Method and system for managing the need of doctor blades

• US 20040054608A1
• Filed: 10/27/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Valmet Technologies OY
• Original Assignee: Valmet Technologies OY
• Inventors: Viitasalo, Pasi, Liiri, Sami, Toivanen, Heikki
• Application Number:
  US10/451,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20040054608A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: D21G 3/005 Doctor knifes
• CPC Class Codes: D21G 9/0009 Paper-making control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Doctor blades are stored and used in a paper/board mill in which the quantity of the doctor blades used is monitored, and information is transmitted by data transfer means (20) to a data management system (23, 24) of the manufacturer/supplier of the doctor blades to manage the doctor blade situation. In the method, the information about the doctor blades is received by data collection means (22) connected to the data management system. The information is processed in the data management system (23, 24). When needed, a doctor blade/doctor blades is/are delivered to the paper/board mill to keep the quantity of doctor blades as desired. The system has data transfer means (20) for transmitting the quantity of the doctor blades to a data management system (23, 24) of a supplier/manufacturer. A means may be provided for giving the alarm to deliver, when needed, new doctor blades to the paper/board mill.

Claims

1. A method for managing the need of doctor blades, in which method doctor blades are stored and used in a paper/board mill in which the quantity of the doctor blades used is monitored, characterized in that, in the method, information about the quantity of doctor blades is transmitted by data transfer means (20) to a data management system (23, 24) of the manufacturer/supplier of the doctor blades to manage the doctor blade situation, that in the method the information about the doctor blades is received by data collection means (22) connected to the data management system, that the information is processed in the data management system (23, 24), and that in the method, when needed, a doctor blade/doctor blades is/are delivered to the paper/board mill to keep the quantity of doctor blades as desired.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the method, the information about the quantity of the doctor blades is transmitted from the paper/board mill by a telecommunication connection arranged in connection with a logic system of a store/handling device to the doctor blade supplier'"'"'s/manufacturer'"'"'s telecommunication connection (22) and the information about the quantities of the doctor blades is collected and processed by a computer.

3. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that, when the quantity of doctor blades at a certain location is too low, an alarm is given, on the basis of which the necessary doctor blades are delivered to the paper/board mill.

4. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that a GSM modem, a GPRS modem or equivalent is used as the telecommunication connection.

5. A method according to claim 1 to 4, characterized in that the information about the quantities of doctor blades is gathered together from all different locations and transferred to a doctor blade database, which processes the information and gives an alarm if the doctor blade situation at a certain location is below an action limit, and that in the method, when needed, the necessary doctor blade/blades is/are then delivered to said location.

6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, in the method, in connection with a doctor blade carriage, blade boxes are placed in desired positions and, in each carriage, the quantity of blades is measured and the doctor blades are identified and the lengths of the doctor blades used are stored in a memory provided in connection with the carriage, and by means of a data transfer means connected to the memory the information about the quantity of doctor blades is sent at desired intervals to the doctor blade manufacturer/supplier.

7. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that the information about the quantity of doctor blades is sent by a GSM modem, a GPRS modem or equivalent connected to a logic system of the blade carriage through a GSM network, a GPRS network or equivalent to a GSM modem, GPRS modem or equivalent of the doctor blade manufacturer/supplier in order to process it by means of a computer program.

8. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, based on logic control disposed in connection with an automatic doctor blade store, information about the quantity of the doctor blades used is stored and the information is sent to the doctor blade manufacturer/supplier through a data transfer means at desired intervals.

9. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, by means of a proximity switch disposed in connection with doctor blade boxes placed in doctor blade stores, a doctor blade box placed in the vicinity thereof is detected, and the proximity switches placed in connection with the store are controlled by logic control, whereby the presence/absence of the box is detected, and information about a change in the doctor blade situation is transmitted by a data transfer means to the doctor blade manufacturer/supplier.

10. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the doctor blade to be placed in a given identified position in the doctor blade store is individually identified by means of an identification code disposed in connection with doctor blade boxes placed in doctor blade stores.

11. A system for managing the need of doctor blades, comprising storage/handling devices for doctor blades in a paper/board mill and means for detecting the quantity of the doctor blades/doctor blade, characterized in that the system comprises data transfer means (20) for transmitting the quantity of the doctor blades to a data management system (23, 24) of the supplier/manufacturer of the doctor blades, which data management system comprises data collection means (22) and means (24) for processing data as well as means for giving the alarm to deliver, when needed, new doctor blades to the paper/board mill.

12. A system according to claim 11, characterized in that a doctor blade store/a doctor blade handling device in the paper/board mill comprises a GSM modem, a GPRS modem or equivalent arranged in connection with a logic system of the doctor blade store/handling device for sending inventory data to the data collection means (22) of the doctor blade supplier/manufacturer, and a computer (23) for gathering the inventory data together and for processing them in a database (24), and means for providing an alarm when the quantity of doctor blades at a certain location is too low and for delivery to the paper/board machine.

13. A system according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the system comprises data management devices for gathering the quantities of doctor blades together from all different inventory locations and for transferring them to a doctor blade database, which processes the data and gives an alarm if the doctor blade situation at a certain location is below an action limit.

14. A system according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the system is disposed in connection with a doctor blade carriage, in which doctor blade carriage blade boxes are placed in desired positions and each carriage has measuring devices for taking a desired blade quantity and position sensors for identifying the doctor blade and means for storing the lengths of the doctor blades used in memory and a data transfer means connected to the memory for sending inventory data at predetermined intervals to the doctor blade manufacturer.

15. A system according to claim 14, characterized in that a GSM modem, a GPRS modem or equivalent is connected to a logic system of the blade carriage, which GSM modem, GPRS modem or equivalent sends inventory data on the doctor blades through a GSM network, a GPRS network or equivalent to a GSM modem, a GPRS modem or equivalent of the doctor blade manufacturer/supplier in order to process it by means of a computer program.

16. A system according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the system is disposed in connection with an automatic doctor blade store which has logic control for storing the quantity of the doctor blades used and a data transfer means for sending inventory data to the doctor blade manufacturer.

17. A system according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the system is disposed in connection with a doctor blade store, in which doctor blade store in connection with doctor blade boxes there is a proximity switch which detects any doctor blade box placed in the vicinity thereof, and that logic control for controlling the switch is disposed in connection with the doctor blade store, so that in connection with the store there is a system for detecting the presence/absence of the doctor blade box, and that the store has a data transfer means for transmitting information about the situation of the doctor blade box to the doctor blade manufacturer/supplier.

18. A system according to claim 17, characterized in that the doctor blade store comprises detecting devices for detecting the operation of the proximity switch.

19. A system according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the system is disposed in connection with a doctor blade store, in which doctor blade store in connection with doctor blade boxes there is an identification code by means of which each doctor blade is individually identified, and that in connection with the doctor blade store there is an identification code in connection with each position where a doctor blade is placed to individually identify the position, and that in connection with the doctor blade store, data management means are arranged, by which data management means the information about the doctor blades in the doctor blade store can be detected when a doctor blade is placed in the doctor blade store and when a doctor blade is removed from the doctor blade store, as well as means for transferring information to a data management system.