Heater predictive maintenance system for packaging machine

Abstract

To acquire, before a malfunction due to deterioration or abnormality occurs to a cartridge heater of a heater block used for a packaging machine, any change indicating such a sign to ensure the maintenance thereof.SOLUTION: Provided is a heater predictive maintenance system for a packaging machine comprising a seal temperature control device 53 and a heater predictive maintenance device 54. The seal temperature control device 53 comprises a cartridge heater 53a embedded in a heater block of the packaging machine, a temperature sensor 53d for detecting the temperature of the heater block, and a thermoregulator 53e for keeping the temperature of the heater block at a seal temperature on the basis of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 53d. The heater predictive maintenance device 54 comprises a temperature acquisition section 55 for acquiring the temperature of the heater block measured by the temperature sensor 53d, a temperature change determination section 56a for determining that there is a sign of a malfunction to the cartridge heater 53a when the changed temporal temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition section 55 exceeds a prescribed range, and a determination result output section for outputting a determination result of the temperature change determination section 56a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heater predictive maintenance system for packaging machines such as horizontal pillow packaging machines, vertical pillow packaging machines, overwrap packaging machines, and wrapping packaging machines. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Packaging machines such as horizontal pillow packaging machines, vertical pillow packaging machines, overwrap packaging machines, and wrapping packaging machines use various driving devices such as servo motors, air cylinders, and heaters for heat sealers. These drive devices can break down due to various factors, in which case they are repaired or replaced. In order to minimize production disruptions caused by the repair or replacement of drive devices, various diagnostic devices have been proposed to detect drive device failures in advance. For example, Patent Document 1 (JP 2001-261145 A) discloses an article transport device equipped with a transport conveyor driven by a motor, the article transport device comprising: a current measuring means for measuring the magnitude of the current flowing through the motor; an alarm determination means for outputting an alarm signal when the magnitude of the current measured by the current measuring means exceeds a reference value; and an alarm means for operating in response to the alarm signal. Patent document 2 (JP 2005-528291 A) discloses a system for identifying abnormal operation of a packaging machine, the system including a sampling entity arranged to sample a signal issued to a servo motor during use corresponding to a torque value of the servo motor, a spectrum analyzer for generating a spectrum analysis of the sampled signal, and a processing unit coupled to a storage device for storing a characterization corresponding to an operating state of a mechanical element coupled to the servo motor, the characterization corresponding to at least one predetermined value for at least one respective frequency of the signals, the processing unit being arranged to determine abnormal operation of the mechanical element during use using the spectrum analysis of the sampled signal and the characterization of the mechanical element. Patent Document 3 (JP 2012-1211 A) discloses an automatic packaging machine that uses an air cylinder as the drive source for opening and closing a sealer, and that calculates and displays the sealer closing operation time and sealer opening operation time from the signal input of a reed switch that detects the forward end position of the piston rod of the air cylinder, the sealer closing signal output, and the open signal output, making it possible to monitor them. The automatic packaging machine also discloses a function that sets an allowable time for the closing operation time and the opening operation time and monitors them, and issues an alarm to stop the machine if an allowable time is exceeded, and a function that issues an alarm to stop the machine if the reed switch is lost between the time when the sealer closing signal output is output and the reed switch confirms that the sealer is closed, and the time when the open signal output is output.

[0003] However, the conveying device in Patent Document 1 outputs an alarm signal when a load occurs that prevents the conveyor from running smoothly, causing the motor torque to increase and the magnitude of the current flowing through the motor to exceed a reference value.The conveying device in Patent Document 1, however, cannot detect slight malfunctions such as those that cause the magnitude of the current flowing through the motor to not deviate from a reference value, such as when the operation of the motor changes due to wear on the gear head or lack of oil in the bearings in a geared motor that controls the position, speed, etc., such as a servo motor with a reducer, and cannot take corrective action before an abnormality occurs. Furthermore, in the packaging system of Patent Document 2, the spectral signal corresponding to the torque value of the servo motor is analyzed to monitor the operating state of the mechanical elements connected to the servo motor, such as wear of the chain, belt, bearings, etc., and to determine abnormal operation of the mechanical elements. Therefore, as in Patent Document 1, in a geared motor such as a servo motor with a reducer, when the operation of the motor changes due to wear of the gear head or lack of oil in the bearings, it is not possible to detect slight malfunctions of the servo motor that would not be determined to be abnormal operation from the analysis of the spectral signal corresponding to the torque value of the servo motor, and to take maintenance measures before an abnormality occurs. Furthermore, in the automatic packaging machine of Patent Document 3, a warning is issued and the machine is stopped if the sealer closing operation time or the sealer opening operation time exceeds the allowable time, so a warning is not issued and the machine is not stopped even if an air leak occurs in the air cylinder that does not change the sealer closing operation time or the sealer opening operation time. Therefore, it is not possible to detect slight changes such as air leakage from the air cylinder and take measures to prevent an abnormality from occurring.

[0004] In this regard, Patent Document 4 (JP 2017-167815 A) discloses an equipment management system that manages a plurality of production line component devices that make up a production line that produces goods, wherein the production line component devices include a weighing device that weighs the goods, a packaging device that packages the goods, and / or a packing device that packs the packaged goods into boxes, and the equipment management system is equipped with an information storage unit that accumulates part information regarding parts included in the production line component devices, an information analysis unit that performs an analytical process that analyzes the part information accumulated in the information storage unit, and a maintenance information output unit that outputs maintenance information regarding the maintenance of the parts based on the results of the analytical process. In this equipment management system, equipment status data storage unit 90d (information accumulation unit) stores equipment status data DT, which is information for identifying (estimating or predicting) the operating state, capacity value, functional characteristics, poor adjustment, deterioration over time, or failure of the parts included in production line constituent equipment 112. Examples of this equipment status data DT include parameters "time from when knife drive is started until auto switch (sensor) responds" and "output value of air pressure sensor" that identify signs of deterioration or poor adjustment of the knife cylinder of horizontal sealing mechanism 25 of form-fill-seal machine 20, a parameter "encoder pulse value of pressure motor during vertical sealing" that identifies signs of deterioration (looseness) or poor adjustment of the timing belt of form-fill-seal machine 20, and "load rate of each motor (servo motor)" that identifies insufficient lubrication of each sliding part included in form-fill-seal machine 20, wear of bearings, or abnormality in the mechanical state. Then, the analysis unit 90i (information analysis unit) determines that if a parameter related to the equipment status data DT of the target part is significantly larger or smaller in value than the corresponding parameters of other component parts, or falls outside the numerical range defined in the capability information, there is a high possibility that the target part is showing signs of deterioration, is poorly adjusted, or has some kind of abnormality. However, the equipment management system of Patent Document 4 determines whether the target parts show signs of deterioration, poor adjustment, or some other abnormality based on equipment status data DT, such as the operation time and air pressure of the knife cylinder (air cylinder), the encoder pulse value of the pressure motor, the load rate of the servo motor, etc., and, like the automatic packaging machine of Patent Document 3, it is unable to detect air leaks from an air cylinder where the operation time or air pressure of the knife cylinder does not change, and to take maintenance measures before an abnormality occurs; and, like Patent Document 2, it is unable to detect slight malfunctions of the servo motor that are not determined to indicate signs of deterioration, and to take maintenance measures before an abnormality occurs, from the encoder pulse value of the pressure motor or the load rate of the servo motor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-261145 A [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2005-528291 [Patent Document 3] JP 2012-1211 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2017-167815 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to make it possible to obtain changes that indicate a precursor of malfunction due to deterioration or an abnormality in a cartridge heater of a heater block used in a packaging machine before the malfunction occurs, thereby enabling the conservation of the cartridge heater. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems by providing a heater predictive maintenance system for a packaging machine comprising a sealing temperature control device and a heater predictive maintenance device for a packaging machine, wherein the sealing temperature control device comprises a cartridge heater embedded in a heater block of the packaging machine, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the heater block, and a temperature regulator for maintaining the temperature of the heater block at a sealing temperature based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, and the heater predictive maintenance device comprises a temperature acquisition unit for acquiring the temperature of the heater block measured by the temperature sensor, a temperature change determination unit for determining that there is a sign of a malfunction in the cartridge heater if a change over time in the temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition unit exceeds a predetermined range when the heater block is maintained at the sealing temperature and sealing operation is being performed normally, and a determination result output unit for outputting the determination result of the temperature change determination unit. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The heater predictive maintenance system for a packaging machine of the present invention has the effect of obtaining changes that indicate the signs of malfunction before the malfunction occurs due to deterioration or an abnormality in the heater used in the heat sealer of the packaging machine, and thereby making it possible to maintain the air cylinder. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a predictive maintenance system for driving equipment of a packaging machine, the predictive maintenance system including a predictive maintenance device for the driving equipment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a servo motor predictive maintenance system and a predictive maintenance device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of another example of a servo motor predictive maintenance system and a predictive maintenance device. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an air cylinder predictive maintenance system and a predictive maintenance device. [Diagram 5] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an example of a heater predictive maintenance system and a predictive maintenance device. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of another example of a heater predictive maintenance system and a predictive maintenance device. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of an end seal cutting device. [Figure 8] This is a left side view of the end seal and cutting device. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a front view of the opening / closing toggle mechanism rotating portion. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the predictive maintenance device 4. [Figure 11] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the servo motor predictive maintenance device 14. [Figure 12] 13 is a graph showing a speed change when servo motor 13a opens and closes heater blocks 61 and 62, and a graph showing a change in a current value of a drive current supplied to servo motor 13a. [Figure 13]13 is a graph showing an example of a change in current value (driving current waveform) when a defect occurs in a device operated by the rotation of a servo motor 13a, and a graph showing a change in a current value difference. [Figure 14] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the servo motor predictive maintenance device 24. [Figure 15] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the air cylinder predictive maintenance device 34. [Figure 16] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of a heater predictive maintenance device 44. [Figure 17] 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of a heater predictive maintenance device 54. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] [Configuration of predictive maintenance system and predictive maintenance device for drive equipment] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a predictive maintenance system for driving equipment of a packaging machine, the predictive maintenance system including a predictive maintenance device for the driving equipment. In the figure, 1 is a predictive maintenance system, 2 is a drive energy supply unit, 3 is a drive equipment, 4 is a predictive maintenance device, 5 is a drive energy change acquisition unit, 6 is a predictive judgment unit, and 7 is a judgment result output unit. As shown in FIG. 1, the predictive maintenance system 1 includes a drive energy supply unit 2, a drive machine 3, and a predictive maintenance device 4. The driving energy supply unit 2 supplies driving energy such as driving current and compressed air to the driving device 3. Specific examples include a commercial power source that supplies driving current, a power source such as a battery, and a compressor that supplies compressed air. The driving device 3 has a function of operating the packaging machine, and specific examples thereof include a servo motor, an air cylinder, and a heater for a heat sealer. The predictive maintenance device 4 has a function of detecting signs of malfunction due to deterioration or abnormality in the driving equipment 3 before such malfunction occurs and issuing an alarm, etc., in order to maintain the driving equipment 3, and is composed of a driving energy change acquisition unit 5, a sign judgment unit 6, and a judgment result output unit 7. The drive energy change acquisition unit 5 acquires a change in drive energy supplied from the drive energy supply unit 2 to the drive machine 3 while the drive machine 3 is operating normally. The sign determining unit 6 determines whether or not there is a sign of an operational malfunction in the moving machine 3 based on the change in the driving energy of the moving machine 3 detected by the driving energy change acquiring unit 5. The determination result output unit 7 outputs the result of the determination made by the sign determination unit 6 as to whether or not there is a sign of a malfunction in the movable machine 3.

[0011] The predictive maintenance system 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described when applied to an end sealing and cutting device (described later) of a horizontal pillow packaging machine. [Servo motor predictive maintenance system, configuration of predictive maintenance device] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an example of a servo motor predictive maintenance system and a predictive maintenance device for an end seal and cutting device. In the figure, reference numeral 11 is a servo motor predictive maintenance system, 12 is a power supply, 13 is a servo mechanism, 13a is a servo motor, 13b is a servo amplifier, 13c is a controller, 14 is a servo motor predictive maintenance device, 15 is a current value acquisition unit, 15a is a transmission unit, 15b is a reception unit, 15c is a communication line, 16 is a calculation and control device, 16a is a comparison and judgment unit, 16b is a reference current waveform memory unit, and 17 is an alarm. As shown in FIG. 2, the servo motor predictive maintenance system 11 includes a power supply 12, a servo mechanism 13, and a servo motor predictive maintenance device . The power source 12 is a commercial power source that serves as the drive energy supply unit 2, and supplies a drive current to the servo mechanism 13 (servo motor 13a). The servo mechanism 13 includes a servo motor 13a serving as the driving device 3, a servo amplifier 13b, and a controller 13c. In this servo mechanism 13, based on a command (command signal) from a controller 13c, a servo amplifier 13b controls the drive current supplied to a servo motor 13a to control the position and speed of the servo motor, thereby opening and closing a heater block (described later) of the end seal cutting device. The servo motor predictive maintenance device 14 is made up of a current value acquisition unit 15 which serves as the drive energy change acquisition unit 5, a calculation and control device 16 which serves as the predictive judgment unit 6, and an alarm device 17 which serves as the judgment result output unit 7. The current value acquiring unit 15 includes a transmitting unit 15a, a receiving unit 15b, and a communication line 15c, and acquires the current value of the drive current supplied to the servo motor 13a. That is, in the current value acquisition unit 15, the transmission unit 15a continuously acquires the current value of the drive current supplied from the servo amplifier 13b to the servo motor 13a, transmits it to the reception unit 15b via the communication line 15c, and sends the current value received by the reception unit 15b to the calculation control device 16. This current value acquisition unit 15 may be, instead of being equipped with the transmitting unit 15a, the receiving unit 15b, and the communication line 15c shown in FIG. 2, a unit that extracts the current value of the drive current supplied from the servo amplifier 13b to the servo motor 13a as an analog signal and sends it to the arithmetic and control device 16 via a transmission line or the like. The calculation and control device 16 is composed of a control computer that controls the operation of the horizontal pillow packaging machine, a calculation and control unit of computer equipment such as a computer on the operation panel, a memory unit, etc., and is equipped with a comparison and judgment unit 16a and a reference current waveform memory unit 16b, and controls the operation of the current value acquisition unit 15 and the operation of the alarm 17. The reference current waveform storage unit 16b stores a reference current waveform that represents a change over time in the current value of the drive current when the servo motor 13a is operating satisfactorily. The comparison and judgment unit 16a compares the current value sent from the receiving unit 15c, i.e., the drive current waveform representing the change over time in the current value of the drive current of the servo motor 13a acquired by the current value acquisition unit 15, with the reference current waveform stored in the reference current waveform memory unit 16b, and judges that there is a sign of a malfunction in the servo motor 13a if the degree of change in the drive current waveform relative to the reference current waveform exceeds a predetermined range. The alarm 17 is constituted by a display of the control computer, an operation panel, etc., and displays an alarm indicating that there is a sign of a malfunction in the servo motor 13a based on the judgment result of the comparison and judgment section 16a. Furthermore, the servo motor predictive maintenance device 14 may be provided with a drive current waveform display unit (not shown) that displays the drive current waveform acquired by the current value acquisition unit 15 on a display of the control computer, operation panel, etc., and a specified range setting unit (not shown) that sets the specified range, so that the specified range can be set by the specified range setting unit from the drive current waveform displayed on the drive current waveform display unit, etc.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of another example of a servo motor predictive maintenance system and a predictive maintenance device for an end seal and cutting device. In the figure, reference numeral 21 is a servo motor predictive maintenance system, 22 is a power supply, 23 is a servo mechanism, 23a is a servo motor, 23b is a servo amplifier, 23c is a controller, 24 is a servo motor predictive maintenance device, 25 is a current value acquisition unit, 25a is a transmission unit, 25b is a reception unit, 25c is a communication line, 26 is a calculation and control device, 26a is a position deviation judgment unit, and 27 is an alarm. As shown in FIG. 2, the servo motor predictive maintenance system 21 includes a power supply 22, a servo mechanism 23, and a servo motor predictive maintenance device 24. The power supply 22 is a commercial power supply that serves as the drive energy supply unit 2, similar to the power supply 12, and supplies a drive current to the servo mechanism 23 (servo motor 23a). Like the servo mechanism 13, the servo mechanism 23 includes a servo motor 23a serving as the driving device 3, a servo amplifier 23b, and a controller 23c. In this servo mechanism 23, similarly to the servo mechanism 13, the servo amplifier 23b controls the drive current supplied to the servo motor 23a based on a command (command signal) from the controller 23c, thereby controlling the position and speed of the servo motor, and the heater block (described later) of the end seal cutting device is opened and closed. The servo motor predictive maintenance device 24 is made up of a position deviation acquisition unit 25 which serves as the drive energy change acquisition unit 5, a calculation and control device 26 which serves as the predictive judgment unit 6, and an alarm device 27 which serves as the judgment result output unit 7. The position deviation acquisition unit 25 includes a transmission unit 15a, a reception unit 15b, and a communication line 15c, and acquires a position deviation that is a deviation in rotation of the servo motor 13a relative to a command. That is, in the servo mechanism 23, a command pulse from the positioning unit of the controller 23c is added to the deviation counter of the servo amplifier 23b, and at the same time, a feedback pulse from the encoder of the servo motor 23a is subtracted, causing a pulse accumulation (accumulation pulse) in the deviation counter, and this accumulation pulse represents a position deviation, which is a deviation in rotation from the command. In the position deviation acquisition unit 25, the transmission unit 25a continuously acquires accumulated pulses (position deviation) accumulated in the deviation counter of the servo amplifier 23b and transmits them to the reception unit 25b via the communication line 25c, and sends the accumulated pulses (position deviation) received by the reception unit 25b to the arithmetic and control device 26. This position deviation acquiring unit 25 may be configured to extract accumulated pulses (position deviation) accumulated in a deviation counter of the servo amplifier 23b as an analog signal and send it to the arithmetic and control device 26 via a transmission line or the like, instead of being equipped with the transmitting unit 25a, the receiving unit 25b, and the communication line 25c shown in FIG. 3. The calculation control device 26, like the calculation control device 16, is composed of a control computer that controls the operation of the horizontal pillow packaging machine, a calculation control unit of computer equipment such as a computer of the operation panel, a memory unit, etc., and is equipped with a position deviation judgment unit 26a and controls the operation of the position deviation acquisition unit 25 and the operation of the alarm 27. The position deviation determination unit 26a determines that there is a sign of a malfunction in the servo motor 23a when the accumulated pulses (position deviation) sent from the receiving unit 25c, i.e., the accumulated pulses (position deviation), which are the deviation of the rotation of the servo motor 23a from the command acquired by the position deviation acquisition unit 25, exceed a predetermined range. The alarm 27 is constituted by a display of the control computer, an operation panel, or the like, and displays an alarm indicating that there is a sign of a malfunction in the servo motor 23a, based on the result of the determination by the position deviation determination unit 26a.

[0013] [Air cylinder predictive maintenance system, predictive maintenance device configuration] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the air cylinder predictive maintenance system and predictive maintenance device of the end seal and cutting device. In the figure, 31 is an air cylinder predictive maintenance system, 32 is a compressor, 33 is an air cylinder operating mechanism, 33a is an air cylinder, 33a1 is a piston rod, 33a2 is a pressure chamber, 33a3 is an open chamber, 33b is a flow meter, 33c is a solenoid valve, 33d1 to 33d3 are piping, 34 is an air cylinder predictive maintenance device, 35 is a flow rate acquisition unit, 36 is a calculation and control device, 36a is an air leak determination unit, and 37 is an alarm piping. As shown in FIG. 4, the air cylinder predictive maintenance system 31 includes a compressor 32, an air cylinder operating mechanism 33, and an air cylinder predictive maintenance device . The compressor 32 serves as the driving energy supply unit 2, and supplies compressed air to the air cylinder operating mechanism 33 (air cylinder 33a). The air cylinder operating mechanism 33 includes an air cylinder 33a serving as the driving device 3, a flow meter 33b, a solenoid valve 33c, and pipes 33d1 to 33d3. In this air cylinder operating mechanism 33, compressed air is supplied from compressor 32 and passes through flow meter 33b and piping 33d1, and flows into pressure chamber 33a2 through piping 33d2 by solenoid valve 33c, and air in open chamber 33a3 is discharged from solenoid valve 33c through piping 33d3, which moves piston rod 33a1, moves a cutting knife (described later), and performs the cutting operation of the cutting device (described later). The air cylinder predictive maintenance device 34 is composed of a flow rate acquisition unit 35 which serves as the drive energy change acquisition unit 5, a calculation and control device 36 which serves as the predictive determination unit 6, and an alarm 37 which serves as the determination result output unit 7. When the air cylinder 23 is performing a cutting operation and the operation of the air cylinder 23 is stopped, the flow rate acquisition unit 35 acquires the flow rate (numerical value) of the compressed air flowing through the pipe 33d1 measured by the flow meter 33b as a leakage amount in the form of an analog signal, and sends the analog signal of the acquired leakage amount (numerical value) of the compressed air to the arithmetic and control device 26 via a transmission line or the like. This flow rate acquiring unit 35 may be equipped with a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, and a communication line like the current value acquiring unit 15 shown in FIG. 2, in which the transmitting unit acquires the compressed air flow rate (numerical value) measured by the flowmeter 33b as a digital signal and transmits it to the receiving unit via the communication line, and the receiving unit sends the leakage amount (numerical value) to the arithmetic and control device 36 as a digital signal. The calculation and control device 36 is composed of a control computer that controls the operation of the horizontal pillow packaging machine, a calculation and control unit of computer equipment such as a computer on the operation panel, a memory unit, etc., and is equipped with an air leakage determination unit 36a, and controls the operation of the flow rate acquisition unit 35 and the operation of the alarm 37. The air leakage determination unit 36a determines that there is a sign of malfunction in the air cylinder 33a when the amount (numerical value) of compressed air leakage acquired by the flow rate acquisition unit 35 exceeds a predetermined range. The alarm 37 is constituted by a display of the control computer, an operation panel, etc., and displays an alarm indicating that there is a sign of a malfunction in the air cylinder 33a based on the result of the determination by the air leakage determination unit 36a. In addition, if a packaging machine uses multiple air cylinders, the pipes connected to each air cylinder branch off from the main pipe, and by installing a single flow meter midway through the main pipe, rather than midway through the branched pipes, it is possible to measure air leakage from each air cylinder with this single flow meter.

[0014] [Heater predictive maintenance system and predictive maintenance device configuration] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an example of a heater predictive maintenance system and predictive maintenance device for an end sealing and cutting machine. In the figure, 41 is a heater predictive maintenance system, 42 is a power source, 43 is a heater drive circuit, 43a is a cartridge heater, 43b is an ammeter, 43c is an SSR (solid state relay), 44 is a heater predictive maintenance device, 45 is a current value acquisition unit, 46 is a calculation and control device, 46a is a current value change determination unit, and 47 is an alarm. As shown in FIG. 5, a heater predictive maintenance system 41 includes a power supply 42, a heater drive circuit 43, and a heater predictive maintenance device 44. The power source 32 is a commercial power source that serves as the driving energy supply unit 2, and supplies a driving current to the heater driving circuit 43 (cartridge heater 43a). The heater driving circuit 43 includes a cartridge heater 43a serving as the driving device 3, an ammeter 43b, and an SSR 43c. In this heater drive circuit 43, the drive current supplied from the power source 42 is turned on and off by the SSR 43c (a contactless relay using a semiconductor switching element), and when the SSR 43c is on, the drive current is supplied to the cartridge heater 43a, causing the cartridge heater 43a to generate heat, thereby raising the temperature of a heater block (described later) of the end seal / cutting device in which the cartridge heater 43a is embedded to the sealing temperature. At this time, the value of the current flowing through the cartridge heater 43a is measured by an ammeter 43b. The heater predictive maintenance device 44 is made up of a current value acquiring section 45 which serves as the drive energy change acquiring section 5, an arithmetic and control device 46 which serves as the predictive determination section 6, and an alarm device 47 which serves as the determination result output section 7. The current value acquisition unit 45 continuously acquires the current value of the drive current supplied to the cartridge heater 43a measured by the ammeter 43b as an analog signal, and sends the analog signal of the acquired current value to the arithmetic and control device 46 via a transmission line or the like. This current value acquisition unit 45 may be equipped with a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, and a communication line like the current value acquisition unit 15 shown in Figure 2, in which the transmitting unit acquires the current value measured by the ammeter 43b as a digital signal, transmits it via the communication line to the receiving unit, and the receiving unit sends the current value as a digital signal to the arithmetic and control device 46. The calculation and control device 46 is composed of a control computer that controls the operation of the horizontal pillow packaging machine, a calculation and control unit of computer equipment such as a computer on the operation panel, a memory unit, etc., and is equipped with a current value change determination unit 46a, and controls the operation of the current value acquisition unit 45 and the operation of the alarm 47. When the change in the current value acquired by the current value acquisition unit 45 exceeds a predetermined range, the current value change determination unit 46a outputs a determination that there is a sign of a malfunction in the cartridge heater 43a. The alarm 47 is constituted by a display of the control computer, an operation panel, or the like, and displays an alarm indicating that there is a sign of a malfunction in the cartridge heater 43a based on the result of the determination by the current value change determination section 46a.

[0015] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of another example of a heater predictive maintenance system and a predictive maintenance device for an end sealing and cutting machine. In the figure, 51 is a heater predictive maintenance system, 52 is a power source, 53 is a seal temperature control device, 53a is a cartridge heater, 53b is an ammeter, 53c is an SSR (solid state relay), 53d is a temperature sensor, 53e is a temperature regulator, 54 is a heater predictive maintenance device, 55 is a temperature acquisition unit, 56 is a calculation and control device, 56a is a temperature change determination unit, and 57 is an alarm. As shown in FIG. 6, a heater predictive maintenance system 51 includes a power source 52, a seal temperature control device 53, and a heater predictive maintenance device . The power source 52 is a commercial power source that serves as the driving energy supply unit 2 and supplies a driving current to the cartridge heater 53 a of the seal temperature control device 53 . The seal temperature control device 53 includes a cartridge heater 53a serving as the driving device 3, an ammeter 53b, an SSR 53c, a temperature sensor 53d, and a temperature regulator 53e. In this sealing temperature control device 53, the drive current supplied from the power source 52 is turned on and off by the SSR 53c. When the SSR 53c is on, the drive current is supplied to the cartridge heater 53a, causing the cartridge heater 53a to generate heat. This causes the temperature of a heater block (described later) of the end seal and cutting device in which the cartridge heater 53a is embedded to rise. At this time, a temperature sensor 53d such as a thermocouple embedded in the heater block detects the temperature of the heater block and sends the detected temperature to a temperature regulator 53e. If the temperature from the temperature sensor 53d is lower than the sealing temperature, the temperature regulator 53e turns on the SSR 53c and supplies a drive current to the cartridge heater 43a, and if the temperature from the temperature sensor 53d becomes higher than the sealing temperature, the temperature regulator 53e turns off the SSR 53c and stops the supply of drive current to the cartridge heater 53a. This keeps the temperature of the heater block at the sealing temperature. The heater predictive maintenance device 54 is composed of a temperature acquisition unit 55 which serves as the drive energy change acquisition unit 5, an arithmetic and control device 56 which serves as the predictive determination unit 6, and an alarm 57 which serves as the determination result output unit 7. The temperature acquisition unit 55 continuously acquires the temperature of the heater block detected by the temperature sensor 53d as an analog signal, and sends the acquired analog signal of the temperature to the arithmetic and control device 56 via a transmission line or the like. This temperature acquisition unit 55 may be equipped with a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, and a communication line like the current value acquisition unit 15 shown in Figure 2, in which the transmitting unit acquires the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 53d as a digital signal, transmits it to the receiving unit via the communication line, and sends the temperature as a digital signal to the arithmetic and control device 56 from the receiving unit. The calculation and control device 56 is composed of a control computer that controls the operation of the horizontal pillow packaging machine, a calculation and control unit of computer equipment such as a computer on the operation panel, a memory unit, etc., and is equipped with a temperature change determination unit 56a, and controls the operation of the temperature acquisition unit 55 and the operation of the alarm 57. When the change over time in the temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition unit 55 exceeds a predetermined range, the temperature change determination unit 56a outputs a determination that there is a sign of a malfunction in the cartridge heater 53a. The alarm 57 is constituted by a display of the control computer, an operation panel, or the like, and displays an alarm indicating that there is a sign of a malfunction in the cartridge heater 53a based on the result of the determination by the temperature change determination section 56a.

[0016] [End seal and cutting device] An end sealing and cutting device of a horizontal pillow packaging machine equipped with servo motors 13a, 23a, an air cylinder 33a and cartridge heaters 43a, 53a will be described. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the end seal cutting device, FIG. 8 is a left side view of the end seal cutting device, and FIG. 9 is a front view of the opening / closing toggle mechanism rotating portion. In the figure, 13d is a reducer, 43a1 (53a1), 43a2 (53a2) are cartridge heaters, 60 is an end seal / cutting device, 61, 62 are heater blocks, 61a, 62a are central grooves, 61b, 62b are heater block holders, 61c is a guide hole, 63 is an opening / closing toggle mechanism, 63a is a rotating shaft, 63b is a rotating plate, 63c, 63d are driven arms, 63e, 63f are holding members, 64 is a holder drive block, 65a, 65b are support blocks, 65c, 65d are connecting plates, 66a, 66b are connecting rods, 67 is a cutting device, 67a is a support plate, 67b is a slider, 67c, 67d are guide rods, and 68 is a cutting knife. In the end seal / cutting device 60, heater blocks 61, 62 in which cartridge heaters 43a (43a1, 43a2), 53a (53a1, 53a2) are embedded are provided with central grooves 61a, 62a, heater block 61 is attached to the underside of heater block holder 61b, heater block holder 61b is provided with guide hole 61c, heater block 62 is attached to the upper side of heater block holder 62b, and a holding member 63e is attached to the underside of heater block holder 62b. Heater block holder 61b is connected to holder drive block 64 by connecting rods 66a, 66b, heater block holder 62b is connected to holder drive block 64 via an opening / closing toggle mechanism 63 and is slidably supported by connecting rods 66a, 66b, the connecting rods 66a, 66b are slidably supported by support blocks 65a, 65b, the support blocks 65a, 65b are connected by connecting plates 64c, 64d, and a retaining member 63f is attached to the upper surface side of holder drive block 64. In the opening / closing toggle mechanism 63, a rotating plate 63b is attached to a rotating shaft 63a, one ends of driven arms 63c, 63d are rotatably attached to both ends of the rotating arm 63b, the other end of the driven arm 63c is rotatably attached to a holding member 63e, and the other end of the driven arm 63d is rotatably attached to a holding member 63f, and the rotating shaft 63a is connected to a servo motor 13a (23a) for opening and closing the heater block via a reducer 13d. The cutting device 67 is composed of a support plate 67a, an air cylinder 33a attached to the upper surface of the support plate 67a, guide rods 67c, 67d attached to the lower surface of the support plate 67a, a slider 67b supported so as to be able to slide freely on the guide rods 67c, 67d, and a cutting knife 68 attached to the slider 67b. The tip of piston rod 33a1 of air cylinder 33a is attached to slider 67b, and the tips of guide rods 67c and 67d are attached to the inner surface of guide hole 61c of heater block holder 61b.

[0017] In the end seal / cutting device 60, when the rotary shaft 63a of the open / close toggle mechanism 63 is rotated by the servo motor 13a (23a) to rotate the rotary plate 63b, the heater block holder 62b moves along the connecting rods 66a, 66b via the driven arm 63c. At the same time, the holder drive block 64 moves via the driven arm 63d, the connecting rods 66a, 66b move along the support blocks 65a, 65b, and the heater block holder 61b moves in the opposite direction to the heater block holder 62b. As a result, the heater block 61 and the heater block 62 are opened and closed (connected and separated). In addition, in the cutting device 67, by operating the air cylinder 33a, the slider 67b moves inside the guide hole 61c of the heater block holder 61b along the guide rods 67c, 67d via the piston rod 33a1, and the cutting knife 68 attached to the slider 67b moves. Then, when heater block 61 and heater block 62 are closed, end seals are applied to the tubular continuous film (not shown) with the center seal formed, and the air cylinder 33a of the cutting device 67 is activated, causing the cutting knife 67 to jump out of the central groove 61a of heater block 61 and enter the central groove 62b of heater block 62, cutting the tubular continuous film with the end seal to produce a package filled with the packaged product.

[0018] Next, we will explain the operation of the driving equipment predictive maintenance device 4 shown in Figure 1, the operation of the servo motor predictive maintenance devices 14 and 24 shown in Figures 2 and 3, the operation of the air cylinder predictive maintenance device 34 shown in Figure 4, and the operation of the heater predictive maintenance devices 44 and 54 shown in Figures 5 and 6. [Operation of predictive maintenance device 4 for drive equipment] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the predictive maintenance device 4, and the operation of the predictive maintenance device 4 will be described below. First, while drive energy is supplied from the drive energy supply unit 2 to the moving machine 3 and the moving machine 3 is operating normally, the drive energy change acquisition unit 5 acquires the change in drive energy supplied to the moving machine 3 (S1). Next, the sign determining unit 6 determines whether or not there is a sign of an operational malfunction in the moving machine 3 based on the change in the driving energy of the moving machine 3 acquired by the driving energy change acquiring unit 5 (S2). Next, the determination result output unit 7 outputs the result of the determination made by the sign determination unit 6 (S3). For example, when the sign determining unit 6 determines that the movable machine 3 has a sign of malfunction, the determination result output unit 7 outputs a warning that the movable machine 3 has a sign of malfunction as the determination result. In addition, if the sign determination unit 6 determines that there is no sign of a malfunction in the movable machine 3, the determination result output unit 7 either does not output anything as the determination result, or outputs that there is no sign of a malfunction in the movable machine 3.

[0019] [Operation of servo motor predictive maintenance device 14] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the operation of the servo motor predictive maintenance device 14, and the operation of the servo motor predictive maintenance device 14 will be described below. First, a drive current is supplied from the power source 12 to the servo mechanism 13 (servo motor 13a). When the servo motor 13a is operating normally, the current value acquisition unit 15 continuously acquires the current value of the drive current supplied to the servo motor 13a and sends the acquired current value to the calculation and control device 16 (S11). Specifically, in the current value acquisition unit 15, the transmission unit 15a continuously acquires the current value of the drive current supplied from the servo amplifier 13b to the servo motor 13a, transmits it to the reception unit 15b via the communication line 15c, and sends the current value received by the reception unit 15b to the calculation control device 16. Next, the comparison and judgment unit 16a of the calculation control device 16 compares the drive current waveform representing the change over time in the current value of the drive current of the servo motor 13a acquired by the current value acquisition unit 15 with the reference current waveform stored in the reference current waveform memory unit 16b (S12). Then, the comparison judgment unit 16a judges whether the degree of change of the drive current waveform relative to the reference current waveform exceeds a predetermined range (S13), and if it is judged that it does exceed the predetermined range, it judges that there are signs of a malfunction in the servo motor 13a (S14), and this judgment result is sent to the alarm 17, which displays an alarm to the effect that there are signs of a malfunction (S15), and the processing ends. On the other hand, if in step S13 the comparison judgment unit 16a determines that the degree of change in the drive current waveform relative to the reference current waveform does not exceed the predetermined range, it determines that there are no signs of malfunction in the servo motor 13a (S16), and terminates the processing without displaying a warning on the alarm 17.

[0020] Here, the reference current waveform stored in the reference current waveform storage unit 16b, the drive current waveform of the servo motor 13a acquired by the current value acquisition unit 15, and the determination method in the comparison and determination unit 16a will be described. Figure 12(a) is a graph showing the speed change when servo motor 13a opens and closes heater blocks 61, 62 of end seal and cutting device 60, and figure (b) is a graph showing the change in the current value of the drive current supplied to servo motor 13a when servo motor 13a rotates at the speed change shown in figure (a), where the vertical axis of figure (a) represents speed, the vertical axis of figure (b) represents current value, and the horizontal axis of figures (a) and (b) represents time, with ws representing the speed waveform and wa1 representing the reference current waveform. As shown in the speed waveform ws of Figure 12(a), from time t0 to t1, the servo motor 13a accelerates, rotates at a constant speed, and then decelerates to close the heater blocks 61, 62, from time t1 to t2, it performs a sealing operation (an operation of pressing the heater blocks 61, 62) without rotating, and from time t2 to t3, it accelerates, rotates at a constant speed, and then decelerates in the opposite direction to perform an operation of opening the heater blocks 61, 62. At this time, the change over time in the current value of the drive current supplied to the servo motor 13a becomes like the reference current waveform wa1 shown in Fig. 12(b). In this case, from time t1 to t2, the current value of the drive current becomes maximum even though the rotation speed of the servo motor 13a is 0. This is because the heater blocks 61, 62 are pressed with a constant pressure to perform the sealing operation. The reference current waveform wa1 shown in Figure 12(b) shows the change in the current value of the drive current when there are no defects in equipment such as a reducer that operates by the rotation of the servo motor 13a, and the reference current waveform wa1 is stored in the reference current waveform memory unit 16b.

[0021] FIG. 13(a) is a graph showing an example of a change in current value (driving current waveform) acquired by current value acquisition unit 15 when a defect occurs in equipment operated by the rotation of servo motor 13a, and FIG. 13(b) is a graph showing a change in current value difference, which is the difference between the current value shown in FIG. 12(b) and the current value shown in FIG. 13(a). The vertical axis in FIG. 13(a) represents the current value, the vertical axis in FIG. 13(b) represents the current value difference, and the horizontal axis in FIGS. 13(a) and (b) represents time. In the figures, wa2 represents the driving current waveform, fr1, fr2, and fr3 represent the waveform change sections, and wd1, wd2, and wd3 represent the current value difference waveforms. Even if the servo motor 13a is operating normally, if a defect such as wear of the gear head of the reducer 13d or lack of oil in the bearings occurs, the drive current waveform of the servo motor 13a will become, for example, as shown in Figure 13(a), a drive current waveform wa2 in which the waveform changes from the reference current waveform wa1 at waveform change sections fr1, fr2, and fr3. Then, by taking the difference between the reference current waveform wa1 and the drive current waveform wa2, the current value difference waveforms wd1, wd2, and wd3 shown in FIG. 13(b) are obtained. In step s13, the comparison judgment unit 16a judges whether the maximum value of any of the current value difference waveforms wd1, wd2, wd3 exceeds a predetermined range of ±ds, and if so, judges that the servo motor 13a has a malfunction (S14), and if not, judges that the servo motor 13a has no malfunction (S16). In FIG. 13(b), since the maximum value of the current difference waveform wd3 exceeds ds, the comparison and determination unit 16a determines that the servo motor 13a is malfunctioning. In addition, the drive current waveform display unit may display the drive current waveform wa2 and current value difference waveforms wd1, wd2, and wd3 as shown in Figures 13(a) and (b), and the specified range setting unit may set a specified range ±ds. Even if the servo motor 13a is operating normally in this way, if a defect such as wear on the gear head of the reducer 13d or running out of oil in the bearings occurs, the drive current waveform wa2 changes relative to the reference current waveform wa1, and if the degree of change exceeds a predetermined range, it is determined that there is a sign of a malfunction in the servo motor 13a, and maintenance of the servo motor 13a can be carried out.

[0022] [Operation of servo motor predictive maintenance device 24] FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing the operation of the servo motor predictive maintenance device 24. The operation of the servo motor predictive maintenance device 24 will be described below. First, a drive current is supplied from the power supply 22 to the servo mechanism 23 (servo motor 23a). When the servo motor 23a is operating normally, the position deviation acquisition unit 25 acquires an accumulated pulse (position deviation) and sends the acquired accumulated pulse (position deviation) to the calculation and control device 26 (S21). Specifically, in the position deviation acquisition unit 25, the transmission unit 25a continuously acquires accumulated pulses (position deviation) accumulated in the deviation counter of the servo amplifier 23b and transmits them to the reception unit 25b via the communication line 25c, and the reception unit 25b sends the received accumulated pulses (position deviation) to the calculation control device 26. Next, the position deviation judgment unit 26a of the arithmetic and control device 26 judges whether or not the accumulated pulse (position deviation) acquired by the position deviation acquisition unit 25 exceeds a predetermined range (S22), and if it is judged that it exceeds the range, it judges that there is a sign of a malfunction in the servo motor 23a (S23), and this judgment result is sent to the alarm device 27, which displays an alarm to the effect that there is a sign of a malfunction (S24), and the processing ends. On the other hand, if the position deviation determination unit 26a determines in step S22 that the accumulated pulse (position deviation) does not exceed the predetermined range, it determines that there are no signs of malfunction in the servo motor 23a (S25), and ends the process without displaying a warning in the alarm 27. In this way, the accumulated pulse (position deviation) acquired by the position deviation acquisition unit 25 represents the deviation of the rotation of the servo motor 23a from the command, and even if the servo motor 23a is operating normally, if a defect such as wear of the gear head of the reducer 13d or lack of oil in the bearings occurs, the accumulated pulse (position deviation) will become large, and if the accumulated pulse (position deviation) exceeds a predetermined range, it is determined that there is a sign of a malfunction in the servo motor 23a, and the servo motor 23a can be preserved.

[0023] [Operation of the air cylinder predictive maintenance device 34] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the operation of the air cylinder predictive maintenance device 34, and the operation of the air cylinder predictive maintenance device 34 will be described below. The air cylinder predictive maintenance device 34 functions when the cutting device 67 of the end seal cutting unit 60 is operated. First, in the air cylinder operating mechanism 33, the solenoid valve 33c is operated, and compressed air supplied from the compressor 32 via the flow meter 33b and piping 33d1 is caused to flow into the pressure chamber 33a2 of the air cylinder 33a via piping 33d2, and the air in the open chamber 33a3 is discharged from the solenoid valve 33b via piping 33d3, thereby moving the piston rod 33a1 and operating the cutting device 67, and then the movement of the piston rod 33a1 is stopped. In this state, the flow rate acquisition unit 35 acquires the flow rate of the compressed air flowing through the pipe 33d1 measured by the flow meter 33b as the leakage amount, and sends the acquired leakage amount of compressed air to the arithmetic and control device 36 (S31). In this case, if there is air leakage from pressure chamber 33a2, which causes malfunction of air cylinder 33a, compressed air is supplied to pressure chamber 33a2 from compressor 32 via flow meter 33b and pipes 33d1 and 33d2 in an amount equal to the amount of air leaking from pressure chamber 33a2, and the flow rate of compressed air flowing into pressure chamber 33a2 is measured by flow meter 33b as the amount of leakage. Next, the air leak determination unit 36a of the arithmetic and control device 36 determines whether the amount of compressed air leak acquired by the flow rate acquisition unit 35 exceeds a predetermined range (e.g., a few milliliters / minute) (S32), and if it is determined that it does exceed the range, it determines that there are signs of a malfunction in the air cylinder 33a (S33), and this determination result is sent to the alarm 27, which displays a warning to the effect that there are signs of a malfunction (S34), and the processing ends. On the other hand, in step S32, if the air leakage determination unit 36a determines that the amount of compressed air leakage acquired by the flow rate acquisition unit 35 does not exceed the predetermined range, it determines that there are no signs of malfunction in the air cylinder 33a (S35), and ends the processing without displaying a warning on the alarm 37. In this way, even when air cylinder 33a is operating normally, if even the smallest amount of air leaks from pressure chamber 33a2, the amount of leakage can be measured by flow meter 33b, and if the amount of leakage measured by flow meter 33b and acquired by flow acquisition unit 35 exceeds a predetermined range, it is determined that there is a sign of a malfunction in air cylinder 33a, and air cylinder 33a can be shut down.

[0024] [Operation of heater predictive maintenance device 44] FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing the operation of heater predictive maintenance device 44, and the operation of heater predictive maintenance device 44 will be described below. First, the heater driving circuit 43 In this process, a driving current is supplied from the power source 42 to the cartridge heater 43a via the SSR 43c and ammeter 43b, causing the cartridge heater 43a to generate heat and maintaining the heater blocks 61 and 62 at the sealing temperature. Then, the current value acquisition unit 45 continuously acquires the current value of the drive current supplied to the cartridge heater 43a measured by the ammeter 43b, and sends the acquired current value to the arithmetic and control device 46 (S41). In this case, when the cartridge heater 43a starts to deteriorate, the change in the current value of the drive current supplied to the cartridge heater 43a for maintaining the heater blocks 61, 62 at the sealing temperature becomes large. Next, the current value change determination unit 46a of the calculation and control device 46 determines whether the change in the current value acquired by the current value acquisition unit 45 exceeds a predetermined range (for example, a few percent of a reference value) (S42), and if it is determined that it does exceed the range, it determines that there are signs of a malfunction in the cartridge heater 43a (S43), and this determination result is sent to the alarm 47, which displays an alarm to the effect that there are signs of a malfunction (S44), and the processing ends. On the other hand, if in step S42 the current value change determination unit 46a determines that the change in the current value acquired by the current value acquisition unit 45 does not exceed the predetermined range, it determines that there are no signs of a malfunction in the cartridge heater 43a (S45), and terminates the processing without displaying a warning in the alarm 47. Even if the heater blocks 61, 62 are maintained at the sealing temperature and the sealing operation is performed normally, when the cartridge heater 43a begins to deteriorate, the change in the current value of the drive current supplied to the cartridge heater 43a for maintaining the heater blocks 61, 62 at the sealing temperature increases. Therefore, if the change in the current value of this drive current exceeds a predetermined range, it can be determined that there is a sign of a malfunction in the cartridge heater 43a, and the cartridge heater 43a can be preserved.

[0025] [Operation of heater predictive maintenance device 54] FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing the operation of the heater predictive maintenance device 54, and the operation of the heater predictive maintenance device 54 will be described below. First, in the sealing temperature control device 53, a driving current is supplied from the power source 52 via the SSR 53c and ammeter 53b to the cartridge heater 53a, causing the cartridge heater 53a to generate heat and raising the temperature of the heater blocks 61, 62 to the sealing temperature, the temperature sensor 53d detects the temperatures of the heater blocks 61, 62, and the temperature regulator 53e controls the on / off supply of the driving current to the cartridge heater 53a to maintain the heater blocks 61, 62 at the sealing temperature. Then, the temperature acquisition unit 55 continuously acquires the temperature of the heater block detected by the temperature sensor 53d, and sends the acquired temperature to the arithmetic and control device 56 (S51). In this case, when the cartridge heater 53a starts to deteriorate, the fluctuation (frequency of change) in the temperature of the heater blocks 61, 62 increases, and the time required to reach the sealing temperature increases. Next, the temperature change determination unit 56a of the calculation and control unit 56 determines whether the change in temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition unit 55 (for example, temperature fluctuation or the time it takes to reach the sealing temperature) exceeds a predetermined range (S52), and if it is determined that it does exceed the predetermined range, it determines that there are signs of a malfunction in the cartridge heater 53a (S53), and this determination result is sent to the alarm 57, which displays a warning indicating that there are signs of a malfunction (S54), and the processing ends. On the other hand, if in step S52 the temperature change determination unit 56a determines that the change in the current value acquired by the current value acquisition unit 45 does not exceed the predetermined range, it determines that there are no signs of a malfunction in the cartridge heater 53a (S55), and terminates the processing without displaying a warning in the alarm 57. Even if the heater blocks 61, 62 are maintained at the sealing temperature and the sealing operation is performed normally in this manner, if the cartridge heater 43a begins to deteriorate, the temperature of the heater blocks 61, 62 will fluctuate more significantly and the time it takes to reach the sealing temperature will become longer. Therefore, if the change in temperature of the heater blocks 61, 62 exceeds a specified range, it can be determined that there is a sign of a malfunction in the cartridge heater 53a, and measures can be taken to preserve the cartridge heater 53a. [Industrial Applicability]

[0026] The heater predictive maintenance system for a packaging machine of the present invention can detect changes that indicate malfunctions due to deterioration or abnormalities in the cartridge heaters of the heater blocks used in the packaging machine before such malfunctions occur, thereby preserving the cartridge heaters, and can be used in horizontal pillow packaging machines, vertical pillow packaging machines, overwrap packaging machines, wrapping packaging machines, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 1. Predictive maintenance system 2. Driving energy supply unit 3. Driving equipment 4. Predictive maintenance devices 5. Driving energy change detection section 6 Prediction Unit 7. Judgment result output section 11, 21 Servo motor predictive maintenance system 12, 22 Power supply 13, 23 Servo mechanism 13a, 23a servo motor 13b, 23b Servo amplifier 13c, 23c controller, 13d reducer 14, 24 Servo motor predictive maintenance device 15, 25 Current value acquisition section 15a, 25a Transmitter 15b, 25b Receiver 15c, 25c communication lines, 16, 26 Calculation and control device 16a, 26a Comparison / judgment section 16b, 26b Reference current waveform storage section 17, 27, 37, 47, 57 alarm 31 Air cylinder predictive maintenance system 32 Compressor 33 Air cylinder operating mechanism 33a Air cylinder 33a1 Piston rod 33a2 Pressure chamber 33a3 Open room 33b flow meter 33c Solenoid valve 33d1~33d3 Piping, 34 Air cylinder predictive maintenance device 35 Flow rate acquisition section 36 Arithmetic and control device 36a Air leak detector 41, 51 Heater predictive maintenance system 42, 52 Power supply 43 Heater drive circuit 43a, 43a1, 43a2, 53a, 53a1, 53a2 Cartridge heater 43b, 53b ammeter 43c, 53c SSR 44, 54 Heater predictive maintenance device 45 Current value acquisition section 46, 56 Arithmetic and control device 46a Current value change determination unit 53 Seal temperature control device 53d Temperature Sensor 53e temperature controller 60 End seal cutting device 61, 62 Heater block 61a, 62a center groove 61b, 62b Heater block holder 61c Guide hole 63 Opening and closing toggle mechanism 63a Rotation axis 63b Rotating plate 63c, 63d Follower arm 63e, 63f Retaining member 64 Holder drive block 65a, 65b Support blocks 65c, 65d connecting plate 66a, 66b Connecting rod 67 Cutting device 67a Support plate 67b Slider 67c, 67d guide rod 68 Cutting Knife

Claims

[Claim 1] A heater predictive maintenance system for a packaging machine, comprising a sealing temperature control device and a heater predictive maintenance device for the packaging machine, the sealing temperature control device comprises a cartridge heater embedded in a heater block of the packaging machine, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heater block, and a temperature regulator that maintains the temperature of the heater block at a sealing temperature based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor; The heater predictive maintenance device is a heater predictive maintenance system for a packaging machine, characterized in that it comprises a temperature acquisition unit that acquires the temperature of the heater block measured by the temperature sensor, a temperature change determination unit that determines that there is a sign of a malfunction in the cartridge heater when the change over time of the temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition unit exceeds a predetermined range while the heater block is maintained at the sealing temperature and the sealing operation is being performed normally, and a determination result output unit that outputs the determination result of the temperature change determination unit.

Images