Control Device for Product Processing Plant Feeder Occupancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
In print product processing plants, the manual loading of products onto feeders leads to substantial delays and production interruptions, especially in plants with numerous feeders and diverse product collections, as multiple production sequences are required for different shipping routes, resulting in extended setup times and shipment delays.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and device that optimizes feeder occupancy by detecting production configurations for multiple delivery routes, combining production sequences for cohesive production orders, and determining feeder assignments to minimize product change and interruption times, allowing for flexible production orders and simultaneous feeder occupancy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple production sequences are used for different shipping routes, then all delivery routes can be served, but production time is substantially lengthened due to repeated feeder reconfiguration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple production sequences for different delivery routes into a single integrated production sequence. The control device analyzes the product collections required for multiple delivery routes and merges them into one cohesive sequence, allowing the feeders to be configured once to produce all required collections sequentially without intermediate reconfiguration, thereby eliminating repeated setup times while maintaining the ability to serve multiple routes
Solution Approach 2:
The control device performs preliminary analysis and optimization of the production sequence before actual production begins. It detects all required product collections for multiple delivery routes, determines the optimal single production sequence in advance, and pre-configures the feeders accordingly, eliminating the need for time-consuming reconfiguration during production runs
2Adaptability or versatility
If feeders are reconfigured during production to accommodate new occupancy, then different product collections can be produced, but production interruptions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the overall production requirement into distinct product collection types that can be produced in a predetermined sequence. By dividing the multiple delivery route requirements into manageable collection groups that can be fulfilled by a single feeder configuration, the system maintains adaptability to produce different collections while avoiding the need to reconfigure feeders during production, thus preventing interruptions and maintaining continuous output
3Ease of operation
If manual loading of products onto feeders is performed, then feeders can be occupied with required products, but substantial delays occur in production
Solution Approach 1:
The control device automatically determines the optimal feeder occupancy configuration and directs the loading process without requiring manual intervention for decision-making. The system self-calculates which products should be loaded onto which feeders based on the merged production sequence, eliminating the time-consuming manual planning and configuration process while maintaining operational simplicity through automated control
Data Source
AI summary
A production configuration is determined for controlling a product processing plant that comprises a collecting system having a conveyor and a plurality of feeders for preparing product collections from products supplied by the feeders. The production configuration defines a production of a plurality of production sequences for a plurality of delivery routes, wherein each delivery route is assigned one or more production sequences, each of which define a production of a plurality of production collections of a collection type comprising a plurality of products. For each feeder an occupancy with products, which are to be conveyed by the feeder to the conveyor for preparation for the product collections, is determined. A production optimization parameter determines whether a defined production order is to be maintained for the delivery routes or whether the production order of the delivery routes can be altered. If the production order can be altered, the production sequences of a plurality of delivery routes for the production of production collections of the same collection type are combined to a cohesive production sequence and the occupancy of the feeders is determined for the production order with combined production sequences.