GB2052801A

GB2052801A - Control unit

Info

Publication number: GB2052801A
Application number: GB8018227A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Scottish and Newcastle Breweries PLC
Current assignee: Heineken UK Ltd
Priority date: 1979-06-05
Filing date: 1980-06-04
Publication date: 1981-01-28
Also published as: GB2052801B

Abstract

A computer based system for diagnostic control and monitoring of materials handling equipment, especially equipment for filling of beer kegs, comprises a lane control units 10, each having a slave microcomputer 11, controlling a racker through a relay interface 12, temperature monitor 13 and a flow monitor 14. Faults are stored in the microcomputers 11 which are interfaced by a bus 4 to a computer providing information regarding the reason for rejection and non-filling of a keg by the keg filling equipment and the frequency of such events may be stored for analysis. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Control unit This invention relates to a diagnostic control and monitoring system for use with mechanical materials handling equipment.

The invention has particular, but not exclusive, application in the filling of beer kegs.

Such operation is carried on equipment known as rackers on which beer kegs are cleaned and sterilised before being filled with beer or lager.

General dissatisfaction with the performance of these rackers has highlighted the necessity of a monitoring system which could identify recurring sources of failure, in order that the maintenance departments could operate more effectively in keeping the machines at their peak efficiency. The low integrity of the solid state systems which control the various stages of operation of the rackers with respect to their vulnerability to interference, has also been a source of concern. Even if a machine is producing an acceptable volume of filled kegs, there is no guarantee that the correct cleaning and sterilising procedures are being adhered to.

Additionally this type of control system involves high capital and revenue costs.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the disadvantages referred to above.

According to the present invention there is provided a diagnostic control and monitoring system for materials handling equipment comprising a computer based control unit for receiving and storing status signals from a plurality of stations on the materials handling equipment and for producing control signals for controlling the various sequential stages of the handling equipment, means for detecting faults or other events in said equipment and generating information signals relating to said faults or other events, and means for collecting and displaying said information signals so that the location and type of said fault or other event may be identified.

Preferably, said computer based control unit is a microprocessor.

Preferably also, said faults or other events include reject of a keg in a beer keg filling process.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a diagnostic control and monitoring system of the present invention; and Figure 2 illustrates a typical control panel for a system of the invention applied to the monitoring of a beer keg filling process.

In a racker, a keg passes along one of a plurality of lanes in the racker where it is subjected to cleaning, sterilising and filling. If any one of these processes is incorrectly carried out the keg is rejected and is not filled.

The reasons for rejection are many and include: insufficient washing and sterilisation temperatures, lack of steam scavenging stage, processing time too long, manual rejection due to operator observed fault, etc.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, each pair of lanes of the racker is provided with a lane control unit 10 having its own slave microcomputer 11, whereby control signals may be fed to the racker through a relay interface 12. The control unit 10 further includes a temperature probe interface 13 having a plurality of resistance-thermometer elements which monitor the temperature during the washing and sterilisation stages. Also, a flowmeter 14 may be added to measure the volume of beer delivered to each keg. Other interface units may be included if other operating parameters are to be monitored.

The occurrence of a fault condition is stored in the slave microcomputer 11 and this information may be accessed through a master computer 1 by means of an input keyboard/ printer 2 and master serial data bus 4. The master computer 1 can address each of the slave microcomputers as desired and provide a a read-out of the events which occurred in any particular lane.

Thus, the system illustrated in the drawing collects information relating to the passage of a keg through the separate lanes of the racker and stores and, on request, displays the reason for any rejection. More importantly, the system monitors the frequency of any particular rejection thus pinpointing a fault in the racker.

The system of the present invention also allows data relating to the operation of the racker to be collected by a master computer and subsequently displayed either at the end of the production shift or more frequently, if desired. This data provides information which can be used in the maintenance of the racker thus improving its efficiency.

Modifications and improvements may be incorporated without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A diagnostic control and monitoring system for materials handling equipment comprising a computer based control unit for receiving and storing status signals from a plurality of stations on the materials handling equipment and for producing control signals for controlling the various sequential stages of the handling equipment, means for detecting faults or other events in said equipment and generating information signals relating to said faults or other events, and means for collecting and displaying said information signals so that the location and type of said fault or other event may be identified.

2. A system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said computer based control unit is a microprocessor.

3. A system as claimed in either Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said means for collecting and displaying said information signals is a master computer which can access a plurality of said control units.

4. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said information signals include signals representative of the temperature at selected points in said equipment.

5. A diagnostic control and monitoring system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A racker for the filling of beer kegs including a diagnostic control and monitoring system as claimed in any preceding claim.

7. A racker as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said faults or other events include reject of a keg by said racker.