Method and system of fault prediction in a packaging machine

1. A method of fault prediction in a packaging machine comprising independently movable objects configured to manipulate packaging containers, the independently movable objects communicating with a control unit configured to control positions of the independently movable objects along a track, the method comprising:

by one or more sensors, registering data values associated with a motion of the independently movable objects along the track,

determining a distribution of said data values,

calculating a measure of central tendency of the data values in the distribution,

calculating a quantified measure of a shape of the distribution,

associating the measure of central tendency with said quantified measure of the shape as a coupled set of condition parameters,

determining a degree of dispersion of a plurality of coupled sets of condition parameters associated with a plurality of motion cycles of the independently movable objects,

comparing the degree of dispersion with a dispersion threshold value, or determining a trend of the degree of dispersion over time, for said fault prediction, and

indicating a fault in the packaging machine and causing repair of the packaging machine in response to:

determining that the degree of dispersion satisfies the dispersion threshold value, or

determining that the degree of dispersion at first time is smaller than the degree of dispersion at a second time subsequent to the first time.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein calculating a measure of central tendency the data values in the distribution comprises:

calculating a mean value, such as an arithmetic mean, and/or a geometric mean, and/or a harmonic mean, and/or a generalized mean, and/or other measures of a central tendency of the distribution such as a median value or a mode value.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein calculating a quantified measure of a shape of said distribution comprises:

calculating a measure of a distribution of the data values around said measure of central tendency.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein calculating a measure of a distribution of the measured data values around said measure of central tendency comprises:

calculating a measure of a deviation from a standard normal distribution.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein calculating a quantified measure of a shape of said distribution comprises:

calculating a kurtosis value of said distribution.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data values comprises vibration data, and/or acceleration data, and/or velocity data of the independently movable objects, and/or a current supplied to the track for moving the independently movable objects along the track.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data values are registered at a defined time interval when a selected independently movable object passes a defined location of the track.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining a degree of dispersion of the plurality of coupled sets of condition parameters comprises:

determining distances between a center of a distribution of the plurality of coupled sets of condition parameters and each coupled set of condition parameters.

9. A system comprising a packaging machine and an apparatus configured to predict fault in the packaging machine comprising independently movable objects configured to manipulate packaging containers, the independently movable objects communicating with a control unit configured to control positions of the independently movable objects along a track, the apparatus comprising:

one or more sensors configured to register data values associated with a motion of the independently movable objects along the track, and

a processing unit configured to:

determine a distribution of said data values,

calculate a measure of central tendency of the data values in the distribution,

calculate a quantified measure of a shape of the distribution,

associate the measure of central tendency with said quantified measure as a coupled set of condition parameters,

determine a degree of dispersion of a plurality of coupled sets of condition parameters associated with a plurality of motion cycles of the independently movable objects,

compare the degree of dispersion with a dispersion threshold value, or determine a trend of the degree of dispersion over time, for fault prediction, and

indicate a fault in the packaging machine and causing repair of the packaging machine in response to:

a determination that the degree of dispersion satisfies the dispersion threshold value, or

a determination that the degree of dispersion at first time is smaller than the degree of dispersion at a second time subsequent to the first time.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors are configured to register said data values as a current supplied to the track for moving the independently movable objects along the track.

11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors are configured to register said data values as vibration data, and/or acceleration data, and/or velocity data of a movement of the independently movable objects along the track.

12. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors are configured to register said data values as position error values associated with a difference between a set position of a selected independently movable object on the track and an actual position of said selected independently movable object on the track.

13. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors are configured to receive data values from the track and/or be attached to the independently movable objects.

14. The system according to claim 9 , wherein said processing unit is configured to calculate the measure of central tendency of the data values in the distribution by calculating a mean value, such as an arithmetic mean, and/or a geometric mean, and/or a harmonic mean, and/or a generalized mean, and/or other measures of a central tendency of the distribution such as a median value or a mode value.

15. The system according to claim 9 , wherein said processing unit is configured to calculate a quantified measure of a shape of said distribution by calculating a kurtosis value of said distribution.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the steps of the method according to claim 1 .

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises at least one of:

a microphone configured to record a sound of a movement associated with the motion of an independently movable objects along the track or induced by the movement; or

an infrared camera is configured to receive image data being indicative of a temperature of an independently movable object.

18. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises a microphone configured to record a sound of a movement associated with the motion of an independently movable objects along the track or induced by the movement.

19. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises an infrared camera configured to receive image data being indicative of a temperature of an independently movable object.

20. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises a first sensor mounted to an independently movable object and a second sensor mounted to another component of the packaging machine and configured to measure a motion data due to movement of components of the packaging machine other than the independently movable objects, and wherein the processing unit configured to remove the motion data from a data value associated with the motion of the independently movable object.