Packaging plant with a discharge station

Abstract

A packaging plant comprises several test stations as well as a transport system and a control system. The control system is configured to manage packages which are transported in the packaging plant on the transport system along the test stations such that a status is assigned on each package by the control system which can be changed by the test stations together with the control system. A discharge station for defective packages is arranged in the direction of production downstream of at least two test stations. The status of the packages can be changed by at least two test stations to be passed one after the other, and the packages can be marked by a marking means corresponding to their status.

1 . A packaging plant comprising:
 multiple test stations for testing packages;   a transport system for transporting the packages;   a control system that is configured to manage the packages which are transported in the packaging plant on the transport system along the test stations within the packaging plant such that a status is assigned to each package by the control system, wherein each test station is adapted, together with the control system, to change the status;   a discharge station arranged in a direction of production downstream of at least two of the test stations, the discharge station being configured to remove defective packages from the transport system and to sort them; and   a marking device for marking each defective package corresponding to the status of the defective package;   wherein the packages each have a status in the control system that can be changed by at least two test stations passed one after the other.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging plant according to  claim 1  wherein the marking device is configured to mark the defective packages with printed labels. 
     
     
         3 . The packaging plant according to  claim 1  wherein the marking device is configured to mark the defective packages with printed information. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging plant according to  claim 1  wherein the marking device is configured to mark each defective package with a color code. 
     
     
         5 . The packaging plant according to  claim 1  wherein the discharge station is arranged downstream of all of the test stations. 
     
     
         6 . The packaging plant according to  claim 1  wherein the discharge station comprises multiple receptacles for receiving defective packages. 
     
     
         7 . The packaging plant according to  claim 6  wherein one of the receptacles of the discharge station is only accessible for a restricted group of persons. 
     
     
         8 . The packaging plant according to  claim 1  wherein the discharge station comprises a receptacle for receiving defective packages, and the receptacle is only accessible for a restricted group of persons. 
     
     
         9 . The packaging plant according to  claim 1  wherein the discharge station is configured to remove defective packages identified by at least two of the test stations. 
     
     
         10 . The packaging plant according to  claim 1  wherein one of the test stations comprises a scale. 
     
     
         11 . The packaging plant according to  claim 1  wherein one of the test stations comprises a metal detector. 
     
     
         12 . A method for the operation of a packaging plant with at least two test stations, a discharge station, a control system and a transport system to transport packages along the test stations, the method comprising:
 assigning a status in the control system to each package;   tracing, by the control system, the packages along the transport system within the packaging plant;   changing the status of one of the packages by at least one of the test stations together with the control system if an error is detected;   marking the one package with a mark corresponding to the status of the one package; and   removing the package from the transport system at the discharge station.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12  wherein the marking is performed by a marking device that is configured to automatically apply a label onto the one package. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12  further comprising placing the one package in a receptacle of the discharge station corresponding to the status of the one package. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the discharge station is arranged downstream of the at least two test stations. 
     
     
         16 . A packaging plant comprising:
 multiple test stations for testing packages to identify defective packages;   a transport system for transporting the packages along the test stations;   a control system that is configured to assign a status to each package, wherein each test station is adapted, together with the control system, to change the status for each package that is identified as defective;   a discharge station arranged in a direction of production downstream of at least two of the test stations, the discharge station being configured to remove defective packages from the transport system and to sort them; and   a marking device for marking each defective package corresponding to the status of the defective package.   
     
     
         17 . The packaging plant according to  claim 16  wherein the marking device is configured to mark the defective packages with printed labels. 
     
     
         18 . The packaging plant according to  claim 16  wherein the marking device is configured to mark the defective packages with printed information. 
     
     
         19 . The packaging plant according to  claim 16  wherein the marking device is configured to mark each defective package with a color code. 
     
     
         20 . The packaging plant according to  claim 16  wherein the discharge station is configured to remove defective packages identified by at least two of the test stations.