WO2009050332A1

WO2009050332A1 - Fiber web handling and/or production line and method in connection with fiber web handling and/or production line

Info

Publication number: WO2009050332A1
Application number: PCT/FI2008/050565
Authority: WO
Inventors: Petri Enwald; Markku JÄRVENSIVU; Teppo Kojo; Kenneth ÅKERLUND
Original assignee: Metso Paper, Inc.
Priority date: 2007-10-15
Filing date: 2008-10-09
Publication date: 2009-04-23
Also published as: FI20075725A0; CN101827768A; CN101827768B; AT510782B1; AT510782A5; FI121463B; FI20075725A; DE112008002658T5; DE112008002658B4

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fibre web production and/or handling line (10) comprising a handling arrangement (50) for machine reels (30) and/or reeling shafts (30'), in connection with the arrangement (50) there is provided a control system (45), and which production and/or handling line (10) for a fibre web comprises at least two process units (20, 55, 75, 80, 100, 200) for carrying out the process of producing and/or handling a fibre web, and at least one crane arrangement (300) for transferring machine reels and/or reeling shafts between the process units (20, 55, 75, 80, 100, 200). The crane arrangement (300) is an automatic crane (300) provided with a control system (45.2) and the control system (45.2) of the automatic crane is in data transmission connection with the control systems (45.1, 45.3, 45.4) of the process units or they are sections of the same control system (45).

Description

FIBRE WEB HANDLING AND/OR PRODUCTION LINE AND METHOD IN CONNECTION WITH FIBRE WEB HANDLING AND/OR PRODUCTION LINE

[001] The present invention relates to a fibre web production and handling line, in particular to a fibre web production and/or handling line according to the preamble of claim 1 comprising a handling arrangement for machine reels and/or reeling shafts, in connection with the arrangement there is provided a control system, and which fibre web production line comprises at least two process units for carrying out the process of producing and/or handling a fibre web, and at least one crane arrangement for transferring machine reels and/or reeling shafts between the process units. The invention also relates to a method of handling machine reels and/or reeling shafts of the fibre web production and/or handling line with a handling arrangement for machine reels and/or reeling shafts according to the preamble of claim 16, in which method the process of producing and/or handling a fibre web is carried out by at least two process units of the production and/or handling line for a fibre web, and in which method machine reels and/or reeling shafts are transferred between a first and second process unit.

[002] As known from prior art, paper is manufactured in machines, which together constitute a paper production line that may be hundreds of metres long. Modern paper machines can produce over 450 000 tons of paper annually. The web speed in a paper machine may exceed 33 m/s and the width of a paper web may be more than 11 m.

[003] In paper producing lines the paper manufacture is carried out as a continuous process. A paper web being completed in a paper machine is wound by a reel-up onto a reeling shaft, i.e. a reel spool, to form a machine reel, the diameter of which may be more than 3.5 m and the weight of which more than 100 tons. When the diameter of the machine reel has reached a predetermined dimension, the reeling onto an empty reel spool is started without interrupting the paper manufacturing process preceding the winding. The purpose of the reeling is to convert the produced planar paper web into a more easily treatable form. On the reel-up the continuous process of the paper machine is broken for the first time and a cyclic operation is introduced. The aim is to complete this cyclic operation at as high efficiency as possible in order not to loose any work already done.

[004] On a paper production line certain grades may be subjected to treatments after the production process, such as coating or a handling that affects the surface features of the paper, e.g. calendering. These processes may comprise treatments performed either in a separate apparatus or in conjunction with the production process.

[005] The web in a machine reel produced in paper production is of full width and even more than 100 km long, whereby it needs to be slit into partial webs of suitable width and length for the customers of the paper mill and to be wound onto cores to form so-called customer rolls before they are delivered from the paper mill. This slitting and winding of the web takes place in an appropriate separate machine, i.e. in a slitter-winder, as known from prior art.

[006] As known from prior art, the machine reel is unwound in the slitter-winder, the wide web is slit in the slitting section into a number of narrower partial webs, which are rewound in the winding section onto winding cores, such as core tubes, to form customer rolls. Once the customer rolls made from each partial web at the same time are finished, the winder is stopped and the rolls, i.e. the so-called set, are removed from the machine. Subsequently, the process is continued by winding a new set. These stages are repeated cyclically until the machine reel runs out of paper, whereby a change of machine reel is performed and the operation starts again by winding a new machine reel. There are often two winders in one paper machine, one of which is arranged on the centre line of the paper machine and the other aside from the centre line thereof. Therefore, the transfer of a full machine reel needs to be arranged between the reel-up of the paper machine and the unwinding unit of both winders.

[007] Thus, the processes taking place on paper production lines require transfer of machine reels and empty reeling shafts from one process to another. Due to the heavy weight of a machine reel, the transfer of machine reels in conjunction with the process is carried out, according to prior art, typically along rails assisted and supported by machine elements arranged therein. Longer distances and especially transfers in transverse direction with respect to the centre line of the paper machine are made typically by means of carriages moving along rails arranged on the floor of the machine room. This kind of solutions are very inflexible from the viewpoint of the process, as regards for instance the handling order of the machine reels.

[008] An aim of the present invention is to provide a fibre web production and/or handling line according to the preamble of claim 1 comprising a handling arrangement for machine reels and/or reeling shafts, in connection with which there is provided a control system, and which fibre web production and/or handling line comprises at least two process units for carrying out the process of producing and/or handling a fibre web, and at least one crane arrangement for transferring machine reels and/or reeling shafts between the process units, by which arrangement the efficiency of the fibre web production and/or handling line is improved. An aim of the invention is also to provide a method of handling the machine reels and/or reeling shafts with a handling arrangement for machine reels and/or reeling shafts in connection with the fibre web production and/or handling line according to the preamble of claim 16, in which method at least two process units of the fibre web production and/or handling line carry out the process of producing and/or handling the fibre web, and in which method machine reels and/or reeling shafts are transferred between a first and second process unit, and by which method the efficiency of the fibre web production and/or handling line is improved.

[009] This aim is achieved by the fibre web production and/or handling line according to the invention primarily so that the crane arrangement is an automatic crane provided with a control system and that the control system of the automatic crane is in data transmission connection with the control systems of the process units or they are sections of the same control system.

[0010] By this arrangement, the entire the handling arrangement for machine reels and/or reeling shafts is made a system that is controllable on the basis of the general needs of the process, and thereby a very flexible transfer of machine reels and reeling shafts is provided between the process units. In addition, the arrangement according to the invention makes the handling of machine reels and/or reeling shafts safer than before for the operating personnel.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the invention the first process unit in the arrangement is a reel-up, which is arranged to prepare machine reels on the reeling shaft and which first process unit comprises a control system or is adapted in data transmission connection with a control system or a part thereof, and the respective control systems of the reel-up and the automatic crane are adapted in data transmission connection with one another or are parts of the same control system.

[0012] This makes it possible that the automatic crane can automatically take care of the machine reels produced by the reel-up so that they are removed from the reel-up, and thereby the continuous operation thereof is ensured.

[0013] As the second process unit in the arrangement is a winder and the second process unit comprises a control system or is adapted in data transmission connection with a control system or a part thereof, the respective control systems of the reel-up, automatic crane and winder are adapted in data transmission connection with one another or are parts of the same control system.

[0014] This makes it possible that the automatic crane can automatically take care of the machine reels produced by the reel-up so that they are removed from the reel-up, and thereby the continuous operation thereof is ensured, and that the automatic crane delivers a machine reel to the winder for handling according to its process need either directly from the reel-up or from the storage of machine reels/reeling shafts.

[0015] Preferably, the control system of the handling arrangement for the machine reels of the production line for a fibre web comprises a recording section/-s for recording and utilising process and/or control data in the control system of the automatic crane for carrying out a predetermined overall process, whereby the automatic crane is an integrated part of the production and/or handling line for a fibre web. [0016] The invention relates according to a preferable embodiment of the invention to a fibre web production and/or handling line, which comprises at least two process units for carrying out the process of producing and/or handling a fibre web, comprising a handling arrangement for machine reels and/or reeling shafts, and in connection with which arrangement there is provided a control system, and at least one crane arrangement for transferring machine reels and/or reeling shafts between the process units. The crane arrangement is an automatic crane provided with a control system and/or is adapted in data transmission connection with a control system or a part of thereof, the operating range of which extends at least to the region of the processing units. At least one safety area is arranged within the operating range of the automatic crane, which area comprises a detection arrangement for detecting the presence of a human being. This kind of an arrangement can control the movement of the automatic crane so that it does not pass over a person working in the safety area, whereby occupational safety is improved.

[0017] Preferably, the safety area consists of at least two separate safety regions. Thereby the movement of the automatic crane can be directed through one separate safety region, if the presence of an object has been detected in the other safety region. This feature improves considerably the flexibility of the use of the arrangement by enabling the movement of the automatic crane simultaneously with the maintenance measures taken on the fibre web production and handling line.

[0018] When developed further, each process unit is separated to form a separate safety area of its own, whereby the flexibility of the movement of the automatic crane and concurrent working safety are maximised, since the travel path of the automatic crane is arranged so that it is dependent on the state information on a safety area. Then, the detection system is preferably in data transmission connection with the control system for transmitting state information on each safety area to the control system, whereby the automatic crane selects its travel path through such safety areas, where the presence of objects is negative, i.e. no maintenance personnel are present. [0019] At simplest, each safety area comprises a fence or the like and a gate or the like in conjunction therewith, and the detection arrangement comprises a sensor in conjunction with the gate or the like for detecting the position of the gate. The safety area may also comprise e.g. a safety mat or the like provided with sensors for detecting a person present thereon. Further, the gates to the safety area may be arranged so that they can be locked in situations, when the area is in the way of the travel path of the crane. The safety area may as well be an area monitored by cameras or similar detection equipment, whereby a piece of detection equipment transmits the information on the person detected in the safety area to the control system.

[0020] In the method according to invention a fibre web production and/or handling process is carried out by at least two process units of the production and/or handling line for a fibre web, and machine reels and/or reeling shafts are transferred in the process run between said at least two, i.e. the first and second, process units. The aims of the invention are achieved primarily so that the transfer of machine reels and/or reeling shafts is performed by means of at least one automatic crane, which is provided with a control system and/or is adapted in data transmission connection with a control system or a part thereof, the operation of which crane is controlled by essentially real-time data from the control system. According to a preferred embodiment, the first process unit of the fibre web production and/or handling line is a reel-up, which produces machine reels on the reeling shaft controlled by the control system, and the produced machine reels are lifted away by the automatic crane being in conjunction with the control system. Substantially real-time data may thus be used for controlling the movement and operation of the automatic crane.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the invention, at least one safety area is arranged within the operating range of the automatic crane, from which area state information is transmitted to the control system for detecting the presence of a human being, and the travel path of the automatic crane is selected so that it is dependent on the state information on the safety area.

[0022] In the method, the second process unit of the fibre web production and/or handling line handles the machine reels produced by the first process unit, whereby in a situation, where the second process unit is ready to receive or needs a machine reel, the control system controls at least one automatic crane to bring the machine reel to the second process unit, and in a situation, where the second process unit is not ready to receive a machine reel, the control system controls the automatic crane to take the finished machine reel away from the first process unit and move it to the storage for machine reels/reeling shafts.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the invention the method comprises communicating a coercive message of crane demand required by a process between the control systems of the automatic crane and the process units in an event the process so requires. Then, the lower priority task of the automatic crane is aborted and a higher priority task of the automatic crane according to the message is commenced.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the invention, the rebuild of an existing fibre web production line is realised by providing the production line with an automatic crane assembly comprising a control system, and further so that the control system is brought into data transmission connection with the respective control systems of the production line and/or the reel-up. Also, the stopper positions of the rails of the reel-up can be locked, if so required.

[0025] Additional characteristic features of the invention are disclosed in the appended claims.

[0026] In this context, the fibre web machine refers to various production or handling apparatuses for a fibre web, such as paper machines, coating machines, calenders and board machines. In this context, the automatic crane also refers to a semiautomatic crane, which primarily operates automatically, but the start/stop of at least one step/partial step may be manual, for instance so that in the storage area an operator starts the transfer. Further in this disclosure and in the appended claims, the term "process unit" should be understood so as to comprise even a subprocess or the handling action of the production process, which may have e.g. a control system and/or a safety area of its own. [0027] The control system used in conjunction with the invention may be completely or partially decentralised or centralised, whereby the performances of the control system may be carried out in a totally or partially centralised or decentralised manner. The control system may be a control system consisting of one or several process units, or a separate system, e.g. a mill computer. The control data and/or registration data of the control system may be decentralised in one or several units. By the control system, it is possible to optimise also the operations related to production and/or the transfers required by storage conditions and, if so desired, to simulate e.g. required travel paths. The control systems of the process units may communicate with each other via the control system of the handling arrangement or alternatively directly with each other.

[0028] The safety area may cover the whole operating range of the automatic crane or a plurality of partial areas, and further, the safety area may consist of several safety regions. In addition, the operating range of the automatic crane may comprise one or several safety area/-s that is/are not directly connected to the process units, such as walkway areas. The safety area may also be alterable according to dynamic control. The operating range of the automatic crane may include automatically operated areas and areas that require manual control or partial control (e.g. the start of the operation).

[0029] Numerous advantages are achieved by the present invention. By the handling arrangement of machine reels according to the invention for instance the flexibility and reliability of the process is increased, since the "first-in-first-out" operation of conventional systems based on rails and carriages can be avoided and each reeling shaft/machine reel may be subjected to handling solely based on need. Moreover, the automatic crane is available also for lifts related to maintenance measures, e.g. for picking up/taking out spare rolls to be changed, whereby capacity is saved as the control system takes care of the lifts at an optimum stage in view of the production. During the maintenance measures the crane may also be operated manually. Further, by means of the invention the layout of the production line may be designed more flexibly, as the transfer of machine reels and reeling shafts can be carried out in a very versatile manner. By means of the invention, especially the operational safety is improved considerably compared to prior art, since the machine g

reels and reeling shafts can be transferred securedly through such areas, where there are no people around at the same time with the transfer.

[0030] In the following, the invention and its operation will be explained with reference to the appended schematic drawings, in which

Figure 1 shows schematically a fibre web production and handling line according to one embodiment;

Figure 2 shows schematically a fibre web production and handling line according to another embodiment; Figure 3 shows schematically a fibre web production and handling line according to yet another embodiment;

Figure 4 shows schematically a fibre web production and handling line according to yet another embodiment;

Figure 5 shows schematically the cross-section of a fibre web production and handling line according to one embodiment; and

Figure 6 shows schematically a fibre web production and handling line according to one embodiment.

[0031] Figure 1 shows schematically a production and handling line 10 for a fibre web according to one embodiment, i.e. its handling arrangement 50 for machine reels. In this embodiment, the production and handling line comprises a fibre web machine 15, which is not shown in the figure for the sake of clarity, and a first process unit, i.e. a reel-up 20, in conjunction therewith. The basic operation and construction of the reel-up 20 is known as such. The reel-up 20 comprises a pick-up station 25 for a full machine reel, to which station the reel-up transfers a finished machine reel 30. The reel-up comprises also a receiving station 35 for an empty reeling shaft 30', which station is preferably a support arrangement for a reeling shaft on the reel-up, such as a so-called primary reeling device. In this embodiment, the pick-up station 25 for a machine reel on the reel-up may consist of relatively short rails or of a secondary carriage, which is moved sufficiently apart from the reel drum as soon as the reel is finished. On the reel-up, the finished reel is brought to a predetermined pick-up position, from which it is transferred forward in the handling process. [0032] If the rails of the reel-up are long, e.g. when applying the solution according to the invention to a rebuild of a fibre web machine, the stoppers of the existing rails are locked, whereby the position determined by the stopper will provide a storage area for machine reels in the arrangement according to the invention. As soon as this position data of the storage area is available for the control system of the automatic crane, the existing rails may be utilised efficiently in the handling arrangement for machine reels/reeling shafts.

[0033] A control system 45 for controlling the operation of the apparatus is arranged in conjunction with the fibre web machine 15 and its handling arrangement 50 for machine reels. The control arrangement comprises a control system 45.1 for controlling the operation of the reel-up 20. The control system may be completely or partially decentralised or centralised, whereby the performances of the control system may be carried out in a totally or partially centralised or decentralised manner. The control system is also arranged in data transmission connection with the production control system of the mill, whereby e.g. an order change will be responded as fast as possible.

[0034] In this embodiment, the production line includes two winders 100, 200 and a storage 55 for reeling shafts and machine reels, which also constitute process units included in the scope of the invention. The winders are adapted parallel with the fibre web machine so that the first winder 100 is located on the centre line 12 of the fibre web machine 15 and the second winder 200 is located aside therefrom. A winder control system 45.3, 45.4 is arranged to control the operation of the winders, respectively. Also in the case of winders, the control system may be completely or partially decentralised or centralised, whereby the performances of the control system may be carried out in a totally or partially centralised or decentralised manner. The winders 100, 200 comprise an unwinding station 110, 210, respectively, where the machine reel is unwound and the web is led to the winder to be slit into partial webs and wound into customer rolls. In the case of winders 100, 200, the unwinding station acts typically also as a delivery station 120, 220 for machine reel, or there is a separate delivery station 120, 220 for machine reel in the vicinity of the unwinding station. The winders are also provided with a pick-up station 130, 230 for reeling shaft. The control system 45 comprises a recording section 45.5 for recording the current position and data of each reeling shaft included in the system. Further, the control system 45 comprises a recording section 45.6 for recording the pick-up and/or receiving position of the machine reels and/or reeling shafts of each process unit included in the system and for recording the web data of the machine reels, whereby it is possible to deliver a correct and/or suitable, also as far as quality and quantity are concerned, machine reel as well as a correct reeling shaft to a correct location exactly at a desired moment. The position of the delivery station of machine reel and the pick-up station of reeling shaft in the winders is thus recorded in the recording section 45.5 of the control system 45, whereby the crane arrangement is able to bring a full/new reel and to pick up an empty reeling shaft from the winder in order to carry through a predetermined overall process.

[0035] The handling arrangement for machine reels according to the invention also includes a crane arrangement 300 for transferring machine reels and reeling shafts between the process units of the handling line in order to carry through a predetermined overall process. The crane arrangement has a certain operating range, within which it is allowed to operate. According to the invention the crane arrangement is an automatic crane, which is able to operate automatically controlled by the program and/or external commands recorded in its control system. In the following, the reference number 300 refers both to a crane arrangement in general and to an automatic crane in particular. The automatic crane comprises a control system 45.2 for controlling its operation. The automatic crane consists of rails 315 parallel with the fibre web machine (machine direction) and of a girder 320 essentially in transverse direction to and supported by the rails. The girder 320 is movably supported by the rails 315 in order to travel above the fibre web machine and other process units. The control system 45.2 of the automatic crane is arranged to control also the movement of the girder in machine direction. There is a lifting device 325 adapted in conjunction with the girder 320 so that it can be moved along the girder also by the guidance of the control system 45.2. Further, the lifting device comprises members 330 for turning the lifting device in horizontal plane relative to the girder, which enables the transfer, pick-up and delivery of machine reels and/or reeling shafts in an angle freely selected with respect to machine direction. Also the angled position of the lifting device 325 is controlled by the second control system 45.1. Moreover, the lifting device 325 comprises grip members, by which it can take hold of the reeling shaft (not shown).

[0036] The storage 55 for reeling shafts/machine reels according to Figure 1 comprises a plurality of reeling shaft racks 57 with a pair of stands placed in machine direction. The handling arrangement according to the invention makes it possible to choose the direction of each pair of stands freely based on the shape of the space available so that the space can be utilised as efficiently as possible. Machine reels and/or reeling shafts may be stored for instance directly in machine direction, as shown in Figure 1 with reeling shafts, or obliquely, as shown in Figure 1 with a machine reel. The position of the stands is recorded in the recording section of the control system 45.2 of the automatic crane, whereby the crane can use the stands as a storage for reeling shafts and/or machine reels, if the handling process for machine reels so requires. The position of the reeling shafts and/or machine reels in the storage 55 for reeling shafts/machine reels is recorded in the control system 45.2 of the crane apparatus, whereby the control system is able to control the crane to bring or pick up a reeling shaft or a machine reel to a certain location in the storage 55 for reeling shafts/machine reels. Since the storage 55 for reeling shafts/machine reels is composed of reeling shaft stands 57, the position of the storage 55 for reeling shafts/machine reels may be easily changed by moving the stands to a new place within the operating range of the crane system and re- entering their position in the control system. The control system may thus be in connection with the storage system in order to optimise the production and/or the storing needs. The automatic crane may be provided with scales to enable the recording of the mass of each machine reel as well in the control system 45.2, whereby the system knows how much paper each machine reel contains. Then, for instance such earlier produced machine reels, from which a part of the fibre web has been unwound, may be utilised later by a winder to complete a customer roll order, if the amount of web on the machine reel is enough for the completion. The information on the amount of paper on the machine reel may be transmitted to the system also, e.g., from the control system of the reel-up. By means of the invention, it is thus possible to respond flexibly on the running condition of the winder. The information on the amount of paper on incomplete machine reels may be transmitted to the control system also from the process unit, in which the incomplete reel was produced. Moreover, the system may optimise the use of machine reels according to the slitting needs/storage capacity for instance so that the machine reel is selected in such a way that equal sets are received from the reel in slitting. Also other measuring elements may be arranged in conjunction with the automatic crane, such as a hardness tester for reel.

[0037] The handling arrangement comprises preferably a safety area 60 located within the operating range of the automatic crane. Hereby, the operational safety during the process is maximised, while the automatic crane is a part of the process. The safety area comprises a detection arrangement for detecting the presence of a human being, e.g. a member of the operating personnel of the production line. The safety area is preferably a fenced area comprising a detection arrangement 65, 65.1 , 65.2, 70.1 , 70.2, 70.3 for detecting the presence of operating or other personnel in the safety area. Each such process unit, which the operational personnel may need to have access to in order to work while the fibre web production and/or handling line is running, is preferably provided with a separate safety region of its own and a detection arrangement of its own. In the embodiment according to Figure 1 this is realised by gates 65.1 arranged in the fence 65 of the whole safety area and by a sensor 70.1 in conjunction therewith, which detects the opening and closing of the gate. In this way, the control system guiding the automatic crane is informed if there is personnel present in the safety area. The separate safety region of each process unit is also equipped with a gate 65.2 of its own and a sensor 70.2 in conjunction therewith. In this way, the control system guiding the automatic crane is informed at which process unit there is a person present. In the embodiment according to Figure 1 the detection arrangement 65, 65.1 , 65.2, 70.1 , 70.2, 70.3 is in data transmission connection with the control system 45 for transmitting state information on the safety area from the detection arrangement to the control system 45.1 of the crane arrangement. Thus, for instance, the presence of the operating personnel can be considered when defining the travel paths of the lifting device 325 of the crane arrangement so that an area sending a positive signal of presence can be restricted temporarily outside the travel path of the lifting device, i.e. the lifting device may go around the area. The detection arrangement may comprise a plurality of sensors 70.1 , 70.2, 70.3 placed in various areas, whereby the control system has sufficiently specific information available regarding the presence of personnel in the various parts of the safety area. In some applications, the area or a part thereof may, instead of or in addition to a physical fence, be defined for instance by means of suitably arranged movement detector sensors 70.3, on the basis of the signal from which the state of the area to be defined is considered when determining the travel paths of the lifting device. Thus, the operating personnel may work safely at a certain process unit/-s, while the line is running. Within the safety area it is possible to arrange a zone, along which the machine reels/reeling shafts may be transferred to such process units, to which the access is not denied by the detection arrangement. This zone may be even relatively narrow, since by the arrangement according to the invention a machine reel can be kept essentially parallel with the transfer movement. In addition, it is possible to provide the system with an announcement arrangement, which gives a person present in the safety area an announcement/warning in a situation, when the safety area needs to be evacuated for the crane to pass. It may be announced, for instance, that in a certain time the safety area should be free for the crane to pass, or else the production will be disturbed.

[0038] The production and handling line for a fibre web shown in Figure 1 runs in normal operation so that the fibre web machine 15 provides continuous production of web, which is wound by a reel-up 20 to form machine reels. At the same time, the winders make customer rolls from machine reels by unwinding a machine reel, slitting the web into partial webs and winding the partial webs into customer rolls in a way known as such. These processes are not completely synchronised with one another, whereby the transfer of the machine reels and/or reeling shafts is managed as efficiently as possible by the handling arrangement for machine reels according to the invention.

[0039] The control system 45.1 of the reel-up receives a message from the reel-up once a full machine reel is ready to be delivered, i.e. it may be removed from the reel-up. This information is made available for the control system 45.2 of the crane arrangement as well. The crane arrangement 300 may immediately pick up the machine reel from the reel-up and take it directly to the winder, if the control system 45.2 of the crane arrangement 300 has received verification from the respective control system 45.3, 45.4 of either winder that this may or should be done. If this is not the case, the crane arrangement takes the machine reel to the storage 55 for reeling shafts/machine reels to wait information from either winder on the need or possibility to receive the machine reel.

[0040] Especially in a situation, where neither winder 100, 200 is able to receive a machine reel after it has been finished, the automatic crane transfers finished machine reels from the reel-up 20 to the storage 55 for reeling shafts/machine reels in order not the disturb the production process of the fibre web itself, whereby the reeling may continue normally. As soon as the recording section of the control system 45.2 of the automatic crane contains the current position of each reeling shaft included in the system and information on the amount of fibre web on the reeling shaft and further information on the pick-up/storage and/or delivery positions of the reeling shafts, the transfer of the machine reels may be performed very flexibly in order to optimise the operation of the process. Figure 1 shows a situation, where the crane arrangement 300 has taken hold of a finished machine reel 30 by the lifting device 325 and is about to transfer it to the first winder 100, where the delivery station 120 for machine reels is empty.

[0041] Figure 2 shows schematically a production and handling line 10 for a fibre web according to another embodiment, which primarily corresponds to the production and handling line for a fibre web shown in Figure 1 with the exception, however, that the winders are placed differently with respect to the fibre web machine. In this embodiment, the winders 100, 200 have a common pick-up station 130, 230 for reeling shafts, which in this case consists of rails connecting the winders. Below the pick-up station there may be arranged a pulper as well, to which the bottom layers on the machine reel may be discharged. The winders are placed facing each other so that the direction of the web travel is at both winders away from the delivery station for machine reels.

[0042] Figure 2 shows an exemplary situation, in which the winders' common pickup station 130, 230 for reeling shafts has an empty machine reel waiting for the bottom paper layers on the reel to be discharged into the pulper. The lifting device is about to transfer a finished machine reel 30 to the storing place for machine reels to wait for the moment, when the delivery station of the winders may receive a new full reel. In this way, the reeling-up may proceed undisturbed. The figure also shows how the machine reel has been turned to machine direction by means of the lifting device 325, whereby the storing requires less space in transverse direction.

[0043] Figure 2 also shows an unwinding location 75 for reel in conjunction with the reel-up 20, where for instance the bottom layers on the reel may be discharged into the pulper below the machine level through a pulper opening 85. Both process units, i.e. the reel-up 20 and the unwinding location 75 for reel, form a separate safety area of their own, whereby the control system of the automatic crane controls the lifting device to pass outside the safety area, if there is a person present in the unwinding location for reel. The arrangement according to the invention makes it possible to locate the discharge location of the bottom paper layers of the machine reels substantially freely, as long as it is within the operating range of the automatic crane. It is substantial that the discharge location is provided either with a pulper or suitable conveying system for conveying the broke away. The discharge location may be provided with a control system of its own which takes care of the operation of the discharge location. The control system of the discharge location is also in data transmission connection with at least the controls system 45 of the handling arrangement, in which case the state information of the discharge location may be transferred to the control system 45. Thus, the control system has available the information of e.g. when the next machine reel to be unwound may be switch in place of empty reeling shaft.

[0044] Figure 3 shows schematically a production and handling line 10 for a fibre web according to another embodiment, the construction and operation of which also mainly correspond to the production and handling line for a fibre web shown in Figure 1 with the exception, however, that the winders are placed facing each other in machine direction so that the web's direction of travel at the first winder 100 is in machine direction and at the second winder 200 in transverse direction with respect to machine direction. The arrangement according to the invention enables even this kind of a layout, since by the handling arrangement for machine reels according to the invention machine reels and reeling shafts can be transferred very flexibly both in terms of the travel path and the timing and order. Figure 3 shows especially how the space required by the handling arrangement for the machine reels of the production and/or handling line for a fibre web according to the invention can be reduced by means of the present invention. Here, the storages 55 for reeling shafts/machine reels are narrower than the length of the reeling shaft. The reeling shafts and/or machine reels to be stored are placed successively somewhat overlapping one another in an angle deviating from right angle with respect to the centre line 12 of the fibre web machine 15, whereby the area of the storage place can be utilised efficiently. Further, the lifting device comprises members 330 for turning the lifting device in horizontal plane relative to the girder, which enables the transfer, pick-up and delivery of a machine reel and/or reeling shaft in an angle selected freely with respect to machine direction.

[0045] Figure 4 shows schematically a fibre web production and handling line 10 according to another embodiment, the construction and operation of which also mainly correspond to the production and handling line for a fibre web shown in Figure 1 with the exception, however, that the winders are placed successively in machine direction so that the web's direction of travel is in machine direction both at the first winder 100 and at the second winder 200. The safety area is generally and in conjunction with each process unit preferably arranged so that the automatic crane can transfer machine reels and/or reeling shafts between the process units along at least two paths in the safety area thus utilising different safety regions. In this manner, it is ensured that the process runs undisturbed and yet it is possible to take necessary manual measures at each process unit. Since the machine reels and/or reeling shafts may also be transferred longitudinally, a relatively small area is required for the transfer. In Figure 4, both sides of the centre line of the production and/or handling line for a fibre web are provided with safety areas extending in machine direction from the reel-up to both winders, whereby the transfers of machine reels and/or reeling shafts to the second winder 200 may easily go around the safety area of the first winder 100.

[0046] Figure 5 shows schematically the cross-section of the handling arrangement for machine reels in a fibre web production and handling line 10 according to another embodiment. The operation of this arrangement corresponds mainly to the operation depicted in Figures 1 - 4. Figure 5 shows the basement 510 of the machine room and the machine level 500. In this embodiment, the reel-up 20 is adapted essentially on the machine level 500, and it is separated by a fence 65 to form a safety area 60. The figure shows especially how the space of the machine room may be utilised efficiently by means of the arrangement according to the invention. Here, the storage 55 for reeling shafts/machine reels has a vertical shape extending from the basement 510 above the machine level 500. In this embodiment, rails extending to the winder 100 placed in the basement act as the lowest location of the storage 55 for reeling shafts/machine reels. Also the winders are, according to the invention, arranged within the safety area 60. In the arrangement, the second winder 200 is placed on the machine level above the winder placed in the basement.

[0047] Figure 6 shows schematically a fibre web production and handling line 10 according to another embodiment, the construction and operation of which also mainly correspond to the production and handling line for a fibre web shown in Figure 1 with the exception, however, that line 10 comprises only one winder 100, and between the winder 100 and the reel-up, substantially on the centre line 12, there is an additional unwinding and preparation location 80 for machine reels equipped with a pulper opening 85 on the machine level for discharging web into a pulper or a broke conveyor, if so required. The safety area is generally and in conjunction with each process unit preferably arranged so that the automatic crane can transfer machine reels and/or reeling shafts between the process units along at least two paths in the safety area by utilising different safety regions. In Figure 6 both sides of the centre line of the production and/or handling line for a fibre web are provided with safety areas. In addition, each process unit has a safety area of its own arranged in conjunction therewith. The walkway area 60.1 between the reel-up 20 and the unwinding and preparation location 80 for machine reels forms a safety area of its own. Naturally, there may be even more walkway areas as well as safety areas formed by them.

[0048] It is to be noted that only a few most advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the above. Subprocesses and process equipment that may be included in the handling arrangement according to the invention are e.g.: reeling up and unwinding/reel-up and unwinder, slitting/slitter-winder, calendering/calender, unloading of reeling shaft, preparation of machine reel, storing of reeling shafts and machine reels, and sampling/inspection of fibre web. Thus, it is clear that the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but may be applied in many ways within the frame of the appended claims. It is possible to use the features described in conjunction with the different embodiments in conjunction with other embodiments as well and/or to make various combinations of the described features within the frame of the basic idea of the invention, if so desired and if technically feasible.

Claims

1. A fibre web production and/or handling line (10) comprising a handling arrangement (50) for machine reels (30) and/or reeling shafts (30¹), in connection with the arrangement (50) there is provided a control system (45), and which fibre web production and/or handling line (10) comprises at least two process units (20, 55, 75, 80, 100, 200) for carrying out the process of producing and/or handling a fibre web, and at least one crane arrangement (300) for transferring machine reels and/or reeling shafts between the process units (20, 55, 75, 80, 100, 200), characterised in that the crane arrangement (300) is an automatic crane (300) provided with a control system (45.2), and that the control system (45.2) of the automatic crane is in data transmission connection with the control systems (45.1, 45.3, 45.4) of the process units or they are sections of the same control system (45).

2. A fibre web production and/or handling line according to claim 1 , characterised in that the first process unit is an reel-up (20), which is arranged to prepare machine reels (30) for the reeling shaft (30') and which process unit comprises a control system (45.1) or is adapted in data transmission connection with a control system (45) or a part thereof, and that the respective control systems of the reel-up (20) and the automatic crane (300) are adapted in data transmission connection with one another or are parts of the same control system (45).

3. A fibre web production and/or handling line according to claim 2, characterised in that the second process unit is a winder (100, 200) and the second process unit comprises a control system (45.3, 45.4) or is adapted in data transmission connection with the control system (45) or a part thereof, and that the respective control systems of the reel-up (20), the automatic crane (300) and the winder (100, 200) are adapted in data transmission connection with one another or are parts of the same control system (45).

4. A fibre web production and/or handling line according to claim 3, characterised in that the control system (45, 45.1 , 45.2, 45.3) comprises a recording section/-s (45.5, 45.6) for recording and utilising process and/or control data in the control system (45.2) of the automatic crane for carrying out a predetermined overall process.

5. A fibre web production and/or handling line according to claim 1, characterised in that the control system (45) comprises a recording section (45.5) for recording the current position of and data on each machine reel (30) and/or reeling shaft (30¹) included in the system.

6. A fibre web production and/or handling line according to claim 1 , characterised in that the control system (45) comprises a recording section (45.6) for recording the pick-up and/or receiving position of the machine reels (30) and/or reeling shafts (30¹) of each process unit included in the system.

7. A fibre web production and/or handling line according to claim 1 , characterised in that at least one safety area (60, 60.1) is arranged within the operating range of the automatic crane (300), which area comprises a detection arrangement (65, 65.1 , 65.2, 70.1 , 70.2, 70.3) for detecting the presence of a human being.

8. A fibre web production and/or handling line according to claim 7, characterised in that the safety area (60, 60.1) consists of one or several safety region/-s.

9. A fibre web production and/or handling line according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that each process unit (20, 55, 75, 80, 100, 200) is enclosed to form one or several separate safety area/-s (60, 60.1).

10. A fibre web production and/or handling line according to claim 7, characterised in that the detection arrangement (65, 65.1 , 65.2, 70.1, 70.2, 70.3) is in data transmission connection with a control system (45) for transmitting state information on each safety area to the control system.

11. A fibre web production and/or handling line according to claim 7, characterised in that each safety area (60, 60.1) comprises a fence or the like (65) and a gate or the like (65.1) in conjunction therewith, and that the detection arrangement comprises a sensor (70.1 , 70.2) in conjunction with the gate or the like for detecting the position of the gate.

12. A fibre web production and/or handling line according to claim 7, characterised in that the travel path of the automatic crane (300) is arranged to be dependent on the state information on the safety area.

13. A fibre web production and/or handling line according to claim 7, characterised in that the access of a human being to the safety area is arranged to be dependent on the state information on the automatic crane (300).

14. A fibre web production and/or handling line according to claim 4, characterised in that the process and/or control data includes information on the need of the winder to receive a machine reel for handling, and the control system (45.2) of the automatic crane (300) is arranged to control the crane arrangement on the basis of said process and/or control data.

15. A fibre web production and/or handling line according to claim 4, characterised in that the process and/or control data includes information on the need of the reel- up to get a machine reel picked-up, and the control system (45.2) of the automatic crane (300) is arranged to control the crane arrangement on the basis of said process and/or control data.

16. A method of handling of machine reels (30) and/or reeling shafts (30') in conjunction with a fibre web production and/or handling line (10) with a handling arrangement (50) for machine reels (30) and/or reeling shafts (30') , in which method at least two process units (20, 55, 75, 80, 100, 200) of the fibre web production and/or handling line carry out a process of producing and/or handling a fibre web, and in which method machine reels and/or reeling shafts are transferred in the process run between a first and second process unit, characterised in that the transfer of the machine reels and/or reeling shafts is performed by means of at least one automatic crane (300), which is provided with a control system (45.2) making information available to the control system (45.2) of the automatic crane from control systems (45.1 , 45.3, 45.4) of the process units (20, 55, 75, 80, 100, 200), in such a manner that the automatic crane (300) operates automatically controlled by a program and/or external commands stored in its control system (45.2).

17. A method of handling machine reels (30) and/or reeling shafts (30¹) in a fibre web production and/or handling line according to claim 16, in which method the first process unit of the production and/or handling line for a fibre web is a reel-up, which produces machine reels for the reeling shaft controlled by the control system, characterised in that the produced machine reels (30) are lifted away by at least one automatic crane (300), which is in connection with the control system.

18. A method of handling machine reels (30) and/or reeling shafts (30') in a fibre web production and/or handling line according to claim 16 or 17, characterised in that at least one safety area (60, 60.1) is arranged within the operating range of the automatic crane (300), from which area state information is transmitted to the control system (45) for detecting the presence of a human being, and that the travel path of the automatic crane is selected dependently on the state information on the safety area.

19. A method of handling machine reels (30) and/or reeling shafts (30¹) in a fibre web production and/or handling line according to claim 17, characterised in that as soon as a machine reel is finished, the control system (45, 45.1 , 45.2) controls the automatic crane (300) to transfer the finished machine reel (30) away from the reel- up (20).

20. A method of handling machine reels (30) and/or reeling shafts (30') in a fibre web production line according to claim 17, in which method the second process unit (100, 200) of the production and/or handling line for a fibre web handles the machine reels (30) produced by the first process unit, characterised in that in a situation, where the second process unit (100, 200) is ready to receive a machine reel, the control system (45, 45.1 , 45.2) controls the automatic crane to bring a machine reel to the second process unit (100, 200).

21. A method of handling the machine reels (30) and/or reeling shafts (30¹) in a fibre web production and/or handling line according to claim 16, characterised in that in a situation, where the second process unit (100, 200) is not ready to receive a machine reel (30), the control system (45, 45.1 , 45.2) controls the automatic crane (300) to transfer the finished machine reel (30) away from the first process unit (20) to a storage (55) for machine reels/reeling shafts or to another waiting position.