METHOD FOR AUTOMATED ERROR HANDLING OF A PRODUCTION PLANT, AND PRODUCTION PLANT

Abstract

A method comprising a plurality of image acquisition units and a plurality of error detection units at a production plant. The production plant comprises a plurality of work zones, each of which are assigned at least one of the image acquisition units and at least one of the error detection units. A control unit is configured to detect a signal of at least one of the error detection units and based on this detection detect whether an error in the production plant has occurred in the work zone to which the error detection unit is assigned. When the control unit detects an error in a work zone, it provides image data from at least one image acquisition unit of that work zone to a user via an output unit. The invention also relates to a production plant using this method.

Claims

1. A method, comprising: providing a plurality of image acquisition units and a plurality of error detection units at a production plant, wherein the production plant comprises a plurality of work zones, wherein each of the work zones is assigned at least one of the image acquisition units and at least one of the error detection units; configuring a control unit to detect a signal of at least one of the error detection units and based on detection of the signal to detect whether an error in the production plant has occurred in the work zone to which the error detection unit is assigned; and in response to detection of the error in the work zone, providing image data detected by an image acquisition unit assigned to the work zone to a user via an output unit.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein, the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit are stored in a circular buffer, wherein the image data in the circular buffer are overwritten by new image data after a predetermined time period has elapsed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined time period is at most approximately 1 hour.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the image data provided via the output unit to the user comprise the image data which have been recorded during the predetermined time period before the time at which the error in the work zone was detected.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein: a first portion of the image data are provided via the output unit to the user without user input, wherein the first portion of the image data comprise the image data recorded during a first portion of the predetermined time period before the time at which the error in the work zone was detected; and wherein a second portion of the image data are provided to the output unit in response to input by a user, wherein the second portion of the image data comprise the image data recorded during a second portion of the predetermined time period before the time at which the error in the work zone was detected; and wherein the second portion of the predetermined time period is longer than the first portion of the predetermined time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein an identification of the work zone in which the error has occurred is provided with the image data via the output unit to the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each image acquisition unit and each work zone is assigned its own unique identifier, and the unique identifier of the work zone in which the error has occurred and the respective unique identifier of each image acquisition unit assigned to the work zone are provided to the user via the output unit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the image data provided via the output unit to the user in the event of the error are transmitted to a memory unit from which the image data can be permanently retrieved.

9. The method claim 1, wherein the control unit is assigned a database in which predefined error texts are stored, and wherein the predefined error texts are assigned to at least one error type.

10. A production plant comprising: a plurality of image acquisition units and a plurality of error detection units, wherein the production plant comprises a plurality of work zones, each of which are assigned at least one of the image acquisition units and at least one of the error detection units; and a control unit is configured to detect a signal of at least one error detection unit and, based on the detection, detect whether an error in the production plant has occurred in the work zone to which the error detection unit is assigned, wherein the control unit is further configured, to respond to the error being detected in the work zone by providing image data detected by at least one image acquisition unit assigned to the work zone to a user via an output unit.

11. The production plant of claim 10, wherein the output unit is located at the production plant.

12. The production plant of claim 10, wherein the output unit is further configured to receive user inputs.

13. The production plant of claim 10, wherein the production plant comprises functional units which can be at least one of mechanically connected or electrically connected to one another, and wherein each functional unit is assigned exactly one work zone.

14. The production plant of claim 13, wherein each functional unit is provided with a unique identifier and the unique identifier of the functional unit assigned to the work zone in which an error has been detected is output together with the image data to the user via the output unit.

15. The production plant of claim 10, wherein the error detection unit comprises at least one of a light barrier, a pressure sensor, a current acquisition unit, or a magnetic field unit.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined time period is at most approximately 15 minutes.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined time period is approximately 5 minutes.

18. The method of claim 5, wherein the image data provided via the output unit comprise the data recorded approximately 0.5 minutes before the time at which the error in the work zone was detected.

19. The method of claim 4, wherein image data recorded more than approximately 0.3 minutes to approximately 1.5 minutes before the time the error in the work zone was detected are provided via the output unit following input by a user.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the image data provided via the output unit following input by a user are recorded more than approximately 0.5 minutes before the time the error in the work zone was detected.

Description

[0032] The invention will be described in greater detail in the following, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a production plant according to the invention with schematically drawn working elements; and

[0034] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of data interfaces of a production plant by way of example.

[0035] In FIG. 1, a production plant according to the invention is generally designated by the reference sign 10. The production plant 10 comprises a first functional unit F1, a second functional unit F2, and a third functional unit F3. The first functional unit F1 has working elements 12 and 14 arranged in a work zone A1. The first functional unit F1 is assigned a camera K1, which can detect the work zone A1 or the elements 12 and 14, at least for the most part, and generate corresponding image data.

[0036] In order to be able to concentrate or focus the image data, generated by a camera, upon production-essential aspects, portions of the corresponding work zone(s) and/or the elements arranged in this functional unit can remain outside the detection region of the camerafor example, holders of the elements, displaceable elements in their parked positions, and the like.

[0037] In a manner analogous to the first functional unit F1, the second functional unit F2 has a work zone A2, elements 16 and 18 arranged therein, and a camera K2, and the third functional unit F3 has a work zone A2, elements 20 and 22 arranged therein, and a camera K3.

[0038] In a possible embodiment of the production plant 10 shown schematically in FIG. 1, the element 12 is designed to produce packagings from flat cardboard blanks which enter the production plant 10 along the arrow P shown at the top right in FIG. 1, wherein it is possible for the element 14 arranged in the same work zone A1 to be a gantry folding head in order to bring the packages into their desired shape. A grouping is subsequently carried out in element 16, wherein the cardboard packagings subsequently are transferred from the work zone A2 into the work zone A3 via the element 18. By means of the element 20, the finished production goods, which have been manufactured by means of the production plant 10, are transported away from the production plant 10 according to the arrow P shown at the bottom left in FIG. 1, wherein it is possible for the production goods to be rotated, during their removal via the element 20, by means of the element 22, which is designed here as a gantry rotary head.

[0039] Furthermore, it can be seen in FIG. 1 that the camera K2 is not restricted to a visual range limited to the second functional unit F2, but, rather, has a detection region which extends into the adjacent first functional unit F1.

[0040] Of course, the detection regions of at least two cameras could also be designed to overlap, such that image data from different cameras could be provided to portions of the production plant 10 which are arranged in such overlapping regions.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a communicative connection by way of example. The cameras K1-K4, shown on the left in FIG. 2, are each connected to a switch 24, which is arranged here in a switch cabinet 26. Furthermore, a touchscreen 28 is connected to the switch 24. The touchscreen 28 is in communicative connection with software which is configured to carry out the method according to the invention, and with visualization software which is configured to display corresponding image data of the cameras K1-K4 on the touchscreen 28. Furthermore, the switch 24 is in communicative connection with general control software of the production plant 10, such that the control system of the production plant 10 can be accessed via the touchscreen 28, for example.

[0042] Here, the touchscreen 28 can also function, e.g., in combination with the switch 24 and the control software of the production plant 10, as a control unit according to the present invention. Alternatively, an additional control unit can be provided which is configured to detect a signal of at least one error detection unit (see further below) which is assigned to a respective one of the elements 12-22, and to detect, based thereon, whether an error has occurred in the production plant 10. The control unit can also be connected to the switch 24.

[0043] By way of example, FIG. 1 schematically shows, on element 22, an error detection unit 30 which is designed here as a light barrier and is configured to detect whether or not production goods of predetermined dimensions pass through the light barrier. Should the detection of the light barrier deviate from predetermined expectations, an error signal is output to the control unit mentioned above, and the method according to the invention is executed.