METHOD FOR MECHANICAL MATERIAL LOADING OR UNLOADING OF A PROCESSING MACHINE AND PROCESSING MACHINE FOR CARRYING OUT THE METHOD

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for the machine loading or unloading of material in a processing machine for web goods according to claim 1.

[0002] In the industrial processing of web materials, a material web produced in a separate, preceding manufacturing step is typically transported to a processing machine so that the material web can be further processed within the machine as a raw material. For this purpose, the processing machine has a material feed station. The material feed station is designed to convey the material web. In particular, the material feed station is designed to draw the material web to be processed into the processing machine. For this purpose, the material feed station has a conveyor system. The conveyor system can, for example, include one or more conveyor belts and / or one or more conveyor rollers and / or one or more conveyor drums that continuously grip the material web and convey it into the processing machine.

[0003] The conveyor system is thus designed to further convey a material conveyor already positioned in or on the conveyor system.

[0004] The actual processing of the material web in the processing machine is then carried out fully automatically and controlled by a control unit, allowing for excellent synchronization of process sequences. This also enables the processing process of the processing machine to be very well integrated with any other processing machines. The material web is fed into the processing machine gradually, as required for the specific processing operation. For example, a tire manufacturing machine or a calender are such processing machines for web materials.

[0005] While the actual conveying of the material web by the conveyor system can be automated by a control unit regulating the system accordingly, the necessary prior separate material loading presents a special situation, as this cannot be accomplished solely by the conveyor system, particularly using conveyor belts, rollers, or conveyor drums. Similarly, any necessary material unloading also presents a special situation, as it cannot be performed solely by the conveyor system. Both material loading and unloading require handling a free end section of the material web.

[0006] Material loading and, if necessary, material unloading using the aforementioned method were previously carried out manually. This often required manual intervention to respond to individual situations arising during material loading or unloading, for example, depending on the position and orientation of the free end section of the material web, which had to be guided and aligned.

[0007] In material loading, a process requirement that is difficult to automate is that the free end section is first precisely coordinated and brought to a conveyor system of the material feed station in such a way that it can first automatically convey the free end section and then the further material web into the processing machine.

[0008] In material unloading, a process requirement that is difficult to automate is that, for example, after the partial processing of the material web is interrupted, the free end section can be precisely coordinated from the material feed station of the processing machine and back to the material cassette and aligned there.

[0009] EP 4079668 A1 discloses a system for processing web-based materials. Part of this system is a robot arm that can move towards and away from a roll. The robot arm has a head housing various elements required for carrying out the splicing process. Gripping means for grasping the web-based materials are provided on the front of the robot arm head; these gripping means preferably consist of areas with vacuum sectors.

[0010] The object of the present invention is to improve a method of the type mentioned at the outset. In particular, the requirement for manual handling of the material web during material unloading and / or material loading is to be reduced.

[0011] The problem is solved by the fact that, in a process of the type mentioned above, the processing machine has a robot controlled by a control unit with at least one first gripping tool, by means of which the robot automatically performs the material picking step and / or the material positioning step, and that the material feed station has a gripping device which has at least one second gripping tool controlled by the control unit.

[0012] Furthermore, the problem is solved by setting up a processing machine for web material to carry out the method according to the invention.

[0013] Advantageous further developments of the invention will become apparent below, as well as from the claims and the drawings.

[0014] For material loading into the processing machine, the web is typically transported from the outside to the machine in a material cassette, for example, in a coiled state as a so-called spool. The web has a free end section where it terminates at one end. This free end section allows the web to be fed into the processing machine. The free end section often has a defined end edge where the free end section, and thus the web, terminates.

[0015] The material loading process includes a material transport step, which involves bringing the free end section of the material web to the material feed station. This can be achieved, for example, by unwinding a coil of the material web, allowing the free end section to stand upright and become accessible. In cases where the free end section does not stand upright, for example, if it adheres to the underlying layer of the material web, it can be brought upright by geometrically positioning the free end section for subsequent gripping. The rotation and, if necessary, unwinding of the coil is controlled by the control unit.

[0016] Following the material transport step for material loading, a material handling step is performed, involving the robot gripping the free end section. The gripping action then guides the free end section in its gripped state, allowing for automated alignment.

[0017] Following the material pickup step for material loading, a material positioning step is performed. In this step, the free end, gripped by the robot, is brought to the material feed station and aligned there by the robot. Specifically, the free end section is positioned on the conveyor, for example, on the conveyor belt, conveyor rollers, or conveyor drums, so that the conveyor can continue to automatically convey the material. The control unit coordinates the transition between the robot bringing the material positioning step to the material feed station and the subsequent automated conveying of the free end section by the conveyor.

[0018] In some processes, a material web is only partially removed from the material cassette and processed in the processing machine. This can mean, for example, that the roll is only partially unwound. Thus, the roll is not completely unwound. In this case, only a portion of the material web is processed in the processing machine. The material web is cut by the processing machine between the processed and unprocessed portions. This creates a new, free end section of the material web, from which the web extends out of the processing machine, particularly along the material feed station, and back to the partially unwound roll. This free end section is retracted and removed from the processing machine during material discharge.This allows the processing machine to be ready for a new material load with a different material web, for example to carry out a different processing procedure.

[0019] The material handling step for material unloading involves moving the free end section to the material feed station. Unlike material loading, in material unloading this means that the free end section is moved from the processing machine back to its material feed station. Until it reaches the material feed station, the free end section is conveyed by a conveyor system, for example, a conveyor belt, rollers, or other conveying devices. Other possible conveying devices to assist this process include a winding mechanism that rewinds the partially unwound section, thus pulling the free end section out of the processing machine and back to its material feed station.The conveyor system or other conveying equipment is automatically controlled by the control unit.

[0020] The material transport step for material unloading is followed by a material pickup step for the material unloading. This involves the robot gripping the free end section at the material feed station. Once gripped, the free end section is then automatically guided and aligned.

[0021] Following the material pickup step for material unloading, a material positioning step is performed. In this step, the free end section, gripped by the robot, is lifted from the material feed station. Subsequently, the robot moves the free end section towards the material cassette, specifically the reel, for material unloading. The free end section is then aligned on the material cassette, for example, on the reel, in such a way that the material cassette can subsequently be moved away from the processing machine.The control unit automatically coordinates the transition between bringing the material to the material feed station in the material positioning step using the conveyor or other conveying means and the subsequent gripping, lifting from the material feed station and bringing and aligning the gripped free end section on the material cassette, in particular the coil.

[0022] The major advantage of automating the material handling and / or positioning steps using a robot lies in the time savings and predictable process duration associated with these steps. Automating the material handling and / or positioning steps allows for the fully automated linking of the transport of a material web, particularly a coil, to a web processing machine and the subsequent processing of this web by the processing machine, without requiring any cycle interruption for manual human intervention. This makes the process of the aforementioned type more time-efficient and cost-efficient according to the invention. Furthermore, it simplifies integration into already largely automated process chains.In a further development of the invention, it is provided that the method, following the material positioning step, comprises a material conveying step with conveying the material web by means of the conveyor along a conveying direction of the processing machine for further processing of the material web, or comprises a removal step with removing the material cassette from the processing machine.

[0023] In particular, the material conveying step follows the material positioning step in machine material loading. During material loading, the material conveying step, which involves conveying the material web, allows the web to be fed to the processing machine up to the point within the machine where the processing operations are carried out. This allows the processing operations to which the material web is subjected to to be directly connected to the machine material loading.

[0024] In particular, the removal step follows the material positioning step in the machine material unloading process. The removal step, involving the removal of the material cassette, especially the reel, from the processing machine, allows the processing machine to be used for other processing operations with a different material web. Specifically, the removal step is automatically controlled by the control unit.

[0025] In a further development of the invention, it is provided that the first gripping tool has a first vacuum gripper, in particular a first vacuum bar with at least one first suction cup, and that the gripping comprises applying a vacuum to the first vacuum gripper, in particular to the at least one first suction cup.

[0026] This has the advantage that gripping the material web can be carried out with particular process reliability within the framework of robot-controlled implementation. Furthermore, the kinematic implementation of gripping for the robot is particularly simple and cost-effective using a vacuum gripper. Another advantage of a vacuum gripper, especially a vacuum bar with at least one suction cup, is that the gripping of the material web is achieved by the vacuum gripper being applied to a surface of the web. In particular, this eliminates the need for error-prone gripping tools with complex mechanisms.

[0027] The vacuum is provided by a vacuum source, such as a vacuum pump. The application and deactivation of the vacuum are automatically controlled by the control unit. This enables automatic gripping by the robot.

[0028] In a further development of the invention, it is provided that the processing machine, in particular the material feed station, has at least one first sensing means by which the control unit evaluates the position and / or the orientation of the free end section during and / or after the material transport step and determines at least one first position value and / or at least one first orientation value from this, in particular before and / or during gripping in the material intake step, before and / or during bringing it close to the conveyor or to the material cassette and / or before and / or during alignment on the conveyor or on the material cassette.

[0029] This has the advantage that the control unit can effectively control the robot to move the gripping tool in order to carry out the material picking step and the material positioning step as required.

[0030] The first sensing device can, for example, be a means by which the diameter and / or radius of the winding in the material cassette is sensed and evaluated by the control unit. From this, the control unit determines a first position value, which corresponds to the diameter and / or radius of the winding. The first sensing device can be a laser measuring device, particularly one using the triangulation measuring principle.

[0031] In an alternative or additional embodiment, a first sensing device is an energy-based light barrier that measures the reflectivity of the winding's surface during rotation in the material loading step. The control unit can then evaluate any abrupt change in the measured reflectivity of the surface that occurs at the point where the free end section terminates. This allows the control unit to determine the position of the free end section. The rationale behind this is that a separating layer is typically incorporated between two wound layers of the material web to prevent them from sticking together. This separating layer has a different reflectivity than the material web itself.During the material loading step, the control unit uses a measured abrupt change in reflectivity at a tangential point on the surface to determine that the free end section begins or ends at this point. The control unit then evaluates the information obtained about the position and / or orientation of the free end section during the material loading step. Based on this evaluation, the control unit then directs the robot during the subsequent material pickup step, ensuring that the robot moves its gripper to the position of the free end of the material path and picks up the material.

[0032] Alternatively or additionally, other primary sensing devices can detect the position and / or orientation of the free end section during the material positioning step. In this case, the control unit evaluates the detected position and / or orientation of the free end section during the approach and alignment of the material positioning step. This evaluation is relative to the material feed station in the case of material loading and relative to the material cassette, and especially relative to the coil, in the case of material unloading. By evaluating the position and / or orientation of the free end section, the control options for the effective, fully automated control of the robot for executing the material pickup and positioning steps are improved.

[0033] In a further development of the invention, it is provided that the control unit compares the at least one position value and / or the at least one orientation value in a control loop with one or more setpoints and determines one or more control deviation values ​​from this, according to which the control unit changes the position and / or the orientation of the free end section by controlling the robot, in particular reducing the one or more control deviations.

[0034] This has the advantage that, by means of the control loop, a pre-programmed profile of the desired movement of the free end of the material path can be implemented by the robot during the material pickup step and the material positioning step, and the control unit compensates for deviations.

[0035] According to the invention, the material feed station has a gripping device which has at least one second gripping tool controlled by the control unit.

[0036] This has the advantage that the first gripping tool can safely place the free end section on the gripping device as an intermediate storage space for a period of time, for example to carry out readjustments on the position of the free end section or on the first gripping tool.

[0037] In a further development of the process, it is provided that the process includes a regripping step carried out by the robot after the material pickup step and before the material positioning step, comprising a change in the relative position of the first gripping tool with respect to the free end of the material path.

[0038] Changing the relative position can optimize the positioning for the subsequent material positioning step. For example, during material loading, depending on the position in which the free end section was gripped by the first gripper during the material pickup step at the material cassette, it may be advantageous to change the relative position of the first gripper with respect to the free end of the material web. This allows the free end to be kinematically guided and aligned with the conveyor of the material feed station in a particularly efficient manner during the material positioning step.Similarly, during material unloading, depending on the position in which the free end section could be gripped at the material feed station during the material pickup step, it may be useful to change the relative position of the first gripping tool with respect to the free end of the material web in order to kinematically guide and align the free end particularly effectively with the material cassette during the material positioning step.

[0039] In a further development of the invention, the method comprises a logical case distinction step performed by the control unit prior to the material positioning step, in which the control unit logically evaluates information about the position and / or orientation of the free end section, in particular the at least one first position value and / or the at least one first orientation value, and uses the result of the evaluation as a criterion for selecting from at least two variants of the continuation of the method, wherein in a first of these variants the method includes a regripping step performed by the robot after the material pickup step and prior to the material positioning step, comprising a change in the relative position of the first gripping tool with respect to the free end of the raw material path.and in a second of these variants the process is continued without this handling step.

[0040] This has the advantage that the repositioning step is only performed when necessary. In particular, the repositioning step is eliminated in those cases where the control unit has already logically evaluated, after the material intake step, based on the at least one first position value and / or the at least one first alignment value, that the free end section can be kinematically brought particularly efficiently to the conveyor or material cassette and aligned there during the upcoming material positioning step. In a further development of the invention, it is provided that the repositioning step of the method comprises the following sub-steps controlled by the control unit: a) Bringing the free end section gripped by the first gripping tool towards the second gripping tool, the first gripping tool being arranged in a first relative position with respect to the free end section, b) Aligning the free end section gripped by the first gripping tool with the second gripping tool, c) Gripping the free end section gripped by the first gripping tool using the second gripping tool, d) Terminating the gripping by the first gripping tool, e) Repositioning the first gripping tool on the free end section towards a second relative position of the first gripping tool with respect to the free end, f) Gripping the free end section held by the second gripping tool using the first gripping tool, g) Terminating the gripping by the second gripping tool, h) Lifting the free end section gripped by the first gripping tool from the gripping device.

[0041] This combination of sub-steps of the gripping step has the advantage that a standardized and process-reliable, proven adjustment of the relative position of the first gripping tool with respect to the free end section is possible. The process flow, involving aligning the free end section with the second gripping tool and gripping the free end section using the second gripping tool, allows for a particularly reliable change in the first relative position of the gripping tool to its second relative position with respect to the free end section, and thus a particularly process-reliable execution of the subsequent material positioning step.

[0042] In one possible process flow, during the material pickup step, the first gripper grasps the free end of the material on one of the two flat, parallel surfaces of the material web. During the repositioning step, the first gripper is guided by the robot to the second of the two flat, parallel surfaces and performs the gripping action in the second relative position. This means the first gripper changes the side from which it grasps the free end section. This is particularly advantageous because it allows for various release scenarios in which the free end section either adheres to the coil or protrudes from it during the material feed step of the material loading process.The ability to transfer gripping from the first gripped side of the material web to the second significantly increases the possibilities for picking up the free end section during the material pickup step and then aligning it effectively at the material feed station. A further advantage is that, during the material positioning step at material unloading, the free end section can be positioned more effectively, or even at all, on the material cassette, particularly the reel, after the side gripped by the first gripper has changed.

[0043] In a further development of the invention, it is provided that the material feed station, in particular the gripping device, has at least a second sensing means by which the control unit evaluates the position and / or the orientation of the free end section during at least part of the gripping step and determines at least a second position value and / or at least a second orientation value from this.

[0044] This allows the control unit to determine a second relative position very precisely, which is particularly useful for the subsequent material positioning step. The sensing means can be any means by which the control unit gathers information about the position and / or orientation of the free end section and makes it available for evaluation by the control unit.

[0045] In a further development of the invention, it is provided that during the gripping step, the control unit compares the at least one second position value and / or the at least one second orientation value in a control loop with one or more setpoints and determines one or more control deviation values ​​from this, according to which the control unit changes the position and / or the orientation of the first gripping tool with respect to the free end section by controlling the robot, in particular in such a way that the control deviation value(s) are reduced.

[0046] This has the advantage that, by means of the control loop, a pre-programmed profile of the desired movement of the free end of the material path can be implemented by the robot and the second gripping device controlled by the control unit during the gripping step, and in case of deviations, the control unit compensates accordingly.

[0047] In a further development of the invention, it is provided that the at least one second gripping tool has a second vacuum gripper, in particular a second vacuum bar with at least one second suction cup, and that changing the relative position of the first gripping tool with respect to the free end section comprises or gripping the free end section by applying a vacuum to the second vacuum gripper, in particular to the at least one second suction cup.

[0048] This has the advantage that the gripping step can be implemented with particularly high process reliability using robot control. Furthermore, the kinematic implementation of the gripping action for the robot is particularly simple and cost-effective using a vacuum gripper, especially as a complement to a primary gripping tool already designed as a vacuum gripper with the vacuum source required anyway. In addition, error-prone gripping tools with complex mechanisms can be avoided.

[0049] The invention will now be explained in more detail using an exemplary embodiment. The drawings show... Fig. 1: a schematic side view of a processing machine for web material in a first detachment scenario of a free end section, Fig. 2: the processing machine according to Fig. 1after a material positioning step during material loading, Fig. 3: the processing machine in a second detachment scenario of the free end section, Fig. 4: the processing machine performing a gripping step, Fig. 5: the processing machine performing the gripping step, Fig. 6: a perspective view of the processing machine according to the Figures 1 to 5

[0050] Figure 1Figure 1 shows a stylized side view of part of a processing machine 2 for web materials. A web of material 4 is shown, wound into a reel 6. The reel 6 is arranged in a material cassette 8 and is rotatably mounted on or within it. The processing machine 2 comprises a robot 10 and a control unit 12 (not shown). The processing machine 2 also includes a material feed station 14. The material feed station 14 has a conveyor 16 with a first conveyor belt 18 and a second conveyor belt 20. The material feed station 14 is configured, by means of the first conveyor belt 18 and the second conveyor belt 20, to transport the web of material 4 to a processing station of the processing machine 2 (not shown), where the web of material 4 undergoes at least one processing operation.The first conveyor belt 18 is configured to transport the material web 4 into the processing machine 2 in a first conveying direction. The second conveyor belt 20 is configured to transport the material web 4 into the processing machine 2 in a second conveying direction 24.

[0051] Material cassette 8 and thus material track 4 were in the condition according to Figure 1 in a preliminary step of approaching the processing machine 2 from the outside, the machine was moved and placed on the processing machine 2, in particular rigidly fixed.

[0052] This process is particularly advantageous in machine-based tire manufacturing. Here, the processing machine 2 can be, for example, a calender or a tire building machine.

[0053] The particular advantage of the processing machine 2 shown is that the inventive method for machine material loading and / or machine material unloading can be carried out by means of it.

[0054] In the inventive method and in the processing machine 2, the robot 10 performs a special function. Before the processing machine 2 can draw the material web 4 into the processing machine 2 along the conveying direction 22, 24 and subsequently process it continuously in a processing process, the material web 4 must be removed from the material cassette 8 and placed and aligned on the conveyor 16. This process is the material loading of the processing machine 2. Furthermore, in the automated material loading method, this material loading of the processing machine 2 is carried out fully automatically by means of the robot 10 and the control unit 12.

[0055] Conversely, the processing process of processing machine 2 may be interrupted in a state where only a portion of the material web 4 has been unwound from the reel 6 and conveyed into the machine along the conveying direction 22, 24 for processing. Often, the material web 4 is then cut within processing machine 2 and must be retracted from the machine against the conveying direction 24, 22, rewound onto the reel 6, and stored in the material cassette 8. This process is called material unloading of processing machine 2. Using the robot 10 and the control unit 12, this material unloading of processing machine 2 is carried out fully automatically in the automated material unloading process.

[0056] The execution of the method for mechanical material loading and the method for mechanical material unloading of processing machine 2 are described separately below. Where structural properties of processing machine 2 are described in more detail below, these properties are implemented in both the material loading and the material unloading methods of processing machine 2.

[0057] For automated material loading, a material transport step is first performed, in which a free end section 26 of the material web 4 is brought to the material feed station 14. Bringing the material web to the material in this transport step does not necessarily mean that the material web 4 comes into direct contact with the material feed station 14 during this step. Rather, it means that in a first step, the free end section 26 is either removed from the material cassette 8 or prepared for removal and transport to the material feed station 14 by moving the free end section into a particularly suitable position.

[0058] During the material handling step of the material loading process, the reel 6 is rotated around its axis in the material cassette 8 so that the material web 4 can be removed from the reel 6. This is often accompanied by the unwinding of a separating strip 28 from the reel 6 along with the material web 4. The material web 4 is covered by the separating strip 28, preventing two layers of the material web 4 from coming into direct contact and sticking together when the reel 6 is wound on top of each other. Thus, the unwinding of the material web 4 from the reel 6 is accompanied by the corresponding unwinding of the separating strip 28.

[0059] There are essentially two typical detachment scenarios possible, which determine how the material web 4 is moved from the material cassette to the next process steps.

[0060] In the first transfer scenario, as this one is in Figure 1As shown, the free end section 26 detaches itself automatically from the winding 6. This can happen, for example, due to material stresses in the material web 4, or due to the effect of gravity on the free end section 26. In this process, the free end section 26 is moved from the winding 6 and out of the material cassette 8 and towards the material feed station 14. In the illustration according to Figure 1It can be seen that the free end section 26 comes to rest on the transported separating strip 28 and is transported away from the material cassette 8. A first flat surface 32 of the material strip 4 and the free end section 26 is oriented downwards towards the transported separating strip 28. Furthermore, a second flat surface 34 of the material strip 4 and the free end section 26 is oriented towards the side opposite the first surface 32. This corresponds to the position and orientation of the free end section 26 during the material transport step with the first separation scenario.

[0061] In a second detachment scenario, which will be described in more detail below, the free end section 26 does not detach itself from the winding 6. This can happen, for example, if the material web 4 adheres to the separating strip 28 despite the separating strip and follows the rotational movement of the winding 6's outer surface. This would occur in the representation according to Figure 1 This means that the free end section 26 is not (to the right according to the representation in Figure 1 ) is not led out of the material cassette together with the separating strip 28 at the lowest point, but would rotate upwards counterclockwise with the winding. This means that in the second detachment scenario, the free end section 26 would rotate counterclockwise with the winding 6 during the rotation of the winding 6. Figure 1) in the tangential direction of the coil 6, the material is initially guided a short distance towards the material feed station 14 and then further upwards along the outer surface of the coil 6. The actual detachment of the free end section 26 from the coil 6 only occurs during or after the gripping of the subsequent material pickup step. The position of the free end section 26 after the material feed step in the second detachment scenario is shown in Figure 3 shown.

[0062] For each of the two aforementioned detachment scenarios, a different kinematic implementation of the material pickup step for gripping the free end section 26 is necessary using the robot 10, which is carried out after the material transport step.

[0063] In the case of the first material loading scenario, in the material handling step following the material transport step, the free end section 26 is gripped by the robot 10 controlled by the control unit 12 in the partially unwound position and orientation on the separation path 28 as shown in Figure 1 . In this process, the robot 10 is moved towards the free end section 26 according to its position and orientation.

[0064] The robot has a first gripping tool 30 in the form of a first vacuum bar 30. The control unit 12 controls the robot 10 such that the vacuum bar 30 is positioned at the free end section 26 on the second surface 34. By applying a vacuum, which is also controlled by the control unit 12, the robot 10 grips the free end section 26 using the vacuum bar 30. Gripping the free end section 26 creates a force-fit connection between the gripping tool 30 and the free end section 26. Through this force-fit connection, the robot 10, according to the control unit 12, picks up the free end section 26 and, in the further course of the process, moves it to the material feed station 14.

[0065] Following the material pickup step in the first detachment scenario, a material positioning step takes place, in which the gripped free end section 26 is further advanced towards the conveyor 16 of the material feed station 14. The gripped free end section 26 is then aligned with the conveyor 16 of the material feed station 14. As the free end section 26 is advanced, the coil 6 of the material web 4 is unwound further. This can be achieved either solely by the robot 10 pulling on the material web 4 during the material positioning step, or alternatively with the assistance of a drive device in the material cassette 8, which drives the coil 6.

[0066] When bringing the free end section 26 to the material feed station 14 and aligning it, the robot 10 uses the gripping tool 30 to hold the free end section 26 on its second surface 34 and places the opposite first surface 32 against the conveyor 16, in particular the first conveyor belt 18, in full contact.

[0067] Figure 2This shows that, as a result of the material positioning step, the free end section 26 is positioned on the conveyor 16, specifically on the first conveyor belt 18. The material web 4 extends from the material cassette 8, particularly from the reel 6, to the material feed station 14. In this state, the material web 4 is automatically removed from the material cassette 8 and automatically fed to the conveyor 16 and aligned there. Subsequently, the material web 4 is automatically and continuously conveyed from the conveyor 16 along the conveying direction 22, 24 into the processing machine 2 in a single material conveying step.A secure, force-fit connection between the conveyor 16 of the material feed station 14 and the material web 4, enabling further conveying of the material web 4, is achieved by hold-down rollers 36. These rollers are lowered immediately after the free end section 26 has been brought into position and aligned onto the second surface 34 of the material web 4, thereby holding the material web 4 between the first conveyor belt 18 and the rotatable hold-down rollers 36. The control unit 12 then switches off the vacuum at the vacuum bar 30, thus ending the gripping of the free end section 26 by the first gripping device 30.

[0068] In the case of the second material loading scenario, in the material handling step following the material transport step, the free end section 26 is gripped by the robot 10, controlled by the control unit 12, in the position and orientation adhering to the coil as shown in the illustration. Figure 3 In this scenario, the robot 10 is moved towards the free end section 26 according to its position and orientation.

[0069] In the second detachment scenario, a difference from the material pickup step and the material positioning step described above after the first detachment scenario is that in the second detachment scenario, the gripper tool 30 of the robot 10 grasps the free end section 26 at the first surface 32 of the material path 4 during the material pickup step. This leads to the problem that, unlike in Figure 2shown that the free end section 26 can be positioned with the first surface 32 on the conveyor 16 without any difficulty, since the gripping tool 30 would be obstructing the way.

[0070] To overcome this problem, the method includes a re-gripping step that the robot 10 performs automatically between the material pickup step and the material positioning step. In this step, the robot 10 changes the relative position of the first gripper 30 with respect to the free end section 26 of the material path 4. This means that during the re-gripping step, the robot 10 releases the initially gripped end section 26 using the first gripper 30 and then grips it again in a changed relative position of the first gripper 30 with respect to the free end section 26.

[0071] For this purpose, the material feed station 14 has a gripping device 38. The gripping device 38 has a second gripping tool 40 in the form of a second vacuum bar 40. In the present embodiment, the gripping device 38 is a rigidly connected component of the processing machine 2. Alternatively, the gripping device 38 can also be designed to be movable, for example in the form of another robot or a component thereof.

[0072] In the gripping step, the robot 10, controlled by the control unit 12, first brings the free end section 26, which is gripped at its first surface 32 by the first gripper 30, towards the second gripper 40. The first gripper 30 is initially positioned relative to the free end section 26. At the end of or after this initial movement, the free end section 26 is aligned with the second gripper 40. The second gripper 40 then grips the free end section 26 by applying a vacuum to the vacuum bar 40. In the present embodiment, the second gripper 40 grips as shown in the illustration. Figures 4 and 5the free end section 26 at its first surface 32. Alternatively, the second gripping tool 40 can grip the free end section 26 at its second surface 34. The control unit 12 then terminates the gripping by the first gripping tool 30 by switching off the vacuum at the first gripping tool 30. The resulting situation corresponds to the representation in Figure 4 While the free end section 26 continues to be held by the second gripper 40, the robot 10 repositions the first gripper 30 such that the first gripper 30 is moved onto the second surface 34 of the free end section 26. The first gripper 30 is then in a second relative position with respect to the free end section 26, which in Figure 5as shown. The first gripping tool 30 then grips the free end section 26 again, this time in its second relative position with respect to the free end section 26. The second gripping tool 40 then ends its gripping of the free end section 26, so that the first gripping tool 40 can lift the free end section 26 from the gripping device.

[0073] As a result of the re-gripping step during material loading, the first gripping tool 30 now grips the free end section at its second surface 34. Subsequently, the execution of the material positioning step no longer differs from how it would have been if the material transport step and the material pickup step had taken place with the first release scenario. Thus, the second release scenario is addressed by means of the re-gripping step in the aforementioned manner.

[0074] To link the material feed step with the material pickup step and the material positioning step, and optionally to perform a re-gripping step, the control unit executes a logical case distinction step. During this case distinction step, the control unit 12 evaluates information about the position and / or orientation of the free end section 26, particularly at or after the completion of the material feed step. Specifically, this information represents whether the free end section 26 detached from the coil 6 at the end of the material feed step according to the first detachment scenario, or whether it followed the coil 6 tangentially according to the second detachment scenario, and whether the situation is as described above. Figure 3The information about the position can be logically evaluated, for example, by processing an initial position value and / or an initial orientation value using electronic data processing. The control unit then uses the result of the evaluation as a criterion for selecting from at least two alternatives for continuing the process. In particular, in the case of the first transfer scenario, the control unit 12 independently decides that the process will continue without the aforementioned transfer step and implements this decision. Alternatively, in the case of the second transfer scenario, the control unit 12 independently decides that the process will be carried out with the aforementioned transfer step between the material pickup step and the material positioning step and implements this decision.

[0075] The automatic acquisition of information about whether the first or second release scenario is realized during or after the material transport step and before the material intake step is carried out by means of a first sensing device 42 of the processing machine 2. The first sensing device 42 can, for example, have one or more sensors 42 that acquire such information during or after the material transport step, which is suitable for distinguishing between the realization of the first and the second release scenario.

[0076] The first sensing device(s) can be, for example, one or more light barriers, in particular energy light barriers, one or more lasers, in particular one or more triangulation laser devices, one or more ultrasonic sensors, one or more radar sensors and / or one or more cameras.

[0077] Insofar as this sensing means 42 or a combination of these sensing means 42 is suitable for distinguishing between the realization of the first release scenario and the second release scenario, the first position value and / or the first orientation value can be determined, which serves as a criterion for carrying out or skipping the gripping step after the material pickup step and before the material positioning step in the case distinction step by means of logical evaluation by the control unit.

[0078] For controlling the robot 10 with the first gripping tool 30, the control unit 12 can further evaluate this position value and / or the orientation value for a particularly effective approach of the first gripping tool 30 to the free end section 26, for example in one or more control loops.

[0079] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the gripping device 38 may have at least one second sensing means. Using this second sensing means, the control unit can evaluate the position and / or orientation of the free end section 26 during at least part of the gripping step. This evaluation allows for the determination of a second position value and / or at least one second orientation value. This value(s) can then be compared with one or more setpoints in a control loop, and one or more control deviation values ​​are determined from this comparison. Based on these setpoints, the control unit controls the movements of the robot 10 during the gripping step.

[0080] The aforementioned method is also suitable for automating the material unloading of processing machine 2 using robot 10. Compared to the aforementioned variants for automated material loading, the variant for material unloading differs in that, during the material transport step, the free end section 26 is not brought to the material cassette 8 or the reel 6, but instead to the conveyor 16. Here, the free end section 26 is brought out of processing machine 2 and back towards its material feed station 14, in the opposite direction to the conveying directions 22, 24. The material pickup step then takes place, involving the gripping of the free end section 26 at the conveyor 16. During the material pickup step, the position and orientation of the material path 4, the free end section 26, and the robot 10, including the first gripping tool 30, correspond to the illustration shown. Figure 2. This is, insofar as the pure arrangement of the components is the situation that exists as a result of the material loading process before the free end section 26 is drawn into the processing machine 2 for further processing by means of the conveyor 16 along the conveying direction 22, 24.

[0081] During material unloading, the material positioning step is automated by the robot 10. Unlike during material loading, where the robot moves the gripped free end section 26 to the conveyor 16 of the material feed station 14, the robot instead moves it to the material cassette 8, specifically to the reel 6, and aligns it. In one variant, a re-gripping step is performed between the material pickup step and the material positioning step by the robot 10 and the second gripper 40. This allows the free end section 26 to be gripped at its second surface 34 by the first gripper 30 during the material pickup step for material unloading. After the re-gripping step, the free end section 26 is positioned at this second surface 34 on the reel 6, specifically on the material cassette 8, by the robot 10 with the first gripper 30 in a position as shown in the illustration. Figure 3the free end section 26 is held at its first surface 32 and aligned with the material cassette 8 or the coil 6.

[0082] Figure 6 shows a more detailed perspective line drawing of part of processing machine 2 as a possible design.

[0083] In an advantageous embodiment, the process for automated material loading takes place first, in which the previously transported material web 4 is fed to the processing machine 2 at the material feed station 14 by means of the robot 10. After the material web 4 has been conveyed into the processing machine 2 along the conveying direction 22, 24 and the (not shown) downstream processing process has been carried out, consuming a portion of the material web 4, the reel 6 is often only partially unwound and a significant portion of the material web 4 remains unprocessed. During the material removal step from the processing machine 2, this portion of the material web 4 is first guided back to the conveyor 16 against the conveying direction 22, 24 and then, by means of the robot 10, optionally with the aid of additional gripping during the gripping step, returned to the material cassette 8.The winding 6 is guided and aligned. Subsequently, the material cassette 8, now only wound with the portion of the material web 4, can be transported away from the processing machine 2. A further material cassette can then be transported to the processing machine 2, and the aforementioned process can be carried out.

[0084] The automated process for the machine loading and / or unloading of material from the processing machine 2 thus allows a material web 4 to be fed into the processing machine 2 without the need for manual threading of the free end 26 at the material feed station 14. This makes the entire sequence of processes, from the transport of a material web 4 in a material cassette 8 to its processing and, if necessary, partial removal from the processing machine 2, particularly easy to plan, synchronize, and implement reliably and cost-effectively. Reference symbol list

[0085] 2 Processing machine 4 Material web 6 Winding 8 Material cassette 10 Robot 12 Control unit 14 Material feed station 16 Conveyor 18 First conveyor belt 20 Second conveyor belt 22 First conveying direction 24 Second conveying direction 26 Free end section 28 Separating track 30 First gripper 32 First surface 34 Second surface 36 Hold-down rollers 38 Re-gripping device 40 Second gripper 42 First sensing device

Claims

1. Method for the mechanical material loading or material unloading of a web processing machine comprising a material feeding station (14) for conveying a web of material (4), comprising the following steps: - a material transporting step comprising introducing a free end portion (26) of a material web (4) to a material feeding station (14), - a material receiving step carried out after the material transporting step, comprising gripping the free end section (26), - a material positioning step carried out after the material receiving step, comprising introducing the gripped free end section (26) to a conveyor (16) of the material feeding station (14) or to a material cassette (8), and further comprising aligning the gripped free end section (26) with respect to the conveyor (16) or to the material cassette (8), wherein the processing machine (2) has a robot (10) controlled by a control unit (12) with at least one first gripping tool (30), by means of which the robot (10) carries out the material receiving step and / or the material positioning step automatically, and characterized in that the material feeding station (14) has a gripping device (38) which has at least one second gripping tool (40) controlled by the control unit.

2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the method comprises, following the material positioning step, - a material conveying step with conveying of the material web (4) by means of the conveyor (16) along a conveying direction (22, 24) of the processing machine (2) for further processing of the material web (4), or - a removal step with removal of the material cassette (8) from the processing machine.

3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first gripping tool (30) has a first vacuum gripper (30), in particular a first vacuum bar (30) with at least one first suction bell, and in that the gripping comprises applying a vacuum to the first vacuum gripper (30), in particular to the at least one first suction bell.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the processing machine (10), in particular the material feeding station (14), has at least one first sensing means (42), by means of which the control unit (12) evaluates the position and / or the alignment of the free end section (26) during and / or after the material transporting step and determines from this at least a first position value and / or at least a first alignment value, in particular before and / or during gripping in the material receiving step, before and / or during approaching the conveyor (14) or the material cassette (8) and / or before and / or during alignment with respect to the conveyor (14) or to the material cassette (8).

5. Method according to Claim 4, characterized in that the control unit (12) compares the at least one position value and / or the at least one alignment value in a control loop with one or more set values and from this determines one or more control deviation values, according to which the control unit (12) changes the position and / or the alignment of the free end section (26) by controlling the robot (10), in particular reduces the one or more control deviations.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method comprises a gripping step carried out after the material receiving step and before the material positioning step by means of the robot (10), comprising changing the relative position of the first gripping tool (30) with respect to the free end section (26) of the material web (4).

7. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the method comprises a logical case differentiation step carried out before the material positioning step by means of the control unit (12), in which the control unit (12) logically evaluates an information item about the position and / or the alignment of the free end section (26), in particular the at least one first position value and / or the at least one first alignment value, and uses the result of the evaluation as a criterion for selecting from at least two variants of the continuation of the method, wherein - in one of these variants, the method comprises a or the gripping step carried out after the material receiving step and before the material positioning step by means of the robot (10), comprising changing the relative position of the first gripping tool (30) with respect to the free end section (26) of the material web (4), and - in a second of these variants, the method is continued without this gripping step.

8. Method according to either of Claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the gripping step comprises the following substeps controlled by the control unit (12): a) introducing the free end section (26) gripped by the first gripping tool (39) to the second gripping tool (40), wherein the first gripping tool (30) is arranged in a first relative position with respect to the free end section (26), b) aligning the free end section (26) gripped by the first gripping tool (30) on the second gripping tool (40), c) gripping the free end section (26) gripped by the first gripping tool (30) by means of the second gripping tool (40), d) stopping the gripping by the first gripping tool (30), e) repositioning the first gripping tool (30) at the free end section (26) towards a second relative position of the first gripping tool (30) in relation to the free end section (26), f) gripping the free end section (26) held by the second gripping tool (40) by means of the first gripping tool (30), g) stopping the gripping by the second gripping tool (40), h) lifting the free end section (26) gripped by the first gripping tool (30) from the gripping device (38).

9. Method according to one of Claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the material feeding station (14), in particular the gripping device (38), has at least one second sensing means, by means of which the control unit (12) evaluates the position and / or the alignment of the free end section (26) during at least a part of the gripping step and from this determines at least one second position value and / or at least one second alignment value.

10. Method according to Claim 9, characterized in that the control unit (26) in the gripping step compares the at least one second position value and / or the at least one second alignment value in a control loop with one or more setpoint values and determines from this one or more control deviation values, according to which the control unit (12) changes the position and / or the alignment of the first gripping tool (30) with respect to the free end section (26) by controlling the robot (10), in particular in such a way that the control deviation value or values is / are reduced.

11. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one second gripping tool (40) has a second vacuum gripper (40), in particular a second vacuum bar (40) with at least one second suction bell, and in that changing the relative position of the first gripping tool (30) with respect to the free end section (26) comprises a or the gripping operation of the free end section (26) by applying a vacuum to the second vacuum gripper (40), in particular to the at least one second suction bell.