A method and device for treating containers with at least two container treatment machines, between which a transport device for transporting the containers is arranged, where the transport device is divided into several transport sections, where the flow of containers is changed from containers of type A to containers of type B, where a separating device is activated once the first transport section has run empty of containers of type A, where containers of the type B are transported into the first transport section and backed up at the separating device, while containers of type A are transported from the second transport section to the second container treatment machine, and where the separating device is deactivated once the second transport section has run empty of containers of the type A, so that the containers of type B are transported through the second transport section to the second container treatment machine.

Provided is a conveyance-task control device that is able to appropriately control conveyance tasks between workstations. A conveyance-task control device (10) includes a task-priority calculation unit (11) and a conveyance-task determination unit (12). The task-priority calculation unit (11) calculates respective priorities of conveyance tasks on the basis of first parameters respectively indicating a degree of how much amount of products in process a plurality of conveyance subjects are conveying in corresponding ones of areas respectively including conveyance routes between a plurality of workstations. The conveyance-task determination unit (12) determines a conveyance task with a highest one of the respective priorities as a candidate for a conveyance task to be performed next.

Provided is a conveyance-task control device that is able to appropriately control conveyance tasks between workstations. A conveyance-task control device (10) includes a task-priority calculation unit (11) and a conveyance-task determination unit (12). The task-priority calculation unit (11) calculates respective priorities of conveyance tasks on the basis of first parameters respectively indicating a degree of how much amount of products in process a plurality of conveyance subjects are conveying in corresponding ones of areas respectively including conveyance routes between a plurality of workstations. The conveyance-task determination unit (12) determines a conveyance task with a highest one of the respective priorities as a candidate for a conveyance task to be performed next.

In a first step of a method for bundling conveying streams on a material handling element including a number of incoming conveyor segments, at least one coupling to an outgoing conveyor segment, on which the incoming conveyor segments converge, and a number of holding devices for holding a conveying stream on the incoming conveyor segments, target arrival times, at which the objects arrive as planned at a destination, are calculated for the conveyed objects. A conveyed object is released at a release time which substantially corresponds to the target arrival time minus the target pass-through time required for the conveyed object to be transported as planned from a current position to the destination. A material handling element carries out the method.

A method and device for treating containers with at least two container treatment machines, between which a transport device for transporting the containers is arranged, where the transport device is divided into several transport sections, where the flow of containers is changed from containers of type A to containers of type B, where a separating device is activated once the first transport section has run empty of containers of type A, where containers of the type B are transported into the first transport section and backed up at the separating device, while containers of type A are transported from the second transport section to the second container treatment machine, and where the separating device is deactivated once the second transport section has run empty of containers of the type A, so that the containers of type B are transported through the second transport section to the second container treatment machine.

The invention relates to a method for bundling conveying streams on a materials handling element (Ka . . . Kz, K1 . . . K34) comprising a number of incoming conveyor segments (1a, 1b), at least one coupling (2) to an outgoing conveyor segment (3), on which the incoming conveyor segments (1a, 1b) converge, and a number of holding devices (4a, 4b) for holding a conveying stream on the incoming conveyor segments (1a, 1b). In a first step of the method, target arrival times (TA1 . . . TA3, TB1, TC1 . . . TC3), at which the objects arrive as planned at a destination (23a . . . 23c), are calculated for the conveyed objects (17). A conveyed object (17) is released at a release time which substantially corresponds to the target arrival time (TA1 . . . TA3, TB1, TC1 . . . TC3) minus the target pass-through time (t1, t2, t6) required for the conveyed object (17) to be transported as planned from a current position to the destination (23a . . . 23c). The invention further relates to a materials handling element (Ka . . . Kz, K1 . . . K34) for carrying out said method.

A device and method for testing foodstuffs for the presence of microorganisms including an infeed unit for a package containing a foodstuff, a sample analysis device configured to take a sample of the foodstuff and test for the presence of microorganisms, a discharge unit for discharging the package, and a display for displaying the results of testing by the sample analysis device.

An article transport facility is provided with a first control device that controls an article transport vehicle in a first area in which articles are transported, and a second control device that controls the article transport vehicle in a second area in which adjustment of the article transport vehicle is performed. Based on a withdrawal instruction from the first control device, an operation control portion of an article transport vehicle that needs adjustment causes the article transport vehicle to enter the second area, and a communication control portion that can perform exclusive wireless communication with the first control device and the second control device changes the communication destination to the second control device. In response to an adjustment instruction from the second control device, the operation control portion performs adjustment operations with use of the adjustment device and updates transport profile information in a profile storage portion, and then the communication control portion changes the communication destination to the first control device after updating is complete.

An article transport facility is provided with a first control device that controls an article transport vehicle in a first area in which articles are transported, and a second control device that controls the article transport vehicle in a second area in which adjustment of the article transport vehicle is performed. Based on a withdrawal instruction from the first control device, an operation control portion of an article transport vehicle that needs adjustment causes the article transport vehicle to enter the second area, and a communication control portion that can perform exclusive wireless communication with the first control device and the second control device changes the communication destination to the second control device. In response to an adjustment instruction from the second control device, the operation control portion performs adjustment operations with use of the adjustment device and updates transport profile information in a profile storage portion, and then the communication control portion changes the communication destination to the first control device after updating is complete.