Shrink tunnel and method for operating a shrink tunnel

Abstract

A shrink tunnel (18) having an open-loop and / or closed-loop control device (22) and having at least one sensor system (24) is disclosed. The sensor system can provide information regarding each shrink result to the open-loop and / or closed-loop control device (22). The invention further relates to a method for operating a shrink tunnel (18) of this type. According to the invention, the open-loop and / or closed-loop control device (22) is designed to utilize the provided information by means of machine learning and can control the shrink tunnel (18), in open-loop and / or closed-loop control, according to the information utilized in such a way.

Description

[0001] Shrink tunnel and method for operating a shrink tunnel

[0002] The present invention relates to a shrink tunnel and a method for operating a shrink tunnel.

[0003] It is common practice to combine items such as beverage containers into manageable packaging units or bundles of four, six, or more containers for transport purposes. The containers within these bundles can be held together in various ways. The respective container, which can be, for example, a PET bottle or a mineral glass bottle, forms the primary packaging in which the respective beverage or liquid is safely contained.

[0004] Several of these primary packaging items can be held together using suitable secondary packaging. Suitable secondary packaging includes cardboard boxes, for example, into which the items or primary packaging can be placed. Another type of secondary packaging is shrink film wrapping.

[0005] Shrink films used as packaging material or secondary packaging are typically supplied as continuous material on rolls. The shrink film is measured and separated within a packaging machine according to the dimensions required to wrap a group of items. After being separated in a film wrapping module, the film cut pieces can be wrapped around the items or groups of items using a wrapping system. The characteristic property of the shrink film used, required for packaging purposes, is its ability to change shape and length under the influence of temperature. This is utilized in the packaging process by transporting the groups of items wrapped in shrink film through a shrink tunnel, where they are exposed to elevated temperatures.

[0006] During their transport through the shrink tunnel, the shrink-wrapped article groups are exposed to a suitable shrinking agent, usually hot air, which is blown onto the wrapped article groups. This hot air application shortens and contracts the shrink film, allowing it to cling to the articles and mechanically clamp them together. This creates the finished shrink packs, which can optionally be supplemented with additional accessories such as carrying handles.

[0007] To ensure that shrink-wrapped containers can withstand the stresses and strains encountered during mechanical or manual handling, the shrink film surrounding them must possess sufficient stretch and tear resistance. As cost-cutting measures, waste prevention, and resource conservation increasingly require thinner packaging films with film thicknesses of 25 μm or less, the mechanical strength of the films is reaching critical levels. For example, to reliably prevent handles from tearing out of containers containing a total of six 1.5-liter PET beverage containers, film thicknesses of at least 35 μm are generally required.However, such a reinforcement measure results in an additional use of film material, which is solely due to the fact that the film has sufficient mechanical stability for handling the containers at and in the area surrounding the connection points to the carrying handle.

[0008] The mechanical properties of a temperature-shrinkable film must therefore be considered as one of several process parameters when shrinking the film intended as secondary packaging onto the respective primary packaging or onto the respective glass and / or PET bottles. Taking into account the properties of the respective film intended as secondary packaging, the temperature and dwell time of the respective film in the shrink tunnel must be specified or adjusted within narrow ranges so that the respective film intended for secondary packaging can securely hold the wrapped articles together after the shrinking process.

[0009] Since commonly used shrink tunnels have numerous outlet openings for influencing the hot air flow directed at the article groups conveyed through the shrink tunnel, it may be useful to make these outlet openings adjustable and / or to be able to vary the volume of hot air blown out to achieve the desired shrinking result. However, these adjustable operating parameters of a shrink tunnel still do not guarantee optimal shrinking results under all circumstances. Even small fluctuations in film thickness or tolerances in the film's shrinkage behavior at a given temperature can lead to varying shrinkage results.Since it cannot always be guaranteed that different batches of the film material used for packaging can exactly comply with the specifications for film thickness and / or temperature behavior, or since other unforeseeable fluctuations can occur in the packaging process, it may be useful or necessary to take additional measured variables into account that can provide meaningful information on the respective shrinkage result in order to be able to react appropriately to measured changes in these measured variables in order to be able to approach the desired shrinkage result again and again.

[0010] The preceding description shows that prior to a packaging process in which items already have primary packaging are packaged, a multitude of different process parameters must be defined or adjusted to ensure the desired packaging quality after applying secondary packaging. The necessary settings and adjustments are time-consuming and can also be subject to errors if a user unintentionally or mistakenly specifies incorrect process parameters.

[0011] In view of the problems identified in the packaging process, in particular when using shrink film as a secondary packaging material, it can be considered a primary objective of the invention to provide an improved control of at least some of the controllable control parameters for a shrinking process.

[0012] This object is achieved by a shrink tunnel and by a method for operating such a shrink tunnel, which comprise the features in the independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments can be found in the respective dependent claims.

[0013] To achieve the above-mentioned objective, the invention proposes a shrink tunnel with a control and / or regulating device that has at least one sensor system, with which the control and / or regulating device can provide information on the respective shrinking result. The control and / or regulating device of the shrink tunnel according to the invention is designed not only to evaluate the provided information in the interest of improving the shrinking results, but also to utilize machine learning to enrich and / or supplement the information provided by the sensors and thus to control and / or regulate the shrink tunnel taking into account the information thus evaluated.

[0014] The shrinkage result may also include an intermediate state in which the film is not yet fully affixed to the articles, but rather still rests loosely on or against the article assembly. Such an intermediate state may also be characterized by more or less protruding or overlapping film sections or flaps.

[0015] The shrink tunnel controlled and / or regulated in this way should, if possible, be adapted to different operating conditions, particularly those which change during its operation, and the operating parameters should be readjusted or changed by appropriate control interventions in such a way that the quality of the shrinking and tempering results achieved by means of the shrink tunnel can be maintained at a high level.

[0016] The term "high-quality shrinking results" can specifically refer to compliance with certain target specifications relating to the dimensions of the packaging units or shrink packs leaving the shrink tunnel. However, such target specifications can also refer to the film path and, for example, the uniformity of length changes in the film cuts used as packaging material during the shrinking process.

[0017] Furthermore, the target specifications can also refer to changes in the optical properties of the film cuts, for example through changes in the film transparency and / or the film color.

[0018] Furthermore, the target specifications can also refer to the stability or tear resistance of the film or the film cuts.

[0019] At this point, it should be noted that the term "shrink tunnel" used most frequently here is to be understood broadly and essentially refers to the function of exposing article groups wrapped in shrinkable film material to hot gas or hot air, which normally occurs along a defined section of a transport route. Since this functionality, in most packaging devices or packaging machines, involves conveying the article groups to be exposed to hot gas or hot air through an enclosed space equipped with side walls and a top cover wall, with at least one inlet or inlet lock and at least one outlet or outlet lock, the term "shrink tunnel" has generally been adopted for such transport sections.However, for the person skilled in the art, this does not mean that the described functionality could not also be realized without such a tunnel-like housing section.

[0020] From the above, it follows that the reader addressed as a person skilled in the art will understand the term "shrink tunnel" used here to mean that it essentially means a tempering section for objects to be tempered, which are subjected to defined temperatures over a defined section, whereas the objects tempered in the defined section can cool down again after passing through the defined section and / or be exposed to an ambient temperature.

[0021] The fact that we are also talking about a section here also implies a conveyor line for the objects to be tempered, which are transported along the tempering section, i.e., usually through the shrink tunnel. This clarifies that the enclosed space or interior of the tempering section or shrink tunnel is the part of the system that is heated for the purpose of tempering, i.e., that the elevated temperature required for the heat treatment of the objects, i.e., the desired shrinkage result, normally prevails there, while no further statement is made regarding the ambient temperature. Normally, however, the ambient temperature is below the elevated temperatures prevailing in the area of ​​the tempering section or within the shrink tunnel.

[0022] If, in this context, a tempering section or the conveyance of the objects to be tempered through the shrink tunnel is mentioned, this generally requires a suitable conveyor system that can transport the objects through the area to be tempered or through the shrink tunnel. Such a conveyor system is generally a horizontal conveyor system equipped with a support plane moving in the conveying direction for the objects to be conveyed along the tempering section or through the shrink tunnel. The support plane can be formed, for example, by interconnected links of a motor-driven mat chain, link chain, or another conveyor system.

[0023] The shrink tunnel equipped and operated according to the invention is particularly suitable for the production of shrink-film packages, which are produced by wrapping grouped articles with suitable shrink films. This means that the aforementioned objects to be temperature-controlled can, in particular, be packaging units formed by shrink-film packages.

[0024] The shrink film used to wrap individual objects to be packaged can be considered secondary packaging, which is used to wrap multiple primary packagings and combine them into packaging units or containers. Primary packaging can, for example, be formed by beverage cans containing a beverage or other liquid. Primary packaging can also be formed by bottles of various types, such as beverage containers or bottles, each containing a beverage or liquid.

[0025] However, the invention is not limited to such primary packaging, so that numerous other articles or piece goods exist which are either regarded as primary packaging or which may themselves already have a primary packaging, and which can be packaged and processed into bundles using the shrink tunnel described here and the method described further below.

[0026] The film sections referred to here as secondary packaging can, for example, each be formed by appropriately cut sections of thermoplastic packaging material, namely in particular by a thermoplastic film or shrink film. It can also be expedient to supplement the respective secondary packaging with cardboard sections and / or with further secondary packaging, which can preferably also be wrapped in the shrink film and subsequently subjected to thermal treatment in a shrink tunnel. With regard to the respective secondary packaging used, the invention is not limited to the embodiments mentioned, so that numerous other secondary packagings exist that can be subjected to a shrinking process, in particular in connection with shrink film wrapping of the packaging units or containers to be formed.The shrink tunnel can, in particular, form a processing and / or treatment module within a machine environment of a more complex packaging system, where it interacts with other machine or system modules. In such a packaging system, which normally consists of several interacting modules, grouped unit loads, in particular grouped beverage containers, can be wrapped with shrinkable film. These prepared, film-wrapped unit loads or container groups can be fed into the shrink tunnel to be exposed to hot gas.

[0027] Such heat treatment of film-wrapped container groups ensures a controlled shrinking process of the film wrappings and thus ensures a firm mechanical cohesion of the individual piece goods or beverage containers within the respective grouping, so that these groupings leave the shrink tunnel as finished packaging units, whereby these packaging units can also be referred to as film shrink packs or shrink film packs.

[0028] The shrink tunnel, which normally forms part of a more complex packaging system, is equipped with the aforementioned sensors, which communicate with the control and / or regulating device also mentioned above and can thus interact in terms of signal technology, whereby this control and / or regulating device can in turn exchange data with the other components and system parts of the packaging system in order to be able to effectively influence the shrinking result.

[0029] When referring to sensors associated with a shrink tunnel, this can refer to temperature sensors, as the temperatures prevailing in the shrink tunnel are a critical parameter for achieving optimal shrinking results. In addition, the dwell time of the objects in the shrink tunnel and any temperature profile prevailing there over time, along the transport route through the shrink tunnel, and across the various height levels within the shrink tunnel are also important. Such temperature sensors are usually present and provided as part of the standard equipment in the shrink tunnel.

[0030] However, if, in the present context, reference is made to a sensor system associated with the shrink tunnel, this can, in particular, be an optical detection device or a combination of several such optical detection devices. This at least one optical detection device can, for example, be designed as at least one camera, wherein the at least one optical detection device or the at least one camera can optionally be positioned outside a housing of the shrink tunnel in order to be able to record the shrinkage results and / or the film properties at a suitable location.

[0031] Preferably, the position of the optical detection device is downstream of the shrink tunnel and above a conveyor on which the finished shrink packages are transported.

[0032] With the help of such optical detection devices, the surfaces of the packaging units thermally treated in the shrink tunnel can be detected and the signal data evaluated with respect to specific quality criteria in order to obtain information about the shrink quality and / or the compliance or non-compliance with defined target specifications when shrinking the film-wrapped packaging units. Numerous measurement marks can be defined, based on which specific target images can be defined. Dimensional deviations that exceed certain values ​​can be considered intolerable, which in turn can be interpreted as a quality defect.

[0033] To enable this, the at least one optical detection device is preferably equipped with a downstream image evaluation unit to evaluate the acquired image data as desired. Therefore, when referring to one or more optical detection devices that provide their image data as sensor values ​​to an evaluation unit, this requires image evaluation to process the pure sensor data in such a way that it provides meaningful information about the optical condition of the objects or shrink-wrapped packages to be monitored. Whether this image evaluation is assigned to the optical detection device or the associated evaluation or data processing unit is irrelevant for the functionality discussed here.

[0034] If image capture and analysis detect an unacceptable limit in the optically detectable state of one or more containers, a corresponding signal can be generated, indicating an incorrectly assembled or incorrectly packaged packaging unit, which in such a case, for example, must be removed from the further conveying process. In response to such a result, a downstream removal device could then remove the container assembly, container, or packaging unit in question.

[0035] It would be conceivable to equip the film used as wrapping for the product sets with several markings that can be detected by the optical detection device. The markings can be invisible to the human eye and, for example, made with UV-reflective paint or ink. The markings can be printed, for example, on the cut film sections or on the film that has not yet been divided into individual sections.

[0036] The markings, which are to be understood as optional, can be applied during the passage through the packaging machine, i.e. at a reasonable point in the film transport, in particular at a point shortly before the article combinations are wrapped in the film.

[0037] The markings, which are to be understood as optional, can optionally be applied only to a part of the containers produced during production, e.g. at predefined intervals and / or if necessary at the request of the control and / or regulating device.

[0038] Such markings, which are to be understood as optional, make it possible to identify and visually detect which areas of the film have been exposed to greater or lesser shrinkage or warping phenomena.

[0039] The markings can, for example, each have several lines. These lines can be applied to the film at regular intervals. The lines can be applied parallel and / or orthogonal to the edges of the film. The lines can, for example, represent a grid.

[0040] It is important to note that all such markings applied to the outside of the film or already introduced during the manufacturing process are potentially capable of changing their position or shape during the shrinking process in such a way that conclusions can be drawn about the respective shrinking process and / or the shrinking result. A deformation, displacement, or change in shape of one or more such markings that is less pronounced than expected may indicate, for example, that the material stress introduced into the film by the tempering process is weaker than desired, which could compromise the mechanical cohesion of the article assemblies.

[0041] Accordingly, a deformation, displacement or change in the shape of one or more such markings that is or is greater than expected could, for example, indicate that the material stress introduced into the film by the tempering process is greater than intended, so that the film may have been overloaded, which may also impair the mechanical cohesion of the article assemblies, in particular due to undesirably strong compression effects.

[0042] Both of these possible effects can also have a significant impact on the visual shrinkage result, i.e., the overall visual impression the packaging unit conveys to the consumer or end customer. A packaging unit that is perceived as visually flawless requires a shrink film that is evenly shrunk and evenly stretched over the respective item combination, presenting itself to the observer with as few creases or warped areas as possible. For this reason, film packaging that is perceived or assessed as visually unattractive can also be classified as defective.

[0043] Furthermore, a variant of the shrink tunnel according to the invention is conceivable in which the at least one optical detection device or the at least one camera is positioned within a housing of the shrink tunnel. The aforementioned camera positions or positions of multiple optical detection devices can also be combined, so that such detection devices or cameras can be positioned inside and outside the shrink tunnel.

[0044] Preferably, the position of an optical detection device located in the shrink tunnel is above a conveyor on which the resulting shrink packages are transported.

[0045] Based on the measurement results of the at least one optical detection device or camera or the plurality of optical detection devices or cameras and based on the optical assessment of the shrinking results of the processed packaging units, the working parameters of the shrink tunnel can be controlled or regulated in a suitable manner, for example by varying the temperatures of heating devices influencing the hot air application in the shrink tunnel, optionally also by adjusting the settings of the blow-out openings or other control parameters.

[0046] An exhaust opening can, in particular, be a nozzle. In particular, all of the aforementioned exhaust openings can be nozzles. When reference is made to nozzles in this context, this term is intended to also include other exhaust openings that do not have or exhibit a nozzle effect.

[0047] A useful variant of the shrink tunnel according to the invention can in particular comprise a plurality of nozzles for discharging a respective hot air stream into a housing of the shrink tunnel, wherein at least one nozzle of the plurality of nozzles can be designed to be adjustable by actuators at the instigation and by specification of the control and / or regulating device and taking into account the sensor values ​​previously supplied by the at least one sensor system as well as additional information utilized by means of machine learning to specify a defined flow direction for the hot air stream to be discharged via the at least one nozzle.

[0048] In this context, an adjustment of the nozzle or blow-out opening around a horizontal axis oriented in the direction of transport of the containers through the shrink tunnel is conceivable. Alternatively or additionally, an adjustment of the nozzle or blow-out opening around a vertical axis whose extension intersects the center of the earth is conceivable. In general, adjustment around two or more axes is conceivable.

[0049] Additionally or alternatively, the positions of the nozzles or blow-out openings in the space can be adjustable, preferably along one of the two axes mentioned and / or around both axes mentioned and / or along a third horizontal axis which is aligned transversely to the transport direction of the containers.

[0050] Furthermore, a useful variant of the shrink tunnel according to the invention can be equipped in such a way that a plurality of nozzles for discharging a respective hot air stream into a housing of the shrink tunnel and at least one aperture are provided, which aperture is assigned to at least one nozzle of the plurality of nozzles and is actuator-adjustable at the instigation of the control and / or regulating device, taking into account the sensor values ​​previously supplied by the at least one sensor system and the information evaluated by means of machine learning for the defined positioning in a flow path of the hot air stream discharged via the at least one nozzle.

[0051] The information on the shrinking result of a container obtained via the at least one sensor system can be used to adapt the control parameters for the production of the same container while it is still in the shrink tunnel.

[0052] In particular, those parameters related to the application of a film section to an article assembly can be recorded, measured, and controlled depending on the current position or orientation of the film section on one and the same package, which can thus be considered a quasi-simultaneous control system. The control parameters can thus be measured and changed directly on the measuring object in order to influence and optimize the shrinkage result of this package, which serves as the measuring object.

[0053] The control results or elements thereof can additionally be used for the control of the shrinkage parameters of subsequent containers, ie the control of the parameters of subsequent containers can be based on the control results of previously treated containers.

[0054] This enables, in particular, a control system that allows for real-time observation of the shrinkage parameters and their manipulation. If the sensors are located within the shrink tunnel, or at least designed or aligned in such a way that the interior of the shrink tunnel can be detected, the shrinkage parameters can be changed and adjusted for the container that is currently still in the shrink tunnel.

[0055] For example, the alignment and / or positioning of an exhaust opening for the shrink medium or for the hot air serving as the shrink medium can be modified and adjusted during the passage of the container, which also functions as the measuring object, through the shrink tunnel.

[0056] In particular, one drive can be provided for adjusting one exhaust opening per axis along or around which the adjustment is made. Furthermore, it is conceivable to adjust two or more exhaust openings along or around one axis using the same drive.

[0057] Optionally, flow guidance devices, flow guide plates, or similar devices can be installed in the shrink tunnel. If such adjustable flow guide plates are present in the shrink tunnel, the nozzles can be adjusted or repositioned while the same pack is passing through. This allows, for example, overlapping film sections in the same pack to be blown in a defined direction first, after which they can be blown in the opposite direction or in a different direction than before at another point in the shrink tunnel as the conveyor continues. To enable this functionality, the nozzles used for these different blowing directions should not be significantly longer than the pitch of the subsequent packs.

[0058] Further advantages can result from adjusting nozzle positions or nozzle orientation and / or the flow direction of the shrinking medium, whereby these settings can be continuously adjusted if necessary. Thus, it can be considered an important feature of the present invention to allow the shrink tunnel to continuously and automatically learn, preferably using tools that rely on AI (artificial intelligence) or machine learning.

[0059] If, from the point of view of the person skilled in the art, they can be combined with one another in a meaningful way, some or all of the above-mentioned variations or embodiments of the shrink tunnel according to the invention can optionally also be combined with one another in order to at least partially achieve the above-formulated objective(s) and / or to achieve the desired effect of the invention.

[0060] To achieve the above-mentioned objective, the invention further proposes a shrink tunnel with a control and / or regulating device and with at least one sensor system, via which information on the respective shrinking result can be provided to the control and / or regulating device, wherein it is additionally provided that the control and / or regulating device is designed to recognize and / or find patterns and regularities, taking into account the information provided by the at least one sensor system, and can control and / or regulate the shrink tunnel, taking into account the recognized and / or found patterns and regularities. The patterns and regularities mentioned here can in particular be measurable properties of the packaging units passing through or leaving the shrink tunnel that can be detected by the sensor system, which means in particular quality-relevant properties.Such quality-relevant properties can include optically detectable film properties such as the measured regularity of the shrinkage behavior of the film, any undesirable inaccuracies in the coverage of the articles to be packaged, optical changes in the film such as a change in transparency under the influence of temperature, a change in color due to the temperature exposure or other such properties.

[0061] Furthermore, to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the present invention proposes, in addition to the shrink tunnel described in various embodiments, a method for operating such a shrink tunnel, wherein this shrink tunnel has a control and / or regulating device and at least one sensor system. The at least one sensor system assigned to the shrink tunnel is provided and appropriately equipped to detect a shrinking result and make it available to the control and / or regulating device as a sensor signal or as a sensor signal bundle, so that the control and / or regulating device receives information on the shrinking result from the sensor system. The method further provides that the control and / or regulating device can utilize the received information by means of machine learning and can control and / or regulate the shrink tunnel taking into account the information thus utilized.

[0062] One embodiment variant of the method according to the invention provides that the shrink tunnel is equipped with a plurality of nozzles or nozzle-like outlet openings for discharging a respective hot air stream into a housing of the shrink tunnel, wherein at least one nozzle of the plurality of nozzles or outlet openings can be adjusted by actuators at the instigation of the control and / or regulating device and taking into account the information utilized by means of machine learning to specify a defined flow direction for the hot air stream to be discharged via the at least one nozzle.

[0063] Optionally or additionally, it can also be provided that at least one outlet opening can be adjusted by actuator at the instigation of the control and / or regulating device and taking into account the information evaluated by means of machine learning to specify a defined volume flow of hot air.

[0064] Optionally, actuators can be provided on apertures or flaps for automatic control of variably adjustable shading of entire or partial nozzle rows, nozzle columns, and / or nozzle areas for the outflowing shrink medium. As previously described with reference to other actuators, the actuators are also controlled by the control and / or regulating device. Optionally, the inclusion of routines based on machine learning is possible, particularly machine learning based on AI (i.e., based on so-called artificial intelligence).

[0065] It should be emphasized at this point that the aspects of the invention mentioned and explained below can relate not only to the shrink tunnel described above in various embodiments, but should also apply to the method explained above. Thus, all aspects and variants mentioned above can be interpreted in such a way that they can be useful both for the shrink tunnel and for the method for its operation. The same applies to all variants and options explained below, which can relate to various embodiments and options and / or alternatives.

[0066] For example, the shrink tunnel control and / or machine control can be assigned a higher-level control and / or regulation device, which can ensure that further criteria are incorporated into the control and / or regulation of the shrink tunnel and can be taken into account to varying and / or variable degrees. Such a higher-level control can, in particular, process sensor data or other signal data of various types, such as environmentally relevant data, weather or climate data, energy-relevant data, and more. Environmentally relevant data or weather and climate data can, in particular, be values ​​that can influence the shrinking result in any way, for example, due to altered shrinkage behavior of the film due to changing air humidity or changing ambient temperature.

[0067] If the control and / or regulation of the shrink tunnel is to rely on elements of a so-called AI (AI: Artificial Intelligence), it may be useful to use these or to integrate them into the control and / or regulation in such a way that suggestions for the use of thicker or thinner packaging material are taken up and preferably taken into account when the continuously feedable film material needs to be changed.

[0068] When in this context the term AI, i.e. artificial intelligence, is often used in a simplified and catchy manner, this essentially means or expresses an aspect or form of machine learning in which sensor data is not only used directly for process control or process regulation.

[0069] With this type of machine learning, sensor data and other signal data will not only be used to provide the control and / or regulation of the shrink tunnel with current control data for the adjustment of actuators and for the adaptation of operating parameters such as the temperature of the hot gas to be directed onto the film-wrapped packaging units in the shrink tunnel.

[0070] Rather, machine learning should make it possible to obtain further data on the basis of older data and previous control and / or regulation processes, which can be used for future control and / or regulation processes in order to improve the shrinkage results and to get closer to an optimum, which includes avoiding non-sensible settings of some control and / or regulation parameters, which includes evaluating and analyzing the results of previous shrinkage processes.

[0071] Since some of these machine settings often elude a user-performed analysis due to the complex interaction of numerous variable parameters, since a user misses some interactions due to their inconspicuousness or even due to their apparent lack of plausibility, the use of AI and / or machine learning can deliver improved shrinkage results, especially when large amounts of data and complex relationships have to be processed, which is particularly the case in the shrink tunnel application considered here.Since the flow conditions of the hot air moving in the shrink tunnel are difficult to analyze and influence in their numerous effects, AI or machine learning makes it possible to take such parameters into account and influence them effectively, so that better shrinking results and less waste due to poor shrinking quality can be achieved on the basis of evaluating large amounts of data over longer periods of time.

[0072] Since, based on the evaluation of larger amounts of data over a longer period of time, very precise knowledge is available about the film properties on the shrinkage process and also about the relationships between changed film properties and the resulting changes in the shrinkage result, the Kl or the machine learning explained here can also be used in particular to automatically reorder new film material after a certain amount of the film material used as packaging material has been consumed, whereby precise and preferably automatic specification specifications can also be made, since the data evaluations allow these precise specification specifications.

[0073] Such precise specifications also include the possibility of deviations, which can be addressed with high precision, for example, if the automatically ordered film material is not available in the desired specification. In such cases, the comprehensive availability of process data generally allows the shrinking process to be influenced in a way that compensates for the deviation from the specifications for the film material to be processed in the future.

[0074] In the event of errors occurring or occurring frequently in film transport and / or film processing, particularly in the shrink tunnel, the Cl or the principles of machine learning mentioned here can also change the control specifications for the operation of the shrink tunnel and / or the transport device conveying the packaging units through the shrink tunnel in such a way that the error frequency is reduced. Since such errors can in many cases be based on more complex combinations of causes, changes to several operating parameters often do not allow for precise impact assessments, since the effects can overlap. This applies in particular to manual evaluation by a user. In this case, a Cl orMachine learning can provide a useful solution, as machine learning routines can store a large number of cause-and-effect relationships that can be used for improved control and / or regulation. Furthermore, with the help of a KL variant or KL application, the issuing of complaints can be prompted, triggered, or automatically initiated, for example, by submitting formalized complaints to film suppliers. This can be particularly useful if the film does not meet the specified specifications.In this context, processes can be simplified and the degree of integration of the manufacturing and / or packaging of all types of products, particularly in connection with the film wrapping of unit loads and / or primary packaging, can be increased by linking the production and / or packaging facilities with processes for planning, managing, and / or operating the facilities and integrating these processes to the extent that certain defects or deficiencies in the production process and / or packaging operations lead to automatically triggered actions that are normally considered separate from the conventional production and / or packaging operations. These include the aforementioned complaint processes, but can also be other processes, such as ordering processes, warehousing processes, and others.

[0075] Furthermore, the shrink tunnel or the method for its control and / or regulation can provide for automatic readjustment or adjustment of supply processes and their meaningful linking with production and / or packaging processes.

[0076] For example, standby times, standby temperatures, start-up times and / or off times, etc., which are directly related to the operation of the shrink tunnel and are therefore closely related, can be processed and adjusted based on empirical values ​​and by evaluating the behavior of other machines and / or signals from neighboring packaging lines, etc.

[0077] In addition, it may be useful to derive further relevant data from the previous and currently recorded behavior of employees and / or persons involved in plant control and to use this to obtain control and / or regulation parameters or influencing factors for these.

[0078] In these cases, it is also advantageous to additionally utilize machine learning or AI routines, because the large number of stored processes and their evaluation generally enables better control or regulation of future processes. Since machine learning, in principle, does not require a limit on the data to be considered, but can process almost any amount of data with sufficient available data processing capacity, all of the operating parameters mentioned here can be optionally considered and processed for improved control or regulation.

[0079] Furthermore, suggestions for adaptation or for a direct start of adaptation to new types of containers with regard to shaft wall distances and / or operating temperatures in the shrink tunnel can be triggered and / or taken into account automatically, ie based on the AI ​​routines or machine learning.

[0080] Useful measured variables and / or input variables that can be made accessible for processing by a control system include: signals from temperature sensors, camera images of unfinished or finished packaging units, and / or the force recorded by a test finger during mechanical tests of the film. Sensor signals from optical sensors that record various properties of the film wrapping can also be used additionally or alternatively as useful measured variables. This could include, for example, transparency properties of the film, color changes in the film due to shrinkage, etc. Additionally or alternatively, a measurement result such as an image of the finished pallet can be an input variable. Using this image of the pallet or this input variable, the behavior of the film under load could, for example, be used as an additional control parameter and thus be incorporated into the control system.

[0081] Further useful input variables include the evaluation of regulatory proposals by employees, customers, or auditing organizations. Such data can be prepared, filtered, and / or weighted in such a way that, after preparation, it can be made available to the class or data processing as input variables, thus making this data accessible to machine learning routines.

[0082] Furthermore, it may be useful to use and process additional input variables, such as recipe downloads or control instructions from other shrink tunnels in neighboring or remote plant sections. This data can also originate from other lines, as long as the data is accessible to the respective plant control system and has been assessed as consistent and reliable. This particularly applies to data originating from remote plants belonging to the same operator. This allows such data to be made accessible to a central database for use and processed by it.

[0083] Other useful measured variables that can be recorded and processed include, for example, the volume flow of fans for distributing hot air, the volume flow of fans for cooling a transport chain, the measured temperature of the containers or packaging units in different positions, a chain temperature of a conveyor chain, a detection of a number of container rows, a container type (e.g. 2x3 formation, 4x5 formation, stacked arrangement, single-layer arrangements, partial containers or individual articles, etc.) and / or a processed container type (shape, dimension, material, labeling, etc.).

[0084] Numerous other measured variables of the above-mentioned or similar nature are fundamentally suitable for processing and can be made accessible through machine learning routines for the control and / or regulation of a shrink tunnel in the interest of improving the shrink quality.

[0085] Other control variables that may be considered alternatively or additionally include: a temperature, if necessary divided into zones within the shrink tunnel, a standby temperature of the shrink tunnel, the measured revolutions of hot air blower drives, a heating output (operation with combustion gas, electrical heating or a combination of several energy sources), setting values ​​for the nozzle covers, a distribution of the air or the used hot gas to the shaft walls within the shrink tunnel, the activation or deactivation of shaft walls and / or a replacement or removal of shaft walls from the shrink tunnel, etc.

[0086] When enriching the AI ​​or machine learning with additional measurements and / or external data, different selection criteria can generally be considered. For example, it may be useful to provide centralized data filtering and data sharing to ensure centralized control over data consistency. However, it may also be useful to define an expanded group of people who should be granted access to the data to be processed and considered by the AI.

[0087] All of this data can contribute to increasingly enriching the AI's dataset and enabling it to make increasingly better decisions, which is also referred to as AI training and can ultimately be considered a sub-aspect of machine learning. Connecting the machine and / or the central control system of the shrink tunnel to a fundamentally unlimited dataset can provide further advantages with regard to accelerating AI training. Such fundamentally unlimited datasets can be accessed, in particular, via an internet connection.

[0088] The Kl, referred to here as such, can be implemented or viewed as a separate component or module in conjunction with the control and / or regulation unit of the shrink tunnel. Such a component or module can thus be activated or deactivated for specific systems with little effort, for example, depending on the contractually agreed scope of use of a system supplied or provided for a usage fee. By viewing a Kl functionality as an equipment module of a packaging or processing system, the system's functional scope can be configured depending on the equipment selected and required in the specific case.

[0089] Furthermore, it may be useful for the existing learning routines of the KL to automatically search for available updates for their own functionalities and, if necessary, activate newly available functionalities or other updates automatically or automatically after consultation with the plant operator. Such (partially) automatic activation of a new functionality or an expanded range of functions can also be preceded by a corresponding offer to the plant operator and a requirement for consent from the plant operator.

[0090] In addition to the aforementioned tasks and functionalities, another useful function of a control system or machine learning system can be to monitor the trouble-free operation of the plant and to expand this monitoring by checking certain wear aspects or the condition of lubricants by monitoring the drive units in the shrink tunnel. For example, a gradually increasing power consumption for the electric drive motors of a conveyor element can be used as a lubricant deficiency and / or wear criterion and evaluated accordingly.

[0091] Further comparable maintenance instructions can be derived from various sensor values, allowing appropriate communication with operating personnel to be initiated and / or notification of required maintenance and / or cleaning of specific system components to be provided. Such instructions can be derived, for example, from the aforementioned electrical drive power measurements or from other sensor values.

[0092] Further useful setting options can be incorporated into the control and / or regulation system, such as various options for the global control of a plant or plant components. For example, this global control system can prioritize the criteria of raw material optimization, general environmental friendliness, or reduced overall CO2 consumption, or assign specific weighting factors to these criteria.

[0093] It is also conceivable to have a global control system for the plant or parts of the plant, which focuses on the criterion of cost optimization, whereby in this context attention can be paid to minimized film consumption and minimized energy consumption (e.g. gas and / or electricity consumption), optionally depending on a daily price for the required energy.

[0094] Furthermore, global control can also consider maximizing product quality, package stability, or even reducing or minimizing processing speed within the packaging system. Depending on the current order volume, it may be advantageous to process more packages in a shorter time, or to produce as cost-effectively as possible with lower order volumes, while also allowing the system to operate at a lower speed. Such a system configuration, in which fewer packaging units are processed in a given time, can potentially also contribute to a reduction in the reject rate, which is usually easier to control in slower processes.

[0095] The tax provisions mentioned, which are referred to here as global control, can also be combined in a suitable manner, whereby different weighting factors can be used for the different and partly mutually exclusive priorities of the global control variants.

[0096] In the following, exemplary embodiments will explain the invention and its advantages in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures. The relative sizes of the individual elements in the figures do not always correspond to the actual sizes, as some shapes are simplified and others are shown enlarged relative to other elements for better illustration. Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of a packaging system that, in addition to several interacting modules, includes a shrink tunnel for the temperature treatment of container groups wrapped in shrinkable film.

[0097] Fig. 2 shows a schematic cross-section of a variant of a shrink tunnel.

[0098] Fig. 3 shows a schematic top view of a variant of a beverage filling and packaging plant with its interacting modules.

[0099] Fig. 4 shows a schematic side view of another variant of a packaging system which, in addition to several interacting modules, has a shrink tunnel for the temperature treatment of container groups wrapped with shrinkable film.

[0100] Identical reference numerals are used for identical or equivalently functioning elements of the invention. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, only reference numerals necessary for the description of the respective figure are shown in the individual figures. The illustrated embodiments merely represent examples of how the shrink tunnel according to the invention or the method according to the invention for operating such a shrink tunnel can be configured and do not represent a definitive limitation.

[0101] The side view of Fig. 1 illustrates in an exemplary and highly schematic manner a typical packaging process within a packaging system 10 consisting of several interacting modules. Within the scope of the packaging process shown there, grouped containers, in particular grouped beverage containers 12, are wrapped with shrinkable film 14 and these prepared container groups 16 wrapped with film 14 are fed to a shrink tunnel 18, in which the film wrappings 14 of the container groups 16 are subjected to hot gas.

[0102] This heat treatment of the container groups 16 wrapped with film 14 within the shrink tunnel 18 ideally ensures a controlled shrinking process of the film wrappings 14 and thus a firm mechanical cohesion of the individual beverage containers 12 within the respective group 16, so that these groupings 16 leave the shrink tunnel 18 as finished packaging units 20 in the form of film shrink packs.

[0103] The packaging process shown proceeds according to the transport direction TR shown in Fig. 1 with a treatment sequence running from left to right, starting from the grouped containers 12 (conveyed from the left) to the finished film shrink packs or packaging units 20 (conveyed to the right).

[0104] In the embodiment of the packaging system 10 shown in Fig. 1, at least the shrink tunnel 18 is assigned a control and / or regulating device 22, which in turn communicates with a more or less complex sensor system 24 that monitors the shrinking process and / or the achieved shrinking result and supplies corresponding sensor signals 26 to the control and / or regulating device 22, thus providing it with information on the currently ongoing shrinking process and / or the respective shrinking result.

[0105] The control and / or regulating device 22 not only processes the sensor signals 26 of the sensor system 24, but can also evaluate the received sensor signals within the framework of so-called machine learning and consequently has corresponding control and / or regulating routines which not only evaluate the information provided by the sensor system 24 directly for the currently necessary control and / or regulating interventions, but also make it accessible for further evaluation which uses the principles of machine learning, whereby the analyzed and processed information can be used for future control and / or regulating interventions of the shrink tunnel 18.

[0106] The sensor system, designated here by reference numeral 24, is directly assigned to the shrink tunnel 18 and can be provided, in particular, to monitor the shrinking process and / or the shrinking result and to deliver corresponding sensor signals 26 to the control and / or regulating device 22. Furthermore, the control and / or regulating device 22 assigned to the shrink tunnel 18 can communicate with an extended sensor system 28 assigned to those areas or modules of the packaging system 10 that, although not directly associated with the shrink tunnel 18, can nevertheless have a relevant impact on the shrinking processes and / or the achieved shrinking results.Such an extended sensor system 28 can, for example, mean sensors for detecting parameters of the belt conveyor, since a change in the conveyor speed of the first conveyor device 30 leading into the shrink tunnel 18 can have an impact on the temperature control settings and other operating parameters of the shrink tunnel 18, because a higher conveyor speed of the first conveyor device 30 arranged upstream of the shrink tunnel 18 in the transport direction TR equally requires a higher conveyor speed of the second conveyor device 32 passing through the shrink tunnel 18.

[0107] The sensor system 24 can, for example, also be formed by optical detection devices or cameras 74 (see Fig. 2), which can be arranged outside and / or inside the shrink tunnel 18 in order to be able to visually assess the wrapped container groupings 16 conveyed into the shrink tunnel 18 and / or the packaging units 20 leaving the shrink tunnel 18. In these cases, the sensor signals 26 are image data supplied by the optical detection devices or by the cameras 74. Image analysis can, for example, take place within the control and regulation device 22.

[0108] In order to be able to convey the packaging units 20 leaving the shrink tunnel 18 sufficiently quickly and to avoid congestion effects, these settings also require a correspondingly increased conveying speed for a third conveying device 34 arranged downstream of the shrink tunnel 18.

[0109] In addition, with a shorter throughput time of the container groups 16 to be tempered in the shrink tunnel 18, a shrinking temperature has to be increased due to a faster running second conveyor device 32, which in turn can have an impact on the shrinking result.

[0110] Further parameters can be recorded with additional sensors, all of which are to be subsumed here under the comprehensive term of extended sensor technology 28, such as different film parameters, additional conveying parameters, etc. The normally present and, in the interest of comprehensive system control, also technically sensible signaling and, in particular, sensory coupling of the control and / or regulating device 22, which is essentially responsible for the needs and operation of the shrink tunnel 18, is to be symbolized by the extended sensor technology 28.In this context, it should be noted that the control and / or regulating device 22 assigned here to the shrink tunnel 18 can preferably communicate with further control and / or regulating units of other system components or with a higher-level control and / or regulating system of the packaging system 10, without this being indicated in the simplified and schematic representation of Fig. 1.

[0111] In addition, the control and / or regulating device 22 of the shrink tunnel 18, according to the schematic representation of Fig. 1, communicates not only with an extended sensor system 28, which can optionally supply a large number of sensor data from very different sensors, but also with a data source referred to here as external sensor system 36, which can supply the control and / or regulating device 22 with further control and / or regulating parameters as well as additional criteria for setting or changing process parameters for operating the shrink tunnel 18.

[0112] The term "external sensor technology" 36 used here is intended to clarify that it can refer to external sensor data or other signal data of various types, such as environmentally relevant data 38, weather or climate data 40, energy-related data 42, and others. Environmentally relevant data 38 or weather and climate data 40 can, in particular, be values ​​that can influence the shrinkage result in any way, for example, due to changes in the shrinkage behavior of the film due to changing air humidity or changing ambient temperature.

[0113] Since the control and / or regulation device 22 of the shrink tunnel 18 can preferably make use of elements of a so-called Kl 44 (Kl: Artificial Intelligence), it may be useful to use these or to integrate them into the control and / or regulation in such a way that numerous sensor data are used not only for the current control and / or regulation of the shrink tunnel 18, but also for future processes on the basis of machine learning.

[0114] With the help of machine learning as understood here, sensor data 26 and other signal data 38, 40, 42 can be used not only to provide the control and / or regulation of the shrink tunnel 18 with current control data for the adjustment of actuators as well as for the adjustment of operating parameters such as a temperature of the hot gas to be directed in the shrink tunnel 18 onto the film-wrapped container groups 16.Rather, machine learning should make it possible to obtain further data on the basis of older data and previous control and / or regulation processes, which can be used for future control and / or regulation processes in order to improve the shrinkage results and to get closer to an optimum, which includes avoiding non-sensible settings of some control and / or regulation parameters, which includes evaluating and analyzing the results of previous shrinkage processes.

[0115] The use of machine learning delivers improved shrinkage results, especially when large amounts of data and complex relationships need to be processed, which is particularly the case with the shrink tunnel 18 application considered here. Since the flow conditions of the hot air moving in the shrink tunnel 18 are difficult to analyze and influence in their numerous effects, Kl 44 and the machine learning it enables make it possible to consider and effectively influence such parameters, so that, based on the evaluation of large amounts of data over longer periods, better shrinkage results and less waste due to poor shrinkage quality can be expected.

[0116] For the sake of completeness, the additional modules visible in Fig. 1 are explained below. These include a film feed 46 with a film supply 48 wound on rolls, which also includes a film cutting unit 50 for cutting appropriately dimensioned film sections 52. These appropriately cut film sections 52 are each wrapped or wound around individual container groups 56 in a film wrapping module 54 arranged upstream of the first conveyor 30 in the transport direction TR, so that the container groups 16 wrapped with film sections 52 of the appropriate length can be fed to the shrink tunnel 18 via the first conveyor 30.

[0117] There, during their transport through the shrink tunnel 18, the above-explained heat treatment takes place by means of the second conveyor device 32, as well as the subsequent further transport via the third conveyor device 32, to which further optional treatment or handling stations can be added, for example palletizing.

[0118] The schematic front view of Fig. 2 illustrates a cross-section through a possible embodiment of a shrink tunnel 18, as described above in its most important functions with reference to Fig. 1. The front view allows a view into the shrink tunnel 18 along the transport direction pointing out of the plane of the drawing, which is therefore not marked here.

[0119] The shrink tunnel 18 enables simultaneous transport along two parallel transport tracks 58, each with consecutively transported container groups 16, each wrapped with appropriately cut film sections 52. The two parallel transport tracks 58 are located on a transport plane 60 of the second conveyor device 32, which, for example, has an endlessly circulating conveyor chain 62, wherein drive elements 64 can be located below the transport plane 60 and to the side of it, as illustrated by way of example in Fig. 2.

[0120] The shrink tunnel 18 is provided with outlet openings 68 extending over defined longitudinal sections of the interior 66 on vertical side walls and on a central dividing element 70 for injecting hot gas or hot air 72. The outlet openings 68 can optionally be divided into several sections along the entire length of the shrink tunnel 18, whereby such a division into several sections can be provided both for the outlet openings 68 arranged on the vertical side walls and for the outlet openings 68 located on the central dividing element 70. Such an optional division of the outlet openings 68 along the longitudinal extent of the shrink tunnel 18 enables the separate regulation of the outflowing hot gas or the outflowing hot air 72 for individual longitudinal sections of the shrink tunnel.

[0121] The above-mentioned sensor system 24, which is assigned to the shrink tunnel 18, can be formed, for example, by optical detection devices or cameras 74, which are located on an upper side of the interior 66 of the shrink tunnel 18, specifically above each of the two transport tracks 58. In this way, the container groups 16 conveyed through the shrink tunnel 18 on their transport level 60 by means of the circulating conveyor chain 62 can each be detected in their transport tracks 58, and the recorded camera images can be output as sensor signals 26, transmitted to the control and / or regulating device 22, and evaluated there in order to obtain information on the shrinking process and the achieved shrinking result. The control and / or regulating device 22 can, on the basis of the sensor signals 26 formed by the camera images and / or by incorporating further sensor values ​​(cf. Fig.1) and preferably taking into account machine learning routines provided by the control unit 44, trigger an actuator-based adjustment or adjustment of lateral panels or flaps 76. The control signals supplied for this purpose by the control and / or regulating device 22 to the actuators of the adjustable panels or flaps 76 are designated by reference numeral 78.

[0122] These adjustable baffles or flaps 76 can, as required, effect a changed outflow behavior and / or a changed volume flow of the hot air 72 flowing from the lateral outlet openings 68, wherein these changes can in turn be recorded by the cameras 74 and the recorded effects can be analyzed and used by means of the Kl 44 for further optimization of the settings.

[0123] In addition to the apertures or flaps 76 adjustable by specifying the control signals 78, the settings to be optimized can, for example, concern or influence the temperature control of the hot air 72, the rotational speed of the conveyor chain 62, the blown-in volume flow of hot air 72 or other operating parameters of the shrink tunnel 18.

[0124] The schematic plan view of Fig. 3 shows a complete beverage filling and packaging system 80 with its interacting modules, wherein a lower section of the overall system 80 is formed by the packaging system 10 according to Fig. 1, but further handling elements for palletizing the shrink film containers finished in the shrink tunnel 18 are arranged downstream.

[0125] The module sequence of the beverage filling and packaging system 80 shown schematically in Fig. 3 begins with a so-called wet section 82 (top left), in which a beverage is filled into containers prepared for this purpose. These containers are conveyed from the wet section 82 via connected conveyor sections 84 (top right in Fig. 3) and 86 (center left in Fig. 3) to a labeling module 88, which is located centrally in the lower third of the drawing. In the labeling module 88, which can be considered optional, the beverage containers, which are normally conveyed in rows one behind the other, are each provided with labels. Instead of such a labeling module 88, a direct printing module for directly applying ink to the container outer surfaces can also be provided. It is also possible to forgo such labeling or printing of the containers, which may be necessary for containers prepared in color or with a design or for containers packaged in other ways.can be useful.

[0126] Downstream in the transport direction behind the second conveyor section 86 and behind the labeling module 88 there are packaging and treatment modules for the now grouped containers, such as the film wrapping module 54 already explained with reference to Fig. 1, which serves to wrap the container groups 16 with film sections 52 that have previously been cut to the appropriate length.

[0127] The film wrapping module 54 is followed downstream by the shrink tunnel 18, with which the film sections 52, which are initially only loosely placed around the container groups 16, are tightly stretched around the containers under the influence of heat, whereby ready-to-sale packaging units 20 in the form of shrink film bundles are formed, which are conveyed further via the third conveyor device 34 following the shrink tunnel 18 (cf. Fig. 1).

[0128] After a further deflection of this third conveyor 34 by 180°, a layer-forming station 90 follows, in which, with the aid of suitable manipulators 92, e.g., gripper robots, the conveyed packaging units 20 or bundles are positioned, shifted, and / or rotated for the purpose of layer formation. The pushed-together layers with the packaging units 20 are then transferred to a palletizing device 94, where larger pallet units can be formed from the previously formed layers by stacking them one on top of the other.

[0129] The interacting modules of the beverage filling and packaging system 80 can each be equipped with their own control modules in the manner already described above in order to communicate in a coordinated manner and with each other in a similar manner to the shrink tunnel 18, wherein various signals from several sensors, which can be assigned to individual modules, are preferably processed by means of machine learning and used for the global control of the entire system 80 or its modules.

[0130] The control unit 44, which according to Fig. 1 is primarily assigned to the control and / or regulating unit 22 of the shrink tunnel 18 and supports the machine learning of the unit 22, can thus make processed and improved data available only to the control and / or regulating unit 22 of the shrink tunnel 18. However, it is equally conceivable that other modules of the system 80 can also be controlled or regulated in an optimized manner based on and using machine learning, in order to achieve improved quality during filling, transport, labeling, and / or subsequent packaging.

[0131] The same can apply to layer formation and / or final palletizing. This option, which is considered appropriate for the beverage filling and packaging system 80 shown, is indicated by the dashed arrow lines assigned to Kl 44, which are intended to represent the data exchange with other modules of the system 80.

[0132] Finally, the schematic side view of Fig. 4 illustrates further options for the use of sensor signals and for the application of machine learning or artificial intelligence based on another variant of a packaging system 10. Compared to the variant of the packaging system 10 shown in Fig. 1, this version features additional equipment and manipulation devices, which serve primarily to replace consumables.

[0133] Thus, in the bottom left of the packaging system 10 shown in Fig. 4, in the area of ​​the film feed 46, there is a handle applicator 96 arranged between the film supply 48 and the cutting unit 50, to which a separate magazine 98 for handles is assigned (shown in Fig. 4 above the film wrapping module 54).

[0134] Such handles, with which the packaging units 20 can be optionally equipped, can be glued to the outside of the film wrappings, particularly in the case of shrink-film packages, and must be guided to the film sections 52 and applied there via suitable feeding and application devices. In the illustrated embodiment, the handles are applied to the film sections 52 before they are cut to a suitable length in the cutting unit 50 in order to be fed in this form to the film wrapping module 54.

[0135] The handle material can be fed in particular via handle rolls 100, from which it can be unwound and cut to the appropriate length, unless pre-divided sections are already provided on the handle rolls 100. At least one handle roll 100 is located in the magazine 98 at any given time, since it is fed from there to the handle applicator 96. Preferably, however, two or more handle rolls 100 can be located in the magazine 98 in order to be able to unwind from the other handle roll 100 when one handle roll 100 becomes used up and replace the used roll 100.

[0136] As soon as one of the handle rolls 100 with the handles wound on it is used up, a replacement must be provided in a timely manner. This can be done, for example, by means of a suitable handling robot 102, which functions here as a film roll changing robot. The handling robot 102 responsible for changing the handle rolls 100 can, for example, be designed as a stationary handling robot 102, which is located at a suitable location near the respective feed magazine 98 for the handle rolls 100 and which is supplied with new rolls 100 from the outside, for example, via suitable industrial trucks or, in particular, via autonomously driving driverless transport vehicles 104, as schematically indicated in Fig. 4.

[0137] Such a driverless transport vehicle 104, which can find its way in the vicinity of the packaging machine 10, for example, by means of optical path markings and / or by orientation using induction loops (not shown here), can optionally also supply another handling robot 106 with replacement film rolls 108, which can be provided for replacing used film rolls in the film supply 48. As already explained above, the film material for the packaging film is removed there and fed to the film wrapping module 54 in order to wrap the container groupings 16 with film.

[0138] In addition, additional replacement film rolls 108 and / or handle rolls 100 to be replaced can optionally also be supplied with the aid of mobile robots 110 and brought to the change magazines 98 or 48 on the system 10. Such mobile robots 110 can preferably be prepared and equipped not only to bring the rolls 100, 108 to the system 10 and insert them into the magazines 48 and / or 98, but also to remove the used rolls there and bring them to a designated storage location.

[0139] As schematically indicated in Fig. 4, the control and steering of the handling robots 102, 106 and / or the mobile robot 110 can optionally be triggered by optical signals transmitted from the various system modules to a central camera 112 or, if necessary, to multiple cameras (not shown here). If the magazines 48 and / or 98 are equipped with optical marking devices, such as suitable mirror systems, the central camera 112 can receive signals in this way that can provide information about the current stock of rolled-up consumables.

[0140] The camera 112, which is connected to the control and / or regulating device 22 of the shrink tunnel 18 for signal processing, can preferably be coupled to a higher-level system controller (not shown here). Furthermore, the signals transmitted from the camera 112 to the control and / or regulating device 22 of the shrink tunnel 18 and / or to the higher-level system controller can be enhanced with additional information 114 from a database and / or from various production control systems 116 for the on-demand or real-time control specification of certain production or process parameters for the packaging system 10. This database information 114 or signal data from the production control systems 116 can also work with machine learning routines, as already explained several times above.

[0141] The following is provided as a supplementary note to the above statements. Although "schematic" representations and views are often or generally referred to in connection with the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 4 and their above descriptions, this in no way means that the figure representations and their descriptions are of secondary importance with regard to the disclosure of the invention. A person skilled in the art is perfectly capable of deriving sufficient information from the schematic and abstractly drawn representations to facilitate their understanding of the invention, without their understanding being in any way impaired by the drawn and possibly not exactly true-to-scale proportions of parts of the devices, their details, or other drawn elements.

[0142] Rather, the figures enable the skilled reader to derive a better understanding of the inventive concept formulated in a more general and / or abstract manner in the claims and in the general part of the description, at least with regard to some aspects, on the basis of the more specifically explained implementations of the method according to the invention and the more specifically explained structure of the shrink tunnel 18 according to the invention together with its associated control and / or regulating device 22.

[0143] The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it is conceivable for a person skilled in the art that modifications or variations of the invention can be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

[0144] List of reference symbols

[0145] 10 Packaging plant

[0146] 12 containers, beverage containers

[0147] 14 film, shrinkable film

[0148] 16 Grouping, container grouping, film-wrapped grouping or container grouping

[0149] 18 shrink tunnels

[0150] 20 packaging units, shrink-wrapped film

[0151] 22 Control and / or regulating device

[0152] 24 Sensor technology

[0153] 26 Sensor signal

[0154] 28 advanced sensors

[0155] 30 first funding institution

[0156] 32 second conveyor

[0157] 34 third funding institution

[0158] 36 external sensors

[0159] 38 environmentally relevant data

[0160] 40 weather and / or climate data

[0161] 42 energy-related data, energy-relevant data

[0162] 44 Artificial Intelligence, Class, Class Routines

[0163] 46 Film feed

[0164] 48 foil supply

[0165] 50 film cutting unit

[0166] 52 slide section

[0167] 54 film wrapping module

[0168] 56 Container grouping

[0169] 58 transport lane

[0170] 60 transport level

[0171] 62 conveyor chain

[0172] 64 drive elements

[0173] 66 Interior

[0174] 68 Exhaust opening

[0175] 70 dividing element, dividing plate

[0176] 72 Hot air, hot gas

[0177] 74 Camera 76 adjustable flap, adjustable aperture

[0178] 78 Control signal

[0179] 80 beverage filling and packaging plant

[0180] 82 wet part

[0181] 84 funding section, first funding section

[0182] 86 conveyor section, second conveyor section

[0183] 88 Labeling module

[0184] 90 layer formation station

[0185] 92 Manipulator

[0186] 94 Palletizing device

[0187] 96 Handle applicator

[0188] 98 Magazine for handles, handle magazine 00 Roll, handle roll 02 Handling robot, film roll changing robot 04 Automated guided vehicle 06 Additional handling robot 08 Roll, spare film roll 10 Mobile robot 12 Camera 14 Database information 16 Production control system

[0189] TR transport direction

Claims

Claims 1. Shrink tunnel (18) with a control and / or regulating device (22) and with at least one sensor system (24), via which information on the respective shrinking result can be provided to the control and / or regulating device (22), characterized in that the control and / or regulating device (22) is designed to utilize the provided information by means of machine learning and can control and / or regulate the shrink tunnel (18) taking into account the information thus utilized.

2. Shrink tunnel (18) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor (24) is designed as at least one optical detection device, in particular as at least one camera (74).

3. Shrink tunnel (18) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one optical detection device is positioned outside a housing of the shrink tunnel (18).

4. Shrink tunnel (18) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least one optical detection device is positioned within a housing of the shrink tunnel (18).

5. Shrink tunnel (18) according to one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a plurality of blow-out openings (68) for discharging a respective hot air stream into a housing of the shrink tunnel (18), wherein at least one blow-out opening (68) of the plurality of blow-out openings (68) is designed to be adjustable by actuators at the instigation and by specification of the control and / or regulating device (22) and taking into account the sensor values ​​(26) previously supplied by the at least one sensor system (24) as well as information evaluated by means of machine learning for specifying a defined flow direction for the hot air stream to be discharged via the at least one blow-out opening (68).

6. Shrink tunnel (18) according to one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a plurality of blow-out openings (68) for discharging a respective hot air stream into a housing of the shrink tunnel (18) and at least one aperture or flap (76) which at least one aperture or flap (76) of at least one blow-out opening (68) of the is assigned to a plurality of blow-out openings (68) and is actuator-adjustable at the instigation of the control and / or regulating device (22) taking into account the sensor values ​​(26) previously supplied by the at least one sensor system (24) and the information evaluated by means of machine learning for the defined positioning in a flow path of the hot air flow emitted via the at least one blow-out opening (68).

7. Method for operating a shrink tunnel (18) which has a control and / or regulating device (22) and at least one sensor (24), wherein the at least one sensor (24) detects a shrink result and the control and / or regulating device (22) receives information on the shrink result via the at least one sensor (24), characterized in that the control and / or regulating device (22) uses the information received by means of machine learning and controls and / or regulates the shrink tunnel (18) taking into account the information thus used.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the shrink tunnel (18) comprises a plurality of blow-out openings (68) for discharging a respective hot air stream into a housing of the shrink tunnel (18), wherein at least one blow-out opening (68) of the plurality of blow-out openings (68) is adjusted by actuators at the instigation of the control and / or regulating device (22) and taking into account the information utilized by means of machine learning to specify a defined flow direction for the hot air stream to be discharged via the at least one blow-out opening (68).

9. Method according to claim 7 or 8, in which several different control parameters of the shrink tunnel (18) are specified at the instigation of the control and / or regulating device (22) and taking into account the information evaluated by means of machine learning.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the control parameters comprise selection specifications for packaging material to be used on shrinkable film (14).

11. Method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the control parameters can specify a readjustment and / or adjustment of preparation times or temperatures, of heating times or temperatures, of shutdown times or periods of the shrink tunnel (18).

12. Method according to one of claims 9 to 11, in which the control parameters take into account a change in the type of articles to be processed and / or treated in the shrink tunnel (18) and can specify an adaptation of the operating parameters of the shrink tunnel (18) to a new type.

13. Method according to one of claims 9 to 12, in which the control parameters can specify or influence the operating conditions of the shrink tunnel (18) taking into account a throughput of articles to be treated that is to be minimized within a defined time interval.

14. Method according to one of claims 9 to 13, in which the control parameters can specify or influence the operating conditions of the shrink tunnel (18) taking into account a raw material use to be minimized.

15. Method according to one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the control parameters can specify or influence the operating conditions of the shrink tunnel (18) taking into account operating costs to be minimized.

16. Method according to one of claims 7 to 15, in which the information on the shrinking result of a package obtained via the at least one sensor system (24) is used to adapt the control parameters for the production of the same package while it is still in the shrink tunnel (18).

17. Method according to one of claims 7 to 16, in which markings are or are applied to a shrinkable film serving as packaging material, which markings are used for controlling and / or regulating the shrink tunnel (18).

Images