Process for controlling a production and packaging system

• US 6,516,811 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2000
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Focke & Company
• Original Assignee: Focke & Company
• Inventors: Buse, Henry, Focke, Heinz
• Primary Examiner(s): Fiorilla, Christopher A.
• Application Number:
  US09/534,645
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 131/283, 131/58, 534/44, 533/96, 53/52
• US Class Current: 131/283
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 19/28 Control devices for cigarette or cigar packaging machines

Abstract

The invention proposes measures for controlling a production and packaging system for cigarettes such that a certain number of cigarettes (batch) of a certain brand or design are produced and the system is then switched off. This is based on a quantity which is to be produced, that is to say a specified quantity. Taking account of the actually occurring defective production at individual production units and subassemblies, the overall production requirement is determined and produced accordingly and packaging material is made available to the individual production units.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a cigarette production and packaging system comprising a plurality of production units for making intermediate cigarette products from corresponding supply materials, said production units including a cigarette maker for producing individual cigarettes, said supply material for said maker including tobacco and cigarette paper, and a cigarette packaging machine for producing cigarette packs incorporating said individual cigarettes, said supply material for said packaging machine including blanks, wherein said method comprises the steps of:

determining the requirements of said maker and said packaging machine for the quantities of corresponding supply material necessary for each to produce a desired quantity of cigarette packs, wherein said determining step takes into account possible defective production at each of said maker and packaging machine;

supplying quantities of corresponding supply material to said maker and said packaging machine based on the requirements determined in said determining step; and

setting each of said maker and said packing machine to produce the desired quantities of cigarettes and packs taking into account possible defective production of each of said maker and said packing machine and then turning off each in turn after it produces the desired quantities of cigarettes and packs, respectively.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the desired quantity of packs is determined on the basis of the quantity of blanks available.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein said maker and packaging machine are supplied with tobacco and cigarette paper and blanks, respectively, based on a known average output of each of said maker and said packaging machine, including the expected defective production thereof.

4. A method as in claim 3, wherein actual defective production for each of said maker and said packaging machine is determined on either a continuous or cyclical basis during operation thereof and compared with the expected defective production, such that during operation of said system changes in total production are made on the basis of any differences between actual and expected defective production.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein the actual quantity of cigarettes to be made by said maker is determined taking into account the expected defective production of said packaging machine, such that during operation of said system changes in total production are made on the basis of any differences between the actual and expected defective production of said packaging machine.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein said system further comprises the following production units:

a film wrapping machine for wrapping said cigarette packs in a packing film, said supply material for said film wrapping machine including said packing film;

a multipacker for packaging a predetermined quantity of said film-wrapped cigarette packs in a carton, said supply material for said multipacker including multipack wrappers; and

a carton packer for packing a predetermined quantity of said cartons into a shipping box, said supply material for said carton packer including said shipping boxes.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein during operation of said system the desired quantity to be produced by each said production unit is determined multiple times based on actual production thereof and compared with the desired quantity, said determination being repeated as long as the total quantity produced is less than the desired quantity.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein operation of each said production unit is terminated when its total production is greater than or equal to the desired quantity to be produced thereby.

9. A method as in claim 6, wherein said method further comprises the step of terminating production by running down each successive said production units and a store for corresponding supply material therefor one after the other and switching each of said production units them off when it is empty, the status of each said production unit being determined by querying each said production unit in turn starting with said maker.

10. A method as in claim 6, wherein changing said system over from producing one cigarette brand to another comprises the following steps:

checking each said production unit to determine if the product it produces can be used to produce the different brand; and

displaying the result of said checking step on a visible display device.

11. A method as in claim 6, wherein measuring and control elements of each said production unit are connected to a central computer with a visible display device.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein each said intermediate production unit includes a control subassembly connected to said central computer by an control bus.

13. A method for controlling a production and packaging system, the system comprising a plurality of production units, each of which produces a quantity of a corresponding intermediate product and provides it to another said production unit, said production units cooperating to produce a desired quantity of finished products packaged for shipping, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring the quantity of intermediate products produced by each said production unit and supplies for producing same in stores associated with said system, said measuring step including comparing on either a continuous or cyclical basis a desired quantity of corresponding intermediate products to be produced by each said production unit with a quantity of the corresponding intermediate products actually produced by said production unit; and

terminating production when the total quantity of finished products packaged for shipping and intermediate products actually produced by said production units totals the desired quantity of finished products packaged for shipping, wherein successive said production units are run down one after the other and switched off when empty of the corresponding intermediate product, thereby terminating production such in such a way that the desired quantity of finished products packaged for shipping has been produced by the time all of the production units are switched off.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein supplies are periodically supplied in predetermined quantities to said production units from said stores.

15. A method as in claim 13, wherein changing said system over from producing one finished product to a different finished product comprises the steps of:

checking each said intermediate product being produced to determine if it can be used to produce said different finished product; and

displaying the result of said checking step on a visible display device.

16. A method as in claim 13, wherein measuring and control elements of each said production unit are connected to a central computer with a visible display device.

17. A method as in claim 16, wherein each said intermediate production unit includes a control subassembly connected to said central computer by a control bus.