Device and method in handling of fibre web
The invention relates to a device in the handling of a fibre web, in which the device is arranged to apply adhesive binder at a specific point or specific points in the cross-direction of the fibre web for fastening the head or tail of the fibre web or the packing of a fibre-web reel at intervals defined by the sequence of the fibre-web machine.
The invention also relates to a method in the handling of a fibre web, in which method, adhesive binder is applied at a specific point or specific points in the cross-direction of the fibre web for fastening the head or tail of the fibre web or the packing of a fibre-web reel at intervals defined by the sequence of the fibre-web machine.
Fibre-web machines, more particularly ones which are arranged to form or handle fibre-web reels, such as windups, unwinders, intermediate winders, slitter-winders and reel-packing machines, are typically devices operating in sequences. The fibre-web reel being formed has a start and an end, whereby the start of the fibre web has to be fastened in a winding core or onto the surface of the formed reel to prevent the unwinding of the reel. The strength of the fastening required is primarily dependent on the properties of the fibre web, particularly on friction between fibre-web layers. In the context of describing this invention, the following terms are used to facilitate the description: machine direction (MD) is referred to as the x direction, cross direction (CD) is referred to as the y direction and elevation is referred to as the z direction. The incoming direction of the fibre web is referred to as the upstream direction and the outgoing direction of the fibre web is referred to as the downstream direction. A winding core is referred to in this context as a reel spool, but it could be called a winding shaft as well.
According to prior art, fastening the start or end of the fibre web can be done by means of tape. Tape is typically used in targets where taping can be prepared beforehand in targets being in a stationary state. For instance, tape can be used on the windup to ensure the success of a change. Onto the surface of a stationary reel spool is set a two-sided tape which then picks up the fibre web in connection with the change. The cover band of the tape is removed by means of particular blowing, whereby the adhesive property of the tape is activated. In some cases,
the cover band is released too early, whereby the tape does not operate in a desired way as the fibre web has not been cut yet.
Tape can also be used for binding the surface of a completed reel being stationary. Here, it is possible to use an automatic taping machine or taping can be performed by the operators by hand.
Another known prior art is the so-called adhesive pick-up in which onto the surface of the reel spool or the fibre web is sprayed from a distance an adhesive streak or equivalent which then together with the cutting of the fibre web ensures the change of the fibre web to wind around a new reel spool. Applying the adhesive streak on a moving base requires an adhesive container, an adhesive pump with valves and controllers, piping between the container and adhesive nozzles, pneumatic piping and electric control wiring for the valve etc. The lifetime of adhesive is limited and as the quantity of adhesive applied at a time is relatively small and the application is done relatively seldom, about once an hour, the properties of the adhesive, particularly its adhesiveness and viscosity, often change considerably during the filling interval of the container. Equivalently, there can occur faults in the operation of the adhesive nozzles after long downtimes due to dried adhesive. Often, the adhesive devices have to be located above the fibre web, whereby there is a risk of adhesive dribbling from the adhesive nozzles onto the fibre web during production. Such a quantity of adhesive, even if small, at a wrong point can cause considerable problems in the further processing.
Similar to the tape fastening of the tail of the completed reel, the outermost layers of the reel can be bound together, whereby the fibre-web reel is not able to unwind. Various devices have been developed for this measure, such as e.g. Fl for a windup and US5679408 for a slitter-winder. The application described in specification DE102005059464A1 is also intended for an equivalent use.
Furthermore, the so-called customer reels completed, leaving the fibre web plant are typically packed in a wrap board which is also fastened in place by means of adhesive or tape. As it is evident from the above examples, there is quite a wide range of different binding or taping applications at the end of the fibre-web machine in the forming or handling stage of fibre-web reels. These applications have a lot of common features, such as applying adhesive or tape most preferably to a moving target,
the sequential nature of the operation and the frequency of the sequence repeated as well as the continuation of production run for almost 8,700 hours per year.
An object of the invention is to provide a device as general-purpose as possible to apply adhesive material for fastening the head or tail of the fibre web. A particular object is to provide a device by means of which fibre-web layers within the fibre- web reel can be fasted in each other in the full production speed of the fibre-web machine or the fibre-web machine operating in crawling speed. Furthermore, an object of the invention is to provide a device the operational reliability of which is top class when considering the fact that the interval of operations can vary from the applying of adhesive done every few minutes to transferring the fibre-web machine to normal production run after having been unused due to a few days of production or service downtime or equivalent. An additional object is that the quantity of adhesive material applied to the target is easily adjustable independent of various possible time factors. A further object is to provide a device which requires as little as possible adaptation to the target.
The device according to the invention is characterised by that the device is arranged to use a binder projectile which comprises a breakable shell and binder forming an adhesive bond arranged within the shell,
which device comprises
- a control device for receiving a command from a control system and for controlling an actuator according to the command,
- the actuator for delivering the binder projectile to the target being bound,
- a supply arrangement for loading binder projectiles to the actuator.
The method according to the invention is again characterised by that the method is arranged to use a binder projectile which comprises a breakable shell and binder forming an adhesive bond arranged within the shell, in which method
- a control device receiving a command from a control system and controlling an actuator according to the command,
- the actuator delivering the binder projectile to the target being bound,
- a supply arrangement loading a new binder projectile to the actuator.
The above objects are achievable by means of the invention. The dependent claims present some advantageous embodiments of the invention.
The binder projectile used in the device is arranged to break after the delivery on its way to the target, when hitting the target or when falling between surfaces
being fastened. Thus, it is possible to choose the most advantageous embodiment for each application and still maintain the uniformity of the basic construction between different applications.
In the context of this invention, the term "a shell adhesive-resistant of its outer surface" refers to such a property of the outer surface of the shell that, the shell being unbroken and in normal operating conditions i.e. dry and about room temperature, the shell does not appear sticky or binding. The purpose of the property is to ensure the trouble-free operation of the device, because a sticky or binding outer surface of the binder projectile can cause malfunctions in the device or in external devices or operations related to it.
The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures, in which figures
Fig. 1 shows a general embodiment,
Fig. 1a shows an embodiment of a binder projectile, Fig. 2 shows an embodiment on a fibre-web windup,
Fig. 3 shows an embodiment on a fibre-web slitter-winder.
Fig. 1 shows a device 1 in the handling of a fibre web W, in which the device is arranged to apply adhesive binder at a specific point or specific points in the cross- direction of the fibre web for fastening the head or tail of the fibre web or the packing of a fibre-web reel at intervals defined by the sequence of the fibre-web machine. The device is arranged to use a binder projectile 2 shown in Fig. 1a, which comprises a breakable shell 21 adhesive-resistant of its outer surface and binder 22 forming an adhesive bond arranged within the shell. Furthermore, the device comprises
- a control device 1 1 for receiving a command from a control system 10 and for controlling an actuator 12 according to the command,
- the actuator 12 for delivering the binder projectile 2 to the target being bound,
- a supply arrangement 14 for loading binder projectiles 2 to the actuator 12.
Fig. 1 also shows that to the device 1 is connectable a container 16 for storing the binder projectiles 2. It is advantageous to arrange the volume of the container 16 such that the filling of the binder projectiles 2 in the container can be performed at regular service intervals, whereby the filling of the container requires no particular
scheduling but the measure is performable e.g. in connection with other maintenance works of the fibre-web machine, e.g. simultaneously with the wash of fabrics used in the forming of the fibre web.
Fig. 1 further shows that the device 1 comprises the supply arrangement 14 which is arranged for loading a new binder projectile to the actuator automatically after the delivery. Thus, the device is continuously operational and no "advance warning" is required to use the device. Naturally, the supply arrangement is also controllable such that the load function is performed as a result of a command given by the control system 10, after which the actuator can deliver the binder projectile to the target by command. In both alternatives, the basic principle is the same, the new binder projectile is loadable and ready for use as soon as desired.
According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the container 16 and/or the supply arrangement 14 are at least partially transparent to facilitate the visual examination of the device operation. Said parts being at least partially or totally transparent, such as made of transparent acrylic or other equivalent plastic, the examination of their operation is extremely easy. With one glance, the operator is able to see that everything is in order. Or equivalently that everything is not in order if e.g. one binder projectile 2 has been damaged and has leaked on its way from the container via the supply arrangement to the actuator. Then, the operator can immediately locate the potential problem and perform the required maintenance measure.
According to an advantageous embodiment, the device, most advantageously the actuator 12 of the device, is pneumatic. The delivery of binder projectiles can be implemented relatively simply by means of compressed air. Then, possible mechanical strains applied to the binder projectile are relatively small, whereby the harmful effect of the binder caused by the breaking remains small. Also, the transport of the binder projectile from the container to the supply arrangement and further to the actuator is advantageously performed by means of compressed air.
By means of the above device, it is possible to implement, inter alia, a method in the handling of a fibre web, in which method, adhesive binder is applied at a specific point or specific points in the cross-direction of the fibre web for fastening the head or tail of the fibre web or the packing of a fibre-web reel at intervals defined by the sequence of the fibre-web machine. The method is arranged to use a binder projectile which comprises a breakable shell and binder forming an
adhesive bond arranged within the shell. The method comprises at least the following stages
- a control device receiving a command from a control system and controlling an actuator according to the command,
- the actuator delivering the binder projectile to the target being bound,
- a supply arrangement loading a new binder projectile to the actuator.
Different applications require different quantities of binder for fastening the surfaces being bound. In the device according to the invention, the smallest dosage is the quantity of binder contained by one binder projectile. If more binder is required, several binder projectiles have to be delivered to the target. According to an advantageous embodiment, the control device is arranged for controlling the device in modes of "one round" or "several rounds", whereby the quantity of binder required in the target is easily adjustable by changing the number of binder projectiles delivered. When the control device controls the device in the modes of "one round" or "several rounds", whereby the quantity of binder required in the target is adjusted by changing the number of binder projectiles delivered, dosaging quite simple and reliable in operation is provided. With a pneumatic actuator 12, it is possible to reach such a "firing speed" which is e.g. several dozens of deliveries per second, whereby the quantity of binder required can be easily arranged suitable to the requirement, such as the run speed of the fibre web. Then, the control device can e.g. control the device such that the number is set to 10 binder projectiles and the duration to 0.5 seconds, whereby the delivery interval is 0.05 s. In most applications, it is advantageous to arrange several of the actuators 2 side by side in the cross-direction (y direction) or the actuators 2 can also be transferable in the cross-direction in some applications.
The above invention has numerous applications in the fibre-web manufacturing and processing industry. Next, there are a few examples of these applications.
Fig. 2 shows a windup application. The device and the method are applied on the windup of a fibre web W when changing the fibre web to wind from a completed machine reel 6 in connection with the water-cutting change such that the fibre web W is cut by means of two water-cutting nozzles 3 to a wedge shape, whereby in the peak area of the wedge being formed is applied a binder projectile 2 breakable when hitting it, whereby the peak of the wedge is fastened when passing a nip N onto the surface of a next reel spool 5.
The device and the method are applied in connection with the change on the windup of a fibre web such that, before cutting, in the tail area of the fibre web is applied the binder projectile breakable when hitting it, whereby the tail of the fibre web is fastened when passing the nip onto the surface of the machine reel just before the cutting of the fibre web.
The device and the method are applied in connection with the set change on the slitter-winder of a fibre web such that, before the cutting of the fibre web, onto the lower surface of a layer remaining as the outermost layer of the reel being completed is applied in the longitudinal direction and the cross-direction of the fibre web a required number of binder projectiles, the fibre web is cut and the tail of the fibre web is let to wind and bind fast onto the outer surface of the preceding layer.
In Fig. 3, the device and the method are applied in connection with the set change on the slitter-winder of a fibre web such that the fibre web is fastened onto the surface of a new core 7 by applying the binder projectile 2 to the core or at a point in the fibre web which is in contact with the core 7. As a result of this, the fibre web is fastened in the core 7, after which the winding can be started. The slitter-winder can in practice be of any known type, such as the one shown in Fig. 3 using two carrier rolls 8. The device and method are applied in the packing of printing reels formed of a fibre web such that the packing wrap is fastened in itself or onto the surface of the printing reel by means of the binder projectile applied between their surfaces proper.
Advantageously, the binder projectile can comprise a breakable shell 21 adhesive- resistant of its outer surface and binder 22 forming an adhesive bond arranged within the shell, which shell 21 is arranged such of its strength that the binder projectile 2 will break when hitting the target but is durable enough for the shell to remain unbroken within the device during storage, loading and delivery, which shell further consists of a material which stores the binder airtight and is pulperable, whereby it can be recycled in the manufacturing process of the fibre web. Some examples on such shell materials suited for the purpose are various materials derived from starch or pulp which e.g. are used to manufacture different capsules, shell constructions and equivalents for the food industry.
As it is evident to those skilled in the art, the invention and its embodiments are not limited to the above-described embodiment examples. Expressions representing the existence of characteristics, such as "the device comprises a control device," are unlimited such that the description of characteristics does not exclude the existence of such other characteristics which are not stated in the independent or dependent claims.
Reference numbers used in the figures:
1 device
10 control system
11 control device
12 actuator
14 supply arrangement
15
16 container
2 binder projectile
21 shell
22 binder
3 water-cutting nozzle
4 winding drum
5 reel spool
6 machine reel
7 core
8 carrier roll
W fibre web
N nip