Optical fiber drawing apparatus and control method thereof

Abstract

The application relates to an optical fiber drawing equipment and a control method thereof. A tower break detection device is arranged between a positioning wheel and a traction disc. The tower break detection device comprises a tension detection component and a lifting component. The tower break detection device can accurately determine whether the optical fiber is broken in the drawing equipment. For the non-tower break condition, the optical fiber can be buffered through the structure of the tower break detection device, and the production parameters of the drawing tower do not need to be adjusted. The drawing tower can continue to produce the optical fiber during the tower break abnormality treatment, so that the production stability of the drawing tower is ensured. In addition, by further combining the limit switch in the take-up box, the position of the broken optical fiber can be automatically and accurately given by the whole equipment. The abnormality treatment time can be shortened, the abnormality treatment process is simplified, the production efficiency is improved, and the production cost is reduced.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application belongs to the field of optical fiber production line control technology, and in particular relates to an optical fiber drawing device and its control method. [Background Technology]

[0002] Optical fiber has wide applications in many fields. In the field of communications, it has become one of the infrastructures of modern communication networks, offering advantages such as long transmission distance, high transmission speed, strong anti-interference capability, high security, and high reliability. The current manufacturing method for optical fiber is as follows: First, an optical fiber preform is manufactured. This preform is then placed in a drawing machine and heated to soften it, drawing it into a very fine filament. Simultaneously, a material coating layer is added to the outside of the filament to enhance its flexibility and mechanical strength. The drawing machine is a crucial piece of equipment in this process, typically including a drawing tower and equipment that works with the tower to take in the optical fiber. The fiber is continuously pulled out of the drawing tower by a traction device, which contains various types of components.

[0003] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a wire drawing device in the prior art. The existing wire drawing device includes: a wire drawing tower 100, a positioning wheel 200, a traction disc 300, and a take-up machine 400. The optical fiber passes from the lower part of the wire drawing tower 100 through the positioning wheel 200 to the traction disc 300. The traction disc 300 passes through the hanging wheel to the take-up machine 400. The take-up machine 400 includes a dancing wheel, a take-up drum, and a limit switch that works with the dancing wheel. The specific structure of the traction disc 300 may include a main traction part and a main traction auxiliary wheel. The optical fiber is wound up by the traction device in conjunction with the positioning wheel 200, the take-up machine 400, and other mechanisms.

[0004] During the aforementioned process, the optical fiber may break. Breakage locations include within the drawing tower, between the drawing tower and the traction equipment, and between the traction equipment and the take-up drum in the take-up machine. Currently, the drawing tower primarily relies on the rotating wheel of the take-up machine in conjunction with a limit switch to determine tower breakage. When a fiber breakage occurs, the rotating wheel loses tension on the fiber, triggering the limit switch. The signal from the limit switch indicates the breakage. However, this method cannot accurately determine the location of the fiber breakage immediately, increasing processing time and reducing production efficiency. Furthermore, different breakage locations require different handling. For example, if a breakage occurs between the traction equipment and the take-up drum, there is no need to adjust the drawing tower's parameters. Currently, relying solely on the rotating wheel and limit switch to determine breakage does not precisely distinguish the specific breakage location. In all cases of breakage, the drawing tower is automatically adjusted. After handling special situations, the drawing tower parameters need to be restored, all of which contribute to reduced production efficiency.

[0005] Therefore, wire drawing equipment needs to make more accurate determinations about the break position and provide different automated processing plans for different break positions. [Summary of the Invention]

[0006] The purpose of this application is to provide an optical fiber drawing device and its control method, which can accurately determine the specific location of an optical fiber break in the optical fiber drawing device, and perform corresponding automated processing methods for breaks at different locations. Accurately providing information on the break location can reduce the time for fault finding, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing production costs.

[0007] The purpose of this application is achieved through the following technical solution: This application provides an optical fiber drawing device, including a drawing tower, a positioning wheel, a traction plate, and a take-up machine. The take-up machine includes a hanging wheel, a dancing wheel, and a take-up drum. A tower breakage detection device is provided between the traction plate and the positioning wheel. The tower breakage detection device includes a lifting rod, a lifting wheel, a first lifting auxiliary wheel, and a second lifting auxiliary wheel.

[0008] The lifting wheel is equipped with a tension detection component and a lifting component. The tension detection component monitors the tension of the lifting wheel, and the lifting component is used to drive the lifting wheel to move on the lifting rod.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first lifting auxiliary wheel and the second lifting auxiliary wheel are fixedly installed and are on the same horizontal plane.

[0010] In one embodiment, the positioning wheel, the first lifting auxiliary wheel, the second lifting auxiliary wheel, and the take-up end of the traction disc are located on the same horizontal plane.

[0011] In one embodiment, the take-up device further includes a limit switch, which works in conjunction with the dancing wheel to detect whether a fiber breakage has occurred.

[0012] In one embodiment, the optical fiber drawing equipment further includes a wire hanging wheel between the traction disc and the take-up machine, the drawing tower includes a wire diameter gauge and a PMD platform, and the number of positioning wheels is multiple.

[0013] This application also discloses a control method for an optical fiber drawing equipment. The optical fiber drawing equipment includes a drawing tower, a positioning wheel, a traction disc, and a take-up machine. The take-up machine includes a hanging wheel, a dancing wheel, and a take-up drum. After the optical fiber is drawn into a filament by the drawing tower, it passes through the positioning wheel, the tower breakage detection device, the traction disc, and the take-up machine in sequence.

[0014] The tower breakage detection device includes a lifting wheel, on which a tension detection component is installed. The tension detection component monitors the tension on the lifting wheel in the tower breakage detection device. When the tension on the lifting wheel is less than a set value, the traction disc stops working.

[0015] In one embodiment, a limit switch is provided in the take-up machine, and the limit switch, in conjunction with the dancing wheel, is used to detect whether a fiber breakage has occurred.

[0016] When the limit switch is triggered, the lifting component on the lifting wheel is controlled to drive the lifting wheel to move, thereby increasing the length of the optical fiber passing through the tower breakage detection device.

[0017] In one embodiment, a tower break alarm is issued when the traction disc stops working; a fiber break alarm is issued when the limit switch is triggered.

[0018] In one embodiment, after the traction disc stops working, the furnace temperature in the drawing tower is reduced.

[0019] In one embodiment, the traction disc stops rotating when the lifting wheel moves.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] 1. This application provides more accurate information on the specific location of the optical fiber breakage in the drawing equipment by adding a tower breakage detection device, thereby reducing the possibility of misjudgment.

[0022] 2. In the case of non-tower breakage, the optical fiber is buffered by the structure of the tower breakage detection device without adjusting the production parameters of the drawing tower, thus not affecting the operation of the drawing tower. The drawing tower can continue to produce optical fibers during the fiber breakage anomaly handling period, ensuring the production stability of the drawing tower.

[0023] 3. By accurately identifying the location of the fiber break, the time required for handling abnormalities can be shortened. Combined with automatic auxiliary processing of equipment, the abnormality handling process can be simplified, ensuring that operators can control more equipment at the same time, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing production costs. [Attached Image Description]

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of wire drawing equipment in the existing technology.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wire drawing device in one embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wire drawing equipment in a non-tower breakage state according to one embodiment of this application.

Detailed Implementation Methods

[0027] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to this application are shown in the accompanying drawings, not the entire structure. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0028] The terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, used in this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the steps or units listed, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0029] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0030] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the fiber drawing equipment in one embodiment of this application. A preferred embodiment of the fiber drawing equipment in this application can accurately determine the specific location where an optical fiber breaks. The fiber drawing equipment specifically includes a drawing tower 100, a positioning wheel 200, a traction disc 300, and a take-up machine 400. The take-up machine 400 includes a hanging wheel 410, a dancing wheel 430, and a take-up drum 420. A tower breakage detection device 500 is provided between the traction disc 300 and the positioning wheel 200. The tower breakage detection device 500 includes a lifting rod 510, a lifting wheel 520, a first lifting auxiliary wheel 530, and a second lifting auxiliary wheel 540. The first lifting auxiliary wheel 530 can cooperate with the positioning wheel 200 to guide the optical fiber to the lifting wheel 520, and the second lifting auxiliary wheel 540 guides the optical fiber on the lifting wheel 520 to the traction disc 300.

[0031] The lifting wheel 520 is equipped with a tension detection component and a lifting component. The tension detection component monitors the tension of the lifting wheel 520, and the lifting component drives the lifting wheel 520 to move on the lifting rod 510. In the above configuration, the lifting wheel 520 will be subjected to optical fiber tension. This tension value will remain constant unless a tower break occurs. The tension detection component on the lifting wheel 520 monitors this tension. If the tension does not decrease significantly, it indicates that the optical fiber has not broken in the drawing tower 100 or between the drawing tower 100 and the traction device. The tension detection component provides a normal feedback signal, and the system determines that no tower break has occurred. When a tower break occurs, the optical fiber will no longer be able to apply normal tension to the lifting wheel 520, and the optical fiber tension on the lifting wheel 520 will decrease significantly. When the tension detection component detects a significant decrease in tension, it indicates that a tower break has occurred. After determining that a tower break has occurred, the equipment can be automatically controlled to make adjustments, such as stopping the main traction or reducing the temperature of the drawing furnace.

[0032] For clarity, this application refers to the break point within the drawing tower 100 and between the drawing tower 100 and the traction device as a "tower break". The specific components of the drawing tower 100 are not specifically limited in this application. The drawing tower 100 can integrate components required for each step of optical fiber production, such as components for heating, measurement, cutting, threading, and curing. Examples include: a heating furnace, a wire diameter meter, a waste optical fiber collection device, a coating device, a curing furnace, and various auxiliary components. The focus of this application's improvement is not on the specific composition and structure of the drawing tower 100; any device capable of producing optical fibers can be broadly considered as the drawing tower 100 in this application. The drawing tower 100 may include other auxiliary wheels of various types and functions, possibly also for positioning. The positioning wheel 200 defined in this application refers to the positioning wheel 200 used to accurately position the optical fiber during its transition from the drawing tower 100 to the winding device.

[0033] In practical applications, the tension detection component and the lifting component can be integrated into a single component, which can realize tension detection and drive the lifting wheel 520 to lift on the same component. This simplifies the equipment structure and facilitates the repair and maintenance of the equipment.

[0034] Specifically, the first lifting auxiliary wheel 530 and the second lifting auxiliary wheel 540 are fixedly installed and are on the same horizontal plane.

[0035] Specifically, the positioning wheel 200, the first lifting auxiliary wheel 530, the second lifting auxiliary wheel 540, and the take-up end of the traction disc 300 are all located on the same horizontal plane. Since the location of the fiber breakage may be between the positioning wheel 200 and the traction disc 300, the horizontal arrangement of these components facilitates a direct visual judgment of the fiber breakage location. In addition, setting each position on a horizontal plane facilitates the threading of the optical fiber and also straightens the optical fiber, eliminating the need for the straightening roller component used in the prior art, thereby further simplifying the equipment structure.

[0036] Specifically, the take-up machine 400 also includes a limit switch, which works in conjunction with the dancing wheel 430 to detect whether a fiber breakage has occurred. The dancing wheel is designed to match the speed of the main traction wheel with the speed of the take-up drum 420. The limit switch can be located above the dancing wheel and connected to the control system. When a fiber breaks behind the traction disc 300, the dancing wheel 430 loses fiber tension and touches the line position switch 440. The limit switch then sends a relevant signal. If the fiber tension detected by the tower breakage detection device 500 does not change significantly, it can be determined that the fiber breakage occurs between the traction device and the take-up drum 420 in the take-up machine 400.

[0037] Specifically, the optical fiber drawing equipment also includes a wire-hanging wheel 410 between the traction disc 300 and the take-up machine 400. A buffer component may be included in front of the wire-hanging wheel 410. When the limit switch detects that the dancing wheel 430 has lost tension, the buffer component can be triggered to collect the optical fiber that has passed through the traction disc 300 on the buffer component. Specifically, an air suction device may be included to wind the optical fiber after the traction disc 300 onto the relevant component by suction, thereby performing preliminary collection of the optical fiber after the traction disc 300.

[0038] The wire drawing tower 100 includes a wire diameter gauge and a PMD platform. There are multiple positioning wheels 200. The wire diameter gauge is set between each component and the measured parameters are saved. It can provide real-time feedback on the processing of each component in the wire drawing tower 100 and prevent the production of defective products due to abnormal process duration.

[0039] This application also provides a control method for an optical fiber drawing device. The optical fiber drawing device includes a drawing tower 100, a positioning wheel 200, a traction disc 300, and a take-up machine 400. The take-up machine 400 includes a hanging wheel 410, a dancing wheel 430, and a take-up drum 420. After the optical fiber is drawn into a filament by the drawing tower 100, it passes sequentially through the positioning wheel 200, the tower breakage detection device 500, the traction disc 300, and the take-up machine 400.

[0040] The tower breakage detection device 500 includes a lifting wheel 520, on which a tension detection component is installed. The tension detection component monitors the tension on the lifting wheel 520 in the tower breakage detection device 500. When the tension on the lifting wheel 520 is less than a set value, the traction disc 300 stops working. This set value needs to be determined in conjunction with the specific wire drawing tower 100 and the traction disc 300. Generally, a tower breakage can be determined when the tension on the lifting wheel 520 is less than 2.5N. This set value can also be a proportion relative to the normal tension value. For example, a tower breakage is determined when the monitored tension is reduced by more than 40% relative to the tension value under normal conditions.

[0041] The tension of the lifting wheel 520 is monitored by a tension detection component installed on the lifting wheel 520. The lifting wheel 520 experiences a certain tension from the optical fiber, which remains constant as long as no tower breakage occurs. The tension detection component continuously monitors this tension value. When the tension value does not decrease significantly, the tension detection component provides a normal feedback signal, and the system determines that no tower breakage has occurred, indicating that the optical fiber has not broken in the drawing tower 100 or between the drawing tower 100 and the traction equipment, and normal production is maintained. When a tower breakage occurs, the optical fiber will no longer be able to apply normal tension to the lifting wheel 520, and the tension from the optical fiber on the lifting wheel 520 will decrease significantly. The tension detection component detects the significant decrease in tension and determines that a tower breakage has occurred. Based on the above determination, the equipment automatically controls the equipment to make adjustments, such as stopping the main traction and reducing the temperature of the drawing furnace. After making the relevant determination, an alarm is issued simultaneously to remind the operator to handle the abnormality.

[0042] Furthermore, the equipment can record data from other sensors and the operator's adjustments to handle anomalies. After collecting relevant parameters, detection results, and adjustments, the equipment can automatically match the operator's adjustments to the same or similar detection results when subsequent anomalies occur. This method can more accurately match anomaly handling methods and optimize automatic adjustments, avoiding other anomalies caused by mismatched adjustment parameters.

[0043] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of the drawing equipment in a non-tower breakage state in one embodiment of this application. A limit switch is provided in the take-up machine 400. The limit switch, in conjunction with the dancing wheel 430, is used to detect whether a fiber breakage has occurred.

[0044] When the limit switch is triggered, the lifting component on the lifting wheel 520 is controlled to drive the lifting wheel 520 to move, increasing the length of the optical fiber passing through the tower breakage detection device 500. Simultaneously, the tension monitored by the tension detection component shows no significant decrease when the limit switch is triggered. This indicates that the optical fiber breakage occurs between the traction device and the take-up drum 420 in the take-up machine 400. Since the breakage location is not between the drawing tower 100 and the traction plate 300, it indicates that there is no obvious abnormality in the optical fiber processing from the drawing tower 100 to the traction plate 300. At this time, if related processing is performed on the drawing tower 100 and the traction plate 300, it will affect the related processing and processing rhythm of the drawing tower 100 and the traction plate 300. Therefore, the best choice is not to stop the related processing of the drawing tower 100.

[0045] In the above situation, the lifting wheel 520 is driven to move on the lifting rod 510 by the lifting component. When the line position switch 440 determines that no tower breakage has occurred, but rather a fiber breakage has occurred between the traction disc 300 and the take-up machine 400, the lifting wheel 520 is moved. Specifically, the lifting wheel 520 can move upward on the lifting rod 510. This method allows for a reasonable arrangement of the equipment structure, satisfying tension detection while optimizing the spatial layout of the equipment. Due to the movement of the lifting wheel 520, the first lifting auxiliary wheel 530, the second lifting auxiliary wheel 540, and... The lifting rollers 520 can accommodate longer optical fibers, thus buffering the optical fibers within the tower breakage detection device 500. In addition, the tension on the lifting rollers 520 is monitored during the lifting process. While keeping the tension on the lifting rollers 520 basically constant, the lifting rollers 520 are raised. With the traction disc 300 stopped, the movement of the lifting rollers 520 can pull out the optical fiber under the same tension, providing the same or similar tension to achieve buffering. The length of the buffer can be set to the length of the buffer required for the longest time required to handle fiber breakage anomalies.

[0046] Specifically, when the traction disc 300 stops working, a tower break alarm is issued; when the limit switch is triggered, a fiber break alarm is issued. Different alarms are issued for different locations, allowing operators to quickly obtain the location information of the break upon receiving the relevant alarm. This directly reduces the time required for manual judgment of the fiber break location and decreases the possibility of incorrect judgment.

[0047] Specifically, after the traction disc 300 stops working, the furnace temperature in the drawing tower 100 is reduced. The traction disc 300 stopping here is based on a tower breakage, indicating that the abnormality is caused by a component between the drawing tower 100 and the traction disc 300. To prevent the abnormality from persisting, the equipment automatically adjusts; in this specific example, this could be by reducing the furnace temperature of the drawing tower 100. For other equipment that might cause related abnormalities, adjustments can also be made as needed.

[0048] Specifically, when the lifting wheel 520 rises, the traction disc 300 can stop rotating. The traction disc 300 pulls the optical fiber. When the fiber breakage location is not between the drawing tower 100 and the traction disc 300, the processing of the drawing tower 100 is not paused or adjusted. Instead, the optical fiber needs to be buffered. In the previous implementation method, a buffering component was provided after the traction disc 300, and a buffering method using the tower breakage detection device 500 was also provided. When buffering is performed using the tower breakage detection device 500, the traction disc 300 stops rotating. The lifting wheel 520 rises, and the optical fiber to be buffered is accommodated between the first lifting auxiliary wheel 530, the second lifting auxiliary wheel 540, and the lifting wheel 520. During abnormal handling, the rotation speed of the traction wheel can be adjusted to lead the optical fiber to the hanging wheel 410. The rotation speed of the traction wheel and the position of the lowering lifting wheel 520 are gradually adjusted. With the help of the tension detection component, the optical fiber is always pulled out of the drawing tower 100 under relatively stable tension. After the abnormal handling is completed, the lifting wheel 520 is put back into normal working condition.

[0049] As mentioned above, by setting up a tower breakage detection device including tension detection components and lifting components, the specific location of the fiber breakage in the fiber drawing equipment can be determined more accurately. In the case of non-tower breakage, the fiber can be buffered by the structure of the tower breakage detection device without adjusting the production parameters of the drawing tower. The drawing tower can continue to produce fiber during the fiber breakage anomaly handling, thereby ensuring the production stability of the drawing tower. In addition, by further combining it with the limit switch in the take-up box, the entire equipment can automatically and accurately indicate the location of the fiber breakage, which can shorten the anomaly handling time, simplify the anomaly handling process, improve production efficiency and reduce production costs.

[0050] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0051] The above embodiments merely illustrate several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An optical fiber drawing device, comprising a drawing tower (100), a positioning wheel (200), a traction disc (300), and a take-up machine (400), wherein the take-up machine (400) comprises a wire-hanging wheel (410), a dancing wheel (430), and a take-up drum (420), characterized in that, A tower breakage detection device (500) is provided between the traction disc (300) and the positioning wheel (200). The tower breakage detection device (500) includes a lifting rod (510), a lifting wheel (520), a first lifting auxiliary wheel (530), and a second lifting auxiliary wheel (540). The lifting wheel (520) is equipped with a tension detection component and a lifting component. The tension detection component monitors the tension of the lifting wheel (520) and determines whether a tower breakage has occurred. The lifting component is used to drive the lifting wheel (520) to move on the lifting rod (510). The take-up machine (400) also includes a limit switch (440). The limit switch (440) works in conjunction with the dancing wheel (430) to detect whether a fiber breakage has occurred.

2. The optical fiber drawing equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first lifting auxiliary wheel (530) and the second lifting auxiliary wheel (540) are fixedly installed and are on the same horizontal plane.

3. The optical fiber drawing equipment as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The positioning wheel (200), the first lifting auxiliary wheel (530), the second lifting auxiliary wheel (540), and the take-up end of the traction disc (300) are located on the same horizontal plane.

4. The optical fiber drawing equipment as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The fiber drawing equipment also includes a wire hanging wheel (410) between the traction plate (300) and the take-up machine (400), the drawing tower (100) includes a wire diameter gauge and a PMD platform, and the number of positioning wheels (200) is multiple.

5. A control method for an optical fiber drawing device, the optical fiber drawing device comprising a drawing tower (100), a positioning wheel (200), a traction disc (300), and a take-up machine (400), the take-up machine (400) comprising a hanging wheel (410), a dancing wheel (430), and a take-up drum (420), characterized in that, After being drawn into a filament by the drawing tower (100), the optical fiber passes through the positioning wheel (200), the tower breakage detection device (500), the traction disc (300), and the take-up machine (400) in sequence. The tower breakage detection device (500) includes a lifting wheel (520), on which a tension detection component is provided. The tension detection component monitors the tension on the lifting wheel (520) in the tower breakage detection device (500). When the tension on the lifting wheel (520) is less than a set value, the traction disc (300) stops working. A limit switch (440) is provided in the take-up machine (400), and the limit switch (440) is used in conjunction with the dancing wheel (430) to detect whether a fiber breakage has occurred; When the limit switch (440) is triggered, the lifting component on the lifting wheel (520) is controlled to drive the lifting wheel (520) to move, thereby increasing the length of the optical fiber passing through the tower breakage detection device (500).

6. The optical fiber drawing equipment control method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, When the traction disc (300) stops working, a tower break alarm is issued; When the limit switch (440) is triggered, a fiber breakage alarm is issued.

7. The optical fiber drawing equipment control method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, After the traction disc (300) stops working, the furnace temperature in the drawing tower (100) is reduced.

8. The optical fiber drawing equipment control method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, When the lifting wheel (520) moves, the traction disc (300) stops rotating.

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