Device and method for manufacturing flexible packaging

Abstract

The invention describes a device (1) for the production of flexible packaging, in particular bags, from tubular pieces (13), which preferably have fabric made of stretched plastic strips and have at least two superimposed layers of material.These include at least one transport device for transporting the hose sections (13) along a transport path in a transport direction (X) which runs transversely to a longitudinal direction (U) of the hose sections (13), wherein the hose sections (13) can be conveyed in a flat initial position lying in a horizontal starting plane, as well as at least one bottom opening station (8) for opening at least one end (15) of the respective hose sections (13) and for forming an open cross bottom with at least two rotating forming tools (20) arranged orthogonally opposite to the transport direction (X) for forming, in particular spreading, the respective opened end (15) of the hose sections (13) and for aligning corner indentations formed thereby, and at least one bottom closing station (10). By means of a plant control system (29) the forming tools (20) of the bottom opening station (8) arranged orthogonally to the transport direction (X) can be controlled independently of each other with control commands calculated by a computing unit (30) in such a way that the movements of the at least two forming tools (20) can be controlled at least partially independently of each other.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for producing flexible packaging, in particular bags from tubular sections, according to the preamble of claim 1. The flexible packaging made from tubular sections comprises at least two superimposed layers of material and may, in particular, consist of woven fabric made of stretched plastic tapes. The device includes at least one transport unit for conveying the tubular sections along a transport path in a transport direction. The transport direction is transverse to a longitudinal direction of the tubular sections. It is provided that the tubular sections can be conveyed in a flat position lying in a horizontal starting plane. Furthermore, the device includes at least one bottom opening station for opening at least one end of the respective tubular sections and for forming an open cross bottom.The bottom opening station has at least two rotating forming tools arranged orthogonally opposite each other to the transport direction for forming, in particular spreading, the respective open end of the tube sections and for aligning the resulting corner indentations. Furthermore, the device includes at least one bottom closing station. The invention also relates to a method for producing flexible packaging from tube sections and a forming device for use in a device for producing flexible packaging.

[0002] Such devices have long been known and available on the market. They generally include a singulation device for separating a fed hose, in particular a fabric hose, which may also be coated, into hose sections.

[0003] For singulation, the hose is advanced lengthwise, particularly in increments, by one hose length at a time. A section of hose is then singulated, i.e., cut off. These hose sections have at least two overlapping layers of material, each of which can consist of several layers. This is usually done with a cutting tool such as a knife. However, other cutting methods and associated equipment are also in use. Each hose section produced in this way is then picked up by at least one transport device to transport it flat along a transport direction to the individual processing stations. After cutting, the hose sections are therefore no longer transported lengthwise, but transversely."Transverse direction" means that the hose sections are now transported transversely to their longitudinal extent in order to have unimpeded access to both ends of the hose sections in the further steps for the production of the flexible packaging.

[0004] The following are examples of individual processing stations for the production of flexible packaging, especially in bag manufacturing, and an explanation of their function: Optionally, a pre-crimping station is provided in which fold lines are created using a forming die, or creases are produced using a creasing unit. The corner indentations of the opened hose bottom, created in a subsequent processing step, can then be positioned on these fold lines or creases. The respective forming dies or creasing units can also be heated for this purpose.

[0005] In the bottom opening station, at least one end of a hose section is pulled up so that a bottom can be formed on this pulled-up end using forming tools, in particular a forming device.

[0006] In particular, a capturing or suction device is provided upstream of the forming unit to open each end of a hose section. The bottom is formed by a process called "drawing," in which the material layers of one end of the hose section are folded over so that a triangular fold is created in the front and rear portions of this end area, viewed in the direction of transport. These corner folds are located at the fold lines of the hose section, which are preferably produced with the aforementioned forming die or creasing device. Due to its geometric shape, the bottom opening is also referred to as a bottom opening square. It should be noted that the shape is not square, but rectangular in most cases. As a rule, both ends of the hose section are processed in the same way.

[0007] Another advantageous processing station is the valve label station, also called a valve station. In the valve station, a valve label is applied to the previously opened end of the hose section. The valve label allows the finished package to be filled later using a suitable filling nozzle.

[0008] In a floor closing station, also called an insertion station, parts of the floor openings or floor opening squares, the so-called tabs, are folded over on both sides towards the fold edge. Areas of these tabs can overlap, and these overlapping areas of the tabs can be joined together.

[0009] If necessary, a bottom cover sheet is attached to the folded bottom opening in a cover sheet station after the bottom closing station, e.g. by welding.

[0010] It should be noted that not all of the listed stations need to be present in a device for manufacturing flexible packaging. For example, a pre-opening station can be omitted. Applying bottom cover sheets is also not always necessary for packaging production. However, additional stations are conceivable. In particular, the device can be designed to have at least two bottom opening stations and two bottom closing stations, preferably with one bottom opening station and one bottom closing station for each end of the tubing section, arranged one behind the other, especially along the transport direction.

[0011] The quality of such packaging depends significantly on the geometrically precise design of the bases. This means that the triangular corner flaps must be as close as possible to the shape of an isosceles triangle, because only then is it possible to form base side flaps whose edges, when the base is open, run parallel to a base centerline and thus also parallel to each other. Only if the base side flaps have these edges parallel to a base centerline is it possible to fold them over, overlapping them. And only if the folding of the base side flaps is also geometrically precise will the finished packaging base have a rectangular shape, which makes the flexible packaging easy to process and stack. Bases that are warped during production often also suffer from insufficient tightness and strength.

[0012] In other known devices, bottom opening stations are provided in which a gripping device, in particular a suction device, is arranged in front of the forming device for separating the two layers of material lying one above the other in the transport direction. The gripping device, in particular the suction device, and the forming device are jointly actuated by an electric drive. The tools of the gripping device and the forming device are mechanically coupled to the same electric drive. During opening and forming, especially during continuous transport of the hose sections, it is necessary that the respective forming tools execute different traverse movements or accelerations during each revolution. It is known to achieve these movement characteristics by means of mechanical non-uniformity transmissions.For this purpose, both the suction and the forming unit each have their own non-uniformity gearbox. The non-uniformity gearbox of the forming unit is also adjustable to adapt the movement to different packaging formats, for example bag formats, and in particular also to different hose widths.

[0013] The additional mechanical transmission elements from the electric drive to the respective tools of the two devices, in particular the suction device and the forming tool, introduce further inherent inconsistencies into the transmitted motion, as these include, for example, universal joints. These inconsistencies from the mechanical transmission and the gearing combine to create the motion profile of the respective tool. Due to the mechanical coupling of the gripping device or suction device and the forming tools, a collision between the gripping device or suction device and the forming tools is only prevented if they are correctly aligned.

[0014] However, due to the large number of mechanical transmission elements, especially the cardan joints for the mechanical coupling of the forming tools, each of which introduces its own non-uniformity into the transmission, it is very complex to compensate for the respective non-uniformities by means of a motion-controlled drive or to change them again by superposition so that the correct non-uniform movement is achieved at the tool, especially at the forming tools.

[0015] As the production speed of the system increases, so do the demands on the dynamics and specific motion profiles of the tools, especially the forming tools. These are an essential tool in the production of flexible packaging from tubular sections, for example, cross-bottom bags, particularly cross-bottom valve bags, and significantly determine the geometry of the packaging or the opened tubular bottom.

[0016] The forming tools fully open the hose section pre-opened by the gripping device or suction device and form the base geometry. The left forming tool is responsible for the left half and the right forming tool for the right half of the packaging base, relative to the base's center axis pointing in the transport direction. Since the geometry of the packaging base also depends on numerous mechanical settings of the forming device, such as the correct forming length, precise adjustment becomes increasingly important at higher production speeds. However, the setting can often only be assessed at the machine's nominal speed based on the packaging geometry, necessitating regular corrections during machine operation.As machine power increases, so does the wear and tear and thus the play in the mechanical transmission elements, especially the cardan joints, which greatly reduces the precision of the respective movement, especially of the respective forming tool.

[0017] Furthermore, in known devices, the movement of the left and right forming tools during operation can only be adjusted jointly and only within narrow limits via the non-uniformity drive of the forming unit. To change unilateral settings, such as adjusting the length of the forming tool, the machine must be stopped and a mechanical adjustment made.

[0018] The mechanical coupling and the limits of adjustment of the non-uniformity drive of the forming device thus result in restrictions in the design of the movement sequences or movement profiles.

[0019] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a device, a forming device and a method for producing flexible packaging from tubular sections, which overcome the problems known from the prior art and in particular enable a consistently high quality of the packaging geometry for as long as possible, preferably with precise adjustability and low susceptibility to wear, especially of the forming tools.

[0020] According to the invention, this problem is solved by all the features of claim 1. Possible embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0021] According to the invention, the device includes a control system by means of which the forming tools of the bottom opening station, arranged orthogonally opposite to the transport direction, can be controlled independently of one another by means of control commands such that the movements of the at least two forming tools relative to each other can be controlled at least partially independently. According to the invention, the control commands are calculated or calculable by a computing unit, in particular by means of a computer, preferably by means of a neural network. Advantageously, at least one forming tool is responsible for each half of the packaging bottom.

[0022] The invention is based on the understanding that independent control of the suction and forming units enables optimization of product processing, in particular adaptability to high or changing production or transport speeds, or to different packaging formats, especially bag formats. The invention thus makes it possible to set and execute separate, independent motion profiles for the respective forming tools and preferably also for the gripping unit, especially for the suction unit.

[0023] The bottom opening, due to its geometric shape resulting from the application of the packaging bottom, particularly the bag bottom, is also referred to as a bottom opening square, which has a base center axis running parallel to the transport direction. It should be noted that the shape is not square, but in most cases rectangular. Advantageously, within the scope of the invention, the at least two rotating forming tools arranged orthogonally opposite each other in a bottom opening station are also referred to as the "right forming tool" and the "left forming tool," respectively. Viewed in the transport direction, the left forming tool is responsible for the left half and the right forming tool for the right half of the packaging bottom, particularly the bag bottom, with the two halves being separated from each other by the base center axis.

[0024] Since the forming tools of the bottom opening station can be controlled independently of each other via the control commands, settings or changes to the settings can be transferred quickly, especially without manual alignment, to the respective movement profiles of the forming tools.

[0025] An advantageous embodiment of the invention is achieved in that the at least two forming tools can each be controlled by means of at least one independently controllable individual drive. Particularly with regard to the simple implementation of control commands from the plant control system and with regard to advantageous properties concerning precision and ease of maintenance, electric motors for use as individual drives, especially preferably electric geared servo motors, have proven to be particularly advantageous.

[0026] The separate individual drives for the forming tools allow the respective forming tools, especially the left and right forming tools, maximum flexibility in their respective movement profile.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, each forming tool is directly connected to its individual drive. "Directly" in this context of the invention means that the forming tools are connected to each other, in particular without additional mechanical transmission elements such as universal joints or shafts, and especially without the universal joints known from the prior art, which are required due to the geometric and functional connection between the left and right forming tools.

[0028] By using individual drives, the need for virtually all non-uniform mechanical transmission elements is eliminated, thus solving the problem inherent in the prior art that the actual motion profile always results from a superposition of several non-uniform movements. Since each of the at least two forming tools is directly connected to its own drive, the motion profile of the drive is identical to that of the respective forming tools. At the same time, the masses to be moved are reduced to a minimum, enabling higher dynamics.

[0029] Alternatively, an alternative solution may employ additional mechanical transmission elements, such as universal joints, between the separate individual drives for the left and right forming tools. According to an advantageous embodiment, these mechanical transmission elements, or rather their non-uniform transmissions, can be taken into account by the processing unit when calculating the control commands, so that the respective forming tools can compensate for the respective non-uniform transmissions by means of the control commands calculated by the processing unit.

[0030] The forming tools responsible for the geometry of the left and right halves of the packaging base, particularly the bag bottom, can be controlled independently by separate drives, allowing for both joint adjustment and independent adjustment of the two forming tools or their movement profiles. This enables the compensation of undesirable geometric differences in the packaging base, particularly the bag bottom, independently on the left and right halves, preferably automatically, during machine operation. Specifically, the geometry of a front and rear triangle on the packaging base, particularly the bag bottom, can be influenced with respect to the transport direction. Furthermore, mechanical differences between the left and right forming tools can also be compensated for, such as...the mechanically adjusted forming length, which, if incorrectly adjusted, can lead to a "tugging" at the rear bottom triangle, thus adversely altering the geometry of the triangle.

[0031] Preferably, at least one of the forming tools is designed as a spreading tool. Advantageously, the spreading tool can be rod-shaped, sheet-like, or sickle-shaped. According to an optional embodiment of the invention, the at least two spreading tools, or the right spreading tool and the left spreading tool, are each sickle-shaped and together form a pair of sickles. This is for spreading open the ends of the hose sections, which have been previously opened, in particular by means of a suction device, and for aligning the resulting corner indentations. The respective right or left sickle-shaped spreading tool spreads open both the front and rear pockets of the packaging base on the right or left half of the packaging base, respectively.

[0032] Alternatively or additionally, it can be provided that at least one of the forming tools designed as spreading tools, preferably the at least two spreading tools, has contoured plates, sheets, or rods that are driven around the circumference and dip into the respective opened packaging bottom, in particular the bag bottom, or extend from the packaging bottom, in particular the bag bottom, after forming has taken place. Preferably, the at least two spreading tools, or the right spreading tool and the left spreading tool, are each designed as a rod-like or sheet-like pair, respectively. Advantageously, the respective contoured plates or sheets, which lie essentially in one plane, have a folding contour that can be directly adapted to the bottom geometry to be folded.

[0033] A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the forming tools can be controlled independently of one another by means of the system control system using control commands calculated by the processing unit, such that a movement profile, in particular points of action at which the forming tools engage with or disengage from the respective packaging base, and / or a forming length and / or a rotational speed of the at least two forming tools can be controlled independently of each other forming tool(s). In particular, the term "movement profile" encompasses the manner in which the respective forming tool moves or is driven, especially the rotational speed, direction of rotation, acceleration and deceleration, intervals, and the like in their respective interaction or superposition.This interpretation of the term "motion profile" is to be applied analogously to all further processing stations / devices within the scope of the present invention, in particular to a motion spectrum of a detection or suction device and a positioning device.

[0034] It has proven advantageous for the device if at least one of the forming tools is arranged on a positioning device orthogonally to the transport direction above the hose sections. Alternative variants provide that at least one of the forming tools is arranged on a positioning device orthogonally to the transport direction laterally to the hose sections. By means of the positioning device, the respective forming tool can be moved translationally at least transversely to the transport direction and / or parallel to the transport direction, particularly during operation, and can be reversibly fixed in at least two functional positions. Further variants of the positioning device provide that the forming tool can alternatively or additionally be rotated or pivoted about at least one axis of rotation or pivot point and / or tilted about a bearing axis and can be reversibly fixed in at least two functional positions.Functional positions can include, in particular, different working positions for different hose formats, but also, for example, a maintenance or assembly position that is easily accessible from outside the device for maintenance work on the respective forming tool.

[0035] In this context, it has proven particularly advantageous that positioning can be carried out using position control commands, which are advantageously calculated or calculable by the processing unit. The positioning device has proven especially advantageous for adapting to different hose section formats, for example, adapting to varying packaging base widths measured perpendicular to the base centerline, particularly bag base widths, and / or varying distances between a front and a rear base triangle.

[0036] It can also be provided that the at least two rotating forming tools, arranged orthogonally opposite each other to the transport direction, are jointly arranged on the positioning device orthogonally to the transport direction above or laterally to the hose sections. In this case, it is particularly advantageous if the forming tools are at least partially independently of one another and at least transversely and / or parallel to the transport direction, and / or rotatable or pivotable about at least one axis or pivot point, and / or tiltable about a bearing axis, and reversibly positionable in at least two functional positions.

[0037] Another advantageous aspect of the invention is that the at least two rotating forming tools arranged orthogonally opposite each other to the transport direction are each arranged on their own positioning device orthogonally to the transport direction above the hose sections, wherein the forming tools are independently movable at least transversely to the transport direction and / or parallel to the transport direction and can be reversibly positioned in at least two functional positions.

[0038] Advantageously, the positioning device can comprise at least one drive, preferably one, and in particular two or more, electric motors for positioning the forming tool(s). In particular, the number of electric motors and their arrangement depend on the range of motion or positioning to be provided by the positioning device. It is expedient that the at least one electric motor can be controlled by the system control, in particular by position control commands calculated by the processing unit, such that the forming tool(s) can be moved into their respective functional positions.

[0039] Alternatively or additionally, a preferred embodiment provides that the positioning device includes at least one sensor monitoring device for positioning the forming tool(s). The monitoring device is advantageously designed and configured to display the relative position of the forming tool(s), in particular a position orthogonal to the transport direction above the hose sections and / or parallel to the transport direction and / or rotated or pivoted about the axis of rotation or pivot point and / or inclined about the bearing axis. It may be particularly advantageous to provide that the respective functional positions can be displayed.It may also be advantageous to provide that the relative position(s) of the forming tool(s) can be transmitted from the monitoring device to the plant control, in particular to the computing unit, in order to use or be able to use the relative position of the forming tool(s) for the calculation of the position control commands and / or the motion profiles.

[0040] Advantageously, the bottom opening station includes the detection device for opening the end of the hose section. This detection device is located in front of the two rotating forming tools.

[0041] Advantageously, the detection device is capable of detecting both material layers of the respective hose section, whereby the respective material layers can be separated from each other from a common base plane using the detection device. This detection device is particularly suitable for exerting forces on the two outer material layers, with the forces being directed in opposite directions. The forces acting must advantageously be large enough to overcome any attractive forces that may be present, which can be caused, for example, by electrostatic charging.

[0042] At least two suction cups are particularly suitable for this purpose, preferably arranged on or designed as suction cup beams. The respective suction cups are advantageously designed and arranged perpendicular to the transport direction, opposite each other, so that they can be brought into contact with the superimposed material layers or their common base plane from both sides. It has proven particularly advantageous for the suction cups to be driven parallel and transversely to the transport direction. It is advantageous to provide that the respective suction cups can be driven by a common drive. Alternatively, it can be provided that the respective suction cups for a first layer of superimposed material and the respective suction cups for a second layer of superimposed material are driven by separate, independently controllable drives.

[0043] Furthermore, it has proven particularly advantageous in practice if the end to be opened is bent by 90° from the horizontal starting plane into an opening plane perpendicular to the starting plane, which is preferably identical to the aforementioned common base plane, before opening by means of the detection device.

[0044] The suction cups can be advantageously subjected to negative pressure, allowing them to be brought into contact with the material layers and the layers to be fixed to the respective suction cup by the vacuum. If the suction cups are then moved in a direction deviating from the base plane, the material layers are also moved away from each other, thereby opening the tube section or making the interior of the tube section accessible for the engagement of the forming tools. Because the suction cups are preferably designed to be movable parallel to the transport direction, the separation of the two material layers can take place during continuous production. In particular, a gripping device or suction device known from WO 2009 / 121842 A1 is provided.

[0045] Preferably, the suction device can be controlled by the system control system using suction control commands, wherein, in particular, a movement profile of the respective suction cups can be controlled / adjusted by means of the suction control commands, preferably independently of each other. The suction control commands are advantageously calculable by means of the processing unit. In particular, the control commands for controlling the forming tools can be calculated by means of the processing unit based on the current and / or expected position of the suction cups. Alternatively or additionally, it can be provided that the suction control commands for controlling the suction cups, in particular for the independent control of the respective suction cups relative to each other, can be calculated by means of the processing unit based on the current and / or expected position of the forming tools. In particular, this embodiment provides effective collision prevention between the suction cups.the suction device and the forming tools are ready.

[0046] According to an optional embodiment of the device, at least one geometry detection device is arranged in the transport direction in front of and / or behind and / or inside the bottom opening station. Advantageously, the geometry detection device is designed such that measurement signals for calculating control commands can be acquired and forwarded to the processing unit.

[0047] For example, the measurement signals for calculating control commands, in particular the control commands for the forming tools and / or further control commands for at least one further processing station or processing device, for example a further bottom opening station, in particular a suction device and / or a positioning device and / or the bottom closing station and / or a cover sheet station and / or a transport device, can be captured by the geometry recognition device and transmitted to the computing unit.

[0048] Advantageously, the processing unit can use the measurement signals to determine the orientation of the hose section or the packaging geometry generated by the bottom opening station, preferably a bag geometry, in particular the angles of the corner folds or the respective bottom triangles formed, and compare this with corresponding target data stored in a data memory. According to a preferred embodiment, the respective control commands can be calculated based on the calculated comparison values ​​and transmitted to the system control. Advantageously, the forming tools and, more preferably, all processing stations or processing devices connected to the system control can be individually controlled with individually calculated control commands using the control commands generated in this way, in order to provide the most flexible possible work result.

[0049] It may be advantageous to provide that the respective processing stations or processing devices connected to the plant control system can independently or on demand transmit certain operating parameters, e.g. operating parameters measured by their own sensors such as working temperature, movement or circulation speeds, suction power, etc., to the computing unit for the calculation of control commands, in particular for all processing stations or processing devices connected to the plant control system.

[0050] Preferably, the geometry detection device comprises at least one sensor. Preferably, at least one of the sensors is based on ultrasound technology or radiation technology, in particular laser technology, or is designed as an optical detection device, in particular as a camera with preferably integrated image processing, or as a touch probe. Furthermore, it has proven particularly reliable in practice if the geometry detection device comprises at least two identical or different sensors, wherein the at least two identical or different sensors are based on ultrasound technology and / or radiation technology, in particular laser technology, and / or are designed as an optical detection device, in particular as a camera with preferably integrated image processing, or as a touch probe.

[0051] According to a particular alternative or supplementary variant of the invention, it is advantageously provided that the calculation of the respective control commands or the respective motion profiles is load-dependent, or that the respective forming tools can be controlled or are controlled in a load-controlled manner. "Load-dependent" or "load-controlled" means, in particular, that based on output-side loads, the respective movements, especially motion profiles, are adapted in such a way that a reaction to deviations from a target value is possible. A compensation between the forming tools located orthogonally opposite to the transport direction is particularly advantageous in order to achieve the most uniform possible geometry of the packaging base in a load-controlled manner. Advantageously, the respective points of action are determined, or can be determined, by means of the output-side loads.This variant offers the particular advantage that the points of action can be automatically adapted or aligned to one another. The output-side loads are measured, in particular, via a force and / or a torque and / or at least an indirect quantity such as current or temperature at the drive, especially at the individual drive, preferably at the electric motor.

[0052] Preferably, the data storage is integrated into the plant control system and / or the computing unit. Alternatively or additionally, the data storage can be arranged decentrally to the device and connected to the plant control system and / or the computing unit via a data connection. Two data storage devices that regularly synchronize via a data connection are particularly advantageous to maintain production capability in the event of system failures or external influences.

[0053] It can also be advantageous to integrate the computing unit into the system control system. Alternatively or additionally, the system control system can be arranged decentrally to the device and connected to it, and in particular to the geometry recognition device, via a data connection. The decentralized computing unit and the integrated computing unit can be used synergistically and complement each other, or they can replace each other in the event of system failures or external influences. The use of a decentralized computing unit can also be considered for particularly demanding calculations with many parameters to be calculated and / or in confined working environments and / or under demanding or system-hostile environmental conditions, e.g., high humidity and / or high temperatures.

[0054] It may also be advantageous for the system control and / or the computing unit to have a user interface by means of which an operator can enter and transmit to the computing unit and / or the system control the respective control commands for the forming tools and / or further control commands for at least one additional processing station or processing device, for example, another bottom opening station, in particular a suction device and / or a positioning device and / or the bottom closing station and / or a top sheet station and / or the transport device. It may also be provided that the system control and / or the computing unit is connected / connectable to such a user interface.

[0055] Alternatively or additionally, it can advantageously be provided that the plant control unit and / or the computing unit has a user interface or is connected / connectable to it, wherein an input received by the plant control unit and / or the computing unit via the user interface can be transmitted from the operator to the computing unit. Advantageously, the computing unit is designed such that it can convert the inputs received via the user interface into the respective control commands for the forming tools and / or further control commands for at least one further processing station or processing device, for example, another bottom opening station, in particular a suction device and / or a positioning device and / or the bottom closing station and / or a top sheet station and / or the transport device, and transmit the respective converted control commands to the plant control unit.

[0056] It has proven particularly advantageous if the user interface is designed, for example, as a stationary or mobile touch-sensitive display and / or as a mobile electronic device such as a tablet, mobile phone or notebook / laptop.

[0057] In particular, the user interface can be designed such that the operator can also display the measurement signals of the geometry recognition device and / or at least one operating parameter of the forming tools and / or at least one operating parameter of at least one other machining station and / or machining device. Advantageously, the operator can view the respective operating parameters and / or the respective measurement signals in real time during ongoing production via the user interface and / or view histories of the respective operating parameters and / or the respective measurement signals stored in the data memory.

[0058] The aforementioned devices preferably process tubular sections, which may consist in particular of paper, films, or fabrics made of stretched plastic tapes. Such fabrics are often additionally coated. For example, it is known to provide fabrics with a polymer coating. The fabrics themselves often consist of polymer tapes, in particular polyolefin, polypropylene, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), or polyethylene terephthalate, which are preferably monoaxially stretched. The fabric can be woven as a tube. This fabric is provided with a coating formed from a polymer, in particular polyolefin or polypropylene. The polymer is applied to the fabric over its entire surface, with the polymer forming the coating creating a superimposition over the material layers formed from the fabric during the manufacturing process.

[0059] The problem underlying the invention is further solved by a method for producing flexible packaging, in particular bags, from tubular sections comprising at least two superimposed layers of material. The method provides that the tubular sections are transported along the transport path in the transport direction by means of a transport device. The transport direction runs transversely to the longitudinal direction of the tubular sections, with the tubular sections being transported lying flat in their initial position in the horizontal starting plane.

[0060] The process involves opening at least one end of each hose section using the bottom opening station. Furthermore, it is provided that the respective opened ends of the hose sections are formed, in particular spread, into the open cross bottom by means of two rotating forming tools of the bottom opening station, arranged orthogonally to the transport direction and positioned above it. This process creates the corner indentations, which are aligned during the forming, and in particular the spreading, process.

[0061] According to the procedure, the opened cross-shaped bottoms are closed using the bottom-closing station. If necessary, further processing steps can be carried out in additional processing stations or devices. For example, a pre-breaking station or a grooving device, a valve-tapping station, and / or a bottom-cap flattening station can be provided, in which the aforementioned processing steps are carried out.

[0062] According to the invention, the method provides that the forming tools of the bottom opening station, which are orthogonal to the transport direction, are controlled independently of one another by means of the system control, such that the movements of the at least two forming tools relative to each other can be controlled, or are controlled, at least partially independently by means of control commands. For this purpose, it is preferably provided that the control commands for controlling the forming tools are calculated by the processing unit.

[0063] It is also advantageous to foresee that, by means of the method according to the invention, the flexible packagings, in particular the bags, are produced from tubular pieces which have a fabric made of stretched plastic strips.

[0064] This manufacturing process is particularly advantageous to carry out using a device for producing flexible packaging, especially bags, from tubular sections according to one of the preceding or following embodiments.

[0065] According to an optional variant of the invention, at least the forming tools of the bottom opening station that are orthogonal to the transport direction are controlled independently of each other by means of the system control with control commands calculated by the computing unit in such a way that a movement profile of the at least two forming tools, in particular points of action at which the forming tools are brought into engagement or out of engagement with the respective packaging bottom, the forming length and / or the rotational speed, is controlled independently of the other forming tool(s).

[0066] A particular embodiment of the invention further provides that at least one of the forming tools is moved into one of at least two functional positions by means of at least one positioning device, at least transversely to the transport direction and / or parallel to the transport direction and / or rotatably or pivotally about an axis of rotation or a pivot point and / or tiltably about a bearing axis.

[0067] According to an advantageous further development of the method, it is provided that the at least two forming tools arranged orthogonally opposite each other to the transport direction and driven in a circumferential manner are jointly movable at least transversely to the transport direction and / or parallel to the transport direction by means of at least one positioning device and / or are rotatable or pivotable about an axis of rotation or a pivot point and / or are tiltable about a bearing axis and can be transferred into one of at least two functional positions and reversibly positioned in a fixed location.Alternatively, an optional further development provides that the at least two orthogonally opposite, continuously driven forming tools are each independently of one another, at least transversely to the transport direction and / or parallel to the transport direction, and / or rotatable or pivotable about a rotation axis or pivot point and / or tiltable about a bearing axis, and can be transferred into one of at least two functional positions and reversibly fixed in position by means of at least one positioning device.

[0068] In particular, in a device where the respective forming tools are driven independently of one another by means of a drive, preferably each its own, via mechanical transmission elements, the positioning device, especially in conjunction with the independent control of the forming tools, enables a particularly advantageous adaptable positioning of the cross bottom as well as compensation for possible wear of the device itself.

[0069] Advantageously, at least one electric motor, and in particular two or more electric motors, of the positioning device are used to position the forming tool(s). The at least one electric motor is controlled by the system control, in particular by position control commands calculated by the processing unit, such that the forming tool(s) are moved into their respective functional positions. Alternatively or additionally, a monitoring device, in particular of the type described above, can also be provided for positioning the forming tool(s). This simplifies, in particular, manual positioning of the forming tools by an operator.

[0070] Preferably, the control unit calculates the control commands for actuating the forming tools based on the current and / or expected position of one of at least two suction cups of the suction device. Alternatively or additionally, the control unit can also calculate the suction cup control commands for actuating the suction cups, in particular for independently actuating the respective suction cups relative to each other, based on the current and / or expected position of the forming tools.

[0071] In an optional embodiment of the method, measurement signals for calculating control commands are acquired by means of the geometry recognition device arranged in the transport direction upstream and / or downstream and / or within the bottom opening station and transmitted to the processing unit. Advantageously, at least control commands for the forming tools and / or further control commands for at least one further processing station or processing device, for example, another bottom opening station, in particular a suction device and / or a positioning device and / or the bottom closing station and / or a top sheet station and / or the transport device, are calculated using the measurement signals.

[0072] Preferably, the processing unit uses the measurement signals to determine the orientation of the hose section or the packaging geometry generated by the bottom opening station, particularly the bag geometry, and compares this with corresponding target data stored in the data memory. In practice, the angles of the corner folds or the respective bottom triangles formed, and / or especially the loads on the outgoing side, have proven to be particularly suitable and informative packaging geometries for this purpose, especially bag geometries. The corresponding control commands are expediently calculated by the processing unit based on the calculated comparison values ​​and transmitted to the system control.

[0073] A particularly advantageous embodiment of the method provides that at least the measurement signals of the geometry recognition device are acquired in real time. In particular, at least one operating parameter of the forming tools and / or, more specifically, at least one operating parameter of at least one further processing station and / or processing device is also acquired in real time. Preferably, the measurement signals acquired in real time are analyzed by the processing unit in conjunction with the data storage device using the trained neural network to determine optimized control commands, at least for the forming tools and / or to determine further optimized control commands for at least one further processing station and / or processing device, particularly with regard to the desired target data. The respective control commands calculated or determined based on the analysis are transmitted to the system control system in a suitable manner.

[0074] To improve the reliability and quality of the optimized control commands determined or calculated by the neural network, one method involves training the neural network using at least one pre-processed training dataset. The neural network is trained to determine optimized control commands for the forming tools and / or optimized control commands for at least one additional machining station and / or machining unit based on historical data stored in the training dataset. In particular, the training dataset includes at least the measurement signals from the geometry recognition device and, especially, the associated control commands and / or operating parameters.

[0075] In particular, it may be provided that the aforementioned training of the neural network is initiated via the user interface. It may also be provided that the operator can view the respective optimized control commands and / or the historical data stored in the respective training dataset via the user interface and adjust them with particular preference.

[0076] An advantageous variant for providing a training dataset adapted to the respective device, and in particular continuously adaptable, involves acquiring at least the measurement signals of the geometry recognition device and at least one operating parameter of the forming tools and / or at least one operating parameter of at least one further machining station and / or machining device in real time and collecting them in the data storage. Preferably, the measurement signals or operating parameters acquired in real time are processed, wherein the processing of the measurement signals or operating parameters particularly includes noise reduction and normalization of the measurement signals or operating parameters. Preferably, a process and / or quality evaluation is carried out with regard to the collected real-time measurement signals or operating parameters.Preferably, the respective acquired real-time data and the performed process and / or quality assessments are stored as a training dataset in order to train the neural network based on this data and these assessments. In particular, it may be provided that the process and / or quality assessment can be at least partially supported and / or carried out by an operator via the user interface.

[0077] Preferably, such a training data set is generated at regular intervals in order to compensate for wear and tear, in particular by taking into account or compensating for the wear and tear of mechanical transmission elements in the evolving optimized control commands.

[0078] The training dataset also offers a backup function in case of system failures.

[0079] It can also be provided that at least the measurement signals of the geometry recognition device and / or the output-side loads and at least one operating parameter of the forming tools and / or at least one operating parameter of at least one further machining station and / or machining device are regularly and / or continuously recorded in real time during the ongoing manufacturing process and collected in the data storage. Preferably, the measurement signals and / or operating parameters recorded in real time are processed accordingly. Preferably, a process and / or quality evaluation is carried out with regard to the collected measurement signals or operating parameters recorded in real time. Advantageously, it is provided that the neural network is continuously trained with the respective measurement data recorded in real time and the respective process and / or quality evaluations carried out.

[0080] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description, in which various exemplary embodiments are explained in detail with reference to the figures. The features mentioned in the claims and in the description can be essential to the invention individually or in any combination thereof. Within the scope of the entire disclosure, features and details described in connection with the method according to the invention naturally also apply in connection with the device according to the invention, and vice versa, so that the disclosure always makes, or can make, reciprocal references to the individual aspects of the invention.

[0081] The object underlying the invention is further achieved by a forming device for use, in particular, in the aforementioned apparatus for producing flexible packaging, especially bags, from tubing sections and / or for use, in particular, in the aforementioned method. The forming device comprises, in particular, at least two forming tools arranged orthogonally opposite each other to the transport direction and driven in a circumferential manner, a forming device according to one of the aforementioned embodiments, and at least one positioning device according to one of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0082] The individual figures show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a forming device, Fig. 2 a schematic representation of individual steps for the production of a fabric tube for flexible packaging, in particular bags, according to an embodiment of a production device, Fig. 3 a schematic representation of individual steps for the production of a fabric tube for flexible packaging, in particular bags, according to an embodiment of the production device and Fig. 4 A schematic control diagram of a variant of the manufacturing device.

[0083] In the various figures of the drawing, identical parts are always labelled with the same reference symbols.

[0084] For the following description, it is claimed that the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and not to all or several features of the described combinations of features, but that each individual partial feature of the exemplary embodiment(s) is also significant for the subject matter of the invention independently of all other partial features described in connection therewith and also in combination with any features of another exemplary embodiment.

[0085] Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows individual work steps in the production of flexible packaging, in particular bags, from tubular sections 13, in particular tubular sections 13 made of a fabric of stretched plastic strips. The tubular sections 13 have at least two superimposed layers of material, whereby the material layers themselves may be multi-layered.

[0086] First, a hose 2, in particular a woven hose, is fed to a device 1 for the production of flexible packaging, in particular bags, from hose sections 13. This is advantageously done by unwinding the hose 2, which forms a coil 3, in an unwinding device 4.

[0087] The tube 2 is then expediently opened in a so-called layer separation station 5, whereby the tube 2 is guided around an internal tool so that the material layers are separated if they were glued together in a previous step of the tube production. Only with separated material layers is it ensured that the subsequent production steps for manufacturing the flexible packaging, in particular the bags, from the tube sections 13 can be carried out properly.

[0088] Subsequently, the separated layers of material of the hose 2 are laid on top of each other again and advantageously fed to a transverse cutting device 6, which separates the hose 2 into individual hose pieces 13.

[0089] Preferably, a subsequent change of the original transport direction to a new transport direction X takes place, particularly in a path-changing device 7, such that the hose sections 13 are no longer transported in the original transport direction, which corresponds to a longitudinal direction U of the hose sections 13, but along a transport path transverse to the original transport direction X or their respective longitudinal direction U. The transport of the hose sections 13 is carried out by means of a transport device, wherein the hose sections 13 are transported in a flat initial position lying in a horizontal starting plane.It has proven particularly advantageous if the hose sections 13 are transported such that one end 15 of the hose sections 13 faces an operator side 26 of the device 1 and the other end 15 of the hose sections 13 faces a drive side 25 of the device 1 opposite the transport direction X. The drive side 25 and the operator side 26 are in . Fig. 2 marked. This makes it advantageously accessible laterally transverse to the transport direction X a longitudinal end 15 of the respective hose piece 13, directed in the longitudinal direction U of the hose piece 2 and a longitudinal end 15 of the respective hose piece 13, to form a cross bottom.

[0090] In at least one subsequent bottom opening station 8, at least one end 15 of each hose section 13 is opened and an open cross bottom 19 is formed. For this purpose, a gripping device, in particular a suction device 27, is expediently used to separate the material layers or to open the respective end 15. By means of at least two rotating forming tools 20 arranged orthogonally opposite each other to the transport direction X, in particular the forming tools 20 being elements of a forming device 21, the respective opened ends 15 of the hose sections 13 are formed, in particular spread out, whereby the resulting corner indentations are aligned.

[0091] In an optional valve station 9, which follows the at least one bottom opening station 8, a valve is attached to at least one open bottom 19 of the hose section 13.

[0092] In a bottom closing station 10, the open ends 19 of the hose sections 13 are closed by folding two tabs one over the other from the respective end 15 of the respective hose section 13 towards a fold edge, such that the tabs preferably overlap in the area of ​​the fold edge. Advantageously, the tabs are permanently connected to each other, e.g. by welding.

[0093] It can also be provided that a bottom cover sheet is applied to the folded bottoms at a cover sheet station 11. The bottom cover sheets can also be welded together for this purpose. Preferably, the finished packaging, in particular the finished bags, are then placed on a packaging or bag stack 12 and transported away from there in a manner not described in more detail.

[0094] Fig. Figure 2 shows an exemplary transport section, in particular in the area of ​​the bottom opening station(s) 8, of an embodiment of the device 1 for producing bags from hose sections 13. Advantageously, the hose sections 13 are transported along the transport path on the surface of a support 14, e.g. a table, in a starting position lying flat in a horizontal starting plane.

[0095] To open one end 15 of the hose section 13, this end 15 is preferably first transferred from its horizontal starting position or plane into a vertically extending opening plane O. To enable this folding, an advantageous embodiment provides that the hose section 13 is subjected to a counter-position. This is expediently achieved by threading the hose section 13 under a folding band 16, wherein this folding band 16 is at rest relative to the hose sections 13 and thus in motion relative to the support 14. Alternatively, however, it can also be provided that the hose sections 13 move relative to the folding band 16. This is the case, for example, when the folding band 16 is at rest relative to the support 14. Advantageously, an advantageous embodiment provides that the folding band 16 consists of a flexible, yet highly pre-tensioned material.Alternatively, the folded strip 16 can advantageously be made of steel sheets which are connected to the support 14 or a machine frame of the device 1 in a manner not shown. Steel sheets often have the advantage over other components or materials that they have a relatively smaller thickness for the same load-bearing capacity.

[0096] Preferably, after being threaded into the folding band 16, the hose section 13 is guided past a guide element 17, for example a guide plate, which folds the respective end 15 of the hose sections 13 from the initial position or starting plane by 90° into the opening plane O.

[0097] After the end 15 of the hose section 13 has advantageously been brought into the opening plane O, it reaches a receiving device for opening the respective end 15. The receiving device is advantageously designed as a suction device 27. It can be provided that the suction device 27 comprises at least two suction cups arranged orthogonally opposite each other to the transport direction X. The suction cups are each driven to be movable at least parallel and transverse to the transport direction X and are designed such that each suction cup can draw in one of the two superimposed material layers of the end 15 of the hose section 13.Advantageously, the two opposing suction cups are movable transversely to the transport direction X in a direction pointing away from the other suction cup, so that the end 15 of the respective hose section 13 is opened to engage two subsequent forming tools 20, particularly during transport in the transport direction X. In particular, the gripping device or suction device corresponds to the embodiment disclosed in WO 2009 / 121842 A1.

[0098] Advantageously, an interior space at the end 15 of the hose section 13 is accessible following the detection device. Forming tools 20, particularly spreading tools 20, engage in this interior space. Spreading or forming tools 20 designed as a pair of sickles 28 have proven especially advantageous. The forming tools 20 further separate the material layers until they lie horizontally in the initial plane again. This situation can be seen from the open bottom 19 in Fig. Figure 2 shows an exemplary advantageous embodiment of a demolding device 21 of a bottom opening station 8, with two demolding tools 20. Fig. 3 shown as examples.

[0099] Upon exiting the bottom opening station 8, the hose section 13 is located with the packaging bottom 19 or cross bottom 19 open, with all elements of the respective bottom lying essentially in the plane of the support 14.

[0100] If both ends 15 of each hose section 13 are to be provided with open packaging bottoms or cross bottoms, it is particularly intended that, as in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, both ends 15 of the hose sections 13 are transferred into their respective opening planes O, opened by a detection device, and formed by forming tools 20, in particular, spread open. It is particularly possible that the aforementioned advantageous embodiment of the bottom opening station 8 is configured both on the operator side 26 and, in a nearly identical, in particular mirrored, form, on the drive side 25 of the device 1. However, it is also possible that the respective devices for transferring the respective ends 15 into their respective opening planes are arranged offset from one another along the transport path.It is emphasized that all design variants mentioned above or below with regard to the floor opening station 8 are always transferable to all floor opening stations 8 encompassed by the device 1, in particular the floor opening station 8 designed on the drive side, and the floor opening station 8 arranged on the operator side.

[0101] The bottom opening station 8 is advantageously completed by a pressing device, preferably comprising pressing rollers 23. The pressing rollers 23 are designed such that the opened bottoms 19 are pressed down and thus fixed in their respective initial position. Creases, which can occur particularly during the opening of the bottoms, are advantageously smoothed out by the pressing rollers 23 and then form folded edges, thus reducing the tendency of the bottoms to curl up. A support 14 or correspondingly designed counter-pressure rollers 24 preferably serve as a counter-pressure element for the pressing rollers 23. The pressing rollers 23 are arranged in Fig. 2 are arranged at the same height when viewed in the transport direction X. However, these pressure rollers 23 can also be arranged offset from each other, so that the opened bottoms 19 can also be pressed down in the manner described immediately after the opening process.

[0102] According to the invention, a system control unit 29 provides that the forming tools 20 of the bottom opening station 8, arranged orthogonally opposite to the transport direction X, can be controlled independently of one another by control commands calculated in a computing unit 30, such that the movements or movement profiles of the at least two forming tools 20 are at least partially controllable independently relative to each other. The system control unit 29 is exemplified in Fig. 4 shown.

[0103] In particular, the forming tools 20 can be controlled independently of one another by means of the system control 29 with control commands calculated by the computing unit 30 in such a way that a movement profile of the at least two forming tools 20, in particular at least points of action at which the forming tools are brought into engagement or out of engagement with the respective packaging base and / or a forming length and / or a rotational speed, can be controlled independently of the other forming tool(s) 20.

[0104] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 3, it has proven advantageous if the at least two forming tools 20 are controllable by means of at least one independently controllable individual drive 31, in particular an electric motor, preferably an electric geared servo motor, and are designed as a sickle pair 28, which is particularly advantageous.

[0105] Fig. Figure 3 shows a further advantageous embodiment of the invention. Here, the two opposing forming tools 20 are arranged on a positioning device 32 orthogonally to the transport direction X above the hose sections 13. It is particularly advantageous that the forming tools 20 are jointly displaceable at least transversely, see arrow A, and / or parallel, see axis B, to the transport direction X. This allows a position and / or distance of the forming tools 20 to be expediently set relative to the support 14. Alternatively or additionally, it can also be provided that the forming tools 20 are arranged individually and / or jointly to be rotatable or pivotable about an axis of rotation or a pivot point, see axis of rotation C. Likewise, it can also be provided alternatively or additionally that the forming tools 20 are each arranged to be tiltable about a bearing axis, see arrow D.Alternatively, it can also be provided that, according to an embodiment not shown, each forming tool 20 is arranged on its own positioning device 32.

[0106] In practice, it has proven particularly advantageous to design the positioning device 32 in such a way that the forming tools 20 can be reversibly positioned in at least two functional positions, either together or independently of each other.

[0107] One possible further development of the positioning device 32 is that the positioning device 32 comprises at least one electric motor, in particular two or more electric motors, for positioning the forming tool(s) 20. The respective electric motor(s) is / are expediently designed as a servo motor or servo motors.

[0108] Preferably, it can be provided that the at least one electric motor is controlled by the plant control system 29, as exemplified in Fig. 4 shown, in particular can be controlled with position control commands calculated by the computing unit 30 in such a way that the forming tool(s) 20 can be transferred into its respective functional position.

[0109] According to an advantageous embodiment not shown, the positioning device 32 comprises at least one sensor monitoring device which is designed and configured such that a relative position of the forming tool(s) 20, in particular a position orthogonal to the transport direction X above the hose sections 13 and / or parallel to the transport direction X and / or rotated or pivoted about the axis of rotation or pivot point and / or inclined about the bearing axis, can be displayed. It has also proven particularly advantageous that the monitoring devices are designed such that at least the respective functional positions can be displayed. It can be particularly advantageous that the relative position(s) of the forming tool(s) 2 determined by the monitoring device can be used for calculating the control commands of the at least two forming tools 20.They are taken into account when calculating the respective control commands.

[0110] It can also be provided that, according to an advantageous embodiment, the detection device, in particular the suction device 27, is also designed to be controllable by the system control unit 29 with suction control commands. The suction control commands are expediently also computable by the processing unit 30. Furthermore, it can be provided that the control commands for controlling the forming tools 20 can be computed by the processing unit 30 based on the current and / or expected position of the suction devices. Alternatively or additionally, it can be provided that the suction control commands for controlling the suction devices, in particular for the independent control of the respective suction devices relative to each other, can be computed by the processing unit 30 based on the current and / or expected position of the forming tools 20.

[0111] According to a special alternative or supplementary variant for calculating the control commands for the forming tools 20, the calculation of the respective control commands or the respective motion profiles is advantageously load-dependent, or the respective forming tools 20 can be controlled or are controlled in a load-controlled manner. "Load-dependent" or "load-controlled" means, in particular, that based on output-side loads 37, the respective movements of the forming tools 20, especially motion profiles, are adapted in such a way that a reaction to deviations from a target value is possible. A compensation between the forming tools orthogonally opposite each other to the transport direction is particularly advantageous in order to provide the most uniform geometry possible for the packaging base; this compensation can be adjusted in a load-controlled manner. The respective points of action are determined by means of the output-side loads 37.The respective points of action can be determined. This variant offers the particular advantage that the points of action can be automatically adapted or aligned with one another. The output-side loads 37 are measured in particular via a force and / or a torque and / or at least an indirect quantity such as current or temperature at the drive.

[0112] One embodiment of the invention provides that at least one geometry detection device 33 is arranged in the transport direction X in front of and / or behind and / or within the bottom opening station 8. The geometry detection device 33 is preferably configured such that it can detect measurement signals for calculating control commands, in particular for forming tools 20, and / or for further control commands for at least one further processing station or processing device, for example, another bottom opening station 8, in particular the suction device 27 and / or the positioning device 32 and / or the bottom closing station 10 and / or the top sheet station 11. The detected measurement signals can be transmitted to the processing unit 30 in a suitable manner.The transmission of the measurement signals can expediently take place directly via a data connection between the geometry recognition device 33 and the processing unit 30. Alternatively or additionally, it can be provided that the transmission of the measurement signals between the geometry recognition device 33 and the processing unit 30 expediently takes place indirectly via the plant control unit 29.

[0113] The processing unit 30 is designed in such a way that, based on the measurement signals, the orientation of the hose section 13 or a packaging geometry generated by the bottom opening station 8, for example a bag geometry, in particular the angles of the corner folds or the respective bottom triangles formed, and / or a load on the output side 37, can be determined and compared with corresponding target data stored in a data memory 34. Particularly advantageously, the respective control commands can be calculated based on comparative values ​​derived from this comparison and transmitted to the system control 29.

[0114] Further processing stations or processing devices can, in the context of the invention, in particular all stations and / or devices that can be controlled for production by means of respective control commands, in particular including, but not limited to, the bottom opening station 8, in particular the forming device 21 and / or the forming tools 20 and / or positioning device 32 and / or the suction device 27 and / or the pressure rollers 23 and / or the bottom closing station 10 and / or the top sheet station 11 and / or the transport device and / or valve station 9 and / or pre-cutting station and / or the layer separation station 5.

[0115] The geometry detection device 33 can also be advantageously configured such that the exact position of at least one of the edges of the hose sections 13 formed by the fabric can be detected as a measurement signal. This variant corresponds in particular to the embodiment known from WO 2015 / 032485 A1. Such edges are generated by the fact that, in the case of coated hose sections 13, especially those coated with a polymer, the coating or the polymer projects beyond an edge region of the hose section 13, so that the edge region forms a detectable edge in the polymer layer. The position of the hose section 13 within the device 1 is thereby determined, in a particularly preferred manner, by the outer edge of the hose section 13 within the polymer.

[0116] Advantageously, the geometry recognition device 33 comprises at least one sensor, which is expediently based on ultrasound technology or radiation technology, in particular laser technology, or is designed as an optical detection device, in particular as a camera, preferably with integrated image evaluation, or as a touch device.

[0117] Fig.Figure 4 schematically shows an advantageous embodiment of the invention, wherein the plant control unit 29 and / or the computing unit 30 have a user interface 35 and / or are connected / connectable to a user interface 35. Preferably, the user interface 35 allows an operator 36 to alternatively or additionally input the respective control commands for the forming tools 20 and / or for at least one further processing station or processing device and transmit them to the computing unit 30 and / or to the plant control unit 29. It can also be provided that the input received via the user interface 35 can be transmitted from an operator 36 to the computing unit 30.It is advantageous if the computing unit 30 is designed in such a way that it can convert the respective inputs received via the user interface 35 into the respective control commands for the forming tools 20 and / or for at least one further processing station or processing device. The converted control commands generated in this way can advantageously be transmitted to the plant control system 29.

[0118] According to a further advantageous embodiment, at least the measurement signals of the geometry recognition device 33 and / or the output-side loads 37, and in particular at least one operating parameter of one of the machining stations and / or machining devices, are recorded in real time. The operating parameters may include, in particular, operating temperatures, traverse or rotation speeds, extraction rates, etc., which are recorded by means of sensors designed for this purpose and arranged at the respective machining stations and / or machining devices.

[0119] The computing unit 30, in conjunction with the data storage unit 34, is configured such that, in particular, the measurement signals and operating parameters acquired in real time are analyzed by means of a trained neural network in order to determine optimized control commands, at least for the forming tools 20. In particular, the neural network can also be used to analyze further control commands for at least one additional processing station and / or processing device based on the measurement signals and operating parameters acquired in real time. The optimized control commands are preferably designed to optimize the manufacturing process so that the measurement signals acquired by the geometry recognition device 33 approximate the target data.

[0120] In particular, the neural network can be trained with training datasets to improve the quality of the optimized control commands it generates. The training datasets can be pre-processed and fed into the neural network, especially via the user interface 35. Alternatively or additionally, the neural network can generate its own training dataset based on historical data or measurement signals and operating parameters. It is also possible for the neural network to train itself independently, particularly in real time, in parallel with the generation of optimized control commands.Preferably, it is provided that during ongoing production, measurement signals from the geometry recognition device 33 and at least one operating parameter of the forming tools 20 and / or at least one operating parameter of at least one further processing station and / or processing device are acquired in real time, and a process and / or quality evaluation with regard to the measurement signals or operating parameters is carried out almost immediately. The neural network is then continuously trained using the acquired real-time data and the process and / or quality evaluation. In the latter variant, it cannot be ruled out that an intermediate storage is provided for carrying out the method.

[0121] A forming device 21 according to the invention for use in particular in the aforementioned device 1 for producing flexible packaging, in particular bags, from tubular sections 13 and / or for use in particular in the aforementioned method, has in particular at least two forming tools 20 arranged orthogonally opposite to the transport direction X, driven in a circumferential manner according to one of the aforementioned embodiments and at least one positioning device 32 according to one of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0122] The invention is not limited to the illustrated and described embodiments, but also encompasses all embodiments that have the same effect within the meaning of the invention. The embodiments are not limited to the combination of all features; rather, each individual partial feature can have inventive relevance independently of all other partial features. Furthermore, the invention is not limited to the combination of features defined in the independent claims, but can also be defined by any other combination of specific features of all disclosed individual features. Consequently, each individual feature of the respective independent claims can be omitted and / or replaced by at least one individual feature disclosed elsewhere in the application. Reference symbol list 1 Device 2 hoses 3 wraps 4. Unwinding device 5 layer separation station 6 Cross-cutting device 7. Route change device 8 Ground Opening Station 9 valve station 10 floor locking stations 11 Cover sheet station 12 stacks of packaging 13 hose sections 14th edition 15 End of the hose section 16 folding tape 17 Guide element 19 Open (cross) floor 20 Forming tool 21 Forming device 23 Pressure roller 25 Drive side 24 Counter-pressure roller 26 Operator side 27 Suction device 28 pairs of sickles 29 Plant control 30 computing units 31 single drive 32 Positioning device 33 Geometry Recognition Device 34 Data storage 35 User interface 36 Operator 37 Output-side loads A, D Direction of movement of the positioning device B, C axes of movement of the positioning device X Transport direction U Longitudinal direction of the hose section O Opening level QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] WO 2009 / 121842 A1 [0044, 0097] WO 2015 / 032485 A1

[0115]

Claims

[1] Device (1) for producing flexible packaging, in particular bags, from tubular sections (13) which preferably have fabric made of stretched plastic strips and have at least two superimposed layers of material, comprising at least: - at least one transport device for transporting the hose sections (13) along a transport path in a transport direction (X) which runs transversely to a longitudinal direction (U) of the hose sections (13), wherein the hose sections (13) can be conveyed lying flat in a horizontal starting position, - at least one bottom opening station (8) for opening at least one end (15) of the respective hose sections (13) and for forming an open cross bottom with at least two rotating forming tools (20) arranged orthogonally opposite to the transport direction (X) for forming, in particular spreading, the respective opened end (15) of the hose sections (13) and for aligning corner indentations formed thereby and - at least one floor closing station (10), characterized by , that by means of a plant control system (29) the forming tools (20) of the bottom opening station (8) arranged orthogonally to the transport direction (X) can be controlled independently of each other with control commands calculated by a computing unit (30) such that the movements of the at least two forming tools (20) can be controlled at least partially independently of each other. [2] Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized bythat the at least two forming tools (20) can be controlled by means of at least one independently controllable individual drive (31). [3] Device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the individual drives are designed as electric motors, in particular as electric geared servo motors. [4] Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the forming tools (20) are spreading tools (20), preferably designed as a pair of rods or as a pair of contaminated sheet metal or as a pair of sickles (28). [5] Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that by means of the plant control (29) the two forming tools (20) of the at least one bottom opening station (8) can be controlled independently of each other with control commands calculated by the computing unit (30) in such a way that a movement profile of the at least two forming tools (20) comprising at least action points at which the forming tools are brought into engagement or out of engagement with the respective packaging bottom and / or a forming length and / or a rotational speed and / or action or contact points, each independently of the respective other forming tool(s) (20), can be controlled. [6] Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that at least one of the at least two forming tools (20) is arranged on a positioning device (32) orthogonally to the transport direction (X) above the hose pieces (13), wherein the forming tool (20) is translationally movable at least transversely and / or parallel to the transport direction (X) and / or rotatable or pivotable about an axis of rotation or a pivot point and / or tiltable about a bearing axis and can be reversibly positioned in at least two functional positions. [7] Device (1) according to claim 6, characterized by , that the at least two rotating driven forming tools (20) arranged orthogonally to the transport direction (X) opposite each other are arranged together on the positioning device (32) orthogonally to the transport direction (X) above the hose pieces (13). [8] Device (1) according to claim 6, characterized by, that the at least two rotating driven forming tools (20) arranged orthogonally to the transport direction (X) opposite each other are each arranged on their own positioning device (32) orthogonally to the transport direction (X) above the hose sections (13), wherein the forming tools (20) are independently of each other at least transversely and / or parallel to the transport direction (X) translationally movable and / or rotatable or pivotable about the axis of rotation or the pivot point and / or tiltable about the bearing axis and reversibly fixed in position in at least two functional positions. [9] Device (1) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized by, that the positioning device (32) comprises at least one electric motor, in particular two or more electric motors, for positioning the forming tool(s) (20), wherein at least one electric motor can be controlled by the system control (29), in particular by position control commands calculated by the computing unit (30), in such a way that the forming tool(s) (20) can be moved into its respective functional positions. [10] Device (1) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized by, that the positioning device (32) comprises at least one sensory monitoring device for positioning the forming tool(s) (20), wherein the monitoring device is designed and configured in such a way that a relative position of the forming tool(s) (20), in particular a position orthogonal to the transport direction (X) above the hose sections (13) and / or parallel to the transport direction (X) and / or rotated or pivoted about the axis of rotation or pivot point and / or inclined about the bearing axis, can be displayed, preferably that at least the respective functional positions can be displayed, and in particular can be used for calculating the control commands of the at least two forming tools (20). [11] Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that in the transport direction (X) in front of the rotating forming tools (20) a suction device (27) is arranged which can be controlled by the system control (29) with suction control commands, in particular with suction control commands calculated by the computing unit (30), wherein the suction device (27) comprises at least two suction cups arranged orthogonally opposite each other to the transport direction (X), which are each designed to be movably driven at least parallel and transversely to the transport direction (X) and are designed such that by means of the suction cups one of the two superimposed material layers of the end (15) of the tube section (13) can be suctioned, so that by the movement of the suction cup in a direction repelling the respective other suction cup transversely to the transport direction (X) the end (15) of the tube section (13) is opened to engage the forming tools (20),wherein the control commands for controlling the forming tools (20) can be calculated by means of the computing unit (30) on the basis of the current and / or expected position of the suction cups and / or that the suction cup control commands for controlling the suction cups, in particular for controlling the respective suction cups independently of each other, can be calculated by means of the computing unit (30) on the basis of the current and / or expected position of the forming tools (20). [12] Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that at least one geometry detection device (33) is arranged in the transport direction (X) in front of and / or behind and / or inside the bottom opening station (8), wherein the geometry detection device (33) is designed such that measurement signals for calculating control commands, in particular for the forming tools (20) and / or of further control commands for at least one further processing station or processing device, for example a further bottom opening station (8), in particular the suction device (27) and / or the positioning device (32) and / or the bottom closing station (10) and / or a cover sheet station (11), can be detected by the geometry detection device (33) and transmitted to the computing unit (30), wherein, by means of the computing unit (30), an orientation of the hose section (13) or the bottom closing station (10) can be determined based on the measurement signals.a packaging geometry generated by the bottom opening station (8), in particular the angles of the corner indentations or the respective formed bottom triangles, can be determined and compared with corresponding target data stored in a data storage device (34), and the respective control commands can be calculated and transmitted to the plant control system (29) on the basis of calculated comparison values. [13] Device (1) according to claim 12 , characterized bythat the geometry detection device (33) comprises at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor is based on an ultrasound technique or a radiation technique, in particular a laser technique, or is designed as an optical detection device, in particular a camera, preferably with an integrated image evaluation, or as a touch device; or that the geometry detection device (33) comprises at least two identical or different sensors, wherein the at least two identical or different sensors are based on the ultrasound technique and / or the radiation technique, in particular the laser technique, and / or are designed as an optical detection device, in particular a camera, preferably with an integrated image evaluation, or as a touch device. [14] Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the plant control unit (29) and / or the computing unit (30) has a user interface (35) and / or is / are connected / connectable to the user interface (35) by means of which an operator (36) can input the respective control commands for the forming tools (20) and / or for at least one further processing station or processing device and transmit them to the computing unit (30) and / or to the plant control unit (29). [15] Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the plant control (29) and / or the computing unit (30) has a user interface (35) and / or is / are connected / connectable to the user interface (35), wherein an input received by the plant control (29) and / or computing unit (30) via the user interface (35) can be transmitted by an operator (36) to the computing unit (30), wherein the computing unit (30) is designed such that the respective inputs received via the user interface (35) can be converted into the respective independent control commands for the forming tools (20) and / or for at least one further processing station or processing device and the converted control commands can be transmitted to the plant control (29). [16] Method for producing flexible packaging, in particular bags, from tubular sections (13), which preferably have fabric made of stretched plastic tapes and have at least two superimposed layers of material, in particular by means of a device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 15, wherein the tubular sections (13) are transported by means of a transport device along a transport path in a transport direction (X) which runs transversely to a longitudinal direction (U) of the tubular sections (13), lying flat in an initial position lying in a horizontal starting plane, wherein at least one end (15) of each hose section (13) is opened by means of a bottom opening station (8), wherein by means of two rotating forming tools (20) arranged orthogonally to the transport direction (X) opposite each other, the respective open ends (15) of the hose pieces (13) are formed into an open cross bottom, in particular spread out, and the corner indentations formed thereby are aligned, wherein the opened cross floors are closed by means of a floor closing station (10), characterized by , that By means of a system control (29) the forming tools (20) of the bottom opening station (8) arranged orthogonally to the transport direction (X) are controlled independently of each other with control commands calculated by a computing unit (30) in such a way that the movements of the at least two forming tools (20) are at least partially controllable or are controlled independently of each other. [17] Method according to claim 16 characterized by, that by means of the plant control (29) the forming tools (20) are controlled independently of each other with control commands calculated by the computing unit (30) in such a way that a forming length and / or a rotational speed of the at least two forming tools (20) are each controlled independently of the respective other forming tool(s) (20). [18] Method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized by , that at least one of the forming tools (20) is movable translationally at least transversely and / or parallel to the transport direction (X) and / or rotatable or pivotable about a rotational axis or pivot point and / or tiltable about a bearing axis by means of at least one positioning device into one of at least two functional positions and is reversibly fixed in position. [19] Method according to claim 17, characterized by, that the at least two rotating driven forming tools (20) arranged orthogonally opposite to the transport direction (X) are jointly movable at least transversely and / or parallel to the transport direction (X) by means of a positioning device, and / or rotatable or pivotable about a pivot axis or a pivot point, and / or tiltable about a bearing axis, and moved into one of at least two functional positions and reversibly fixed in position, or that the at least two rotating driven forming tools (20) arranged orthogonally opposite to the transport direction (X) are each moved independently of each other at least transversely and / or parallel to the transport direction (X) by means of at least one positioning device, and / or rotatable or pivotable about a pivot point, and / or tiltable about a bearing axis, into one of at least two functional positions and reversibly fixed in position. [20] Method according to claim 18 or 19, characterized by , that at least one electric motor, in particular more than two or more electric motors, of the positioning device (32) for positioning the forming tool(s) (20) is controlled by the system control (29), in particular by position control commands calculated by the computing unit (30), in such a way that the forming tool(s) (20) is / are transferred into its respective functional positions. [21] Method according to any one of claims 16 to 20, characterized by, that the control commands for controlling the forming tools (20) are calculated by means of the computing unit (30) on the basis of the current and / or expected position of one of at least two suction cups of a suction device (27) and / or that suction cup control commands for controlling the suction cups, in particular for the independent control of the respective suction cups relative to each other, are calculated by means of the computing unit (30) on the basis of the current and / or expected positions of forming tools (20). [22] Method according to any one of claims 16 to 21, characterized by, that by means of a geometry recognition device (33) arranged in a transport direction (X) in front of and / or behind and / or inside the bottom opening station (8), measurement signals for calculating control commands, in particular for the forming tools (20) and / or for further control commands for at least one further processing station or processing device, for example another bottom opening station (8), in particular a suction device (27) and / or a positioning device (32) and / or the bottom closing station (10) and / or a cover sheet station (11), are detected and transmitted to the computing unit (30), wherein, by means of the computing unit (30), based on the measurement signals, an orientation of the hose section (13) ora packaging geometry generated by the bottom opening station (8), in particular the angles of the corner indentations or the respective formed bottom triangles, is determined and compared with corresponding target data stored in a data storage device (34), and on the basis of calculated comparison values ​​the respective control commands are calculated and transmitted to the plant control system (29). [23] Method according to any one of claims 16 to 22, characterized by , that the calculation of the control commands for controlling the forming tools (20) is load-dependent and is automatically adapted to each other, in particular aligned, at points of action where the forming tools (20) are brought into engagement or out of engagement with the respective packaging base. [24] Forming device (21) for use in a device (1) for the production of flexible packaging, in particular bags, from tubular sections (13), in particular according to one of claims 1 to 15, and / or for use in a method for the production of flexible packaging, in particular bags, from tubular sections (13), in particular according to one of claims 16 to 23, comprising at least two rotating forming tools (20) arranged orthogonally to the transport direction (X) above, for forming, in particular spreading, an open end (15) of the tubular sections (13) and for aligning corner folds formed thereby, and at least one positioning device (32) by means of which at least one of the at least two forming tools (20) can be arranged orthogonally to the transport direction (X) above the tubular sections (13), characterized by, that the forming tools (20) are designed and configured to be connectable by means of a system control (29) in such a way that the forming tools (20) arranged orthogonally to the transport direction (X) opposite each other can be controlled independently of each other by means of the system control (29) with control commands calculated by a computing unit (30) in such a way that the movements of the at least two forming tools (20) can be controlled at least partially independently of each other. [25] Forming device (21) according to claim 24, characterized by that the forming tools (20) have the features of at least one of claims 2 to 5 and / or the at least one or two positioning device(s) (32) have the features of at least one of claims 6 to 10.

Images