Diagnostic method for analyzing the operation of an automatic machine which processes products in the tobacco industry

A production line in the tobacco industry, comprising:

• at least one machine for continuously processing a succession of smokers' articles;
• at least one line sensor configured to measure at least one machine parameter representing an operation of at least one element of the production line;
• a control unit connected to the at least one line sensor and configured to control an operation of at least one part of the production line;
• a probe shaped as a smokers' article and including at least one electronic card having at least one local sensor, a memory, a data transmission module and an electrical power supply, wherein the probe is configured to acquire at least one probe parameter;
• an electronic database operatively in communication with the control unit and with the memory of the probe to receive and store data acquired for the at least one machine parameter and the at least one probe parameter;
• a computer configured to generate an activation signal, programmed to transmit the activation signal to the probe at a starting instant, programmed to transmit the activation signal to the control unit in synchronous fashion with respect to the transmission of the activation signal to the probe, and programmed to temporally correlate the data stored in the electronic database.

A production line in the tobacco industry, comprising:

• at least one machine for continuously processing a succession of smokers' articles;
• at least one line sensor configured to measure at least one machine parameter representing the operation of at least one element of the production line;
• a control unit connected to the at least one line sensor and configured to control operation of at least one part of the production line;
• a probe shaped as a smokers' article and including at least one electronic card having at least one local sensor, a memory, a data transmission module and an electrical power supply, wherein the probe is configured to acquire at least one probe parameter;
• an electronic database operatively in communication with the control unit and with the memory of the probe to receive and store data acquired for the at least one machine parameter and the at least one probe parameter;
• a computer configured to generate an activation signal, to transmit the activation signal to the probe at a starting instant and to transmit the activation signal to the control unit, and programmed to temporally correlate the data stored in the electronic database,
• wherein:
• the control unit of the production line comprises a clock and is programmed to associate with each data item the control unit acquires a reference instant referred to the starting instant,
• the probe comprises a synchronizer configured to generate a synchronization signal referred to the starting instant and the processor of the probe is programmed to associate a value of the synchronization parameter with each data item acquired by the probe,
• the computer is programmed to set in relation to each other values of the synchronization parameter for the at least one probe parameter and corresponding reference instants of the at least one machine parameter.

A diagnostic method for analyzing an operation of at least one part of a production line in the tobacco industry through a probe shaped as a smokers' article and including at least one local sensor, a processor, a memory, a data transmission module and an electrical power supply, the method comprising the following steps:

• introducing the probe into the production line at an infeed position;
• activating the probe and causing the probe to start transiting the at least one part of the production line at a starting instant;
• acquiring at least one machine parameter representing operation of at least one element of the production line;
• acquiring a probe data set from the probe in transit through the at least one local sensor, wherein acquisition is started by the processor of the probe in response to the activation signal received, wherein the probe generates a synchronization signal referred to the starting instant and associates a value of the synchronization parameter with each data item acquired by the probe;
• setting in relation to each other values of the synchronization parameter for the at least one probe parameter and corresponding reference instants of the at least one machine parameter.