Sheet manufacturing apparatus, sheet manufacturing system, control method of a sheet manufacturing apparatus, and sheet manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11008707-B2
Application number	US-201816117538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2018
Priority date	Aug 31, 2017
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

Provided is technology improving the efficiency (productivity) of a sheet manufacturing apparatus. A sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 manufactures sheets S by heating with heaters 81 and 82 a mixture (second web W2) of resin and fiber produced by defibrating feedstock MA. The heaters 81 and 82 each have a first roller 171, a second roller 172 that holds the second web W2 with the first roller 171, and a moving mechanism 190. The moving mechanism 190 can switch the first roller 171 and second roller 172 to a position holding the second web W2, and a first roller 171 and second roller 172 are separated and do not hold the second web W2. The heaters 81 and 82 are configured as units that can removably installed to the sheet manufacturing apparatus 100.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet manufacturing apparatus for making a sheet and comprising:
a heater configured to heat a mixture of a binder and fiber produced by defibrating feedstock, wherein:
the heater is a single, discrete unit that can be removed from the sheet manufacturing apparatus; and
the heater has a first storage that readably stores first information.

2. The sheet manufacturing apparatus described in claim 1 , wherein:
the heater is configured with:
a first roller,
a second roller, which is disposed to hold the mixture between the first roller and the second roller, and
a moving mechanism, which is configured to switch between (i) a position in which the mixture is held between the first roller and the second roller, and (ii) a position where the first roller and the second roller are separated and not holding the mixture therebetween.

3. The sheet manufacturing apparatus described in claim 1 , wherein:
the heater is configured as a removably installable unit and includes a first heater and a second heater, which is configured to heat the mixture under a different condition than the first heater.

4. The sheet manufacturing apparatus described in claim 3 , wherein:
the different condition is a heating condition of the mixture, a compression condition of the mixture, or a material of a first roller or a second roller of the heater.

5. The sheet manufacturing apparatus described in claim 3 , wherein:
the first heater and the second heater are disposed to a conveyance path of the mixture in an upstream and downstream relationship; and
the mixture is heated by at least one of the first heater and the second heater.

6. The sheet manufacturing apparatus described in claim 1 , wherein:
the first information includes a cumulative total of sequentially added products of an operating time of the heater and an operating temperature of the heater; and
the cumulative total includes (i) a warning value, which warns that a state in which the heater cannot be used appropriately is approaching, and (ii) a usable limit value, which is a maximum value at which the heater can be used appropriately.

7. The sheet manufacturing apparatus described in claim 6 , further comprising:
a controller, the controller (i) calculating a new product each time the heater operates, (ii) calculating a new total adding the new product to a previous total, (iii) storing the new total in the first storage, and (iv) when the new total exceeds the warning value, prompting replacement of the heater.

8. The sheet manufacturing apparatus described in claim 6 , further comprising:
a controller, the controller (i) calculating a new product each time the heater operates, (ii) calculating a new total adding the new product to a previous total, (iii) storing the new total in the first storage, and (iv) when the new total exceeds the warning value, turning the heater off.

9. The sheet manufacturing apparatus described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a binder supply device individually storing different types of binders; and
a second storage disposed to the binder supply device and storing second information readably, wherein
the second information includes at least one of a type of binder and a heating temperature linked to the type of binder.

10. The sheet manufacturing apparatus described in claim 9 , further comprising:
a controller, the controller determining the heating temperature of the heater based on the first information, the second information, and input information including a type of feedstock, a type of sheet, and sheet production speed, wherein:
the heater includes a first heater and a second heater, which is configured to heat the mixture under a different condition than the first heater, and
the controller is configured to cause the sheet manufacturing apparatus to heat the mixture using the first heater, or the second heater, or the first heater and the second heater.

11. A sheet manufacturing apparatus for making a sheet and comprising:
a heater configured to heat a mixture of a binder and fiber produced by defibrating feedstock, wherein:
the heater is a single, discrete unit that can be removed from the sheet manufacturing apparatus;
the heater is configured as a removably installable unit and includes a first heater and a second heater, which is configured to heat the mixture under a different condition than the first heater;
the sheet manufacturing apparatus further comprises (i) a first path where the mixture is heated by the first heater while being conveyed and (ii) a second path where the mixture is heated by the second heater while being conveyed; and
the first path and the second path are selectable.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Yoda Kaneo
• Nagai Yoshiyuki
• Oguchi Yuki
• Fujita Shigeo
• Arai Akira
• Ichikawa Kazuhiro
• Oguchi Teruaki
• Taniguchi Seiichi

Classifications

• B27N3/00 Primary

  Manufacture of substantially flat articles, e.g. boards, from particles or fibres · CPC title

• D04H1/60

  the bonding agent being applied in dry state, e.g. thermo-activatable agents in solid or molten state, and heat being applied subsequently · CPC title

• D21F9/00

  Complete machines for making continuous webs of paper · CPC title

• D21F5/00

  Dryer section of machines for making continuous webs of paper · CPC title

• D21H21/06

  Paper forming aids · CPC title