Control Engineering

David Chappell

Like the phoenix, the Make2Pack Proof of Concept Prototype rises again (part 1)!
November 5, 2007

The intent of the Make2Pack prototype is to provide a working example that is complex enough to realistically prove concepts yet simple enough to be practical to create.

The prototype purpose is to provide an overview of the physical and functional structure of the M2P prototype transport system shown in figure 2, 4 & 5 (Figures 5-7 not shown). The purpose of this system is to develop and demonstrate the interoperability concepts described on the M2P WBF Report and the ISA SP88 Part 5 effort. There are other more detailed documents that define the actual implementations.

The Make2Pack plant described in figure 4 makes dried glue in three grades, Super Glue, Good Glue and OK Glue. This product is stored in the process storage area until needed by the Packing area. When needed, the material will be transported to the packing area per the requirements described in the attachments. There are any number of Form Fill Seal (FFS) packing machines that are supplied by the associated conveyor transport. The prototype system’s form/fill/seal machines perform the primary packaging, and in turn each feeds a case packer that performs secondary packaging. These packers erect cases, collate and pick groups of filled bags, place the bags in cases in prescribed patterns, and close and seal the cases.

Downstream of the case packers is the end-of-line packaging system, consisting of  a single palletizer.  The palletizer feeds pallets and picks cases from presentation stations, then places them in prescribed patterns on multiple levels on pallets. The pallets are then unitized and transported to shipping.

The purpose of the transport system is to allow any FFS machine to make a request for material that will cause the transport system to have the Packing Tank dispense the requested amount of material into a transport tote and then have the filled tote be transported by the conveyor systems to the requesting machine. When a request is made and a tote is proven to be in place by the sensor at the beginning of the Process Conveyor the Packing Tank will be instructed to discharge the requested amount into the tote within the hardware defined tolerances. When satisfied the amount is correct the process conveyor will activate and transport the tote to the next conveyor in the chain. 

When the tote is detected at the end of the process conveyor, the next conveyor in line will activate, and when the tote is proven to have been transferred, the previous conveyor will be deactivated, waiting for the tote to return, and the current receiving conveyor will transport the tote to the next station and so on till it arrives at the FFS machine. Once the Tote arrives at the requesting machine, it will be removed and emptied into the Hopper of the FFS machine and replaced on the conveyor of that machine. When proven to be positioned, the conveyors will reverse the process and return the tote to the Packing Tank for use by the next request. 

See the next posting (Part 2, above), for a photo, Figures, 2-4, and a bit more explanation.

Posted by David Chappell on November 5, 2007 | Comments (0)