Container Handling Signals for Planned Type Change Preparation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Container handling plants face inefficiencies in setting or conversion times, leading to increased downtime and costs due to late execution of planned state changes, particularly in multi-product and multi-language operational environments.
Innovation Solution
A container handling plant equipped with a type preselection memory, output devices for audio and optical signals, and a control device that outputs predetermined tone sequences or optical signals to remind operators of upcoming state changes, allowing for timely preparation and reducing waiting times by distinguishing between planned states and disturbances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the container handling plant operates without advance notification of planned state changes, then the plant can maintain simpler control systems, but the setting or conversion times increase due to late execution of state changes
Solution Approach 1:
The control device issues audio and/or optical signals in advance to notify operators of upcoming state changes before they occur. This preliminary notification allows operators to prepare for state changes proactively, reducing the actual setting or conversion time when the change is due, while maintaining a manageable control system through simple signal-based warnings.
2Productivity
If the plant uses language-specific notifications for state changes, then operators familiar with that language can understand instructions clearly, but operators with different language skills cannot understand the notifications, reducing overall operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system uses audio signals with tone sequences and optical signals that are universally understandable across different languages and cultures. This universal signaling approach maintains high operational efficiency for all operators regardless of their language skills, while the system can still provide language-specific text information when needed, achieving both universality and specificity.
3Reliability
If the plant distinguishes between planned states and disturbances using the same notification method, then the notification system remains simple, but operators cannot differentiate between routine state changes and problematic conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different signal characteristics (tone sequences, patterns, or combinations of audio and optical signals) to differentiate between planned state changes and disturbances. This localized differentiation in signal quality allows operators to easily distinguish between routine notifications and problematic conditions without requiring a complex multi-system approach.
Data Source
AI summary
A container handling plant and a method for a container handling plant are shown. The container handling plant comprises at least one container handling machine for handling containers, wherein at least one container handling machine comprises a type preselection memory in which different types are preselectable for a handling to be performed by the container handling machine, at least one output device positioned at the at least one container handling machine for outputting an audio signal and/or an optical signal, and a control device configured to control the at least one output device such that the output device acoustically outputs a predetermined audio signal made of tone sequences comprising at least two different tones and/or optically outputs an optical signal, if due to the type preselected in the type preselection memory a change of a type or a refilling for the preselected type at the container handling machine is scheduled in the future at the end of a predetermined time period.