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BR-102025013575-A2 - A container treatment machine for treating containers, and a method for controlling a container treatment machine.

BR102025013575A2BR 102025013575 A2BR102025013575 A2BR 102025013575A2BR-102025013575-A2

Abstract

A container treatment machine for treating containers, the container treatment machine comprises at least two treatment units for treating containers, at least one sensor for determining a state parameter that is indicative of a container state after and/or during treatment and/or of an operational state of at least one treatment unit, and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to determine, based on the state parameter and a digital image of the container treatment machine and at least one operational parameter of the treatment units, whether there is a deviation in the operation of the container treatment machine and what the cause of the deviation is, and to control the container treatment machine based thereon.

Inventors

  • Tanja Redemski-Meyer
  • Michael Siegmund

Assignees

  • KRONES AG

Dates

Publication Date
20260310
Application Date
20250630
Priority Date
20240712

Claims (15)

  1. 1. Container treatment machine for treating containers, characterized in that the container treatment machine comprises at least two treatment units for treating containers, at least one sensor for determining a state parameter that is indicative of a container state after and/or during treatment and/or of an operational state of at least one treatment unit, and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to determine, based on the state parameter and a digital image of the container treatment machine and at least one operational parameter of the treatment units, whether there is a deviation in the operation of the container treatment machine and what the cause of the deviation is, and to control the container treatment machine based thereon.
  2. 2. Container handling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that controlling the container handling machine comprises altering at least one operating parameter and/or providing an output indicating the determined deviation to an operator.
  3. 3. Container handling machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control unit is configured to determine if there is a deviation and what the cause of the deviation is using a prediction module comprising a probability model or a neural network or fuzzy logic.
  4. 4. Container handling machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the prediction module is configured to learn based on deviations determined in the operation of the container handling machine.
  5. 5. Container handling machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the deviation is indicative of an operational error or an imminent operational error.
  6. 6. Container treatment machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the container treatment machine is a cleaning machine or comprises a cleaning machine.
  7. 7. A method for controlling a container treatment machine, characterized in that the container treatment machine comprises at least two treatment units for treating containers, at least one sensor for determining a state parameter, which is indicative of a state of the container after or during treatment or of an operational state of at least one treatment unit, and a control unit, wherein the control unit determines, based on the state parameter and a digital image of the container treatment machine and at least one operational parameter of the treatment units, whether there is a deviation in the operation of the container treatment machine and what the cause of the deviation is, and to control the container treatment machine based on this.
  8. 8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that controlling the container handling machine comprises altering at least one operating parameter and/or providing an output indicating the determined deviation to an operator.
  9. 9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that it is a second alternative, wherein the output comprises an output of at least two possible causes of the deviation.
  10. 10. A method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the control unit determines whether there is a deviation and what the cause of the deviation is using a prediction module comprising a probability model or a neural network or fuzzy logic.
  11. 11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the prediction module learns based on deviations determined in the operation of the container handling machine.
  12. 12. Method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the prediction module and/or the digital image are checked when the container handling machine is commissioned.
  13. 13. A method according to any one of claims 7 to 12, characterized in that the deviation is indicative of an operational error or an imminent operational error.
  14. 14. A method according to any one of claims 7 to 13, characterized in that the container treatment machine is a cleaning machine or comprises a cleaning machine.
  15. 15. A method according to any one of claims 7 to 14, characterized in that the method comprises determining a deviation for each container treated or at predefined time intervals during the operation of the container treatment machine.

Description

[001] The present invention relates to a container treatment machine for treating containers according to claim 1 and to a method for controlling a container treatment machine according to claim 7. PREVIOUS TECHNIQUE [002] Container treatment machines and methods for their control are generally known from the prior art. To achieve a specific container treatment objective, operating parameters are predefined for the container treatment machine and then used by the container treatment machine during operation to treat the containers. During operation, deviations or failures may occur that are evident in the state parameters which are, for example, indicative of the operation of the container treatment machine itself or of the treated containers. This may indicate errors and is usually monitored by an operator so that intervention is possible if necessary. [003] However, as container handling machines become increasingly complex and, in particular, comprise a growing number of components, each of which can cause a deviation in the operation of the container handling machine, manual monitoring is associated with considerable difficulties and can, at the same time, lead to late detection of malfunctions or incorrect detection of causes. OBJECTIVE [004] Based on the previously known technique, the technical problem to be solved is therefore to provide a container handling machine for handling containers and a method for controlling a container handling machine by means of which possible deviations during operation can be reliably detected and responded to appropriately. SOLUTION [005] This problem is solved according to the invention by the container treatment machine according to claim 1 and by the method for controlling a container treatment machine according to claim 7. Advantageous developments of the invention are described in the dependent claims. [006] The container treatment machine according to the invention for treating containers comprises at least two treatment units for treating containers, at least one sensor for determining a state parameter that is indicative of a state of the container after and/or during treatment and/or of an operational state of at least one treatment unit and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to determine, based on the state parameter and a digital image of the container treatment machine and at least one operational parameter of the treatment units, whether there is a deviation in the operation of the container treatment machine and what is the cause of the deviation, and to control the container treatment machine based thereon. [007] A control unit is understood to be, for example, a computer with associated storage and processor or other suitable data processing device that is connected to the sensor and the container handling machine. [008] The state parameter that is indicative of a vessel's state after or during treatment or of an operational state of at least one treatment unit may, for example, be a physical, chemical or thermal parameter of the treated vessel or be a parameter that is determined during the treatment of the vessel. Alternatively or additionally, the state parameter may also be a measured parameter that is indicative of the operational state of the treatment unit. In principle, the measured state parameter is a real state parameter, which may therefore indicate the real state of the treatment unit and/or a component of a treatment unit (e.g., a drive, a valve circuit or a pump) and/or a functional group and/or the vessel. A functional group is understood as a number of treatment components and/or devices that interact with each other (treatment unit). This may include, for example, a real flow or temperature of the media or similar that is linked to the operation of the treatment unit. Furthermore, the state parameter may include, for example, drive torques, valve switching cycles, or heating curves that are indicative of the operational state of a treatment unit and/or a functional group. In general, the state parameter are actual measured values associated with the container treatment machine and not predefined parameters with which the container treatment machine is operated. [009] In contrast, the operating parameters of the treatment units are those parameters that are predefined, for example, by the control unit for the operation of the container treatment machine. This may include, for example, the heating power of a heating element, the flow rate of a cleaning medium from a cleaning nozzle, drive torques of machine drives or of dirt removal systems or bottle feeds or discharges, switching cycles and switching intervals for media flow, or power and/or frequencies for pump operation. [0010] A treatment unit is understood to be any element of a container treatment machine that can, directly and/or indirectly, act chemically, thermally and/or mechanically on a container. An indirect effect is understood to be an influence on th