Electromagnetic processing module including a storage medium for information relating to electromagnetic radiation power

Abstract

Electromagnetic processing module including an information carrier relating to electromagnetic radiation power. The electromagnetic processing module (4) includes a main body (12) having a front face (16) and an electromagnetic radiation emitting system (14) mounted on the main body (12) to emit electromagnetic radiation forwards. The electromagnetic processing module further includes an information carrier (30), mounted on the main body (12), said information carrier (30) including data linking at least the electromagnetic radiation power to at least one control parameter of said electromagnetic radiation power. Figure for the abbreviation: 2

Description

Title of the invention: Electromagnetic processing module comprising a storage medium for information relating to the power of electromagnetic radiation

[0001] The present invention relates to an electromagnetic processing module, of the type comprising a main body having a front face and an electromagnetic radiation emitting system mounted on the main body to emit electromagnetic radiation forwards.

[0002] The invention also relates to a heat treatment unit comprising such an electromagnetic processing module.

[0003] Such a heat treatment unit, or furnace, is generally equipped with a plurality of electromagnetic treatment modules, or heating elements, arranged to emit heat-producing electromagnetic radiation towards preforms of plastic material passing through the heat treatment unit while rotating on themselves in order to apply a heating profile to these preforms and allow their subsequent deformation, for example by stretch blow molding, so as to produce containers from the preforms.

[0004] In order to apply the desired heating profile, a control device for the electromagnetic processing modules is configured to control the power of the electromagnetic radiation, referred to as the heating power, of these processing modules, for example by varying the value of the current supplying these processing modules. Therefore, in order for the heating power to achieve the desired heating of the preforms, it is necessary to know, for each processing module, the exact relationship between the supply current and the resulting heating power.

[0005] Establishing this relationship is cumbersome, particularly when the architecture of the heat treatment unit is complex, with a large number of treatment modules, and / or after several maintenance operations on the heat treatment unit, during which treatment modules may be replaced by others and / or their components may be modified. For example, the control device is intended to be connected to a database containing information on the layout of the heat treatment unit, including a list of all the electromagnetic treatment modules in the unit and the information needed to control these treatment modules. Therefore, as soon as a change occurs in the heat treatment unit, the database must be updated, which is tedious and can easily lead to errors.

[0006] One of the aims of the invention is to overcome this drawback by providing an electromagnetic processing module that can be controlled simply and quickly.

[0007] To this end, the invention relates to an electromagnetic processing module of the aforementioned type, further comprising an information carrier, mounted on the main body, said information carrier comprising data linking at least the power of the electromagnetic radiation to at least one control parameter of said power of the electromagnetic radiation.

[0008] By mounting an information carrier directly on the main body of the electromagnetic processing module, i.e., by providing an information carrier embedded on the main body of the electromagnetic processing module, it is ensured that the information for controlling the electromagnetic radiation power of the processing module is readily accessible directly on the relevant processing module, so that it is not necessary to know the location of the thermal processing module within the thermal processing unit to control it. Furthermore, when a processing module is replaced, the information for controlling the new module is directly accessible without requiring the updating of a complex database.

[0009] The electromagnetic processing module according to the invention may further comprise one or more of the following features, taken individually or in any technically feasible combination: - the information support also includes at least one identification piece of information for the electromagnetic processing module; - the data linking at least the electromagnetic radiation power to at least one control parameter includes at least one calibration table matching different supply current values ​​of the electromagnetic processing module to the electromagnetic radiation powers resulting from these current values; - the calibration table also matches the different supply current values ​​of the electromagnetic processing module to the voltages at the supply terminals of said electromagnetic processing module resulting from these current values; - the information carrier is mounted on a rear face of the main body, opposite the front face; - the information carrier is connected to an interface device between the electromagnetic processing module and a control device for said electromagnetic processing module arranged to control the electromagnetic radiation power emitted by the emitting system, said interface device being configured to transmit information from the information medium to the control device; - the system emitting electromagnetic radiation comprises a plurality of sources of monochromatic or pseudo-monochromatic electromagnetic radiation.

[0010] According to another aspect, the invention also relates to a preform heat treatment unit of a container manufacturing plant, the heat treatment unit comprising at least one electromagnetic processing module as described above, said electromagnetic processing module being arranged to emit electromagnetic radiation towards the preforms placed in the heat treatment unit.

[0011] The heat treatment unit according to the invention may further comprise one or more of the following features, taken individually or in any technically feasible combination: - the heat treatment unit comprises an enclosure delimited by a first wall and a second wall extending on either side of the enclosure within which the preforms pass along a predefined circulation path extending in a longitudinal direction, at least one of the first wall and the second wall comprising a plurality of electromagnetic processing modules adjacent to each other along the circulation path; - the heat treatment unit further includes a control device for the electromagnetic processing module configured to control the power of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitting system, said control device being connected to the information carrier by an interface device configured to transmit information from the information carrier to the control device.

[0012] Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0013] [Fig-1] is a schematic cross-sectional representation of part of a heat treatment unit comprising a plurality of electromagnetic processing modules,

[0014] [Fig.2] is a schematic perspective representation of a processing module electromagnetic according to the invention,

[0015] [Fig.3] is a schematic perspective representation of a support information mounted on the electromagnetic processing module of [Fig.2], and

[0016] [Fig.4] is a schematic side view representation of a device for acquiring information contained in the information carrier of [Fig.3].

[0017] With reference to [Fig.1], a heat treatment unit 1, or furnace, of a container manufacturing installation from preforms 2 is described, comprising at least one electromagnetic treatment module 4, or heating elements.

[0018] According to the embodiment shown in [Fig. 1], the heat treatment unit 1 comprises a first wall 6 and a second wall 8. The first and second walls 6, 8 are positioned opposite each other on either side of the heat treatment unit 1 and define between them an enclosure within which the preforms 2 circulate along a predefined circulation path T defining a longitudinal direction. The first and second walls 6, 8 are spaced apart along a transverse direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction so as to extend on either side of the circulation path T. In [Fig. 1], the circulation path T is shown to be straight, but it is understood that it could be curved in certain areas depending on the configuration of the container manufacturing installation.The heat treatment unit includes a system for gripping and moving the preforms 2 (not shown) along the circulation path T between the first and second walls 6, 8. The preforms 2 are held in such a way that their respective axes extend in an upward direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse directions. In other words, the upward direction corresponds to the height of the preforms 2 and the height of the first and second walls 6, 8. The gripping system can be arranged, as is known, so that the preforms 2 rotate about their axis as they travel along the circulation path T.

[0019] At least one of the first and second walls 6, 8 includes the electromagnetic processing module 4 which is arranged to emit electromagnetic radiation along an emission direction E, substantially parallel to the transverse direction, in the enclosure so that the body of the preforms 2 passing in front of the electromagnetic processing module 4 is exposed to electromagnetic radiation in order to be heated to a heating temperature.

[0020] According to one embodiment, at least one of the first and second walls 6, 8 comprises a plurality of electromagnetic processing modules 4 adjacent to each other along the circulation path T, so that the preforms 2 are successively exposed to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the electromagnetic processing modules 4 as they circulate in the enclosure along the circulation path T.

[0021] According to the embodiment shown in [Fig. 1], each of the first and second walls 6, 8 comprises a plurality of processing modules electromagnetic 4 adjacent to each other along the circulation path T. Thus, the electromagnetic processing modules 4 of the first wall 6 emit electromagnetic radiation towards the second wall 8 and the electromagnetic processing modules 4 of the second wall 8 emit electromagnetic radiation towards the first wall 6, so that the body of the preforms 2 circulating between the electromagnetic processing modules 4 of the first and second walls 6, 8 is totally exposed to electromagnetic radiation.

[0022] The arrangement of the electromagnetic processing modules 4 of the first and second walls 6, 8 is, for example, such that each electromagnetic processing module 4 of the first wall extends at least partially opposite an electromagnetic processing module 4 of the second wall 8 on either side of the enclosure. By "extends at least partially opposite," it is meant that an electromagnetic processing module 4 of the first wall 6 extends to substantially the same height in the direction of elevation and at least partially opposite an electromagnetic processing module 4 of the second wall 8 in the transverse direction. In one embodiment, however, the electromagnetic processing modules 4 of the first and second walls 6, 8 are offset from each other in the longitudinal direction.Such an embodiment is described, for example, in document EP 2 782 741, and those skilled in the art may refer to this document for further details on such an embodiment, particularly in terms of the sizing and positioning of the heating elements relative to each other. In this case, each electromagnetic processing module 4 of the first wall 6 extends at least partially opposite a reflective section 10 of the second wall 8, and each electromagnetic processing module 4 extends opposite a reflective section 10 of the first wall 6, as described, for example, in document EP 2 782 741.

[0023] Although the invention is particularly advantageous when the heat treatment unit 1 comprises a large number of electromagnetic processing modules 4, it is understood that the invention applies as soon as at least one electromagnetic processing module 4 is present in the heat treatment unit. Similarly, each preform 2 can be provided to be fixed or simply rotatable relative to one or more electromagnetic processing modules 4 when placed in the heat treatment unit 1.

[0024] The electromagnetic processing modules of the first and second walls 6, 8 are identical. Thus, only one electromagnetic processing module 4 will now be described in more detail.

[0025] As shown in [Fig.2], the electromagnetic processing module 4 comprises a main body 12 and at least one electromagnetic radiation emitting system 14 mounted on the main body 12.

[0026] The main body 12 is arranged to support the various elements of the electromagnetic processing module 4, including the transmitter system 14 and the associated connectors for supplying it with electrical current and for controlling its operation, as will be described in more detail later.

[0027] The main body 12 comprises a front face 16 which is turned towards the inside of the enclosure when the electromagnetic processing module 4 is installed in the thermal processing unit 1. Opposite the front face 16, the main body 12 comprises a rear face 18 extending outside the enclosure and thus accessible to receive the connection and linking elements of the electromagnetic processing module 4 in the thermal processing unit 1. The main body 12 has, for example, a substantially parallelepiped shape, the front face 16 and rear face 18 extending in the longitudinal and elevational direction and being separated from each other in the transverse direction when the electromagnetic processing module 4 is installed in the thermal processing unit 1.

[0028] The emitting system 14 is mounted on the front face 16 of the main body 12 so as to emit electromagnetic radiation forwards along the emission direction E inside the enclosure. The emitting system 14 comprises, for example, a plurality of monochromatic or pseudo-monochromatic electromagnetic radiation sources 20. More particularly, the emitting system 14 is, for example, a laser emitter and the radiation sources 20 are laser chips arranged to emit laser radiation in the infrared range along an emission direction E substantially parallel to the transverse direction when the electromagnetic processing module 4 is installed in the thermal processing unit 1. As shown in [Fig.[2], the radiation sources 20 are, for example, arranged side by side on the main body so as to form at least one row of radiation sources 20 extending along the longitudinal direction and / or one above the other so as to form at least one column of radiation sources 20 extending along the elevation direction. The radiation sources 20 are electrically connected in series to each other between a positive connection terminal and a negative connection terminal.

[0029] Such an emitting system is described, for example, in document FR 3 124 030, and those skilled in the art may refer to this document for further details, particularly concerning the structure of each radiation source 20, the arrangement of the radiation sources 20 on a support, and the connection of the radiation sources 20 to each other. It is understood that the invention is not limited to heating elements formed by laser emitters and also applies to other types of emitting systems, such as halogen-type incandescent tubular lamps.

[0030] According to various embodiments, the electromagnetic processing module 4 may further comprise other elements enabling its optimal operation, such as a cooling system for the emitting system in the form of a cooling fluid circuit 22 extending into the main body 12, a reflector frame 24 extending around the emitting system 14, or the like. Since these elements are not the subject of the present invention, they will not be described in further detail here. Those skilled in the art may refer to document EP 3 172 030 for further details concerning the arrangement of these elements and other features of the electromagnetic processing module 4.

[0031] The electromagnetic processing module 4 further includes power supply terminals 26, shown schematically in [Fig.4] in order to connect the electromagnetic processing module 4 to a current source 28 and to enable the power supply of the transmitter system 14 and its control, as will be described later.

[0032] According to the invention, the electromagnetic processing module 4 comprises an information carrier 30, shown in [Fig. 3], comprising at least data linking the power of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitting system 14 to at least one control parameter for the power of the electromagnetic radiation. In other words, the information carrier 30 forms a calibration table for the electromagnetic processing module 4 configured to interact with a control device 32 for controlling the power of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the transmitting system 14 by modifying the control parameter.

[0033] The control parameter is, in one embodiment, the value of the current, or intensity, supplying the electromagnetic processing module 4. In other words, by varying the value of the current supplying the electromagnetic processing module via the current source 28, the power of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitting system 14 is also varied. More specifically, the higher the current value, the greater the electromagnetic radiation power. Thus, by increasing the intensity of the current supplying the electromagnetic processing module 4, the heating power of the emitting system 14 is increased, which in turn increases the temperature to which a preform 2 exposed to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitting system 14 is heated.

[0034] The information carrier 30 thus comprises at least one current value and at least one electromagnetic radiation power corresponding to this current value. In other words, by reading the information contained on the information carrier, the control device 32 knows at least one current value to apply to the electromagnetic processing module 4 carrying the information carrier to obtain a given radiation power corresponding to this current value. Advantageously, the data contained in the information carrier 30 includes a calibration table matching different supply current values ​​to the electromagnetic radiation powers resulting from these current values.Thus, the control device 32 can, by reading the information from the information carrier 30, command the electromagnetic processing module so that the emitting system 14 emits a desired heating power by selecting in the calibration table the current value corresponding to this heating power and by commanding the current source 28 to apply this current value to the electromagnetic processing module 4. When the heating power needs to be changed, the control device 32 consults the calibration table again to determine the new current value to be applied to obtain the changed heating power.Alternatively, when the electromagnetic processing module 4 is installed and / or powered on, the control device 32 downloads the information contained on the information carrier 30, including the calibration table, and stores this information in its own memory. In this case, when the heating power needs to be changed, the control device 32 consults the downloaded calibration table and determines the new current value to be applied. This embodiment reduces the information processing time by avoiding unnecessary communication between the control device 32 and the information carrier 30 on the electromagnetic processing module.

[0035] For this purpose, the information carrier 30 is connected to an interface device 34 between the electromagnetic processing module 4 and the control device 32. The interface device 34 is configured so that the control device 32 can read the data contained in the information carrier 30 and control the electromagnetic processing module 4 accordingly. More specifically, this control of the electromagnetic processing module 4 is achieved via the current source 28, as shown in [Fig. 4], by connecting the control device 32 to the current source 28 so that the control device 32 can vary the current intensity supplying the electromagnetic processing module 4 according to the data read from the information carrier 30 and the desired electromagnetic radiation power.The interface device 34 is for example formed by a data BUS transmitting data from the information medium 30. to the control device 32. Alternatively, the interface device 34 is wireless and the transmission of information between the information carrier 30 and the control device 32 is done by radio waves, a Bluetooth signal, wifi or other.

[0036] The information storage medium 30 is, for example, a computer-readable medium, for example, a medium capable of storing electronic instructions and being connected to a bus of a computer system. By way of example, the readable medium is an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc, a ROM memory, for example of the EPROM type, a RAM memory, any type of non-volatile memory (for example FLASH or NVRAM) or a magnetic card.

[0037] Alternatively, the information carrier 30 is formed by a readable medium, for example of the QR-code type, the control device 32 and / or the interface device 34 then being configured to read this information carrier 30 and extract the information from it.

[0038] The information carrier 30 is mounted on the main body 12, for example on the rear face 18 thereof so as to be placed outside the enclosure and to be accessible for connection to the interface device 34 and the control device 32. A housing 36 is for example formed on the rear face 18 of the main body 12 to receive the information carrier 30 and the interface device 34, as shown in [Fig.3].

[0039] The control device 32 is, for example, implemented in the form of a computer. The computer is an electronic circuit designed to manipulate and / or transform data represented by electronic or physical quantities in registers of the computer and / or memories into other similar data corresponding to physical data in register memories or other types of display devices, transmission devices or storage devices.

[0040] As specific examples, the computer is implemented in the form of a programmable logic component, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or an integrated circuit, such as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0041] The information carrier 30, in addition to the data linking the electromagnetic radiation power to a current value, may include additional data.

[0042] Thus, the information carrier 30 further includes, for example, at least one identification piece of information for the electromagnetic processing module 4 carrying the information carrier 30. Such information is particularly advantageous when the control device 32 is configured to control a plurality of electromagnetic processing modules 4. Indeed, all the modules The electromagnetic processing modules 4 of a heat treatment unit 1 do not necessarily emit the same radiation power for a given current value, and it is therefore necessary to establish a calibration table for each electromagnetic processing module 4. The identification information thus allows the control device 32 to associate each calibration table with the corresponding electromagnetic processing module 4. The identification information is, for example, a serial number of the electromagnetic processing module 4. Other identification information may be provided, either instead of or in addition to the serial number, such as: the date of manufacture, the date on which the calibration table was established, the name of the file containing the calibration table, the position of the electromagnetic processing module in the heat treatment unit, or other relevant information.Information relating to the characteristics of the electromagnetic processing module 4 may also be contained in the information carrier 30, such as the number and / or distribution of radiation sources 20 in the emitting system, or other.

[0043] According to one embodiment, information enabling verification of the proper functioning of the electromagnetic processing module 4 is also contained in the information carrier 30. Such information includes, for example, the voltage across terminals 26 of the electromagnetic processing module 4 corresponding to the different current values ​​in the calibration table. Indeed, by knowing the voltage across terminals 26 corresponding to a given current value when the electromagnetic processing module 4 is functioning correctly, which is verified during calibration, it is possible to detect a malfunction by monitoring the voltage across terminals 26 while preforms 2 are heated if this voltage does not correspond to the voltage in the calibration table for a given current value.

[0044] Thus, according to one embodiment, the heat treatment unit 1 includes a voltage measuring device 38 for the voltage across the terminals 26 of the electromagnetic treatment module 4 or directly at the current source 28. The voltage measuring device 38 is, for example, connected to the control device 32, as shown in [Fig. 4], in order to monitor the voltages of the emitting system 14 for the applied current. Since the measured voltage is linked to the operating conditions of the radiation sources 20, conditions which can affect the heating power, the control device 32 can decide to modify the setpoint applied to the current source 28 if the voltage measured by the measuring device 38 does not correspond to the expected voltage for the current value from the calibration table.Alternatively, if it is found that the voltage at terminals 26 deviates from the voltage of the calibration table, the device of . Control 32 can also decide to cut off the power supply 28 and / or transmit a fault signal. For example, a warning signal can be issued in the event of a drift between 2.5% and 4%, while the power supply is cut off in the event of a drift greater than or equal to 4%.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the data on the information carrier 30 comprises more than one calibration table. For example, for a emitting system 14, the radiation sources 20 may form several groups of radiation sources 20, and one calibration table per group of radiation sources 20 may be provided. A group of radiation sources 20 corresponds, for example, to a row or column of radiation sources 20 or some other particular arrangement of radiation sources 20.

[0046] Since the information support 30 is specific to each electromagnetic processing module 4 and is directly attached to it, the information relating to each electromagnetic processing module 4 is very easily accessible, including when the electromagnetic processing module is moved or replaced in the thermal processing unit 1, which makes it possible to simplify and improve the control of the electromagnetic processing modules 4 by one or more control devices 32.

[0047] The calibration of an electromagnetic processing module enabling the establishment of one or more calibration tables as described above will now be briefly described with reference to [Fig.4].

[0048] The electromagnetic processing module 4 in its operating state is placed in a measuring bench and is connected to a current source 28 and to a control device 32, as described previously. The measuring bench includes, for example, at least one measuring device 40 for the electromagnetic radiation power emitted by the emitting system 14, positioned opposite the front face 16 of the main body 12 so as to be exposed to at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitting system 14. Such a measuring device 40 includes, for example, a thermal camera 42, for example associated with a thermopile 44 that converts thermal energy into measurable electrical current.In one embodiment, alternatively or additionally, the measuring device 40 further comprises an information acquisition device 46 for identifying the electromagnetic processing module 4, including, for example, an optical character recognition device capable of "reading" the serial number of the transmitting system(s) 14 and / or the electromagnetic processing module 4 and / or another series of alphanumeric characters. The measuring device 40 is connected to a data recording device 48, such as a computer. allowing the measurements acquired by the measuring device to be recorded and a calibration table to be established as described previously.

[0049] According to one embodiment, the measuring device 40 is mounted on a displacement device 50 allowing the measuring device 40 to be moved relative to the electromagnetic processing module 4, for example along the elevation direction in order to expose the measuring device 40 to the entire electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitting system 14.

[0050] The calibration table(s) are established by operating the electromagnetic processing module 4 and recording the radiation power emitted by the transmitting system 14 using the measuring device 40 for different current values ​​supplying the electromagnetic processing module 4. To do this, the control device 32 varies the current intensity of the current source 28 supplying the electromagnetic processing module 4 in order to vary the radiation power emitted by the transmitting system, and the measuring device 40 measures this power. A calibration table can then be established by matching the measured radiation power to the current intensity generating this power. Several radiation powers ranging from a minimum to a maximum radiation power are, for example, measured to establish the different rows of the calibration table.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the voltage measuring device 38 across terminals 26 of the electromagnetic processing module 4 also measures the voltage for the different radiation powers in order to complete the calibration table to match the current value to the voltage across terminals 26, as described previously.

[0052] The identification data of the electromagnetic processing module 4 are also recorded.

[0053] The interface device 34 is then used to transmit the data thus established to the information carrier 30 mounted on the main body 12 of the electromagnetic processing module 4.

Claims

Demands

1. Electromagnetic processing module (4) comprising a main body (12) having a front face (16) and an electromagnetic radiation emitting system (14) mounted on the main body (12) to emit electromagnetic radiation forwards, the electromagnetic processing module being characterized in that it further comprises an information carrier (30), mounted on the main body (12), said information carrier (30) comprising data linking at least the power of the electromagnetic radiation to at least one control parameter of said power of the electromagnetic radiation.

2. Electromagnetic processing module according to claim 1, wherein the information carrier (30) further comprises at least one identification information for the electromagnetic processing module.

3. Electromagnetic processing module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the data linking at least the electromagnetic radiation power to at least one control parameter includes at least one calibration table matching different supply current values ​​of the electromagnetic processing module to the electromagnetic radiation powers resulting from these current values.

4. Electromagnetic processing module according to claim 3, wherein the calibration table further matches the different supply current values ​​of the electromagnetic processing module to the voltages at supply terminals (26) of said electromagnetic processing module resulting from these current values.

5. Electromagnetic processing module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the information carrier (30) is mounted on a rear face (18) of the main body (12), opposite the front face (16).

6. An electromagnetic processing module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the information carrier (30) is connected to an interface device (34) between the electromagnetic processing module and a control device (32) of said electromagnetic processing module arranged to control the power of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitting system (14), said interface device (34) being configured to transmit information from the information carrier (30) to the control device (32).

7. Electromagnetic processing module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitting system (14) comprises a plurality of monochromatic or pseudo-monochromatic electromagnetic radiation sources (20).

8. Heat treatment unit (1) for preforms (2) of a container manufacturing plant, the heat treatment unit comprising at least one electromagnetic processing module (4) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, said electromagnetic processing module being arranged to emit electromagnetic radiation towards the preforms (2) placed in the heat treatment unit.

9. Heat treatment unit according to claim 8, comprising an enclosure delimited by a first wall (6) and a second wall (8) extending on either side of the enclosure within which the preforms (2) pass along a predefined circulation path (T) extending along a longitudinal direction, at least one of the first wall (6) and the second wall (8) comprising a plurality of electromagnetic processing modules (4) adjacent to each other along the circulation path (T).

10. Heat treatment unit according to claim 8 or 9, further comprising a control device (32) for the electromagnetic processing module (4) configured to control the power of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitting system (14), said control device (32) being connected to the information carrier (30) by an interface device (34) configured to transmit information from the information carrier (30) to the control device (32).

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