of the detection bracket 71. The base has a horizontal waist-shaped adjustment hole to achieve a ±10mm fine adjustment of the installation position. The movable impact baffle 93 is hinged to the base through the pin-shaft rotary joint 92. The contact end of the impact baffle is bent and fitted with a polyurethane buffer strip to prevent scratching the box skin 50. The limiting bolt 94 limits the maximum rotation angle of the impact baffle 93 to 90°, taking into account both the release of adsorption force and the need for emergency material removal.

[0032] When the box skin adsorption swing arm drives the box skin 50 it has picked up to swing from the box skin conveying mechanism 5 to the box skin unfolding station, the lower edge of the front end of the box skin 50 first makes a gentle impact with the movable impact baffle 93. The stacked and adhered box skins 50 produce a slight relative displacement, and air enters the contact surface of the box skins 50 to break the internal vacuum adsorption force, so as to achieve effective separation of the single box skin 50. When the swing arm continues to swing, the impact baffle 93 rotates adaptively around the pin shaft rotation pair 92 to avoid obstructing the normal transfer of the box skins 50. After a single release is completed, the impact baffle 93 automatically resets under its own weight, waiting for the next cycle.

[0033] The box-body swing arm dual-speed adaptive control component corresponds to the box-body adsorption and transfer process, including a swing arm motor frequency converter, a position encoder, and a suction cup vacuum pressure detection device. Its specific implementation steps include: S1 Action Phase Division and Speed ​​Trigger The PLC controller divides the swing arm motion cycle into four stages: approaching the suction position, adsorption and holding, transfer and release, and reset return. The current position of the swing arm is determined in real time by the position encoder.

[0034] S2 Low-Speed ​​Steady Suction Control When the swing arm moves toward the box paper warehouse suction position, the PLC controller outputs a switch signal to trigger the frequency converter to low speed mode (20Hz), and the swing arm smoothly approaches the box 50, ensuring that the bottom suction cup 63 is in full contact with the box 50 and stably adsorbs it.

[0035] S3 High-speed transfer and reset After the suction cup vacuum pressure detection device confirms that the box skin 50 is in place, the PLC controller switches the output signal to trigger the frequency converter to high-speed mode (35Hz). The swing arm quickly completes the transfer and release of the box skin 50. After the release is completed, the swing arm returns to the standby position at high speed. The single cycle action time is the same as the original constant speed mode, without reducing the production cycle.

[0036] S4 Flexible Start-Stop and Parameter Adaptation The acceleration and deceleration curves of the swing arm are optimized by using a PLC controller to eliminate rigid impacts during speed switching and reduce the offset and detachment of the 50-ton box skin. The human-machine interface provides an interface for configuring low-speed / high-speed frequency parameters, allowing operators to directly adjust parameters according to the grade and specifications of the 50-ton box skin without modifying the PLC program, thus improving the versatility of the solution.

[0037] Based on the seamless collaboration of the three major components in the cigarette box sealing production process of this embodiment: The cigarette packing and pushing process is prevented from cigarette squeezing out by an interlocking anti-misoperation component of the pusher. The box skin suction and transfer process is eliminated by the internal adsorption force release component to remove the stacking adhesion, and the box skin swing arm fast and slow dual-speed adaptive control component ensures adsorption stability and transfer efficiency. After implementing all modifications to the equipment based on the core solution described in this embodiment, a six-month continuous performance monitoring was conducted on the #5 YP18 carton sealing machine. The period from September to November 2025 was the performance inspection period, and the period from December 2025 to February 2026 was the consolidation period. The verification results are as follows: Fault downtime frequency: During the effect inspection period, the average equipment downtime frequency was 5.77 times / shift, and during the consolidation period it remained stable at 5.76 times / shift, which is far lower than the set target value of 9 times / shift, and a decrease of 81.4% compared with 31 times / shift before the transformation.

[0038] Results of resolving core issues: The failure rate of the two core issues, namely, cigarette bar stacking and cardboard box suction and unfolding, has decreased from 83.55% before the renovation to 16.85%. These issues are no longer the main factors affecting equipment failure and downtime, and the core issues have been completely resolved.

[0039] Improved production efficiency: The effective operating rate of the equipment has been greatly improved. According to calculations, the production efficiency has increased by approximately 438.19% compared to before the upgrade, which has significantly reduced the production capacity loss caused by downtime due to malfunctions, while also reducing the consumption of raw and auxiliary materials such as cigarette sticks and box skins.

[0040] Application and Promotion: This solution has been successfully implemented on the other five YP18 carton sealing machines of the same model in the workshop, resulting in a significant reduction in the frequency of downtime due to malfunctions, a significant improvement in equipment stability, and strong replicability of the solution.

[0041] Another embodiment of the present invention discloses a control method for reducing the frequency of downtime due to malfunctions in a carton sealing machine. Based on the aforementioned control system, this method sequentially executes three core steps along the entire production process of cigarette packing and conveying: interlocking error prevention control for cigarette pack stacking and pushing, pre-release control of the internal adsorption force of the carton skin, and dual-speed adaptive control of the carton skin transfer speed. This achieves a fundamental reduction in the frequency of equipment downtime due to malfunctions. The specific control steps are as follows: S1 Cigarette Stack Push-in Interlock Error Prevention Control This step corresponds to the process of stacking and boxing cigarettes. It aims to prevent misjudgments during box full detection and cigarette squeezing failures. The specific steps are as follows: S1.1 Box full detection signal anti-jitter verification: After the cigarettes are stacked to the preset number of layers at the cigarette stacking station 2, the PLC controller triggers the box pusher mechanism 3 to perform the pushing action. At the same time, the box full detection sensor collects the full position signal of the cigarettes in the box in real time. The collected detection signal is subjected to anti-shake verification for three consecutive scanning cycles. Only when the detection signal is continuously and stably output within the set cycle is it determined to be a valid full box signal, thus shielding the instantaneous false signals caused by smoke stack rebound and dust interference. S1.2 Interlocking limit control for the number of times smoke is pushed: The PLC controller is preset to allow a maximum of 2 push actions per box. If a valid box full signal is not collected after 2 push actions, the action command of the pusher drive frequency converter is immediately cut off, the box pusher mechanism 3 is locked, subsequent push actions are prohibited, and a fault alarm is triggered. S1.3 Push Handle Stroke Dual Limit Protection: The PLC controller synchronously collects the position signal from the encoder of the pusher motor and the detection signal from the mechanical limit device in real time, and constructs an electrical + mechanical dual stroke interlock. When the pusher moves to the limit stroke position of the equipment but has not completed the pushing action, the emergency stop protection is immediately triggered. S1.4 Chimney Stack Stability and Anti-shaking Control: After the pusher completes the second push action, the PLC controller inserts a 0.2s pause and hold program segment, which controls the pusher to hold the push position for 0.2s before performing the return action, ensuring that the chimney stack is completely stable inside the carton; S1.5 Visualized Fault Alarm: For three types of operating conditions, namely abnormal box full detection, excessive number of smoke pushes, and abnormal pusher stroke, a dedicated alarm pop-up window is triggered through the WinCC human-machine interface to display the fault type, location, and standardized handling guidelines in real time.

[0042] S2 Box Interior Adsorption Pre-release Control This step corresponds to the box wrapping suction and separation process. It involves pre-release treatment for box wrapping 50-layer adhesion and double-sheet suction failures. The specific steps are as follows: S2.1 Installation location is precisely matched: Based on the arc motion trajectory of the box skin adsorption swing arm, the adsorption force release component inside the box skin is fixed at an appropriate position where the detection bracket 71 is horizontally translated towards the rotation center of the swing arm, ensuring that when the swing arm drives the box skin 50 to swing, the movable impact baffle 93 of the device makes precise contact with the edge of the box skin 50 5mm inward. S2.2 Vacuum Adsorption Force Breakdown: When the box skin adsorption swing arm drives the adsorbed box skin 50 to swing from the paper warehouse position to the unfolding position, the lower edge of the box skin 50 first has a gentle impact with the movable impact baffle 93, causing the stacked and adhered box skin 50 to produce a slight relative displacement. Air enters the contact surface of the box skin 50 to break the internal vacuum adsorption force, and realizes the effective separation of the single box skin 50. S2.3 Adaptive Avoidance and Automatic Reset: As the swing arm continues to swing, the movable impact baffle 93 rotates adaptively around the pivot joint 92 with the movement of the box skin 50 to avoid obstructing the normal transport and unfolding of the box skin 50; after completing a single release action, the movable impact baffle 93 automatically resets under its own weight, waiting for the next action cycle.

[0043] S3 Box and Leather Transfer Dual-Speed ​​Adaptive Control This step corresponds to the box-and-shell adsorption and transfer process. It optimizes the balance between stability and efficiency in the constant speed control of the swing arm. The specific steps are as follows: S3.1 Action Phase Timing Division: The PLC controller uses the real-time signal from the swing arm position encoder to divide the complete motion cycle of the swing arm into four core stages: approaching the suction position, holding the box skin at 50°, transferring and releasing, and resetting and returning. S3.2 Low-speed steady-suction control: When the swing arm moves toward the box paper warehouse suction position, the PLC controller outputs a switch signal to the swing arm motor frequency converter to trigger the low speed control mode, set the operating frequency to 20Hz, and control the swing arm to smoothly approach the box 50, ensuring that the bottom suction cup 63 is in full contact with the box 50 and stably adsorbs it. S3.3 Adsorption state confirmation: The PLC controller collects vacuum signals in real time through the suction cup vacuum pressure detection device. After confirming that the box skin 50 is stably adsorbed, it triggers a speed switching command. S3.4 High-speed transfer and reset control: The PLC controller switches the output signal to the frequency converter, triggers the high-speed control mode, sets the operating frequency to 35Hz, and controls the swing arm to quickly complete the box skin 50 transfer and release actions. After release, the swing arm maintains high-speed mode during the reset phase, quickly returning to the standby position to ensure that the duration of a single cycle action is consistent with the original constant speed mode, without reducing the equipment's production cycle time. S3.5 Flexible Start-Stop and Parameter Adaptation: The PLC controller optimizes the acceleration and deceleration curves of the swing arm motion, eliminating rigid impacts during speed switching. Meanwhile, the human-machine interface provides interfaces for configuring low-speed and high-speed frequency parameters, allowing operators to adjust operating parameters online according to the 50-ton box specifications and grade.

[0044] It should be noted that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control system for reducing the frequency of downtime due to malfunctions in a carton sealing machine, wherein the carton sealing machine is sequentially configured along the cigarette packing production process as follows: a cigarette pack conveying mechanism, a cigarette pack stacking station, a carton pusher mechanism, a carton skin conveying mechanism, a carton skin adsorption mechanism, a carton skin unfolding station, and a carton sealing station; characterized in that, It also includes a box-in pusher interlocking error prevention control component, a box skin internal adsorption force release component, and a box skin swing arm fast and slow dual-speed adaptive control component; The interlocking error prevention control component for the in-box pusher is installed at the cigarette stacking station and the in-box pusher mechanism, and is used to perform multiple interlocking error prevention control on the cigarette pushing action. The box skin internal adsorption force release component is set on the detection bracket between the box skin conveying mechanism and the box skin unfolding station, and is used to break the vacuum adsorption force inside the box skin during the box skin transfer process. The box skin swing arm fast and slow dual-speed adaptive control component is electrically connected to the swing arm drive end of the box skin adsorption mechanism, and is used to control the swing arm to perform a dual-speed motion mode of "low-speed stable suction + high-speed transfer and reset".

2. The control system for reducing the frequency of carton sealing machine downtime according to claim 1, characterized in that, The box-entry pusher interlock error prevention control component includes a PLC controller, a box full detection sensor, a pusher motor encoder, a mechanical limit device, and a human-machine interface; The signal output terminals of the box full detection sensor, the pusher motor encoder, and the mechanical limit device are all electrically connected to the signal acquisition terminal of the PLC controller. The control output terminal of the PLC controller is electrically connected to the drive frequency converter of the box pusher mechanism. The PLC controller is also interconnected with the human-machine interface.

3. The control system for reducing the frequency of carton sealing machine downtime according to claim 2, characterized in that, The PLC controller has a built-in module for detecting and verifying the fullness of the tobacco bin, a module for interlocking and limiting the number of times the tobacco is pushed, a module for hard limit interlocking of the pusher stroke, and a module for preventing the tobacco stack from shaking. The full box detection status verification module is used to perform continuous multi-cycle anti-shake verification on the signal of the full box detection sensor. It is determined to be a valid full box signal only when the detection signal is continuously and stably triggered within a set period. The smoke pushing number interlocking limit module is used to preset the maximum allowed number of smoke pushing actions for a single box. When the number of smoke pushing actions reaches the threshold and no valid box full signal is detected, the smoke pushing action is locked and an alarm is triggered. The pusher travel hard limit interlock module is used to combine the pusher motor encoder signal and the mechanical limit device signal to build dual travel protection, triggering the stop protection when the pusher runs to the limit position; The stack anti-shake holding module is used to control the pusher to hold for a preset time after the pusher completes the second push action before performing the return action.

4. The control system for reducing the frequency of carton sealing machine downtime according to claim 3, characterized in that, The anti-shake verification cycle of the full box detection status verification module is 3 consecutive PLC scanning cycles; the maximum number of times a single box can be pushed is preset to 2 times by the smoke push number interlock limit module; and the preset holding time of the smoke stack anti-shake holding module is 0.2s.

5. The control system for reducing the frequency of carton sealing machine downtime according to claim 1, characterized in that, The internal adsorption force release assembly of the box skin includes an adjustable mounting base, a pin rotating pair, a movable impact baffle, and a limit bolt; The adjustable mounting base is fixed on the detection bracket, and the movable impact baffle is hinged to the mounting base via a pin-shaft rotating joint. The limiting bolt is located at the hinge between the mounting base and the impact baffle to limit the maximum rotation angle of the impact baffle.

6. The control system for reducing the frequency of carton sealing machine downtime according to claim 5, characterized in that, The adjustable mounting base has a horizontally oriented waist-shaped adjustment hole; the contact end of the movable impact baffle is bent, and a polyurethane buffer strip is provided on the contact surface; the limiting bolt limits the maximum rotation angle of the impact baffle to 90°.

7. The control system for reducing the frequency of carton sealing machine downtime according to claim 1, characterized in that, The box-shaped swing arm fast and slow dual-speed adaptive control component includes a PLC controller, a swing arm motor frequency converter, a swing arm position encoder, and a suction cup vacuum pressure detection device. The signal output terminals of the swing arm position encoder and the suction cup vacuum pressure detection device are electrically connected to the signal acquisition terminal of the PLC controller, and the switch output terminal of the PLC controller is electrically connected to the multi-speed control terminal of the swing arm motor frequency converter.

8. The control system for reducing the frequency of carton sealing machine downtime according to claim 7, characterized in that, The PLC controller has a built-in action timing division module, speed switching control module, and acceleration / deceleration optimization module. The action timing division module is used to divide the swing arm motion cycle into four stages: approaching the suction position, adsorption and holding of the box skin, transfer and release, and reset and return. The speed switching control module is used to trigger the inverter's low-speed mode when the swing arm moves towards the suction position, and to trigger the inverter's high-speed mode after the box skin adsorption is confirmed. The acceleration / deceleration optimization module is used to optimize the acceleration / deceleration curve of the swing arm motion to achieve flexible start-stop.

9. A control method for reducing the frequency of downtime due to malfunctions in a carton sealing machine, characterized in that, The control system based on any one of claims 1-8 includes the following steps: S1 cigarette bar stacking and push-in interlocking error prevention control: For the process of stacking and boxing cigarette packs, anti-shake verification is performed on the box full detection signal, and the number of times the cigarette pushing action is interlocked and the stroke is protected by dual protection. S2 Box Skin Internal Adsorption Force Pre-release Control: For the container skin suction and separation process, mechanical impact is used during container skin transfer to break the vacuum adsorption force inside the container skin, thereby achieving effective separation of individual container skins; S3 Box and Leather Transfer Fast / Slow Dual-Speed ​​Adaptive Control: For the box skin adsorption and transfer process, the box skin adsorption swing arm is controlled to perform a dual-speed motion mode of "low-speed stable adsorption + high-speed transfer and reset".

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