METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR CONTROLLING A MANUFACTURING LINE USED TO CONVERT A PAPER WEB INTO PAPER PRODUCTS BY READING MARKS ON THE PAPER WEB

• US 20150292155A1
• Filed: 04/14/2015
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GPCP IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products LP (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bomstad, Andrew G., Petersen, Thomas J., Schulz, Joseph A., Johnson, Gregory T., Gerrits, Mark F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,951,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 2203/22 Paper or cardboard
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 11/14 Making cellulose wadding, filter or blotting paper
• CPC Class Codes: D21G 9/0009 Paper-making control systems
• CPC Class Codes: D21G 9/0027 controlling the forming section
• CPC Class Codes: D21G 9/0045 controlling the calendering or finishing
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 19/68 uneven, broken, discontinuous
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 19/72 Coated paper characterised by the paper substrate
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 25/005 Mechanical treatment D21H25/08, D21H25/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 27/005 relating to physical or mechanical properties, e.g. tensile strength, stretch, softness
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/89 in moving material, e.g. running paper or textiles G01N21/90, G01N21/91, G01N21/94 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/61 Investigating the presence of flaws

Abstract

A converting line for producing a paper product. The converting line includes a paper web being unwound from a parent roll. The paper web has a plurality of sections with at least one mark having a paper rating assigned to each of the plurality of sections. The converting line also includes a mark reading unit that reads at least one of the plurality of marks on the paper web and produces a corresponding output. The converting line includes a controller that receives the output from the mark reading unit, and is configured: (i) to obtain the paper rating associated with the at least one mark read by the reading unit, and (ii) to change at least one operational parameter of the converting line based upon the paper rating. The converting line also includes a finisher. The paper web is fed to the finisher and converted into a paper product.

Claims

1. A converting line, having a plurality of operational parameters, for producing a paper product, the converting line comprising:

(a) a paper web being unwound from a parent roll, the paper web including (i) a plurality of sections, and (ii) a plurality of marks, at least one mark being assigned to each of the plurality of sections and each mark being associated with a paper rating;

(b) a mark reading unit that (i) reads at least one of the plurality of marks on the paper web, and (ii) produces a corresponding output from the at least one mark that has been read;

(c) a controller that receives the output from the mark reading unit, and is configured;

(i) to obtain the paper rating associated with the at least one mark read by the reading unit, and

(ii) to change at least one operational parameter of the converting line based upon the paper rating; and

(d) a finisher, the paper web being fed to the finisher and converted into a paper product.

2. The converting line of claim 1, wherein the paper web is unwound from the parent roll at a parent roll speed, and the controller changes the parent roll speed as the at least one operational parameter.

3. The converting line of claim 1, further comprising:

a first roller;

a second roller positioned opposite to the first roller; and

a nip formed between the first roller and the second roller, the paper web passing through the nip, wherein the nip has a plurality of nip parameters, and the controller changes at least one nip parameter as the at least one operational parameter.

4. The converting line of claim 1, further comprising:

a first roller; and

a second roller, the paper web being tensioned between the first roller and the second roller to a paper web tension, the controller changing the paper web tension as the at least one operational parameter.

5. The converting line of claim 1, further comprising a second paper web being unwound from a second parent roll, the controller switching from (i) feeding the paper web to the finisher to (ii) feeding the second paper web to the finisher, as the at least one operational parameter.

6. The converting line of claim 5, further comprising an unwind stand holding both the paper web and the second paper web, the unwind stand including a flying splice to switch from feeding one of the paper web and the second paper web to the finisher, the controller splicing between the paper web and the second paper web as the at least one operational parameter.

7. The converting line of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured (i) to obtain the paper rating for at least one section of the paper web that is a predetermined number of sections after the mark read by the reading unit and (ii) to change the at least one operational parameter of the converting line based upon the paper rating for the one section of the paper web that is a predetermined number of sections after the mark read by the reading unit.

8. The converting line of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to switch between (i) changing the at least one operational parameter based on an action input by an operator, and (ii) changing the at least one operational parameter based upon the paper rating.

9. The converting line of claim 1, wherein the paper web further includes web properties, the paper rating being based on an inter-relationship of the web properties in one of the plurality of sections of the paper web.

10. The converting line of claim 9, wherein the web properties include web defects.

11. The converting line of claim 10, wherein the web defects include at least one of a hole, a tear, a wrinkle, a web break, and a chemical coating streak.

12. The converting line of claim 9, wherein the web properties include at least one of moisture content, basis weight, and tensile strength.

13. The converting line of claim 9, wherein the paper rating is assigned based on the inter-relationship of the web properties in multiple, adjacent sections of the paper web.

14. The converting line of claim 13, wherein the paper rating is assigned by weighting each of the multiple, adjacent sections of the paper web.

15. The converting line of claim 1, wherein the paper rating includes type information and severity information.

16. The converting line of claim 15, wherein the type information includes at least one of a web break, a wrap, and quality.

17. The converting line of claim 15, wherein the severity information is a value from about 1 to about 10.

18. The converting line of claim 1, wherein the mark reading unit includes a light source to illuminate a portion of the paper web having the at least one of the plurality of marks and a camera to visually identify the at least one of the plurality of marks.

19. The converting line of claim 18, wherein the light source is an ultraviolet light source.

20. The converting line of claim 1, wherein the mark reading unit reads the at least one of the plurality of marks on the paper web as the paper web is being unwound from the parent roll.

21. The converting line of claim 20, wherein the mark reading unit is positioned downstream from the unwind stand and prior to the finisher.

22. The converting line of claim 20, wherein the mark reading unit is positioned at a bowed roll.

23. The converting line of claim 1, wherein the finisher includes a rewinder.

24. The converting line of claim 1, wherein the finisher includes a folder.

25. A method of controlling a converting line that produces a paper product, the method comprising:

(a) unwinding a paper web from a parent roll on a converting line, the converting line having a plurality of operational parameters, the paper web including (i) a plurality of sections, and (ii) a plurality of marks, at least one mark being assigned to each of the plurality of sections and each mark being associated with a paper rating;

(b) reading at least one of the plurality of marks with a mark reading unit;

(c) obtaining the paper rating associated with the at least one mark read by the reading unit;

(d) changing at least one operational parameter of the converting line based upon the obtained paper rating; and

(e) converting the paper web into a paper product.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising unwinding the paper web from the parent roll at a parent roll speed, wherein the changing step changes the parent roll speed as the at least one operational parameter.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the converting line comprises a first roller, a second roller positioned opposite to the first roller, and a nip formed between the first roller and the second roller, the nip having a plurality of nip parameters, the method further comprising passing the paper web through the nip, wherein the changing step changes at least one nip parameter as the at least one operational parameter.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the converting line comprises a first roller and a second roller, the method further comprising tensioning the paper web between the first roller and the second roller to a paper web tension, wherein the changing step changes the paper web tension as the at least one operational parameter.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising unwinding a second paper web from a second parent roll, wherein the changing step switches between converting (i) the paper web into the paper product and (ii) the second paper web into the paper product, as the at least one operational parameter.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the converting line further comprises an unwind stand that holds both the paper web and the second paper web, the unwind stand including a flying splice to switch from converting one of the paper web and the second paper web, wherein the changing step splices between the paper web and the second paper web, as the at least one operational parameter.

31. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

obtaining the paper rating for at least one section of the paper web that is a predetermined number of sections after the at least one mark read by the reading unit; and

changing the at least one operational parameter of the converting line based upon the paper rating of the one section of the paper web that is a predetermined number of sections after the at least one mark read by the reading unit.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising inputting a manual rating that overrides the paper rating.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the paper web further includes web properties, the paper rating being based on the inter-relationship of the web properties in one of the plurality of sections of the paper web.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the web properties include web defects.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the web defects include at least one of a hole, a tear, a wrinkle, a web break, and a chemical coating streak.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the web properties include at least one of moisture content, basis weight, and tensile strength.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the paper rating is assigned based on the inter-relationship of the web properties in multiple, adjacent sections of the paper web.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the paper rating is assigned by weighting each of the multiple, adjacent sections of the paper web.

39. The method of claim 25, wherein the paper rating includes type information and severity information.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the type information includes at least one of a web break, a wrap, and quality.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the severity information is a value from about 1 to about 10.