Control device and method for controlling a printed product processing system

• US 10,197,995 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ferag AG (WRH Walter Reist Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Ferag AG (WRH Walter Reist Holding AG)
• Inventors: Groth, Uwe
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Kenneth M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huntley, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US14/007,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20140135969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,511 Days
• Field of Search: 700112
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 39/043 the piles being disposed in juxtaposed carriers
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 39/075 by collecting in juxtaposed carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4189 characterised by the transport system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32037 Order picking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The disclosure relates to the control of a printed product processing system, which comprises a collecting system having a conveyer and a plurality of feed conveyers for creating product collections from products fed by the feed conveyers, occupancy plans are generated and stored which specify, for the feed conveyers, in each case a chronological sequence of the products to be fed by the feed conveyer to the conveyer to create the product collections. On the basis of the occupancy plans, for the feed conveyers, in each case one product to be fed is determined and transmitted to mobile transport devices. The occupancy plans enable the operating personnel to announce early and in good time which products the feed conveyers are to be occupied with and which must for this purpose be supplied thereto on pallets.

Claims

1. A computerized control device for controlling a printed product processing system that comprises a collecting system having a conveyor and a plurality of feed conveyors for creating product collections from different types of products supplied by the feed conveyors, the computerized control device having one or more processors configured to execute computer code, characterized by:

a loading planner for generating and saving one or more loading plans, which define for each of the feed conveyors a time sequence of the products that are to be supplied to the conveyor by the feed conveyor for a defined production process of a plurality of different product collections, each to be created from a plurality of supplied products, and

a control module, which is configured to determine on the basis of the loading plans the products to be supplied, which are each to be supplied by one of the feed conveyors to the conveyor for creating the product collections, and to transmit via a wireless communications channel in each case to a mobile display device of a mobile handling device for displaying information about the determined products to be supplied to the feed conveyor concerned, wherein the control module is configured to display on a display of the feed conveyor concerned in each case a graphical representation and an orientation of the products to be supplied, and to transmit via the wireless communications channel to the mobile display device information about the products to be supplied, for the purpose of graphical display of the products to be supplied.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to record during the defined production process the products supplied by the feed conveyors to the conveyor and to determine on the basis of the loading plans an imminent change in the type of the product to be supplied for one of the feed conveyors, and to transmit via the wireless communications channel to the mobile display device information about the product to be loaded on the feed conveyor for the imminent change.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to determine during the defined production process on the basis of the loading plans a time interval until an imminent change in the type of product to be supplied for one of the feed conveyors, and to transmit said time interval to the mobile display device via the wireless communications channel.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the loading planner is configured to generate the loading plans for the defined production process according to defined optimization rules.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the loading planner is configured to determine from the defined optimization rules on the basis of one of a plurality of possible optimization objectives the optimization rules to be used to generate the loading plans.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the loading planner is configured to generate and save records containing different loading plans for the feed conveyors for different possible production conditions, which define at least one of:

a configuration of the printed product processing system, the availability of operating personnel of the printed product processing system and an optimization objective; and

in that the control module is configured to record current production conditions of the printed product processing system for the defined production process, and to select one of the records of the loading plans for the defined production process on the basis of the current production conditions.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to record during the defined production process current production conditions which define at least one of:

a current configuration of the printed product processing system, the current availability of operating staff of the printed product processing system and a current optimization objective; and

in that the loading planner is configured to adapt the loading plans during the defined production process on the basis of the current production conditions of the printed product processing system.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the loading planner is configured to generate for the defined production process a plurality of records containing different loading plans for the feed conveyors, in that the control device comprises a simulator which is configured to simulate the defined production process for the different records of loading plans and to determine in each case a simulated production time period, and in that the loading planner is configured to use for the defined production process the record containing loading plans having the shortest simulated production time period.

9. A computer-implemented method for controlling a printed product processing system that comprises a collecting system having a conveyor and a multiplicity of feed conveyors for creating product collections from different types of products supplied by the feed conveyors, the computer-implemented method comprising:

generating and saving in a computerized control device one or more loading plans, which define for each of the feed conveyors a time sequence of the products that are to be supplied to the conveyor by the feed conveyor for a defined production process of a plurality of different product collections, each to be created from a plurality of supplied products,

determining in the computerized control device, on the basis of the loading plans, the products to be supplied, which are each to be supplied by one of the feed conveyors to the conveyor for creating the product collections,

transmitting via a wireless communications channel in each case to a mobile display device of a mobile handling device for the purpose of bringing up to the feed conveyor concerned the products to be supplied and for displaying information about the determined products to be supplied to the feed conveyor concerned, and

displaying on a display of the feed conveyor concerned a graphical representation and an orientation of the products to be supplied, and to transmit via the wireless communications channel to the mobile display device information about the products to be supplied, for the purpose of graphical display of the products to be supplied.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising recording during the defined production process the products supplied by the feed conveyors to the conveyor, determining in the computerized control device on the basis of the loading plans an imminent change in the type of the product to be supplied for one of the feed conveyors, and transmitting via the wireless communications channel to the mobile display device information about the product to be loaded on the feed conveyor for the imminent change.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining in the computerized control device during the defined production process on the basis of the loading plans, a time interval until an imminent change in the type of product to be supplied for one of the feed conveyors, and transmitting the time interval to the mobile display device via the wireless communications channel.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising selecting one of a plurality of possible optimization objectives, determining in the computerized control device defined optimization rules on the basis of the one of a plurality of possible optimization objectives, and generating the loading plans in the computerized control device for the defined production according to the determined defined optimization rules.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating and saving in the computerized control device records containing different loading plans for the feed conveyors for different possible production conditions, which define at least one of:

a configuration of the printed product processing system, the availability of operating personnel of the printed product processing system and an optimization objective;

recording in the computerized control device current production conditions of the printed product processing system for the defined production process, and selecting in the computerized control device one of the records of the loading plans for the defined production process on the basis of the current production conditions.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising recording in the computerized control device during the defined production process, current production conditions of the printed product processing system which define at least one of:

a current configuration of the printed product processing system, the current availability of operating staff of the printed product processing system and a current optimization objective; and

adapting in the computerized control device the loading plans during the defined production process on the basis of the current production conditions of the printed product processing system.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating in the computerized control device for the defined production process, records containing different loading plans for the feed conveyors, simulating the defined production process for the different records of loading plans and determining in each case a simulated production time period, and using for the defined production process the record containing loading plans having the shortest simulated production time period.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored a computer program containing stored computer code, which code is configured to control one or more processors of a control device such that the processors execute a method to control a printed product processing system that comprises a collecting system having a conveyor and a multiplicity of feed conveyors for creating product collections from products supplied by the feed conveyors, the method comprising:

generating and saving in a computerized control device one or more loading plans, which define for each of the feed conveyors a time sequence of the products that are to be supplied to the conveyor by the feed conveyor for a defined production process of a plurality of different product collections, each to be created from a plurality of supplied products,

determining in the computerized control device, on the basis of the loading plans, the products to be supplied, which are each to be supplied by one of the feed conveyors to the conveyor for creating the product collections,

transmitting via a wireless communications channel in each case to a mobile display device of a mobile handling device for displaying information about the determined products to be supplied to the feed conveyor concerned, and

displaying on a display of the feed conveyor concerned a graphical representation and an orientation of the products to be supplied, and to transmit via the wireless communications channel to the mobile display device information about the products to be supplied, for the purpose of graphical display of the products to be supplied.