Computer program product for controlling / regulating steps of a method for discharging packaging material units, control / regulation unit and turning and / or packing unit for a packaging material production line and use

Abstract

A computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to execute steps of the following method on the computer: Method for controlling / regulating at least one processing process by controlled / regulated handling of at least one packaging material unit (1) of at least one batch (3) of a plurality of packaging material units in a packaging material production line (100) in the conveying direction (x100) downstream of a folding-gluing process relating to the respective packaging material unit, in particular for the purpose of error trigger-based rejection of rejects, wherein the controlling / regulating is carried out based on at least one signal or trigger (ST) relating to at least one error characteristic of at least one of the packaging material units (1),wherein the controlled / regulated handling of the at least one packaging material unit (1) takes place downstream of an alignment process (100b) for aligning the at least one packaging material unit (1) or the at least one batch (3), wherein the controlled / regulated handling comprises a discharge of at least one packaging material unit (1) from the processing process, namely a discharge in the process context of a turning and / or packing process of packaging material units (1), wherein the discharge takes place by changing the displacement direction (x1) of the at least one packaging material unit (1) identified based on an error trigger, namely in a discharge direction (xz1) at an acute angle (α) to the conveying direction (x100) of the production line (100), in particular counter to the conveying direction of the production line realized upstream of the turning and / or packing unit.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a computer program product comprising instructions for carrying out steps of the following method on the computer: Method for controlling / regulating at least one processing process by controlled / regulated handling of at least one packaging material unit of at least one batch of a plurality of packaging material units in a packaging material production line in the conveying direction downstream of a folding-gluing process relating to the respective packaging material unit, in particular for the purpose of error trigger-based rejection of rejects, process-wise in the area of ​​or by means of a turning and / or packing unit.Furthermore, the present invention also relates to a turning and / or packing unit configured for such ejection and to a production line with such an implemented ejection in connection with the turning and / or packing process, in particular in a processing process downstream of a folding / gluing process for folding box products made of cardboard. Last but not least, the present invention also relates to the use of a turning and / or packing unit for integrating an ejection function downstream of a folding / gluing process, or the use of at least one error signal or trigger for error-trigger-based ejection in the context of a turning and / or packing process. In particular, the invention relates to a computer program product and devices according to the preamble of the respective independent claim. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The quality analysis of processes and / or results from the mechanical processing of packaging materials such as cardboard boxes also aims to integrate the quality analysis into the processing process as effectively as possible and to design the processing process in such a way that quality-related measures can be implemented as directly as possible within the process. Particularly in the area of ​​processing batches of individually (product-specific) designed cardboard boxes (packaging material units, carton units), it may be important to conduct the quality analysis not only on a random basis, but rather, if possible, across a very large proportion of the individual packaging material units, if not all individual packaging material units, in order to particularly effectively avoid rejects or defects, especially to avoid irregularities that could be detected by end customers or end users.At least optionally, it should be possible to implement such a comprehensive quality analysis and at least one downstream measure directly in / on the corresponding production line, e.g., for very demanding clients and / or for packaging of very high-priced products, e.g., in the luxury goods sector. Admittedly, it is associated with certain process-related challenges to not only detect a defect in an individual product or semi-finished cardboard box in a timely manner and with good reliability, but also to ensure that the defective product (packaging, especially cardboard box), and if possible only this single defective product, can be removed during the process, ideally without adversely impacting the process itself, particularly its efficiency.

[0003] Specifically for folding carton gluing machines or production lines, successive sub-processes are provided, which concern, for example, folding and gluing, but also the drying and discharge of processed cardboard boxes, especially in conjunction with alignment as a preparatory process step before packing of packed cardboard boxes. Depending on the stage of the process, the cardboard boxes are handled individually (particularly in an shingled arrangement, at least partially overlapping one another) or as packages / batches. The question arises as to the extent to which the desired quality analysis and the resulting consistent measures (particularly the discharge of defective products or semi-finished products) can be implemented in these successive process steps and, if necessary, correlated with the process as such within the framework of a control / regulation system. Of importance in the context of quality assurance are, for example:Tabs on the cardboard packaging, and / or the respective execution of a (skewed) gluing or its result on the cardboard packaging. It may not be primarily crucial that a quality analysis be planned at a specific stage of processing; depending on the production line and design of the cardboard packaging and the process steps involved, the expert may decide at which point / phase of the process the quality analysis should be implemented in order to advantageously generate a signal or trigger for a downstream measure such as reject removal.

[0004] In an exemplary processing process according to the prior art, the multitude of just-machined cardboard boxes are exposed in an axially overlapping arrangement (i.e., shingled) for a certain drying time before being discharged, i.e., upstream from the end of the production line, in particular downstream of an alignment process, particularly in the context of a press belt. Further downstream, packaging in predefined batches is then provided, possibly in conjunction with turning certain batches, e.g., every second batch, before the batches are discharged for removal (and possibly also tied into packages comprising multiple batches). However, the discharge of rejects is not usually provided for in / in the process as such.

[0005] An example is publication EP 2 316 766 B9, which describes a discharge station for cardboard blanks and a method for producing and discharging cardboard blanks, even at high process speeds. In particular, the discharge of cardboard boxes by means of a discharge station with at least one upper conveyor belt and one lower conveyor belt, at least one upper discharge belt and one lower discharge belt, and with a discharge section branching off at an angle from the conveyor line, onto which the defective cardboard box can be pushed down. In this embodiment, the discharge function is implemented in the context of a translatory conveying system, in that the discharge section branches off at an acute angle from the conveyor line.

[0006] Another example is publication DE 20 2025 101 266 U1, which describes a system for monitoring events to identify causes and generate recommendations for action to rectify errors on a packaging material production line.

[0007] Based on the current state of the art, there is a noticeable need for implementing a rejection function that is as independent as possible from upstream process steps in the processing of packaging materials such as cardboard boxes. In particular, there is interest in an improved implementation and (depending on the context and design of a production line or the type of cardboard box, possibly only optional) integration of a rejection function downstream of an alignment process for aligning the packaging material units. Last but not least, particularly with regard to process synergies, there is also interest in a rejection functionality that can be implemented as variably / flexibly as possible within a processing process or downstream of a process sequence, including gluing and / or folding of packaging material. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The task is to provide measures for the rejection of packaging material units, such as cardboard boxes, that are identified as defective, allowing the rejection functionality to be integrated particularly elegantly into a process or production line, or downstream of a predefined process sequence comprising gluing and / or folding. It is also necessary to design the process-related integration of a rejection function for packaging material units, such as cardboard boxes, in such a way that the processing itself, whether implemented with or without defect detection or rejection, does not require any noticeable adaptation.

[0009] This object is achieved by a computer program product according to claim 1 and by a device according to the corresponding independent device claim, as well as by computer implementations according to the dependent claims and by uses according to the independent use claim. Advantageous developments of the invention are also explained in the respective dependent claims of the device claims. The features of the exemplary embodiments described below can be combined with one another unless explicitly stated otherwise.

[0010] A computer program product is provided comprising instructions which, when the computer program product is executed on a computer, cause the computer to carry out steps of the following method on the computer: Method for controlling / regulating at least one processing process by controlled / regulated handling of at least one packaging material unit (in particular cardboard) of at least one batch of several packaging material units in a packaging material production line in the conveying direction downstream of a folding-gluing process relating to the respective packaging material unit (or downstream of a folding-gluing section ordownstream of a folder-gluer), in particular for the purpose of fault trigger-based rejection of rejects, wherein the control / regulation is based on at least one signal or trigger relating to at least one fault characteristic of at least one of the packaging material units, wherein the controlled / regulated handling of the at least one packaging material unit takes place downstream of an alignment process for aligning the at least one packaging material unit or the at least one batch (for example upstream or downstream of a press belt of the production line).

[0011] According to the invention, it is proposed that the controlled / regulated handling comprises a discharge of at least one packaging material unit from the processing process, namely a discharge in the process context of a turning and / or packing process of packaging material units, wherein the discharge occurs by changing the displacement direction of the at least one packaging material unit identified based on an error trigger, namely in a discharge direction at an acute angle to the conveying direction of the production line, in particular counter to the conveying direction of the production line realized upstream of the turning and / or packing unit. This facilitates a particularly elegant implementation of an integration and implementation of a discharge function in a production line for processing packaging materials, in particular downstream of a folding / gluing process.It has also been shown that, on the one hand, comparatively small displacement movements (in particular tilting movements) are sufficient to be able to eject the packaging material units detected as faulty, in particular tilt angles of up to 45°, and, on the other hand, spatial advantages can be used / created, in particular by directing the material to be ejected / ejected to a reject receiver, which is advantageously arranged below a feeder or separator, advantageously upstream of the turning and / or packing unit.

[0012] Ejection in the context of the turning and / or packing process has also proven particularly advantageous because, as standard, the batch or the corresponding packaging material units can be held in place for at least a short moment (like a step-by-step, discontinuous movement path), i.e., without being continuously relocated. The triggering of the ejection process (and the associated change of direction) can advantageously take place in / at this discontinuous process stage.

[0013] An ejection direction at an acute angle to the conveying direction of the production line is understood to mean a direction that means an angular change of less than 90°, advantageously less than 45°, preferably opposite to the conveying direction.

[0014] A turning and / or packing unit or turning and / or packing process is understood to be a functionally definable unit (e.g., installed in a single retrofittable or interposable module) or a functionally integrable process by means of which the packaging material units can be packed or prepared for packing, e.g., by being passed through in a shingled arrangement in packages / batches in a translational manner, and optionally / on a case-by-case basis, e.g., by turning every second packed batch, in particular by turning it 180° around a horizontal tilting axis. In other words: The turning and / or packing unit can also simply (translationally) pass / forward the respective packaging material units (in particular, without any rotation / turning / tilting), in connection with a packing process (in this respect, packing can also be understood as passing through), e.g.,by turning only every second batch and otherwise passing it through. This method is particularly advantageous for handling packaging material units that have an uneven top and bottom structure, e.g., due to one-sided gluing, one-sided flaps, or thickened material. Turning therefore also serves as a process step that prepares for bundling into packages that are as cuboid-shaped as possible.

[0015] It should be understood that the turning and / or packing unit described here advantageously implements turning by means of a mechanism about an at least approximately horizontal axis. Alternatively, turning can also be implemented about a differently spatially oriented axis without having to deviate from the concept of the present invention.

[0016] Accordingly, it should also be understood that the turning and / or packing unit described here can also ensure the ejection function in addition to the turning / passing through function, in particular by implementing an automatic mechanism that can be triggered by a signal or trigger, tilting the respective unit or batch by a predefined tilt angle from the conveying direction into an ejection direction and allowing it to slide there or actively displacing / ejecting it there, in particular by translation in the same (at least approximately vertical) plane in which the processing, including turning, is carried out as standard. Advantageously, a reject pickup can also be provided for this purpose, which is arranged in such a way that the turning and / or packing unit tilted by the predefined tilt angle of e.g. 35° in the ejection direction forwards it directly to the reject pickup (level) or opens there.

[0017] It is to be understood that the translational displacement (translation) of the at least one packaging material unit described here (in particular for the purpose of discharging) can also be brought about by rotary movements of actuators such as wheels for driving at least one (revolving) conveyor belt.

[0018] The mechanics / kinematics of the turning and / or packing unit set up for the ejection process can be designed in such a way that the packaging material units can also be ejected individually or singly. The packaging material units are optionally fed to the turning and / or packing unit individually or in a shingled manner. If the packaging material units are fed to the turning and / or packing unit in an shingled, overlapping arrangement, the packaging material units can be separated or pulled apart by the turning and / or packing unit, not necessarily all packaging material units simultaneously but, for example, only those for which a defect has been detected, in order to then eject only those packaging material units which have a detected defect. This is achieved, for example, by means of a large number of conveyor belts orrealized by conveyor belt sections arranged one behind the other in the axial direction, each of which can be individually controlled in terms of pressure force and translational speed for each axial position. The discharge mechanism or kinematics is designed to perform rotational and translational movements simultaneously and independently of one another. Advantageously, the mechanism implemented for discharge comprises a plurality of currently upper pressure arms and a plurality of currently lower pressure arms, which together hold the respective packaging material unit, wherein the pressure arms can be turned or tilted together by at least one / the rotational movement of the turning and / or packing unit.

[0019] Whenever, according to the present disclosure, mechanics and / or kinematics are referred to, this is to be understood synonymously as an actuation (e.g., electrical, hydraulic, and / or pneumatic actuation), which also entails a movement of the packaging material units and which may also include a superposition of several simultaneous movements. For example, the mechanics comprise several conveyor belts, and the kinematics comprise a coordination of displacements or movement paths of the conveyor belts as such, on the one hand, and of the packaging material units, on the other.

[0020] Personified terms, unless formulated in the neuter form, can refer to all genders within the scope of this disclosure. Any foreign-language expressions or abbreviations used here are standard industry terms and are familiar to those skilled in the art. Any German-language terms used / usable synonymously can be indicated here in (parentheses) for the sake of completeness, or vice versa.

[0021] Particularly advantageously, the discharge can be carried out in one discharge direction at least at an acute angle of less than or equal to 90° to the conveying direction, for example, at a 45° angle between the conveying direction and the preferably opposite discharge direction (a reversal of movement direction therefore in the range of approximately 135°). Alternatively, the discharge can also be carried out in the conveying direction at an acute angle to the conveying direction.

[0022] In other words, the invention relates in particular to an automatic rejection system or an automated rejection process for defective packaging materials downstream of a gluing and alignment process, in particular on a folder-gluing production line or downstream of a folder-gluing machine / system. The invention relates to the fields of mechanical engineering, packaging technology, and automation technology. Existing folder-gluing machines initially perform a gluing / alignment process to produce packaging materials, followed by manual quality control to identify and sort out defective products. Such manual quality analysis requires personnel effort, is error-prone, and, last but not least, inefficient. Automated solutions for reliably removing defective goods after the gluing process are currently unknown or not easily implemented.The present invention makes it possible to provide an automated device and an associated process, with which faulty packaging materials can be reliably detected and ejected after the gluing process, in particular without any manual intervention. This can reduce both personnel costs and the error rate. The invention is based on the concept of initiating an ejection process based on an existing or newly generated trigger signal, by means of which individual or multiple packaging material units can be separated from the conveyor flow. The invention proposes to implement this process preferably in the context of a turning module, in particular in such a way that mechanical means (e.g.Slider, air pressure or deflection) removes the packaging unit identified based on at least one defect characteristic from the transport path and transports it in an ejection direction out of the main processing step. In this way, the defective goods are automatically removed from the material flow, particularly at a stage of the processing step in which many potential defects can already be detected. The following advantages can be realized in particular: the quality assurance measure downstream of the gluing process ensures a high level of quality; manual follow-up inspection can be eliminated; an increase in production speed and a higher degree of reliability are made possible; the integration of the ejection process can be implemented seamlessly or very elegantly without any other disadvantages into existing plant structures and processes (e.g.downstream of folder-gluing machines); error rates can be minimized thanks to immediate action in the process, i.e. thanks to immediate ejection, especially before bundling.

[0023] It should be understood that the implementation of AI models within the scope of the present invention, in particular also in the context of the evaluation or further processing of signals or triggers, can comprise a computer infrastructure or data processing architecture, in particular also in the core of at least one computing unit of a controller or a control / regulation unit, which also facilitates the execution of ML algorithms centrally directly in / on the hardware and / or makes it more powerful or accelerates it (up to real-time processing) and / or makes it more energy-efficient or at least partially even makes it possible in the first place.For example, the computer-technical and chip-based means described here comprise at least one of the following components: photonic AI chips, in particular with silicon photonic structures (combination of electronic and optical data processing processes), optical waveguides at least partially instead of or at least in addition to electronic semiconductors, as well as multiplexing components, photon modulators, photodetectors, ring resonators, at least one dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) component for the simultaneous processing of multiple data channels, at least one optical circuit integrated into at least one neural network (NN) or into a DNN (deep neural network), and at least one photonic processor. For example, at least one NN and / or DNN is implemented directly at the hardware level. As a result, particularly large amounts of data can be analyzed particularly quickly.For example, at least one photonic component is present in a form printed directly onto a wafer, in particular at least one of the following photonic components: optical amplifiers, photonic circuits (PICs), polarization converters, splitters, optical waveguides, splitters, phase modulators.

[0024] In this case, a controller is to be understood as a control / regulation component that does not necessarily have to be provided or retrofitted as part of an independent control / regulation unit, but which can also be implemented as a supplementary range of functions in an existing central or decentralized control / regulation unit or can be optionally activated, e.g. depending on available error signals or triggers.

[0025] The measures described here for discharging packaging material units can be carried out in particular in the context of a method for quality analysis, wherein the packaging material or the packaging material units are subjected to at least two different processing steps, in particular folding and gluing, wherein the quality analysis takes place downstream of a processing step in which the packaging material units are displaced axially overlapping in an shingled arrangement along the production line, wherein the packaging material units are moved from the shingled arrangement into a single arrangement in the context of the quality analysis, and in the single arrangement are each subjected to a quality analysis, in particular a camera-based one, at least with regard to the flaps and / or gluing of the respective packaging material unit,wherein at least one quality parameter is evaluated for each packaging material unit, based on which a fully automated decision is made for each packaging material unit as to whether the corresponding packaging material unit is defective and is therefore intended for rejection, and wherein the respective packaging material unit, depending on the quality parameter, is either rejected immediately downstream of the quality analysis, in particular individually, or is forwarded in the standard processing process to the next processing step, for example to a turning process (turning over) and / or to an overlapping arrangement or to a packed arrangement of a plurality of packaging material units to form a batch.

[0026] The removal of packaging material units detected as faulty is advantageously carried out downwards, in particular at an angle of at least approximately 45°, individually or in a batch comprising several individual packaging material units detected as faulty or as a partial selection from a batch.

[0027] For example, the discharge takes place downstream of a section of the production line with a shingled arrangement of the packaging material units.

[0028] For example, the packaging material units are separated, particularly starting from a shingled arrangement, over an additional distance or production line length in the range of 1 to 3 m.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the ejection of the at least one packaging material unit identified based on a fault trigger is controlled / regulated at or by means of a turning and / or packing unit, in particular by ejecting it during the turning and / or packing process or immediately before or after it by displacement at an acute angle relative to the conveying direction of the production line, in particular opposite to the conveying direction. This also facilitates a particularly streamlined and elegant integration of the handling of faulty units into the processing process itself.

[0030] Error trigger-based identification can also be based on a count, i.e., the number / quantity of the unit currently being processed in the process. For example, the signal / trigger contains information that uniquely describes the (temporal and / or spatial) position of the identified unit, so that the controller or control / regulation unit can specify when and how the rejection process is initiated based on this information.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the ejection of the at least one packaging material unit identified based on an error trigger takes place immediately before or after a turning process of a batch of packaging material units or is controlled / regulated accordingly, wherein the ejection process comprises a predefined angular change of the displacement direction relative to the conveying direction, in particular by a rocker-like movement of at least one component of a turning and / or packing unit by a predefined tilt angle, for example in the range of 30 to 45°. This also promotes an advantageous material flow path of ejected units / units to be ejected.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the packaging material detected as defective is discharged downwards or is controlled / regulated accordingly, in particular in a discharge direction at an angle of at least approximately 45° to the conveying direction, individually or in a batch comprising several individual packaging material units detected as defective. This also provides further advantages with regard to material flow and logistics, in particular without the need to subject the processing process itself to a design review due to a discharge.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the signal or trigger relating to at least one error feature is transmitted from a quality analysis module to a controller or to a control / regulation unit, in particular to a control / regulation unit of the turning and / or packing unit, in particular with reference to a batch number or a specific identification feature relating to a respective packaging material unit. In other words: the present invention can be implemented based on an already available error signal, in particular an error signal generated specifically for each unit. Optionally, the process of generating an error signal can also be included. Last but not least, an implementation based on already available error signals also facilitates an even more flexible / variable implementation, largely independent of the process steps carried out upstream of the discharge.from the application-specific way of implementing quality analysis.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the turning and / or packing process for the discharge is controlled or regulated in such a way that the packaging material unit or batch to be discharged is guided or guided or pushed or nudged at an acute angle to the conveying direction to a receiving plane for rejects, in particular by means of the turning and / or packing unit. This also allows the discharge to be implemented with regard to advantageous material flow and in the context of a process step that can be advantageously used for this purpose.

[0035] According to one embodiment, during the turning and / or packing process, at least one mechanical and / or kinematic mechanism is controlled such that a / the respective packaging material unit or batch is released from a held position for displacement in the displacement direction at an acute angle to the conveying direction, in particular against the conveying direction, wherein the displacement direction defined by the at least one mechanical and / or kinematic mechanism also defines the discharge direction. This also facilitates the integration of the discharge function insofar as a process can be regarded as holding, which can advantageously be implemented in the context of turning anyway, so that, for example, discharge can be brought about based on only one or two changes of direction (in particular, opposite direction of rotation of the turning unit, opposite translation of the conveyor belts). Releasing from the holding position can, for example,by actuating translationally moving conveyor belts.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the conveying direction and the displacement direction or discharge direction define an at least approximately vertical displacement plane. This provides the advantage that the production line or process can be continued at least essentially in a straight line (spatial) without requiring additional lateral space for discharge or robotics.

[0037] According to one embodiment, for the turning and / or packing process, one of the following control / regulation specifications for the further processing of at least one packaging material unit is specified depending on at least one detected / processed defect feature: the at least one packaging material unit is passed through (in particular to a section for diverting and / or bundling), the at least one packaging material unit is turned by a turning angle (in particular by a turning angle in the range of 180°), the at least one packaging material unit is tilted in the discharge direction by a tilt angle (in particular by a tilt angle in the range of 30 to 45°). This also enables a process similar to a switch at the point of the turning / packing process, whereby the same movement sequence can be used to either further process or discharge the corresponding packaging material unit(s).

[0038] The ejection itself can be brought about by tilting, i.e., it can be a type of passive ejection, particularly by the material (the at least one packaging material unit) sliding out under the force of gravity (possibly after a holding force has been reduced to zero). However, active ejection through a forced ejection movement, e.g., brought about by translational displacement of the material by means of conveyor belts holding the material, may be more efficient in terms of time and process.

[0039] It should be understood that bundling into packages or batches of a predefined number of units downstream of the turning / passing process can be carried out in the same way, independent of discharge. In other words: Even if only individual packaging material units are discharged (individually), the respective batch can be completed, in particular by expanding a subsequent batch by the discharged number of packaging material units. This can be carried out upstream in a fully automated, process-controlled manner, e.g., in conjunction with a separation process and / or with a process for the shingled arrangement of batches. For this purpose, the controllers or control / regulation components involved can also communicate with each other upstream, i.e., specify a status further downstream in the process as an input parameter to a process to be controlled / regulated further upstream.

[0040] The aforementioned object is also achieved by implementing a computer program for controlling / regulating steps of a method for processing a plurality of packaging material units by means of a packaging material production line, comprising generating commands for methods for controlling / regulating at least one processing process comprising an error trigger-based reject according to the present disclosure.

[0041] The aforementioned object is also achieved by a control / regulation unit configured to control / regulate at least one processing process by controlled / regulated handling of at least one packaging material unit (in particular cardboard) of at least one batch of several packaging material units in / on a packaging material production line in the conveying direction downstream of a folding-gluing process relating to the respective packaging material unit (or downstream of a folding-gluing section or downstream of a folding-gluing machine), in particular for the purpose of error trigger-based rejection of rejects, wherein the control / regulation is based on at least one signal or trigger relating to at least one error characteristic of at least one of the packaging material units, which signal or trigger is / is / was generated, for example, by a quality analysis module or a quality analysis process in / on the production line,wherein the control / regulation for a sub-process of handling the at least one packaging material unit takes place downstream or temporally downstream of an alignment process for aligning the at least one packaging material unit or the at least one batch (for example upstream or downstream of a press belt of the production line), wherein the control / regulation for a sub-process of handling comprises a discharge of at least one packaging material unit from the processing process, namely for a discharge in the process context of packing and / or turning packaging material units, wherein at least one control / regulation specification for a discharge is generated by changing the displacement direction of the at least one packaging material unit identified on the basis of an error trigger,In particular, at least one control / regulation specification for a discharge in a discharge direction at an acute angle to the conveying direction of the production line realized upstream of a turning and / or packing unit or a turning and / or packing process. Based on the aforementioned advantages, this also favors an implementation in which essentially or even exclusively control / regulation specifications are used to implement the discharge function. The control / regulation unit can be implemented as a central or decentralized control / regulation unit, either for the entire production line or only for one or individual sections of the production line or process.

[0042] The aforementioned object is also achieved by a turning and / or packing unit for a packaging material production line configured for processing packaging material units, in particular cardboard boxes, in particular for folding boxes, comprising a control / regulation unit according to the present disclosure. Based on the aforementioned advantages, this also enables particularly simple retrofitting of the ejection functionality described here, even in systems, production lines, and processes already existing / operating in the field.

[0043] The above-mentioned object is also achieved by a packaging material production line comprising at least one turning and / or packing unit according to the present disclosure.

[0044] The above-mentioned object is also achieved by a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to carry out steps for generating at least one control / regulation specification during a processing process for the controlled / regulated handling of at least one packaging material unit of at least one batch of a plurality of packaging material units in / on a packaging material production line in the conveying direction downstream of a folding-gluing process relating to the respective packaging material unit for the purpose of error trigger-based ejection, wherein the at least one control / regulation specification is based on at least one signal or trigger relating to at least one error characteristic of at least one of the packaging material units,wherein the at least one control / regulation specification comprises at least one control / regulation specification for at least one component of a kinematics and / or mechanics system of a turning and / or packing unit, for changing the displacement direction of the at least one packaging material unit identified based on an error trigger by means of the turning and / or packing unit into a discharge direction at an acute angle to the conveying direction of the production line realized upstream of the turning and / or packing unit, wherein the at least one control / regulation specification defines at least one rotational or tilting movement and optionally also a translational movement / actuation of at least one component of the kinematics and / or mechanics. Based on the aforementioned advantages, this also enables a particularly lean implementation, particularly in existing processes or production lines or processing units / modules.

[0045] The above-mentioned object is also achieved by a turning and / or packing unit according to the corresponding independent device claim, namely by a turning and / or packing unit for a packaging material production line designed for processing packaging material units, in particular cardboard boxes, in particular for folding boxes, wherein the turning and / or packing unit is designed for the controlled / regulated handling of at least one packaging material unit of at least one batch of several packaging material units in the conveying direction downstream of a folding-gluing section relating to the respective packaging material unit (or downstream of a folding-gluing machine),wherein the turning and / or packing unit is configured for the error-trigger-based removal of at least one packaging material unit from the processing process based on at least one signal or trigger relating to at least one error characteristic of at least one of the packaging material units downstream of an alignment process for aligning the at least one packaging material unit or the at least one batch, wherein the turning and / or packing unit is configured for removal in the process context of packing and / or turning packaging material units, wherein the turning and / or packing unit is configured for removal by changing the displacement direction of the at least one packaging material unit identified based on the error trigger, namely in a displacement direction at an acute angle to the conveying direction of the production line,In particular, against the conveying direction of the production line implemented upstream of the turning and / or packing unit. This results in the aforementioned advantages, particularly with regard to the synergistic use of mechanical components and / or kinematic processes.

[0046] For example, the turning and / or packing unit is set up to turn a batch of, for example, five or ten packaging material units together.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the turning and / or packing unit is configured to perform the ejection during the turning process or immediately before or after it by displacing the at least one packaging material unit at an acute angle relative to the conveying direction, in particular opposite to the conveying direction. This also enables an implementation in which the process / time resources of the turning and / or packing unit are cleverly utilized without noticeably delaying the processing process itself.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the turning and / or packing unit has a turning / tilting axis that is substantially horizontally oriented (for a turning process around an axis in the manner of a rotation in a first or a second opposite tilting direction, in particular for a 180° tilting movement). This also provides the advantage that the entire process (with or without discharge) can take place unchanged in the main processing plane according to or opposite to the conveying direction; thus, new movement / spatial axes do not necessarily have to be developed.

[0049] According to one embodiment, the turning and / or packing unit has at least one conveyor belt, which can be aligned in one position in / to the conveying direction and, in at least one further position, at an acute angle to the conveying direction. This also facilitates the implementation of the ejection process using the mechanics / kinematics of the turning and / or packing unit or a corresponding turning and / or packing module, i.e., without the need for additional robotics or actuators. Advantageously, the alignment takes place around a turning / tilting axis of the turning and / or packing unit.

[0050] According to one embodiment, the turning and / or packing unit comprises at least one conveyor belt that can be actuated in a first and a second opposite conveying direction. This also enables discharge in one direction and passage in the other direction using the same mechanism / kinematics. For example, the actuation is pneumatic, hydraulic, and / or electrical.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the turning and / or packing unit has a control / regulation unit or a controller connected thereto for control / regulation purposes, which is configured to actuate at least one mechanism or kinematics of the turning and / or packing unit for discharging based on at least one signal or trigger specifically correlated with a corresponding packaging material unit or batch, in particular by controlling / regulating, on the one hand, a tilting movement about a predefined tilting angle relative to the conveying direction and, on the other hand, at least one of a translational movement and a holding / release movement. This also promotes high process variability with regard to individual units, a plurality of units, and / or with regard to the time of discharging in coordination with a turning and / or passing through. Optionally, a turning and / or packing module has its own controller.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the turning and / or packing unit defines a displacement direction that leads at an acute angle to the conveying direction to a reject receiving plane, in particular defined by a reject receiving plane, which is preferably arranged upstream of the turning and / or packing unit. This also promotes an advantageous material flow for the discharge and for downstream measures for handling rejected material.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the turning and / or packing unit is configured for a kinematic reversal of at least one translatory conveying means, in particular a conveyor belt. This also favors particularly short positioning movements, short displacement paths, and fast reaction times, thus ensuring high process efficiency, including with regard to rejects. Considering the relatively inexpensive semi-finished products (packaging material units), this may be a comparatively important aspect in order to justify the measures to avoid rejects / excess consumption, both in terms of process and costs, in the overall context of highly automated production of larger batches.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the turning and / or packing unit is configured for a rocker-like, rotary back-and-forth tilting movement at a predefined / predefinable tilt angle, in particular at a tilt angle in the range of 30 to 45°, e.g., exactly 40°. This also facilitates comparatively rapid handling of the material to be discharged, in particular without requiring a new / additional movement, optionally implemented directly in the process sequence of turning and / or conveying or packing.

[0055] According to one embodiment, the turning and / or packing unit has a modular design and comprises a turning and / or packing module that can be integrated into the production line in conjunction with at least one of the following modules: a singulation module arranged / to be arranged upstream, and / or a bundling / tying module arranged / to be arranged downstream. This also facilitates a local device-related implementation in the area of ​​the mechanics / kinematics of the corresponding turning and / or packing module, in particular without the need for any further process-related or device-related adaptations upstream or downstream.

[0056] The above-mentioned object is also achieved by using a turning and / or packing unit for integrating a rejection function downstream of a folding-gluing process of an automated processing of packaging material units, in particular cardboard boxes, for the error trigger-based rejection of at least one packaging material unit per rejection process before, during or after a turning and / or packing process, in particular downstream of a section of a / the production line with shingled arrangement of the packaging material units, in particular upstream of a rejection and / or lacing, e.g.by means of plastic bands to be welded, wherein the discharge process is realized by means of at least one rocker-like mechanism or kinematics of the turning and / or packing unit, wherein the at least one rocker-like mechanism or kinematics defines an acute angle of a discharge direction relative to the conveying direction, in particular a tilt angle in the range of 30 to 45°, in particular of a turning and / or packing unit described above. This allows the aforementioned advantages to be realized, in particular with regard to small adjustment movements, short displacement paths, and not least also spatially particularly advantageous discharge.

[0057] The aforementioned object is also achieved by using at least one signal or trigger generated upstream in a processing process of a packaging material production line relating to at least one fault characteristic of at least one of the processed packaging material units to generate at least one control / regulation specification on / for a turning and / or packing unit further downstream on the packaging material production line, for implementing a rejection process for the fault trigger-based rejection of rejects in connection with a turning and / or packing process, wherein the at least one control / regulation specification for actuating at least one mechanism or kinematics of the turning and / or packing unit is processed in such a way that rejection occurs by changing the direction of displacement of the at least one packaging material unit identified based on the fault trigger.In particular, counter to the conveying direction of the production line implemented upstream of the turning and / or packing unit, particularly at or in the context of a turning and / or packing unit described above or a corresponding turning and / or packing process. This allows the aforementioned advantages to be realized, particularly with regard to a particularly streamlined implementation, including retrofitting the ejection functionality into existing production lines.

[0058] Summary: When processing cardboard boxes into packaging material units such as folding boxes (or their semi-finished products) in fully automated processes, defective product characteristics can arise despite good quality assurance, e.g. faulty gluing, unsightly flaps, incomplete folds, especially those that are visible to end customers or consumers. However, particularly in the luxury goods segment, such inconsistencies are noticeably detrimental to the high-quality perception of the entire product (not just the cardboard box / packaging) and must therefore be avoided as completely as possible. However, the integration of a process for rejecting scrap identified as defective is not evident, particularly in terms of space on the one hand, and also in terms of the process in such a way that the processing itself can continue as unchanged as possible. This also applies to the formation of packages orWhen processing batches (in other words: bundles) of a predefined number of packaging material units (e.g., five or ten units each), it may not be obvious how to elegantly implement the process of rejecting only the packaging material unit identified as defective. The present invention provides a useful approach for the advantageous symbiosis of requirements in the context of maximizing quality standards, managing spatial conditions and logistical movement paths, and maintaining manufacturing flexibility / variability, while also allowing for synergistic coupling with new quality analysis methods.In particular, the implementation according to the invention is provided for a control / regulation method for discharging packaging material units, in which the controlled / regulated handling comprises discharging at least one packaging material unit from the processing process in the process context of a turning and / or packing process, namely by changing the displacement direction of the at least one packaging material unit identified based on an error trigger, advantageously at an acute angle to the conveying direction, in particular opposite to the conveying direction realized upstream of the turning and / or packing unit. Analogously, a correspondingly implemented control / regulation unit or the computer program product orThe appropriately configured turning and / or packing unit for a packaging material production line offers the advantages described here, particularly since the processing process as such does not have to be changed or adapted at all. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERS

[0059] The invention is described in more detail in the following drawing figures. Reference numbers not explicitly described in a particular drawing figure refer to the other drawing figures. They show: Fig. 1A, Fig. 1B, Fig. 1C shows, in two side views and in a top view, a section of a turning and / or packing process of a packaging material processing process in which the ejection function described here is / can be implemented according to embodiments; Fig. 2 shows a side view of a turning and / or packing unit according to embodiments, comprising a separating module, a turning and / or packing module and a bundling / tying module; Fig. 3A, Fig. 3B shows a top view and a side view of a turning and / or packing unit or a section of a turning and / or packing process of a packaging material processing process, in which the ejection function described here is / can be implemented according to embodiments; Fig. 4 shows a simplified schematic side view of a packaging material production line with an ejection process implemented in the area of ​​the turning and / or packing process according to embodiments; Fig. 5 shows a schematic representation of a turning and / or packing module of a turning and / or packing unit according to embodiments; Fig. 6 shows a schematic representation of steps of a control / regulation method for which the implementation can be carried out according to embodiments; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0060] The invention will first be explained with general reference to all reference symbols and figures. Special features or individual aspects of the present invention, or aspects that are clearly visible / illustrated in the respective figure, will be addressed individually in connection with the respective figure.

[0061] Computer implementations and devices are provided for processing packaging material units 1, in particular cardboard boxes, in particular for folding boxes, on or by means of a packaging material production line 100, wherein a turning and / or packing unit 110 or a correspondingly implemented control / regulation process is set up for the controlled / regulated handling of the packaging material units 1 of at least one batch 3 of a plurality of packaging material units in the conveying direction x100 downstream of a folding-gluing section of the production line relating to the respective packaging material unit, wherein the turning and / or packing unit 110 ora correspondingly implemented control / regulation process is set up for the error trigger-based ejection of at least one of the packaging material units from the processing process based on at least one signal or trigger ST relating to at least one error feature of at least one of the packaging material units, downstream of an alignment process for aligning the at least one packaging material unit or the at least one batch, wherein the turning and / or packing unit 110 or a correspondingly implemented control / regulation process is set up for ejection in the process context of packing (or passing through) and / or turning packaging material units, wherein the turning and / or packing unit 110 ora correspondingly implemented control / regulation process is set up for discharging by changing the displacement direction x1 of the at least one packaging material unit identified on the basis of an error trigger, namely in a displacement direction at an acute angle α to the conveying direction of the production line, in particular opposite to the conveying direction of the production line realized upstream of the turning and / or packing unit.

[0062] The respective batch 3 or a bundle / package prepared for / by packing from several packaging material units 1 consists, for example, of five or ten packaging material units 1. An (error) signal or trigger ST can be generated and provided, for example, by a signal / trigger generator 7, in particular also provided wirelessly, wherein the signal / trigger generator 7 can, for example, be in communication with a quality analysis module 5. For wireless communication, the components communicating with each other can each have at least one communication module for at least one communication protocol, in particular also for near-field communication. The respective signal or trigger ST can, for example, be transferred to a central or decentralized control / regulation unit 10, or also to a controller 115 of a turning and / or packing module 110b of the turning and / or packing unit 110.

[0063] For example, the packaging material production line 100 is subdivided into at least the following sections: a folding-gluing section 100a for the folding-gluing process, an alignment section 100b for an alignment process for aligning folded / glued packaging material units, a section 100c with an embossed arrangement of the packaging material units, optionally a section for separating, furthermore a section 100d for the turning and / or packing process, and a section 100e for diverting or for bundling / tying. A pressing belt 103 can also be provided at the alignment section, for example. Separation can optionally also take place in a separating module 110a of the turning and / or packing unit 110, i.e., directly upstream of the turning and / or packing process. Downstream of this, a bundling / tying module 110c can be provided, for example. This can also be a change in the direction of the production line conveyor, e.g.90°, provided this is appropriate in connection with the bundling / tying process or the discharge of the material. However, the conveying direction, at least up to the bundling / tying process, usually runs strictly straight along only one conveying axis / direction, in this case corresponding to the x-direction.

[0064] The turning and / or packing unit has a turning axis or tilting axis 111, about which a mechanism 112 of the turning and / or packing unit can be tilted by predefined turning and tilting angles. A plurality of currently upper pressing arms 112.1 and currently lower pressing arms 112.2 are part of the tiltable mechanism, as are at least one actuator 117 for holding or releasing the packaging material unit(s) and / or at least one holder or gripper 119, and furthermore at least one conveyor belt 114, in particular a first and second (currently) upper conveyor belt 114a,b and a first and second (currently) lower conveyor belt 114c,d.

[0065] A kinematics 113 of the turning and / or packing unit enables, on the one hand, a reversal of direction 113.1, in particular concerning the translation of the conveyor belts, and, on the other hand, also a reversal of the entire mechanism, insofar as also a superposition of at least two counter-rotating rotational movements and translational movements of the packaging material unit(s) generated by circulating conveyor belts, wherein the translational movements can advantageously be brought about by rotation of a plurality of wheels or rollers.

[0066] Advantageously, a reject receptacle 116 is provided, which defines a receiving plane Exy for rejects. Advantageously, the reject receptacle 116 is arranged below a rocker of the turning and / or packing unit that provides turning or tilting, or below a processing / transmission plane spanned by the rocker in a horizontal orientation, in particular upstream of the rocker. The rocker itself can optionally also define a chute 118 or sliding surface or at least one sliding section, which is arranged and configured for the gravity-driven (passive) discharge / rejection of packaging material units.

[0067] Advantageously, the mechanical / kinematic components for the discharge are arranged, aligned, or mounted in such a way that the discharge takes place within the at least approximately vertical displacement plane Exz of the production line, i.e., without laterally deviating from it in the transverse direction (y). In this respect, a standard (current) displacement direction x1 of the (non-defective) batch or packaging material unit and a discharge direction xz1 of at least one defective packaging material unit can be arranged in the same at least approximately vertically aligned displacement plane Exz. This also provides further advantages with regard to advantageous material flow paths.

[0068] Advantageously, the handling or process sequences described here are implemented or realized in connection with the following steps: Step S1: Arranging / accumulating packaging material units, in particular in response to detecting / processing at least one signal / trigger; Step S2: Passing and / or turning; Step S3: Tilting (of the rocker); Step S4: Release (letting go) and / or actuated ejection, in particular by induced translational movement.

[0069] In this context, at least some of the following control / regulation specifications can also be used as a basis for the control / regulation process: Control / regulation specification SR1 for passing through / packing; Control / regulation specification SR2 for turning by a / the turning angle; Control / regulation specification SR3 for tipping by a / the tipping angle; Control / regulation specification SR4 for passive or active discharging.

[0070] In the following, special features of the invention are explained with reference to individual figures or exemplary embodiments.

[0071] In the Fig. 1 shows an embodiment in which a turning and / or packing module 110b comprising a rocker for tilting or turning the respective batch is arranged between a singling module 110a and a bundling / tying module 110c.

[0072] In Fig. 1A shows that the separation module 110a guides the batch to a level corresponding to half the height of the rocker receiving the batch. The batch can be held in the rocker by at least one currently upper and at least one currently lower conveyor belt, or by a plurality of currently upper and lower pressure arms. Conveyor belts and pressure arms can be designed as part of the reversible mechanism / kinematics constituting the rocker. Fig. 1A also illustrates the spatial directions x, y, z (longitudinal, transverse, vertical).

[0073] In Fig. 1B, individual batches 3 are shown in a current arrangement upstream of and in the turning and / or packing unit. For example, a last packaging material unit 1 of one of the batches 3 has at least one defect characteristic Fi. The process can then be controlled / regulated in such a way that this packaging material unit 1 is separated from the shingled batch, either by isolating the entire batch or by temporarily (holding back) only this one packaging material unit 1 in order to then discharge it, e.g. after the other packaging material units 1 of the corresponding batch have been passed through and / or turned. The holding back can also be carried out, e.g., by means of a Fig. 1B, which prevents the corresponding packaging material unit(s) from moving further in the conveying direction. Alternatively, the entire affected batch (here, five packaging material units) can also be ejected.

[0074] In Fig. 1C is illustrated by two arrows, one showing the kinematics of the rocker and the other the (preferred) discharge direction.

[0075] In Fig. 2 shows an embodiment from which further details concerning the mechanical components of the rocker emerge, in particular pressure arms 112.1, 112.2 and circulating conveyor belts 114.

[0076] In the Fig. 3 shows a modular arrangement of the three modules described here. In Fig. 3A shows structural details of the rocker in a top view. In Fig. 3B shows that the reject process (in module 110b) can be accomplished without requiring additional space between the two modules 110a, 110c, in particular by rejects being rejected against the conveying direction to a receiving level below module 110a, below the main material flow path. The control / regulation unit 10 communicates with a quality analysis module 5, which does not necessarily have to be part of the production line.

[0077] In Fig. 4 shows that the implementation described here makes it possible to design the production line 100 including the ejection function without additional space requirements (in particular without greater absolute length).

[0078] In Fig. Figure 5 shows the components and measures for the discharge process described here again in a schematic form. The dotted rotation arrows indicate the adjustment movements of wheels or rollers for actuating pairs of counter-rotating conveyor belts. The dotted rotation arrows deliberately point in different directions, even for the same conveyor belt, to illustrate the kinematic reversal that can be advantageously implemented for discharge against the conveying direction.

[0079] In Fig. 6 illustrates, by way of example, steps S1, S2, S3, S4 and control / regulation specifications SR1, SR2, SR3, SR4, which can be used to implement the control / regulation measures described here. Step S1 (arranging / accumulating packaging material units) can relate to defect-free material by default and, based on signals, also to defective material; for example, it can also include separating at least one defective packaging material unit from an otherwise defect-free batch. The control / regulation specifications SR1, SR2 can take place immediately after step S1, in particular as input variables for step S2 (passing through and / or turning). Step S2 and step S3 (tilting) can be carried out alternatively or both together (in particular one after the other).Step S3 also requires step S4, in particular a release for passive gravity-driven ejection and / or an actuated ejection through a predetermined movement sequence (in particular through translation brought about by means of circulating conveyor belts). A detected error brings with it a signal or trigger ST, which leads to the control / regulation specification SR3 for tilting by a / the tilt angle and to the control / regulation specification SR4 for passive or active ejection. Optionally, depending on the type of error detected or the volume of packaging material units affected, the trigger signal ST can also influence the type and method of conveying / packing and / or turning, i.e. influence the control / regulation specifications SR1, SR2. The in . Fig.The diamond-shaped fields indicated in Figure 6 between the individual steps illustrate adaptation measures for the person skilled in the art to implement application-specific features, for example concerning the actuation of the involved mechanical / kinematic components and / or concerning the temporal sequence of individual process steps in the context of the ejection process. List of reference symbols 1 packaging material unit (especially cardboard) 3 Batch / bundle / package of multiple packaging material units 5 Quality analysis module 7 Signal / Trigger Generator 10 Control / regulation unit 100 packaging material production line 100a Fold-glue section of the production line for fold-glue process 100b Section for alignment procedure for alignment 100c Section with shingled arrangement of packaging material units 100d section for turning and / or packing process 100e section for discharge or for bundling / tying 103 Press belt of the production line 110 Turning and / or packing unit 110a Separation module 110b Turning and / or packing module 110c bundling / lacing module 111 Turning axis or tilting axis 112 Mechanics of the turning and / or packing unit 112.1 current upper pressure arm 112.2 current lower pressure arm 113 Kinematics of the turning and / or packing unit 113.1 Reversal of direction, particularly concerning the translation of the conveyor belts 114 Conveyor belt 114a,b first and second (current) upper conveyor belt 114c,d first and second (currently) lower conveyor belt 115 controllers 116 Committee recording 117 Actuator for holding or releasing the packaging material unit(s) 118 Slide or sliding surface / section 119 Holder or gripper Exy Rejection level defined by Rejection Exz at least approximately vertical displacement plane Fi error characteristic ST signal or trigger S1 Step of arranging / accumulating packaging material units, in particular in response to detecting / processing at least one signal / trigger S2 Step of passing through and / or turning S3 tipping step S4 Step of releasing (letting go) and / or actuated ejection, in particular by translation SR1 Control / regulation specification for passing through / packing SR2 Control / regulation specification for turning by a / the turning angle SR3 Control / regulation specification for tilting by a / the tilt angle SR4 Control / regulation specification for passive or active ejection α predefined tilt angle x100 conveying direction x1 (current) displacement direction of the batch or packaging material unit xz1 ejection direction x, y, z spatial directions (longitudinal, transverse, vertical) QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

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

[0000] EP 2 316 766 B9

[0005] DE 20 2025 101 266 U1

[0006]

Claims

[1] Computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to carry out steps of the following method on the computer: Method for controlling / regulating at least one processing process by controlled / regulated handling of at least one packaging material unit (1) of at least one batch (3) of a plurality of packaging material units in a packaging material production line (100) in the conveying direction (x100) downstream of a folding-gluing process relating to the respective packaging material unit, in particular for the purpose of error trigger-based rejection of rejects, wherein the controlling / regulating is carried out based on at least one signal or trigger (ST) relating to at least one error characteristic of at least one of the packaging material units (1),wherein the controlled / regulated handling of the at least one packaging material unit (1) takes place downstream of an alignment process (100b) for aligning the at least one packaging material unit (1) or the at least one batch (3), wherein the controlled / regulated handling comprises a discharge of at least one packaging material unit (1) from the processing process, namely a discharge in the process context of a turning and / or packing process of packaging material units (1), wherein the discharge takes place by changing the displacement direction (x1) of the at least one packaging material unit (1) identified based on an error trigger, namely in a discharge direction (xz1) at an acute angle (α) to the conveying direction (x100) of the production line (100), in particular counter to the conveying direction of the production line realized upstream of the turning and / or packing unit. [2] Computer program product according to the preceding claim, wherein the ejection of the at least one packaging material unit identified on the basis of an error trigger is controlled / regulated at or by means of a turning and / or packing unit, in particular by ejection by displacement at an acute angle relative to the conveying direction of the production line, in particular opposite to the conveying direction, during the turning and / or packing process or immediately before or after. [3] Computer program product according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the ejection of the at least one packaging material unit identified on the basis of an error trigger takes place or is controlled / regulated immediately before or after a turning process of a batch of packaging material units, wherein the ejection process comprises a predefined angular change of the displacement direction relative to the conveying direction, in particular by a rocker-like movement of at least one component of a / the turning and / or packing unit by a predefined tilt angle, for example in the range of 30 to 45°. [4] Computer program product according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the discharge of packaging material detected as defective is carried out downwards or is controlled / regulated, in particular in a discharge direction at an angle of at least approximately 45° against the conveying direction, individually or in a batch comprising several individual packaging material units detected as defective. [5] Computer program product according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the signal or the trigger relating to at least one error feature is transmitted from a quality analysis module to a controller or to a control / regulation unit, in particular to a control / regulation unit of the turning and / or packing unit, in particular with reference to a batch number or a specific identification feature relating to a respective packaging material unit. [6] Computer program product according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the turning and / or packing process for the discharge is controlled or regulated in such a way that the packaging material unit or batch to be discharged is guided or guided or pushed at an acute angle to the conveying direction to a receiving plane for rejects, in particular by means of the turning and / or packing unit. [7] Computer program product according to one of the preceding claims, wherein during the turning and / or packing process at least one mechanism or kinematics is controlled in such a way that a / the respective packaging material unit or batch is released from a held position for displacement in the displacement direction at an acute angle to the conveying direction, in particular against the conveying direction, wherein the displacement direction defined by the at least one mechanism or kinematics also defines the discharge direction. [8] Computer program product according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveying direction and the displacement direction or discharge direction define an at least approximately vertical displacement plane. [9] Computer program product according to one of the preceding claims, wherein for the turning and / or packing process, one of the following control / regulation specifications for the further processing of at least one packaging material unit is specified as a function of at least one detected / processed defect feature: the at least one packaging material unit is passed through, the at least one packaging material unit is turned by a turning angle, the at least one packaging material unit is tilted by a tilting angle in the discharge direction. [10] A computer program product comprising instructions which, when the computer program product is executed on a computer, cause the computer to carry out steps for generating at least one control / regulation specification during a processing process for the controlled / regulated handling of at least one packaging material unit of at least one batch of a plurality of packaging material units in / on a packaging material production line in the conveying direction downstream of a folding-gluing process relating to the respective packaging material unit for the purpose of error trigger-based rejection, wherein the at least one control / regulation specification is based on at least one signal or trigger relating to at least one error characteristic of at least one of the packaging material units,wherein the at least one control / regulation specification comprises at least one control / regulation specification for at least one component of a kinematics and / or mechanics of a turning and / or packing unit, for changing the displacement direction of the at least one packaging material unit identified based on an error trigger by means of the turning and / or packing unit into a discharge direction at an acute angle to the conveying direction of the production line realized upstream of the turning and / or packing unit, wherein the at least one control / regulation specification defines at least one rotational or tilting movement and optionally also a translational movement / actuation of at least one component of the kinematics and / or mechanics. [11] Computer program product comprising instructions which, when the computer program product is executed on a computer, cause the computer to carry out steps for controlling / regulating the following method on the computer: Method for processing a plurality of packaging material units by means of a packaging material production line (100), comprising control / regulation specifications according to one of the preceding claims for steps of a method for controlling / regulating at least one processing process comprising an error trigger-based rejection. [12] Control / regulation unit (10) configured to control / regulate at least one processing process by controlled / regulated handling of at least one packaging material unit (1) of at least one batch (3) of a plurality of packaging material units in / on a packaging material production line (100) in the conveying direction (x100) downstream of a folding-gluing process relating to the respective packaging material unit, in particular for the purpose of fault trigger-based rejection of rejects, wherein the control / regulation is carried out based on at least one signal or trigger (ST) relating to at least one fault characteristic of at least one of the packaging material units (1), wherein the control / regulation for a sub-process of handling the at least one packaging material unit takes place downstream of an alignment process for aligning the at least one packaging material unit or the at least one batch,wherein the control / regulation for a sub-process of the handling comprises a discharge of at least one packaging material unit from the processing process, namely for a discharge in the process context of packing and / or turning packaging material units (1), wherein at least one control / regulation specification for a discharge is generated by changing the displacement direction (x1) of the at least one packaging material unit identified on the basis of an error trigger, in particular at least one control / regulation specification for a discharge in a discharge direction at an acute angle (α) to the conveying direction (x100) of the production line realized upstream of a turning and / or packing unit or a turning and / or packing process. [13] Turning and / or packing unit (110) for a packaging material production line (100) configured to process packaging material units (1), in particular cardboard boxes, in particular for folding boxes, comprising a control / regulation unit (10) according to claim 12. [14] Packaging material production line (100) with a turning and / or packing unit (110) according to the preceding claim. [15] Turning and / or packing unit (110) for a packaging material production line (100) configured for processing packaging material units (1), in particular cardboard boxes, in particular for folding boxes, wherein the turning and / or packing unit (110) is configured for controlled / regulated handling of at least one packaging material unit (1) of at least one batch (3) of a plurality of packaging material units in the conveying direction (x100) downstream of a folding-gluing section relating to the respective packaging material unit, wherein the turning and / or packing unit (110) is configured for error trigger-based removal of at least one packaging material unit from the processing process based on at least one signal or trigger (ST) relating to at least one error characteristic of at least one of the packaging material units downstream of an alignment process for aligning the at least one packaging material unit or the at least one batch,wherein the turning and / or packing unit (110) is configured for discharging in the process context of packing and / or turning packaging material units, wherein the turning and / or packing unit (110) is configured for discharging by changing the displacement direction (x1) of the at least one packaging material unit identified based on an error trigger, namely in a displacement direction at an acute angle (α) to the conveying direction of the production line, in particular counter to the conveying direction of the production line realized upstream of the turning and / or packing unit. [16] Turning and / or packing unit according to claim 15, wherein the turning and / or packing unit is arranged to realize the ejection during the turning process or immediately before or after by displacing the at least one packaging material unit at an acute angle relative to the conveying direction, in particular opposite to the conveying direction. [17] Turning and / or packing unit according to one of claims 15 to 16, wherein the turning and / or packing unit has a turning / tilting axis which is oriented substantially horizontally. [18] Turning and / or packing unit according to one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the turning and / or packing unit has at least one conveyor belt which can be aligned on the one hand in a position aligned in / to the conveying direction and on the other hand in at least one further position at an acute angle to the conveying direction. [19] Turning and / or packing unit according to one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the turning and / or packing unit has at least one conveyor belt which can be actuated in a first and a second opposite conveying direction. [20] Turning and / or packing unit according to one of claims 15 to 19, wherein the turning and / or packing unit has a control / regulation unit or a controller connected thereto for control / regulation purposes, which is configured to actuate at least one mechanism or kinematics of the turning and / or packing unit for discharging based on at least one signal or trigger specifically correlated with a corresponding packaging material unit or batch, in particular by controlling / regulating on the one hand a tilting movement about a predefined tilting angle relative to the conveying direction and on the other hand also at least one of a translation movement and a holding / release movement. [21] Turning and / or packing unit according to one of claims 15 to 20, wherein the turning and / or packing unit predetermines a displacement direction which leads at an acute angle to the conveying direction to a / the receiving plane for rejects, in particular defined by a reject receiver which can preferably be arranged / is arranged upstream of the turning and / or packing unit. [22] Turning and / or packing unit according to one of claims 15 to 21, wherein the turning and / or packing unit is designed for a kinematic reversal of at least one translatory conveying means, in particular a conveyor belt. [23] Turning and / or packing unit according to one of claims 15 to 22, wherein the turning and / or packing unit is designed for a rocker-like rotary back-and-forth tilting movement at a predefined / predefinable tilting angle, in particular at a tilting angle in the range of 30 to 45°, e.g. exactly 40°. [24] Turning and / or packing unit according to one of claims 15 to 23, wherein the turning and / or packing unit is of modular construction and comprises a turning and / or packing module which can be integrated into the production line in conjunction with at least one of the following modules: an upstream separating module, and / or a downstream bundling / tying module. [25] Use of a turning and / or packing unit (110) for integrating a rejection function downstream of a folding-gluing process of an automated processing of packaging material units (1), in particular cardboard boxes, for the error trigger-based rejection of at least one packaging material unit per rejection process before, during or after a turning and / or packing process, in particular downstream of a section of a / the production line with shingled arrangement of the packaging material units, in particular upstream of a rejection and / or lacing, e.g.by means of plastic bands to be welded, wherein the process of ejecting is carried out by means of at least one rocker-like mechanism (112) or kinematics (113) of the turning and / or packing unit (110), wherein the at least one rocker-like mechanism or kinematics defines an acute angle (α) of a / the ejection direction (xz1) relative to the conveying direction, in particular a tilt angle in the range of 30 to 45°. [26] Use of at least one signal or trigger (ST) generated upstream in a processing process of a packaging material production line (100) relating to at least one fault characteristic of at least one of the processed packaging material units (1) for generating at least one control / regulation specification on / for a turning and / or packing unit (110) further downstream on the packaging material production line, for implementing a rejection process for the fault trigger-based rejection of rejects in connection with a turning and / or packing process, wherein the at least one control / regulation specification for actuating at least one mechanism (112) or kinematics (113) of the turning and / or packing unit (110) is processed in such a way that rejection takes place by changing the displacement direction (x1) of the at least one packaging material unit (1) identified on the basis of the fault trigger,in particular opposite to the conveying direction (x100) of the production line (100) realized upstream of the turning and / or packing unit (110).

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