Method of managing a system for the manufacture of tobacco products

• US 20060116782A1
• Filed: 01/13/2004
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GD SPA (Is Company SRL)
• Original Assignee: GD SPA (Is Company SRL)
• Inventors: Li Vigni, Angelo
• Granted Patent: US 7,620,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/96
• CPC Class Codes: A24C 5/00 Making cigarettes; Making tipping materials for, or attaching filters or mouthpieces to, cigars or cigarettes
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 19/32 responsive to incorrect grouping of articles or to incorrect filling of packages
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system for manufacturing tobacco products is managed using a method whereby, having programmed a number (P_n) into a master control unit (33) that represents a nominal production target for products of a given brand, such as boxes filled with cartons containing cigarettes of the particular brand, and programmed a number (C_max) representing the maximum output capacity of the system, or in practice the maximum quantity of products in process that the system is able to handle, a tally (P) of products is kept, and, at a given moment (t₁) following the completion of a number (P_r) of products that matches the target (P_n=P_r+C_max), a first check is run on the quantity (C₁) of the product actually turned out by the system; should it emerge from this first flash check that the actual quantity (C₁) is equal to the maximum output capacity (C_max), then a brand changeover procedure will be initiated by the master control unit (33), whereas if the actual quantity (C₁) produced is less than the maximum output capacity (C_max), further flash checks will be run at intervals established by events dependent on the measured output, and repeated until the sum of the number (P) of single products counted plus the actual quantity (C) turned out is equal to the nominal production target (P_n).

Claims

1. ) A method of managing a system for the manufacture of tobacco products comprising a plurality of machines, typically cigarette makers, cigarette packers, cartoners, cellophaners, parcellers and the like, turning out products consisting respectively in cigarettes, packets, cartons, overwrapped packets or cartons, and packs or boxes, wherein the machines of the system can be supplied respectively with wrapping materials consisting typically in paper, metal foil, polypropylene and like, also with additional and/or auxiliary materials consisting typically in revenue stamps, coupons and the like, characterized in that it includes at least the steps of:

programming a number (P_n) into a master control unit, representing a nominal production target for at least one predetermined product among those turned out by the machines of the system;

programming a value (C_max) into the master control unit, representing the maximum output capacity of the system expressed as a quantity of the predetermined product;

counting the number (P) of at least one of the products emerging from the relative machine of the system and relaying a corresponding item of data to the master control unit;

running a first check on the actual quantity (C₁) of the predetermined product turned out by the system, at a moment (t₁) when the number (P) of emerging products equals a value (P_r) such as will result in a match (P_n=P_r+C_max) between the nominal production target (P_n) for the predetermined product and the sum of the number (P_r) of products turned out plus the value (C_max) indicating the maximum output capacity of the system, the actual quantity (C1) expressing the real number of products in the making in the system such number indicating the actual quantity (C1) being obtained by controlling and/or counting one or more countable parameters necessary for carrying out the tobacco manufacturing;

comparing the value of the actual quantity (C₁) registering at the first check with the value (C_max) indicating the maximum output capacity of the system, in order to establish what action should be applied to the system on the basis of the comparison.

2. ) A method as in claim 1, comprising the further step of initiating a procedure for changeover to another brand of tobacco products in the event that the actual quantity (C₁) of products registering at the moment of the first check is substantially equal to the value (C_max) indicating the maximum output capacity of the system.

3. ) A method as in claim 1, comprising the further step of running at least a second check on the actual quantity (C₂, C₃ . . . ) of the predetermined product turned out, in the event that the value of the actual quantity (C₁) of products registering at the moment of the first check is less than the value (C_max) indicating the maximum output capacity of the system.

4. ) A method as in claim 3, wherein the second check on the actual quantity (C₂) of the predetermined product turned out is run at a moment (t₂) established according to the difference between the value (C_max) indicating the maximum output capacity of the system and the value of the quantity (C₁) measured at the moment (t₁) of the first check.

5. ) A method as in claim 4, comprising the further steps of running a plurality of checks subsequent to the second check on the actual quantity (C₃, C₄ . . . ) of the predetermined product turned out, wherein each check from the second onwards will determine the moment of running the next check, according to the difference between the value (C_i-1) corresponding to the output quantity measured at the previous check and the value (C_i) corresponding to the quantity measured at the current moment.

6. ) A method as in claim 5, wherein the moments at which the checks are run depend on respective production thresholds programmed for one of the products turned out by a given machine of the system.

7. ) A method as in claim 6, wherein the production thresholds are referable to any one of the machines making up the system, and each threshold comprises a number of relative products equal to or constituting a multiple of the number of products constituting the end product.

8. ) A method as in claim 6, wherein the production thresholds are referable to the final machine of the system.

9. ) A method as in claim 8, wherein the procedure for changing over to another brand of tobacco product is initiated when, following the steps of running a plurality of successive checks on output quantities (C₂, . . . C_i, . . . ) subsequent to the quantity (C₁) measured at the moment (t₁) of the first check, there is a match (P_n−

P=C_i) between a value given by the production target (P_n) for at least one predetermined product among the products turned out by the machines less the number (P) of at least one of the products turned out by the corresponding machine of the system, and the value of the quantity (C₁) measured at a corresponding moment (t_i) of running the check.

10. ) A method as in claim 9, wherein the moments (t₁, t₂, . . . t_i) of running the checks are dependent on the consumption thresholds for at least one of the wrapping materials or the addition and/or auxiliary materials used by at least one predetermined machine of the system.

11. ) A method as in claim 8, comprising the further step of establishing the production thresholds for at least one of the products, turned out by a given machine of the system, on the basis of a correction factor determined by statistical and/or experimental events.

12. ) A method as in claim 11, wherein the step of establishing the production threshold on the basis of a correction factor takes place following the last of a plurality of successive checks to measure the actual quantities of products turned out.

13. ) A method as in claim 1, wherein the moments at which the checks are run depend on respective production thresholds programmed for one of the products turned out by a given machine of the system.

14. ) A method as in claim 3, wherein the procedure for changing over to another brand of tobacco product is initiated when, following the steps of running a plurality of successive checks on output quantities (C₂, . . . C_i, . . . ) subsequent to the quantity (C₁) measured at the moment (t₁) of the first check, there is a match (P_n−

P=C_i) between a value given by the production target (P_n) for at least one predetermined product among the products turned out by the machines less the number (P) of at least one of the products turned out by the corresponding machine of the system, and the value of the quantity (C₁) measured at a corresponding moment (t_i) of running the check.

15. ) A method as in claim 1, wherein the moments (t₁, t₂, . . . t_i) of running the checks are dependent on the consumption thresholds for at least one of the wrapping materials or the addition and/or auxiliary materials used by at least one predetermined machine of the system.

16. ) A method as in claim 6, comprising the further step of establishing the production thresholds for at least one of the products, turned out by a given machine of the system, on the basis of a correction factor determined by statistical and/or experimental events.

17. ) A method as in claim 2, wherein the moments at which the checks are run depend on respective production thresholds programmed for one of the products turned out by a given machine of the system.

18. ) A method as in claim 3, wherein the moments at which the checks are run depend on respective production thresholds programmed for one of the products turned out by a given machine of the system.

19. ) A method as in claim 4, wherein the moments at which the checks are run depend on respective production thresholds programmed for one of the products turned out by a given machine of the system.

20. ) A method as in claim 4, wherein the procedure for changing over to another brand of tobacco product is initiated when, following the steps of running a plurality of successive checks on output quantities (C_2, . . . C_i, . . . ) subsequent to the quantity (C₁) measured at the moment (t₁) of the first check, there is a match (P_n−

P=C_i) between a value given by the production target (P_n) for at least one predetermined product among the products turned out by the machines less the number (P) of at least one of the products turned out by the corresponding machine of the system, and the value of the quantity (C₁) measured at a corresponding moment (t_i) of running the check.