Apparatus and a method for bonding webs of non-woven plastic material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025289214-A1
Application number	US-202519198328-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 5, 2025
Priority date	Mar 18, 2024
Publication date	Sep 18, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus having a first treatment module and a second treatment module positionable in proximity to the first treatment module, wherein at least one of the first treatment module and the second treatment module includes a welding device for treating one or more workpieces. The apparatus has a controller arranged to: receive a real-time amplitude signal of ultrasonic vibration of at least one of the first treatment module and the second treatment module during a treatment cycle; segment the amplitude signal into a plurality of amplitude segments for the treatment cycle; monitor an amplitude value of each of the plurality of amplitude segments during the treatment cycle; operate a plurality of closed-loop control algorithms to determine a plurality of amplitude adjustment values, each of the plurality of amplitude adjustment values corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of amplitude segments; and apply each amplitude adjustment value to the corresponding respective one of the plurality of amplitude segments during the subsequent treatment cycle in real-time. The treatment cycle comprises treating a single workpiece in a plurality of workpieces, and the treating including a bonding operation, a welding operation, a soldering operation, a fusing operation, or a cutting operation.

First claim

1 - 76 . (canceled)

77 . An apparatus having a first treatment module and a second treatment module positionable in proximity to the first treatment module, wherein at least one of the first treatment module and the second treatment module includes a joining device for treating one or more workpieces, the apparatus comprising a controller arranged to:
receive a real-time amplitude signal of ultrasonic vibration of at least one of the first treatment module and the second treatment module during a treatment cycle; segment the amplitude signal into a plurality of amplitude segments for the treatment cycle; monitor an amplitude value of each of the plurality of amplitude segments during the treatment cycle; operate a plurality of closed-loop control algorithms to determine a plurality of amplitude adjustment values, each of the plurality of amplitude adjustment values corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of amplitude segments; and apply each amplitude adjustment value to the corresponding respective one of the plurality of amplitude segments during the subsequent treatment cycle in real-time.

78 . The apparatus in claim 77 , wherein the treatment cycle comprises treating a single workpiece in a plurality of workpieces.

79 . The apparatus in claim 77 , wherein the treating comprises a bonding operation, a welding operation, a soldering operation, a fusing operation, or a cutting operation.

80 . The apparatus in claim 77 , wherein the joining device comprises an ultrasonic horn.

81 . The apparatus in claim 77 , wherein each of the plurality of closed-loop control algorithms comprises a separate Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) tuning loop corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of amplitude segments.

82 . The apparatus in claim 77 , wherein the controller is further arranged to:
generate a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) setting for each of the plurality of amplitude segments; and apply each PID setting to the respective one of the plurality of amplitude segments.

83 . The apparatus in claim 77 , wherein the workpiece includes a continuous web or discrete piece of material, and the controller is configured for closed loop force control to reduce bond quality variability.

84 . The apparatus in claim 77 , wherein the controller is configured with Adaptive Cyclic Amplitude Regulation (ACAR) to provide ultrasonic amplitude regulation and control power delivery by the joining device to the workpiece.

85 . The apparatus in claim 77 , wherein the controller is configured with Adaptive Cyclic Amplitude Regulation (ACAR) to provide ultrasonic amplitude regulation and control power delivery to the workpiece by determining a real-time amplitude adjustment based on historical amplitude response to reduce amplitude deviations prior to or during bonding.

86 . The apparatus in claim 84 , wherein ACAR reduces amplitude deviations during bonds by matching ultrasonic regulation control response to the individual load characteristics of the distinct bonds occurring in rapid succession.

87 . The apparatus in claim 77 , further comprising:
a force sensor configured to measure a force applied to at least one of the first treatment module and the second treatment module and output a force signal representative of the applied force; an amplitude sensor configured to detect and measure ultrasonic vibration in real-time and output the ultrasonic amplitude signal; a power sensor configured to detect and measure real-time power supplied to, or applied by, at least one of the first treatment module and the second treatment module; and at least one position sensor configured to detect and measure a real-time position of at least one of the first treatment module and the second treatment module, including a real-time position of the joining device, wherein the controller is configured to detect a treating cycle rate based on a timing analysis of at least one of the force signal, the ultrasonic power signal, and the at least one position signal, and wherein the treating cycle rate comprises a rate (units/minute) at which each workpiece in a plurality of workpieces is treated.

88 . The apparatus in claim 77 , wherein the controller is configured to control the joining device to create a space for a splice in the workpiece and, being aware of a splice move state, pause a bond detection operation.

89 . A method of controlling ultrasonic amplitude regulation and power delivery control in an apparatus having a first treatment module and a second treatment module positionable in proximity to the first treatment module, wherein at least one of the first treatment module and the second treatment module includes a joining device for treating one or more workpieces, the method comprising:
receiving a real-time amplitude signal of ultrasonic vibration of at least one of the first treatment module and the second treatment module during a treatment cycle; segmenting the amplitude signal into a plurality of amplitude segments for the treatment cycle; monitoring an amplitude value of each of the plurality of amplitude segments during the treatment cycle; operating a plurality of closed-loop control algorithms to determine a plurality of amplitude adjustment values, each of the plurality of amplitude adjustment values corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of amplitude segments; and applying each amplitude adjustment value to the corresponding respective one of the plurality of amplitude segments during the subsequent treatment cycle in real-time.

90 . The method in claim 89 , wherein each of the plurality of closed-loop control algorithms comprises a separate Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) tuning loop corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of amplitude segments.

91 . The method in claim 89 , wherein each of the plurality of closed-loop control algorithms has a separate amplitude setpoint corresponding to the respective one of the plurality of amplitude segments.

92 . The method in claim 89 , further comprising:
generating a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) setting for each of the plurality of amplitude segments; and applying each PID setting to the respective one of the plurality of amplitude segments.

93 . The method in claim 89 , wherein each of the plurality of closed-loop control algorithms comprises a separate Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) tuning loop corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of amplitude segments.

94 . The method in claim 89 , wherein the treatment cycle comprises treating a single workpiece in a plurality of workpieces.

95 . The method in claim 89 , wherein the treating comprises a bonding operation, a welding operation, a soldering operation, a fusing operation, or a cutting operation.

96 . The method in any of claim 89 , wherein the joining device comprises an ultrasonic horn.

Assignees

• Dukane Ias Llc

Inventors

• Lafferty Justin Marshall
• Dittrich Matthew James
• Golko Paul J
• Klinstein Leo

Classifications

• B29C65/8215

  Tensile tests · CPC title

• B29C66/962

  using proportional controllers, e.g. PID controllers [proportional–integral–derivative controllers] · CPC title

• B29C66/876

  Maintenance or cleaning · CPC title

• B29C66/9231

  by measuring the displacement of the joining tools · CPC title

• B29C66/8242

  Pneumatic or hydraulic drives (using fluid pressure directly acting on the parts to be joined B29C66/8266) · CPC title