Krones Ag

Erhard Beer

Manuel Kollmuss

Arsalan Mehdi

Martin Osterhammer

Michael Astner

Albin Semmelrock

Johann Haas

Florian Hertel

Georg Schweighofer

Bernhard Diener

Christian Dany

Markus Stockbauer

Gerald Heckel

Tolga Kuscular

Felix Schelling

The invention relates to a packaging or palletizing machine, a system and a method for automated generation of motion and position parameters for a packaging or palletizing machine for bundle arrangements. Layer and/or packaging parameters can be entered at a user interface that is used to generate parameters for controlling the packaging or palletizing machine. A digital twin of the packaging or palletizing machine can be used to generate or calculate the parameters. This allows the calculated parameters to be tested and validated by simulation using the digital twin. The parameters are generated such that the packaging machine being controlled using the parameters creates a package for a bundle according to the packaging and/or layer parameters and/or the palletizing machine being controlled using the parameters arranges bundles according to the layer and/or packaging parameters. After generating the parameters, the packaging or palletizing machine is configured based on the calculated parameters.

System and method for automated generation of motion and position parameters of a packaging or palletizing machine for bundle arrangements

The invention relates to a method to calibrate a handling device () including a handling robot or parallel kinematic robot (), with a tool head () suspended from at least two parallel kinematically movable arms (). Each of the at least two arms comprises an upper arm, which is movable between two end positions about a defined upper-arm swivel axis (). Each of the at least two arms also comprises a lower arm (), which is swivelably mounted on the upper arm. The upper arms are brought into approximately corresponding angular positions by detection of load torques and/or of angle positions. First one, than another of the upper arms is brought into one of the two end positions, and the angular position reached is detected and used for the position initialization or angle initialization of the particular upper arm, whereupon the upper arm is returned.

Method and control system for the calibration of a handling apparatus

The invention relates to an apparatus and a method handling moved piece goods. The apparatus comprises a manipulator for the piece goods, at least one transport device transporting the moved piece goods to a seizing range of the at least one manipulator and at least one horizontal conveying device assigned to the seizing range and/or to a movement range of the at least one manipulator, via which horizontal conveying device the moved piece goods are transported in the seizing range of the at least one manipulator. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises at least one detection device for obtaining space coordinates and/or position data and/or contour data of piece goods to be seized by the manipulator, wherein the at least one horizontal conveying device and the at least one transport device are calibratable and/or controllable based on the space coordinates and/or position data and/or contour data.

Apparatus and method for handling piece goods moved one after another

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus () for handling piece goods () moved one after another in at least one row (). Immediately consecutive piece goods () in a row () without spaces or with minimal spaces are transported as a closed formation (F). At least one transported piece good (*) is seized in a clamping and/or force-locking and/or form-locking manner from the closed formation (F); is spatially separated from the closed formation (F); and is brought into a specified relative target position (P) and/or target alignment in relation to subsequent piece goods ().

Method and apparatus handling piece goods moved in at least one row one after another

The invention includes a method and a handling system for manipulating and/or for handling piece goods () moved one after another in at least one row () in a transport direction (TR) on a horizontal conveying device (). In each work cycle, seizing at least one transported piece good () from the at least one row () by at least one handling device (); spatially separating it from the row (); and bringing it into a specified relative target position and/or target alignment relative to subsequent piece goods (). After a failure event with an at least a temporary standstill of the horizontal conveying device () and/or of the handling device (), the handling device () is initialized, and, after the failure has been remedied, the horizontal conveying device () automatically restarts and continues the previously interrupted process.

Handling system and method for handling piece goods

The invention relates to an apparatus () and method for handling moved piece goods (), and a conveying, processing, and/or packaging plant including the apparatus (). The apparatus () comprises at least one manipulator () for piece goods (), at least one transport device () by which the moved piece goods () are transportable to a seizing range () of the at least one manipulator (), and at least one movable optical detection device () assigned to the seizing range () and/or to a movement range of the at least one manipulator (). The optical detection device () obtains space coordinates and/or position data and/or contour data of at least one piece good () that is being moved. The at least one manipulator () and/or further conveyor components of the apparatus () can be calibrated and/or controlled based on the detected space coordinates and/or position data and/or contour data.

Apparatus and method for handling moving piece goods, and a conveying, processing and/or packaging plant with an apparatus for handling moving piece goods

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus () for handling piece goods () moved one after another, with the piece goods () being transported to a seizing range () of a manipulator (). At least one transported piece good () is seized in a clamping and/or force-locking and/or form-locking manner by at least two clamping elements and/or gripping elements () located opposite each other. The piece good is spatially separated from the subsequent piece goods () and is brought into a specified relative target position (P) and/or target alignment relative to subsequent piece goods (). A first vertical symmetry plane and which is oriented about perpendicular to a transport direction (TR), is spaced apart from a second vertical symmetry plane aligned about parallel thereto, with the second vertical symmetry plane being defined by the manipulator () or by the manipulator clamping elements and/or gripping elements ().

Method and apparatus for handling piece goods moved one after another

Disclosed are a method and a device () for handling individual intermediate layers (). The method involves removing from each of at least two separate stacks of intermediate layers () an individual intermediate layer () arranged topmost on the particular stack of intermediate layers (). The removed individual intermediate layers () are moved into a detection range of a sensor system () of its own and the particular own sensor system () identifying, preferably by means of optical detection, an outer edge () of the particular intermediate layer (). Subsequently, the removed individual intermediate layers () move toward a particular target location (Z, Z), the particular, preferably optical detection thereby being taken into account, such that the intermediate layers () reach their particular target location (Z, Z) in a predetermined position.

Method and device for handling individual intermediate layers

A method and apparatus for horizontally shifting an article group or article layer, composed of a plurality of articles, from a first position and/or from a conveying movement into a second rest position while largely maintaining the relative positions of the articles in the article layer or group to each other, said transfer being effected by at least one first pusher bar engaging with the articles located at the back of the article group or article layer, as considered in relation to the conveying or feed direction. A support bar, which is at least temporarily allocated to the articles located at the front of the article group or layer, as considered in relation to the conveying direction, moves ahead at a slight distance from or abuts on the foremost articles of the article group or layer at least immediately before or on reaching the rest position.

Method and apparatus for transferring article layers between adjacent modules

The invention comprises a method for horizontal movement of a group or layer of articles () from a vertically movable first support level () of a first module () to a vertically movable second support level () of a second module () immediately downstream of the first conveyor module () in a direction of transport or transfer () while substantially maintaining the relative positions of a plurality of articles () forming the group or layer of articles (). The movement or transfer is carried out by means of a transfer device (). Additionally, the horizontal movement of the group or layer of articles () while the first and second support levels () of the first and second modules (), which can move vertically in a synchronized fashion during the transfer process, are approximately aligned.

Method and device for transferring layers of articles between adjacent modules

The invention comprises a transfer unit () for horizontal movement of a group or layer of articles () between at least two adjacent modules () while substantially maintaining the relative positions of a plurality of articles () constituting the group or layer of articles (). The transfer unit () comprises a horizontal support surface () for the layer of articles (), at least one first bar () or push bar for horizontally moving the layer of articles () that contacts the rear of the group or layer of articles in the direction of transport or feed to an adjacent module () and at least one second bar () or support bar contacting the front of the layer of articles (), the movements of which are at least temporarily coupled with the push bar or first bar () in the direction of transfer (), A first horizontal section of the movement of the first bar () or push bar, to generate the horizontal pushing movement at the level of the layer of articles () moving on the support surface () is longer than a second horizontal section of the movement of the second bar () or support bar to generate the horizontal supporting movement for the layer of articles ().

Method and device for horizontally transferring layers of articles between adjacent modules

This invention concerns a method for horizontal movement of groups or layers of articles () between adjacent conveyor modules (). The groups or layers of articles () are moved from a vertically movable first support level () of a first conveyor module () to a vertically movable second support level () of a second conveyor module () immediately downstream of the first conveyor module () in the direction of transport or transfer () by means of at least one frame-like transfer device (), which is lowered over the layer or group of articles () to be transported and encompasses them on all sides, and moves in the direction of transport or transfer () from the first conveyor module () to the second conveyor module () during the movement of a group or layer of articles () At least during the transfer movement, the support layers () of the first and second conveyor modules () form a common transfer surface at approximately the same height or moving vertically in the same direction. This invention further concerns a suitable device for handling and/or stacking and/or palletizing groups or layers of articles (). The device comprises a vertically movable first conveyor module () with a first support level () and a second conveyor module () with a second support level () immediately downstream of the first conveyor module () in the direction of transport or transfer (), as well as at least one vertically movable frame-like transfer device () for pushing a group or layer of articles () from the first conveyor module () to the second conveyor module (). The transfer device encompasses the group or layer of articles () on all sides, whereby the support layers () of the first and second conveyor modules () form a common, vertically moving transfer surface at approximately the same height or moving vertically in the same direction during the transfer ().

Device and method for horizontal movement of layers of articles between adjacent conveyor modules

The invention concerns a method for horizontal movement of groups or layers of articles from a first support level of a first conveyor module to a vertically movable second support level of a second conveyor module immediately downstream of the first conveyor module in the direction of transport or transfer, in particular by means of a transfer device that remains spatially associated with the first conveyor module during the transfer. Shortly before or after reaching a final position of the transfer device, the respectively transferred group or layer of articles is moved in the direction of transport on the second conveyor module by means of a support surface horizontally movable relative to this second conveyor module and/or centered on the second conveyor module before or during its vertical hoisting movement.

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Ebbs, Austria

Erhard Beer