METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR MANUFACTURING PACKAGES IN A DIGITALLY CONTROLLED PROCESS

• US 20110122212A1
• Filed: 04/24/2009
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tresu A/S
• Original Assignee: Stora Enso Oyj
• Inventors: Lehtola, Juha, Sirviö, Petri, Ryynänen, Marko, Pettersson, Jonas
• Granted Patent: US 8,493,421 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/110
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/00 Making rigid or semi-rigid containers, e.g. boxes or cartons
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/006 Controlling; Regulating; Measuring; Improving safety
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/16 Cutting webs
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/20 Cutting sheets or blanks
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/88 Printing; Embossing

Abstract

Packages are manufactured in a digitally controlled process. A digital printing machine (101) produces printed workpieces and a cutting machine (104) cuts packaging blanks (105) from them. A conveyor line (107) transfers the printed work-pieces automatically from the digital printing machine (101) to the cutting machine (104). A digital control system (109) exchanges digital control information with at least the digital printing machine (101) and the cutting machine (104).

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. An arrangement for manufacturing packages in a digitally controlled process, characterized in comprising:

a digital printing machine (101) for producing printed workpieces (103);

a cutting machine (104) for cutting packaging blanks (105) from the printed workpieces (103);

a conveyor line (107) for automatically transferring the printed workpieces to the said cutting machine (104);

between the said digital printing machine (101) and the said conveyor line (107) a stacker (202), which stacker is arranged to collect the printed workpieces in stacks and to deliver the collected stacks to the said conveyor line (107); and

a digital control system (109), which is arranged to transmit digital control data between at least the said digital printing machine (101) and the said control system (109), to transmit digital control data between the said cutting machine (104) and the said control system (109), and to transmit workpiece-specific information stored in the stacker between the said stacker (202) and the said digital control system (109).

19. An arrangement according to claim 18, characterized in that at least one of the said cutting machine (104) and the stacker (202) includes an identifier reader (1123, 1133), which is arranged to read the individual identifier that is produced earlier by the digital printing machine on the printed workpiece that is handled in the cutting machine (104) or the stacker (202), and to transmit to the digital control system (109) information about which identifier it has read.

20. An arrangement according to claim 18, characterized in that the digital control system (109) is arranged to store information about, which identifiers produced by the digital printing machine (101) have been read on the printed workpieces and/or packaging blanks handled by the system, according to the information obtained from the identifier readers (1123, 1133, 1142) included in the system.

21. An arrangement according to claim 20, characterized in that the digital control system (109) is arranged to store the metainformation, which is formed during the handling of the printed workpieces and which in the memory (1104) of the digital control system unambiguously relates to a specific printed workpiece or batch of workpieces.

22. An arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the said metainformation includes the information produced by the digital printing machine (101) about the alignment in printing the printed workpiece.

23. An arrangement according to claim 20, characterized in that as a response to the information received from the identifier readers (1123, 1133, 1142), indicating that a specific printed workpiece has not passed through the entire manufacturing process, the digital control system (109) is arranged to control the digital printing machine (101) to produce a substitute printed workpiece.

24. An arrangement according to claim 18, characterized in comprising, between the digital printing machine (101) and the cutting machine (104), a buffer stage, which is arranged to temporarily store the printed workpieces.

25. An arrangement according to claim 24, characterized in that

as a response to stopping the cutting machine (104), the digital control system (109) is arranged to transmit to the buffer stage a command to start temporarily storing the printed workpieces;

and

as a response to starting the cutting machine (104), the digital control system (109) is arranged to transmit to the buffer stage a command to start feeding forward the temporarily stored printed workpieces.

26. An arrangement according to claim 18, characterized in that the conveyor line (107) consists of subsequent conveyor modules (108), which are engaged to each other by detachable quick-release lockings and which are digitally controlled.

27. An arrangement according to claim 26, characterized in that

the first conveyor module of the conveyor line (107) is placed floatingly in the structures of the machine (202) preceding the conveyor line;

and

the last conveyor module of the conveyor line (107) is placed floatingly in the structures of the machine (104) following the conveyor line.

28. An arrangement according to claim 26 or 27, characterized in that each conveyor module (108) is arranged to exchange, with the other conveyor modules, data about the preparedness of the conveyor module (108) to receive items that are to be conveyed and/or to forward the items that are to be conveyed.

29. An arrangement according to claim 18, characterized in that the digital control system comprises a control computer and an integrated recording and reproducing equipment of audio files.

30. A method of manufacturing packages in a digitally controlled process, characterized in comprising:

producing printed workpieces (103) by a digital printing machine (101);

collecting the printed workpieces in stacks and delivering the collected stacks to a conveyor line (107)

conveying the collected stacks automatically to a cutting machine (104);

cutting packaging blanks (105) from the printed workpieces;

transmitting digital control data between the said digital printing machine (101) and the control system (109) and between the cutting machine (104) and the said control system (109), and

transmitting workpiece-specific information stored in the stacker between the said stacker (202) and the said digital control system (109).

31. A method according to claim 30, characterized in that at a specific handling stage of the printed workpieces after the digital printing machine, the identifier produced by the digital printing machine on the printed workpiece is machine-read, and information about which identifier was read is reported to the control system.

32. A method according to claim 31, characterized in that as a response to the information obtained by machine-reading the identifiers, indicating that a specific printed workpiece has not passed through the entire manufacturing process, the digital printing machine is directed to produce a substitute printed workpiece.

33. A method according to any of claims 30 to 32, characterized in comprising storing the metainformation, which is formed during the handling of printed workpieces and which in the memory of the digital control system unambiguously relates to a specific printed workpiece or batch of workpieces.