Box press control, box press and process to control a box press

Abstract

The invention relates to a control system and a method for controlling a box baler, such as those used for compacting cardboard and / or other recyclable materials, e.g., plastics, into cuboid bales. This control system is characterized in that, during the filling and pressing process of the box baler, data from the process for producing the bale currently being manufactured is determined, processed by the baler's control system, and used in designing both the current pressing process for forming a bale and, preferably, also subsequent pressing processes for producing the bale currently being manufactured in the pressing chamber.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a control system and a method for controlling a baling press designed as a box press, as used for compacting cardboard and / or other recyclable materials, e.g., made of plastics, into cuboid bales.

[0002] Box balers differ from channel balers in that they have a pressing chamber that is open on one side towards the pressing plate during the pressing process. With box balers, the bale is removed through a door that opens for unloading. Box balers are available with horizontally and vertically acting pressing plates. Channel balers have a pressing chamber open on both sides with a subsequent pressing channel in which the bale inside serves as a support for the pressing action.

[0003] Box balers are generally used to compact packaging materials close to where they are generated (i.e., in the store or factory). This serves the purpose of maintaining order and collecting recyclables as separately as possible, preparing them for transport to the recycling center. The recyclables compacted with box balers are often bulky, as cardboard boxes, in particular, should not be reduced in size for efficiency reasons; this time-consuming and—especially when sharp objects are used for cutting—accident-prone work should be avoided and carried out simultaneously with the compaction process. While box balers are more commonly used for small to medium quantities, channel balers are used for compacting large quantities of recyclables.

[0004] Box presses of this type are known from EP 2 507 046 B1. To compact the material (generally cardboard or plastic) into cuboid bales, a press plate is used, which acts on the material that has been filled into the press chamber and is to be compacted there. The press plate is pushed into the press chamber by at least one hydraulic cylinder and compacts the material inside. Other drives for the press plate are also conceivable, e.g., screw spindles. After the cardboard or other material has been compacted, the bale produced in this way (when it has reached the desired height) is enclosed with wire loops or plastic bands to prevent the bale from falling apart when it is removed from the press chamber after the door has been opened. Such box presses with automatic filling, especially as described in EP 2 507 046 B1, have proven their worth in practice in recent years.

[0005] EP 3 888 809 A1 discloses a control method for channel balers in which the mass and / or length of a bale is measured after its production. These measurements are transmitted to a control system, which can then approximate the mass and / or length of subsequent bales to desired target values. EP 3 888 809 points out that, unlike channel balers, it is relatively easy to produce bales with relatively consistent dimensions in box balers because the pressing chamber is only open on one side (towards the press plate). Furthermore, it is noted that 3 to 5 strokes are sufficient to form a bale in channel balers.

[0006] In practice, box balers often require 100 or more strokes of the press plate to form a bale of the desired quality, particularly in terms of mass. Energy consumption has proven to be a disadvantage of box balers. Experience has shown that producing bales in box balers requires a relatively high amount of energy. This is because, on the one hand, the materials being baled are often quite bulky, while on the other hand, the filling opening of box balers is rather limited. This is because manufacturers strive to make these balers relatively small, as they are often used in confined spaces and are loaded either manually or mechanically, as described above. Furthermore, the filling quantities often vary considerably from one filling operation to the next, and also from operator to operator.

[0007] As explained above, the main problem with vertical box balers is that they handle bulky, uncompacted cardboard and plastic packaging. Empirically determined data has shown that, on average, approximately 90-120 strokes were required per bale in a box baler with a chamber size of 1200 mm x 800 mm and a bale height of approximately 900 mm to produce a bale weighing approximately 420 kg. Assuming (for the sake of simplicity) an even weight distribution per stroke, roughly 5 kg of uncompacted material is fed in per stroke, resulting in a bale height of approximately 10 mm after compression.

[0008] The figures mentioned above strongly suggest that the pressing tools are not functioning optimally, i.e., not adjusted to the specific filling quantity and / or the type of material being compacted. This suspicion is further supported by measurements of electricity consumption during bale production, which revealed an average consumption of 1–10 kWh per 420 kg bale. This is primarily due to the fact that current control systems for box balers are designed in such a way that the compaction elements of these machines operate either by displacement, time, and / or pressure during the compaction process.

[0009] This means that the hydraulic cylinder moving the press plate travels either a specific time and / or a specific distance and / or until a certain pressure is reached, in the direction of the material to be compressed, which, in the initial position of the pressing elements (viewed towards the bottom of the press box), is located in front of the press plate. This compacts the material located in the press box below, or (in the case of a horizontally acting press plate) in front of, the press plate. Particularly with pressure-controlled balers, it is also known that the type of material being filled can be preselected, and the maximum pressure is then set by the control system according to this preset. However, generally only very broad selection options are available, which must also be individually preselected by the operator. Intentional or accidental incorrect entries cannot be verified.However, for optimal control of the balers, it would be necessary for the control system to take into account not only the above-mentioned criteria but also other aspects, such as the filling quantity or the type of material actually filled, and to check whether the information provided by the operator was correct with regard to the material.

[0010] In many box presses, the movement of the press plate does not extend to the bottom of the press chamber; instead, it stops prematurely because the press cylinders are not long enough. Particularly at the beginning of filling such box presses, the material being filled is often insufficient to generate enough back pressure during compression to reach the maximum pressure specified in the control system. In this case, the press cylinder(s) for adjusting the press plate move to their end position. Only then is the preset back pressure achieved, and the control system may then, after the back pressure has been maintained for a period of time, redirect the oil flow so that the press plate returns to its starting position.

[0011] Box presses are also known in which the pressure-controlled switching of the hydraulic oil flow to the other chamber of the hydraulic cylinder only occurs after the cylinder has remained on the material being compacted or in its end position for a predetermined time. This is intended to ensure that the pressure on the material being compacted is maintained for a specific period, with the aim of optimizing the compaction result. This is, of course, only the case when the press plate is on the material and not when the pressure is built up by the hydraulic cylinder(s) being in their end position.

[0012] At the beginning of baling, or when little material is available for each press stroke, such control of the compaction elements is particularly uneconomical if the amount of material already compacted in the press channel and the amount of additional material added after each filling process, and preferably also its quality or type, are not taken into account.

[0013] The purpose of this patent application is to eliminate these disadvantages and to propose a box press with which optimized press bales can be produced with optimized, i.e., in particular reduced, energy consumption.

[0014] The solution to the problem described above involves optimizing the control system. This is achieved by preferably acquiring data from the process for producing the current bale during the filling and pressing process of the box baler, processing this data through the baler's control system, and using it to design both the current pressing process for forming a bale and, preferably, also subsequent pressing processes for producing the bale currently being manufactured in the press chamber.

[0015] The control system can be optionally expanded in various stages of development, for example, by determining and taking into account the filling weights of each individual filling and pressing process. In a further conceivable stage of development, data on the quality or type of the material being filled can also be collected and considered in the baler's control system. These measurements can then ensure that, provided the data is also taken into account by the control system, the bale being produced is optimized with regard to its characteristic values ​​(especially mass).

[0016] A box press according to the invention is equipped with sensors that detect the movement and operating data of the press cylinder, in particular pressure sensors and displacement sensors. In various configurations, the box press can also include other sensors, for example, weighing sensors to form a weighing device. A weighing device enables the recording of the filling weights during each individual filling process. The sensor data thus acquired can be transmitted to the control system and processed there. Based on the weighing data, for example, the next pressing stroke can be adapted to the respective requirements.

[0017] Equipping the baler with a weighing system is particularly important because it enables energy-efficient operation. If the bale is to reach a specific weight at the end of the entire pressing process, the weight of the batch can be transmitted to the control unit after the baler has been loaded with an uncompacted quantity of material to be compacted. The control unit then calculates the required difference between the newly added quantity and the existing quantity in the press box to achieve the desired final weight. Once this difference is reached, the press cylinder returns to its starting position.

[0018] Practical experience has shown that certain materials are easier to compact than others, requiring less force to achieve a specific mass. In such cases, it would be energy-efficient to inform the operator that the desired mass is either unattainable or very easy to achieve. This would allow for operating instructions, based on the weighing and pressing results, to be provided, encouraging the operator to use the press more energy-efficiently or offering other usage guidance.

[0019] In a further development stage, the box press is further equipped with sensors or optical means with which the type of recyclable material being filled can be recognized, whereby optical means can be, for example, infrared sensors as well as photos that can be evaluated by means of image processing.

[0020] This problem is solved by a baling press with the features of claim 1.

[0021] Further advantageous embodiments of the invention result from the dependent and subordinate claims.

[0022] In a first, very rudimentary embodiment, a baling press according to the invention can be equipped with only a control unit to which the pressures and the distance traveled by the press plate with each stroke are transmitted. The control unit then compares this data with predefined or dynamically determined target values, which may be optimized within the calculation and control process with regard to process data and / or energy consumption and / or other criteria. It then controls the next pressing pressures of the bale currently being formed according to predefined algorithms. Based on these algorithms, the control unit then determines the compression parameters for the next strokes of the press plate. Artificial intelligence tools can also be used in this process.

[0023] In one development stage, the baling press according to the invention is equipped with a weighing device that allows the weight to be recorded during each filling process. The weighing device is designed to detect the weight of the material being filled at any time. The weighing results are transmitted in real time to a data processing unit and processed there. The data processing unit is connected to the control system for the baling press's actuators. The program for controlling the baling press can also be stored on or run from the data processing unit.

[0024] Furthermore, in an upgrade stage of the box press, it can be equipped with optical sensors or means, such as a camera, or with other sensors (e.g. NIR sensors) that are able to capture characteristic properties or images of the filled material and forward them to the data processing unit that is connected to the control of the baling press.

[0025] The baler's data processing unit is capable of evaluating the transmitted information and immediately forwarding the results to the baler's control system, which then takes this information into account when controlling the filling and pressing process for the bale currently being formed. As part of the data acquisition and processing by the control system, it is also conceivable that the re-expansion behavior of different baling materials could be determined and considered when controlling the pressing process. Artificial intelligence can also be used for this purpose.

[0026] In addition to weighing data and material type data, the data processing unit can also process data from the filling and compaction process and take this into account when controlling the filling and compaction process. This allows for significant optimization of energy consumption and bale quality. For example, the compaction tools could be controlled so that, for instance, when filling the baler, the press stroke movements are stopped before reaching the end point of the stroke if the weight being filled is very low. In this case, adhering to a predetermined movement time or path would be a waste of energy, time, and money.

[0027] Furthermore, the pressing stroke could be aborted, for example, if the height of the pressed material indicates that the mass of the compacted material already in the press box exceeds the desired result. If an improvement in the already achieved compaction result is unattainable or undesirable due to external factors, the pressing process could also be aborted.

[0028] Similarly, pressing operations can be shifted to times when energy costs are significantly lower because energy is abundant at these times (e.g., at night or during the day when sufficient solar energy is available). It is known, for example, that compacting material without adding new material can lead to better results in terms of mass for certain materials if the press plate remains under pressure on the material in the press box for a while. Such additional strokes could, for example, take place at night.

[0029] It has been suggested above that data allowing conclusions to be drawn about the type of material being filled should also be considered when controlling the filling process. The determination of this data can be achieved using suitable sensors, e.g., NIR (near-infrared) sensors, or by taking photographs that can be analyzed using image recognition software, or possibly also by determining characteristic physical properties during compaction, such as pressure profiles and expansion curves.

[0030] The technical means suitable for capturing this information could, for example, be mounted above the pressing area of ​​the box baler, i.e., below or in front of the (in the case of horizontally operating box balers) press plate(s), or they could be mounted (especially in balers with automated filling) in front of or between adjacent filling units. Such means could be sensors and / or camera systems. With camera systems and / or sensors used for identification, the captured images and / or sensor data would subsequently be evaluated by the baler's data processing unit, and the material would then be identified. Here, too, artificial intelligence could be advantageously employed. It is also conceivable that the data processing unit is not mounted on the baler itself, but externally, to which the captured data would be transmitted for analysis.In any case, this data processing unit must be connected to the baling press control system so that it can take the analysis results into account when controlling the filling process and the pressing operations.

[0031] By analyzing the data, which could also be done using artificial intelligence tools, it would be possible to optimize the compaction process not only in terms of weight but also material, and also from hub to hub.

[0032] However, if the application ensures that homogeneous materials are used, then controlling the compaction process may only require considering the weight of the material being fed in. For balers with manual filling of the material to be compacted, or even for balers with mechanical and / or automatic material feeding, the filling process can be interrupted, for example, at a predetermined filling weight, in order to first compact the material up to a predefined threshold.

[0033] Furthermore, it is conceivable that the pressing process could be interrupted when the material being filled has been compacted to a predetermined value. For example, many customers of baling presses require a density of approximately 450 kg / m³. If, for instance, 20 kg of material were filled during a single filling, the pressing process could be interrupted before reaching the maximum pressing pressure, and the press released for the next filling cycle, provided the material in the pressing chamber has already been compacted to such an extent that the desired density is nearly or approximately achieved. This would certainly result in very high energy savings for box balers compared to today's material-independent control of the pressing process.

[0034] Assuming the necessary basic data has been determined and transmitted, the data processing and control unit of the box press could also be expanded into a learning system if, for example, the required process indicators were recorded over time and certain control variables (e.g., the pressure of the press ram or the torque of the compaction screw) were taken into account by the control system. In such a scenario, it would also be possible to determine the optimal value of control variables, for example, with regard to energy consumption. Furthermore, it would be conceivable that, for example, the number of filling cycles until a final state (bale complete or similar) is reached could be displayed.

[0035] An additional application of a data processing and control unit for box presses in particular, or compaction equipment in general, which could handle both the compaction process parameters and the weight of the material being filled and the material identification, would result if the control unit were also used to monitor and control the input process. With the technical equipment listed above, as well as an additional device for user identification, e.g.Using an ID card or credit card, or even biometric data, RFID systems, or similar personal data (fingerprint or iris scan), the payment due to the operator could be calculated and credited to their inserted credit card or a separate receipt after verification of the material placed by the operator and acceptance by the baler's control system. Similarly, operators who tend to misdeclare material could be identified. These operators could be charged on their inserted credit card, for example, for sorting out incorrect material, or such users could be banned from material collection altogether (at least in cases of repeated offenses). It would also be conceivable that the credit card would only be returned once the operator has cleaned the loading area of ​​the incorrectly declared material.

[0036] The invention is described below with reference to the figures as follows: Figure 1 Figure 1 shows a cross-section through a box baler (1) with a vertically operating press plate (2). The press cylinder (3) is also shown in cross-section. The piston (30) of the double-acting press cylinder (3) separates the feed chamber (31) from the return stroke chamber (32). The press plate (2), connected to the oil-hydraulically operated press cylinder (3), is in its initial position (A) before the start of the pressing or filling process. To remove the finished bale, the press chamber door (7) is opened. Figure 1The box press is shown without material being pressed (5). Position (E) indicates the lower end position of the press plate (2), which in vertical box presses generally does not extend all the way down to the press base (8). The pressing area (9) is always located between the underside of the press plate (2) and the press base (8). Figure 2 The vertical box press is shown filled with material (5). Material can be added for pressing through the filling opening (4) of the box press (1) when the filling opening closure flap (6), which is in Figure 2 The horizontally pivoting and open position is shown. The closing flap can also be vertically pivotable or slid upwards or downwards. The material to be pressed (5) is filled below the press plate (2) which is in its initial position (A).

[0037] After the filling opening closure flap (6) is closed, the press plate (2) is extended by the extension of the press cylinder (3) towards the press base (8). This extension is achieved by controlling the flow of hydraulic oil into the feed chamber (31) of the press cylinder (3). The material to be pressed (5) located between the press base (8) and the press plate (2) is thereby compacted. After the press plate (2) has completed its maximum stroke, it reaches its end position (E).

[0038] Towards the end of bale production, however, it is possible that this final position (E) can no longer be reached because the compressed material (5) already extends beyond the maximum possible final position (E) of the press plate (2). In this case, with pressure-controlled balers, the press cylinder (3) is retracted once a (generally) predetermined switching pressure is reached – possibly after briefly holding the built-up pressure – after the baler's control system has switched the hydraulic oil from the feed chamber (31) to the return stroke chamber (32).

[0039] The box press in the Figure 1 and 2The box press does not stand directly on the hall floor (16), but rather within the frame (10) of a weighing device. In the illustrated embodiment, the box press is supported by load cells (11) equipped with strain gauges. Alternatively, other weight sensors can be used instead of the aforementioned load cells (11), for example, capacitive, hydraulic, or pneumatic sensors.

[0040] The load cells (11) connected to the data processing unit (41) – generally several – record the weight of each filling operation in real time. Figure 2 A camera (43) is shown above the filling area, which takes pictures of the material being filled into the box press (1). Alternatively, sensors (2.8. NIR sensors) can be provided there to identify the type of material being filled.

[0041] Figure 3Figure 1 shows a box baler with a horizontally operating press plate (2). Here, the press cylinder (3) is arranged horizontally. The pressing direction is therefore horizontal. A weighing device (53) or load cells (11) are optionally not shown, but are also possible. The press chamber door (12), through which the finished, pressed, and tied bale is removed, is the boundary of the press chamber (14) opposite the movable press plate (2). The press plate (2) moves against this boundary to compress the material. The press chamber door can be designed to pivot horizontally or vertically, or to slide upwards. The filling opening closure door (13), which closes the filling opening (15) during the pressing process, is designed as part of the press chamber boundary in this horizontal box baler.The one or more camera(s) (43) for taking pictures of the filled pressing material (5) is or are attached to suitable brackets above the filling opening (15).

[0042] Figure 4Figure 1 shows a vertical box press with automatic filling. The material to be pressed (5) in the collection trolley (20) is fed below the press plate (2) of the box press, as described in EP 2 507 046 B1. This box press also does not stand directly on the hall floor (16), but rather within the frame (10) of a weighing device and is connected to it by preferably several load cells (11). The material to be pressed (5) is fed below the press plate (2) by the rotor (21) through the filling opening (22) into the pressing area (9) of the vertical box press (1). At a suitable location, where there is a good view of the material to be pressed (5), one or more cameras (43) or other sensors can optionally be installed to image the material to be pressed (5) at the time it is introduced into the box press.These camera(s) are connected to the data processing unit (41), which has suitable programs for image analysis and material identification.

[0043] Figure 5 Figure 1 shows an alternative design for the material feed to the box press (1). In this alternative design, the material to be pressed (5) is conveyed to the filling rotor (21) by a conveyor belt (23). Optionally, one or more cameras or sensors (43) can be mounted above the conveyor belt, which in turn are connected to the data processing unit (41). This alternative design offers the advantage that incorrect filling of the press can be prevented or stopped before the material enters the pressing area (9) through the filling opening (22) of the box press (1). For example, it is possible to stop the press and allow the operator to remove the incorrectly inserted material first (before further filling).

[0044] Figure 6 This represents the data processing unit (41) and the hydraulic control block (42) connected to it, to which all or only selected hydraulic drive elements (such as the press cylinder (3) of the press plate) are connected and which controls the oil flow to and from the hydraulic cylinder(s). The one or more load cells (11) of the weighing device (53) and the camera (43) for creating images, preferably during the filling of the box press, are also connected to the data processing unit (41). The images of the material being filled and compacted can be evaluated using an image processing program of the data processing unit (41). Alternatively, it is also conceivable that sensors, such as NIR sensors, could be used for material identification.

[0045] Furthermore, a distance measuring unit (44) for real-time data acquisition of the stroke of the press plate is shown; the displacement measuring system can also be integrated into the press cylinder (3) itself. Additionally, a pressure sensor (45) can be provided, which detects the pressure of one or more hydraulic cylinders used to actuate the press plate and transmits it in real time to the data acquisition unit (41). Shown in Figure 6The hydraulic cylinder (48) also serves as a drive motor (47) which can be used, for example, to drive the conveyor belt (23). Additional electric motors can also be connected to the control unit of the data processing unit (41) if required. The hydraulic cylinder (48) serves as a placeholder for one or more hydraulic drive and actuation units to be connected to the hydraulic control block (42), for example, for driving the rotor roller (21). The data transmission unit (49) can, if necessary, connect the data processing unit (41) to databases in the cloud (51) after the connection (50) has been established.

[0046] At the start of the filling process of the box baler (1) to produce a new bale, i.e., when the previously produced bale has been removed through the press chamber door (7) in the case of vertical box balers (1) – or press chamber door (12) in the case of horizontal box balers (1') – and the press chamber door has been properly closed again, the material to be compressed (5) falls into the pressing area (9) of the box baler or is pressed into it by the filling tools. When the pressing area (9) is filled with (uncompacted) material (5) up to below or in front of the press plate (2), the press cylinder is started either manually or automatically. Of course, the pressing process can also be started earlier, i.e., when the pressing chamber is not completely full.

[0047] Moving the press plate (2) towards the press base (8) compacts the material being pressed. The resulting pressure in the hydraulic oil system and any other systems is detected by the pressure sensor (45) and transmitted to the data processing unit in real time. In a very basic control system, the number of press strokes of the press cylinder is also counted. If the control system stores the average press plate height per stroke (for a given mass), it can calculate after how many strokes the end position E should no longer be reached. If the end position E is not reached before this calculated number of strokes, the control system can, for example, initiate an intermediate stroke with a higher pressure setting to increase the compaction.The advantage of this control system lies in its ability to take into account data generated during the production of the current bale and to incorporate this data into subsequent pressing operations for that bale. This ensures that the desired bale mass is achieved.

[0048] Figure 7The diagram illustrates the bale-making process in a highly simplified manner, without showing the box baler. The material to be pressed (5) is initially compressed by the (not shown) press plate (2) against the base (8) of the box baler (1) until the press plate reaches its final position (E), without the (not shown) press cylinder (3) being filled with oil to its maximum permissible pressure. Only after reaching the final position (E) is this pressure increased until, after each subsequent addition of material (5), the final position (E) is no longer reached. The distance traveled by the press cylinder (3) can be measured either by the cylinder's integrated length measuring system or by an externally mounted distance sensor (e.g., an ultrasonic or angle sensor).

[0049] If the press is operated without a weighing device (53), the bale heights or the heights of the press discs (17) formed during each pressing operation are calculated from parameters that are (variably) stored in the data processing unit. If the box press is equipped with a weighing device (53) for the filling weights, the actual weights can be used to calculate the height of the press discs (17) for each pressing stroke.

[0050] For the sake of simplicity, it is suggested that the calculation of the disc height be based on a uniform distribution of the material across the base of the bale in the box press. Of course, more complex algorithms can also be used.

[0051] In the Figure 7For illustrative purposes, the individual discs from which the bale is formed are shown with a small gap between them; this gap does not exist in reality, where the discs rest directly on top of each other. Throughout the entire bale-making process, the movement of the press cylinder (3) is measured by a displacement measuring system, for example, a distance measuring unit (44), or by another system (e.g., an angle sensor), and transmitted to the data processing unit (41). In a box baler with a weighing device (53), the weight of the bale being filled is continuously recorded by the load cells (11) during the manual or automatic filling process and transmitted to the data processing unit (41).

[0052] At the beginning of each pressing operation, or at least of all pressing operations in which position E is no longer reached, the data processing unit determines the height of the pressing disc (17) for this pressing operation based on the theoretical or actually measured weight during the current filling operation and the desired mass of the finished bale. This height, plus the heights resulting from the previous pressing strokes, sums to the total theoretical height of the material filled so far for a given mass in the bale.

[0053] Depending on the material and program specifications, the pressing process can now be designed to achieve the desired mass while optimizing energy consumption. In this process, correction factors can be defined individually for each material or calculated by the program itself using artificial intelligence based on predefined algorithms.

[0054] To calculate the target press height, the data processing unit can also access stored data regarding the expansion behavior of the material being filled, as well as material-specific correction factors. The type of material being filled can either be preselected by the operator or determined from photos or sensor data taken during the filling process. In the case of photos, image recognition software is used for this purpose.

[0055] Determining the required pressing height for achieving a specific bale mass (minimum and maximum heights should be determined) can vary during the pressing process. Depending on the material being used, for example, wider tolerance limits can be specified at the beginning of the baling process than at the end. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the algorithms used could be dependent on the time of day. If, for example, due to the type of material, a slightly longer period of pressure is sufficient to produce the desired mass at the end of the baling process, then premature final pressing of the bale can be avoided during times of day when electrical energy (for powering the hydraulic drives) is very high compared to other times. Reference symbol list

[0056] (1) Box press (2) Press plate (3) Press cylinder (4) Feed opening (5) Material to be pressed (6) Feed opening closure flap (7) Press chamber door (8) Press base (9) Pressing area (10) Frame of the weighing device (11) Weighing sensor, for example, load cell (12) Press box door (13) Feed opening closure door (14) Press chamber (15) Feed opening (16) Hall floor (17) Press disc (18) - (19) - (20) Collection trolley (21) Rotor (22) Feed opening (23) Conveyor belt (30) Piston (31) Feed chamber (32) Return stroke chamber (41) Data processing unit (42) Hydraulic control block (43) Optical sensor, for example, camera (44) Distance sensor, for example, distance measuring unit (45) Pressure sensor (47) Drive motor (48) Hydraulic cylinder (49) Data transmission unit (50) Data connection (51) Databases in the cloud (52) Control unit (53) Weighing device (A)Starting position of the press plate (E)End position of the press plate.

Claims

1. Control system for a vertical or horizontal box baler, equipped with a system for determining the path of the press plate during each pressing operation, with a data processing unit to which the recorded data is transmitted and subsequently stored and processed, a control unit connected to the data processing unit or control software stored thereon, which controls at least some of the pressing operations and / or filling operations required to form a bale, characterized by the fact that When controlling the pressing process(s) for a bale to be formed, data from previous filling and / or compaction processes (at least partially) of that bale must be taken into account.

2. Vertical box press (1) or horizontal box press (1'), comprising: - a press plate (2) - a system for determining the path of the press plate (2) during each pressing operation, - a data processing unit (41) to which the recorded data are transmitted, and subsequently stored and processed, - a control system connected to the data processing unit (41) or control software stored on the data processing unit (41) which controls at least some of the pressing and / or filling operations required to form a bale, characterized by the fact thatthe control or control software is a binary or digital sequence control (52) which: - includes several inputs and outputs, - is coupled to sensors, for example to weighing sensors (11) and / or optical sensors (43) and / or distance sensors (44) and / or pressure sensors (45) and / or to other sensors, - and, during the production of a bale to be formed, takes into account at least partially the data of previous filling and / or compaction processes for that bale, so that, even during the production of a bale to be formed, the parameters characterizing the bale, such as bale size and / or bale weight and / or specific gravity and / or the energy consumption of the box press (1; 1'), can be adapted to predetermined and / or dynamically optimized setpoints.

3. Control unit for a box press (1; 1') or box press (1; 1') according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact thatthe box press (1) is equipped with a weighing device (53) for weight measurement, wherein the weighing device (53) preferably comprises weighing sensors (11) and the control system takes the determined weights into account (at least partially).

4. Control unit for a box press (1; 1') or box press (1; 1') according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that Data for identifying the type of material filled may be acquired by suitable means, such as image acquisition using one or more optical sensors, preferably cameras (43), and evaluated using suitable software.

5. Control for a box press (1; 1') or box press (1; 1') according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that Data on the type of material being pressed is also taken into account when controlling the pressing process.

6. Control for a box press (1; 1') or box press (1; 1'), characterized by the fact thatthe control system controls the filling process of the box press (1, 1') and / or decides on the acceptance of the material type of the pressing material.

7. Control system for a box press (1; 1') or box press (1; 1') according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that In the calculation using the data processing unit (41), the target values ​​of the compaction parameters and / or the pressing parameters are determined and / or optimized using artificial intelligence and / or correction values.

8. Control unit for a box press (1; 1') or box press (1; 1') according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the control of at least several pressing operations for the production of a bale in a box press (1; 1') is carried out by comparison with one or more predetermined setpoint(s), so that the entire material compaction and material filling takes place with minimal energy consumption.

9. Control unit for a box press (1; 1') or box press (1; 1') according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that The data obtained during the identification of the material will be used to determine the compensation for the filler.

10. Method for controlling the pressing and compaction process for material compaction of a vertical box press (1) or a horizontal box press (1'), characterized by the fact that Before at least one pressing operation to compact the material, the weight of the material already thrown into the box press (1; 1') for the bale currently to be formed is determined, and then the data processing unit (41) calculates the height of the bale necessary for a given mass, and then the press plate (2) is lowered until this height is reached.

11. Method according to claim 10, characterized by the fact that This process occurs at least during the last press stroke.

12. Method according to one of claims 10 or 11, characterized by the fact that This process is carried out with every press stroke.

13. Method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized by the fact that This process occurs after the press plate no longer reaches the final position E.

14. Method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized by the fact that Correction factors are taken into account in the calculation of the data processing unit (41) for controlling the filling, pressing and compacting process and / or that artificial intelligence is used in the calculations of the data processing unit (41) for controlling the pressing and compacting process.

15. Control according to one of the aforementioned claims characterized by the fact that These are used for presses and / or containers for compacting waste and recycling materials.

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