A fuzzy approach to the condition monitoring of a packaging plant

The packaging of manufactured products attracts relatively little attention from research or benefits from the opportunities available through condition monitoring. The technical requirements of packaging can easily be underestimated in the overall production process. A widely used method of reducing waste relies upon the knowledge of an experienced mechanic to set up the machine before production runs and to correct misalignments should problems occur. This approach has the following drawbacks: non-availability of expertise, the relevant practical experience takes time to acquire and the reduced staffing levels present in the current economic climate. This study aims to develop an efficient, hybrid method for capturing the machine information, by means of fuzzy logic to decode the intelligence supplied from an RTCM system. Developed from the min–max fuzzy inference method, the present approach replaces the maximum selection technique for output set truncation, by a matrix of truncation values derived from all rule outcomes. A suitably generic method has been employed allowing the developed techniques to be utilised for a wide range of manufacturing problems. The work has lent support to the use of fuzzy condition monitoring as a reliable and inexpensive means of reducing wastage and maintenance overheads in the packaging industry.