Systems for controlling a manufacturing line used to convert a paper web into paper products by reading marks on the paper web

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10119225-B2
Application number	US-201514685967-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2015
Priority date	Apr 15, 2014
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A system for producing a paper product. The system includes a paper machine, an analysis tool, and a converting line. The paper machine forms a paper web having a plurality of sections, inspects the paper web to identify web properties, and marks the paper web with a plurality of marks. The analysis tool assigns action scores to each section of the paper web based upon the identified properties that section of the paper web. The converting line reads at least one of the plurality of marks on the paper web, obtains the action score associated with a second one of the plurality of marks, calculates a distance between the at least one mark read by the reading unit and the second one of the plurality of marks, and changes at least one operational parameter of the converting line when the calculated distance is less than a threshold.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for producing a paper product, the system comprising:
(A) a paper machine for forming a paper web, the paper web including a plurality of sections in a sequence, the paper machine including:
(a) a web analysis unit to perform at least one of inspecting the paper web and identifying properties in the paper web;
(b) a marking unit to mark the paper web with a plurality of marks, at least one mark being assigned to each of the plurality of sections; and
(c) a winder to wind the paper web into a parent roll, the winder being positioned after the web analysis unit and the marking unit;

(B) an analysis tool configured to assign an action score to each section of the paper web based upon the identified properties in that section of the paper web, at least one action score having an action value, the action value being a value of the action score that indicates an actionable risk of converting line failure; and
(C) a converting line for converting the paper web into a paper product, the converting line having a plurality of operating parameters and including:
(a) an unwind stand to unwind the paper web from the parent roll;
(b) a mark reading unit that (i) reads at least one of the plurality of marks on the paper web and (ii) produces a corresponding output from the mark that has been read;
(c) a controller that receives the output from the mark reading unit and is configured:
(i) to obtain the action score associated with a second one of the plurality of marks, the second one of the plurality of marks being the next mark with an action value after the at least one mark read by the reading unit,
(ii) to calculate a distance between the at least one mark read by the reading unit and the second one of the plurality of marks, and
(iii) to change at least one operational parameter of the converting line based upon the action score of the second one of the plurality of marks when the calculated distance is less than a threshold; and

(d) a finisher, the paper web being fed to the finisher and converted into a paper product.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the paper web is unwound from the parent roll at a parent roll speed, and the controller changes the parent roll speed as the at least one operational parameter.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller stops the paper web from being unwound as the at least one operational parameter.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second paper web being unwound from a second parent roll, the unwind stand holding both the paper web and the second paper web and the controller switching between (i) feeding the paper web to the finisher and (ii) feeding the second paper web to the finisher, as the at least one operational parameter.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the unwind stand has a flying splice to switch from feeding one of the paper web and the second paper web to the finisher, the controller splicing between the paper web and the second paper web, as the at least one operational parameter.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein controller is further configured to calculate the threshold based on a distance required to change the at least one operational parameter.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the action score is based on an inter-relationship of the web properties in one of the plurality of sections of the paper web.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the value of the action score is based on a likelihood that the inter-relationship of the web properties will result in converting line failure.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the web properties include web defects.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the web defects include at least one of a hole, a tear, a wrinkle, a web break, and a chemical coating streak.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the web properties include at least one of moisture content, basis weight, and tensile strength.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reading unit includes a light source to illuminate a portion of the paper web having the at least one of the plurality of marks and a camera to visually identify the at least one of the plurality of marks.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the light source is an ultraviolet light source.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mark reading unit reads the at least one of the plurality of marks on the paper web as the paper web is being unwound from the parent roll.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the mark reading unit is positioned downstream from the unwind stand and prior to the finisher.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the mark reading unit is positioned at a bowed roll.

17. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of web analysis units.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the web analysis unit comprises a camera and a light source for inspecting the paper web.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the web analysis unit inspects for web defects.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the web defects include at least one of a hole, a tear, a wrinkle, a web break, and a chemical coating streak.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the web analysis unit comprises a web property scanner for identifying properties in the web.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the web properties include at least one of moisture content and basis weight.

23. The system of claim 1 , wherein the marking unit applies ink to the paper web.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the applied ink is visible under ultraviolet light.

25. The system of claim 1 , wherein the finisher includes a rewinder.

26. The system of claim 1 , wherein the finisher includes a folder.

27. The system of claim 1 , wherein the action score is one of the web properties in one of the plurality of sections of the paper web.

28. The system of claim 27 , wherein the value of the action score is based on a likelihood that the web properties will result in converting line failure.

29. The system of claim 28 , wherein the web properties include web defects.

30. The system of claim 29 , wherein the web defects include at least one of a hole, a tear, a wrinkle, a web break, and a chemical coating streak.

31. The system of claim 28 , wherein the web properties include at least one of moisture content, basis weight, and tensile strength.

32. A system for producing a paper product, the system comprising:
(A) a paper machine for forming a paper web, the paper web including a plurality of sections, the paper machine including:
(a) a web analysis unit to perform at least one of inspecting the paper web and identifying properties in the paper web;
(b) a marking unit to mark the paper web with a plurality of marks, at least one mark being assigned to each of the plurality of sections; and
(c) a winder to wind the paper web into a parent roll, the winder being positioned after the web analysis unit and the marking unit;

(B) an analysis tool configured to assign a quality score to each section of the paper web based upon the identified properties in that section of the paper web, at least one quality score having an action value, the action value being a value of the quality score that indicates an unacceptable quality defect; and
(C) a converting line for converting the paper web into a paper product, the converting line having a plurality of o

Assignees

• Gpcp Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Bomstad Andrew G
• Petersen Thomas J
• Schulz Joseph A
• Johnson Gregory T
• Gerrits Mark F

Classifications

• D21G9/0027

  controlling the forming section · CPC title

• D21H19/68

  uneven, broken, discontinuous · CPC title

• D21F11/14

  Making cellulose wadding, filter or blotting paper · CPC title

• G01N27/61

  Investigating the presence of flaws · CPC title

• D21G9/0009 Primary

  Paper-making control systems · CPC title