Machine for the tobacco processing industry, method for embossing a flat part, rod-shaped segment and rod-shaped article for the tobacco processing industry, crimping device

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine (2) for the tobacco processing industry, to a method for embossing a flat part, to a rod-shaped segment (30), to a rod-shaped article for the tobacco processing industry, and to a crimping device (8). The machine (2) for the tobacco processing industry comprises a flat web supplying device (4), a strand forming unit and either a crimping device (8) or a separating device (34). The machine (2) furthermore comprises an embossing device (6), which is arranged either upstream or downstream of the crimping or separating device (8, 34).

Description

[0001] Machine of the tobacco processing industry, method for embossing a flat part, rod-shaped segment and rod-shaped article of the tobacco processing industry, crimping device

[0002] Description

[0003] The invention relates to a machine for the tobacco processing industry, comprising a flat web supply device, a strand forming unit, and optionally a crimping device or a separating device. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for embossing a flat part, comprising the following steps: providing a flat web made of an aerosol-forming material for the tobacco processing industry, crimping the flat part, wherein crimp lines extending in the longitudinal direction of the flat part are introduced into the flat part, or separating the flat part into a plurality of strips, forming a strand for the tobacco processing industry from either the crimped flat part or from the plurality of strips.The invention also relates to a rod-shaped segment of the tobacco processing industry, comprising aerosol-forming material of the tobacco processing industry, wherein the material is a crimped flat sheet, a flat sheet separated into a plurality of strips, or a flat sheet shredded into small pieces, wherein the flat sheet has a three-dimensional structure created by embossing. The invention further relates to a rod-shaped article of the tobacco processing industry. Finally, the invention relates to a crimping device.

[0004] Rod-shaped articles from the tobacco processing industry can be so-called heat-not-burn (HNB) products. Such articles are heated in a smoking device, causing flavorings to escape from an aerosol-forming material from the tobacco processing industry into an air stream that can be delivered to a consumer. No combustion occurs during this process. The temperature of the aerosol-forming material is kept below its ignition temperature.

[0005] Tobacco-containing material can be used as the aerosol-forming material, for example, reconstituted tobacco material (RECON), which is provided in the form of foils or generally flat sheets, for example, on reels. However, a flat sheet made from a material from the tobacco processing industry does not necessarily have to contain tobacco material; it can also be made from corn. The aerosol-forming material is usually provided with an aerosol-forming additive. Flavorings can also be added.

[0006] The aerosol-forming material is provided in a tobacco rod of a rod-shaped article. In the context of this description, the term "tobacco rod" is not to be understood as being limited to the use of tobacco material. The tobacco rod is assembled in the rod-shaped article with other rod-shaped segments, such as filter segments, cooling sections, or flavor-influencing segments, to form a ready-to-use rod-shaped article for the tobacco processing industry and is then secured with a wrapping strip.

[0007] The flat web used in the tobacco processing industry to produce tobacco rods can, for example, be separated into a multitude of individual strips using a separating device. One such separating device is known, for example, from DE 1 954 036 A1. This separating device is a cutting device, because the flat web is cut lengthwise into parallel strips using a circular knife device. The strips are then combined into a strand and enclosed in a wrapping. The strand produced in this way is then cut into rod-shaped segments of the desired length and further processed accordingly. Another separating device, with which a flat web of reconstituted tobacco material can be separated into a multitude of strips, is known from DE 10 2018 106 826 A1.In this device, the flat web is separated into individual strips along predetermined dividing lines by overstretching the flat web locally and transversely to the dividing line to such an extent that it tears apart along the dividing line.

[0008] As an alternative to producing the tobacco rod from individual strips, it can be made from a crimped and gathered flat strip. Crimp lines are first introduced into the flat strip using a crimper. The crimped flat strip is then gathered transversely to its longitudinal direction, and a strand is then formed from the gathered flat strip. The gathering of the flat strip is assisted by the multitude of crimp lines, which run at least approximately along the longitudinal direction of the flat strip. The crimp lines deliberately form local weak points within the flat strip, so that it can be folded or gathered more easily along these crimp lines during gathering. A device in which a flat strip is crimped and then gathered to form a strand is known as an example from WO 2016 / 071267 A1.

[0009] During the gathering of the flat sheet or during later use, it can happen that the flat sheet breaks along the crimping lines and thus separates into strip-like fragments. These strip-like fragments are present in the manufactured tobacco rod. A tobacco rod made from individual strips already contains a large number of individual strips. Occasionally, it is observed in tobacco rods that the strip-like fragments or the individual strips shift in the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod. These can, for example, emerge at the head end or shift towards the center of the rod-shaped article, for example into a filter segment or a cooling section. Such slipping or shifting occurs, for example, when a heating mandrel is inserted into the tobacco rod to heat it. Such shifts of the material within the tobacco rod are generally undesirable.

[0010] It is an object of the invention to provide a machine for the tobacco processing industry, a method for embossing a flat part, a rod-shaped segment for the tobacco processing industry, and a rod-shaped article for the tobacco processing industry, wherein the quality of the tobacco rod that can be produced with such a machine, as well as a crimping device or such a method, or of the tobacco rod contained in the articles, is to be improved compared to conventional products.

[0011] The object is achieved by a machine of the tobacco processing industry, comprising a flat web supply device, a strand forming unit and optionally a) a crimping device or b) a separating device, wherein the flat web supply device is designed to provide a flat web made of a material of the tobacco processing industry, and a) if the machine comprises the crimping device, the crimping device comprises a first and a second crimping roller, each with a surface that is structured at least in sections in the transverse direction of the roller, wherein the structured surfaces of the crimping rollers engage with one another in such a way that crimp lines running in the longitudinal direction of a flat part that can be passed between the crimping rollers can be introduced, b) if the machine comprises the separating device, the separating device comprises a first and a second separating roller, wherein the separating rollers interact in such a way,that a flat part which can be passed between the separating rollers can be separated into a plurality of strips, wherein the strand forming unit is designed to form a strand of the tobacco processing industry optionally from the crimped flat part or from the plurality of strips, further developed in that the machine further comprises an embossing device with at least one embossing roller which cooperates with a counter bearing, wherein the embossing roller and the counter bearing are designed to locally deform a flat part which can be passed between the embossing roller and the counter bearing and thus to emboss a three-dimensional structure into the flat part, wherein,

[0012] I.) the embossing device is arranged between the flat web supply device and optionally a) the crimping device or b) the separating device, wherein the passable flat part is the embossed flat web, and the crimping device is designed to introduce crimp lines running in the longitudinal direction of the embossed flat web as a flat part, or the separating device is designed to separate the embossed flat web as a flat part into a plurality of strips, or

[0013] II.) the embossing device is arranged optionally between a) the crimping device or b) the separating device and the strand forming unit, and a) if the machine comprises the crimping device, the flat part that can be passed through is the crimped flat strip, and the embossing device is set up to emboss a three-dimensional structure onto the crimped flat strip as a flat part, or b) if the machine comprises the separating device, the flat part that can be passed through is the plurality of strips, and the embossing device is set up to emboss a three-dimensional structure onto the individual strips of the plurality of strips as a flat part.

[0014] Advantageously, the machine for the tobacco processing industry is flexible with regard to the material used or processed in the tobacco processing industry. In particular, the material in the tobacco processing industry is an aerosol-forming material in the tobacco processing industry. Furthermore, the material is particularly a tobacco-containing material, for example, reconstituted tobacco (RECON).

[0015] By embossing the material provided in the form of a flat sheet, wherein the embossing is carried out optionally before or after crimping the flat sheet or before separating the flat sheet into the plurality of strips or on the plurality of strips, the quality of a rod made from this material and thus also of the tobacco rod made from the rod can be improved. As a result of the embossing, the material has improved properties. The three-dimensional structure created by the embossing causes the individual parts, in particular the strips of material present in the tobacco rod, to interlock, thereby stabilizing the material in the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod. The protrusion of individual parts, for example strips, from a head end of the tobacco rod, and likewise in the opposite direction, can advantageously be at least reduced, if not prevented.Furthermore, the embossing increases the filling power of the material, which leads to a weight saving in the tobacco rod. These advantageous product properties can be realized flexibly with the machine and thus advantageously for different materials from which the tobacco rod is constructed or manufactured. Both the flat web and the crimped flat web or flat web separated into strips can be processed accordingly. If the machine comprises the crimping device, the first and the second crimping roller are each designed in particular to be rotationally symmetrical so that endless crimp lines can be introduced into the flat part through which it can be passed using the crimping rollers. The embossing device comprises in particular an embossing roller that is not designed in a rotationally symmetrical manner. The three-dimensional structure that is embossed into the flat part by the embossing roller comprises individual, in particular separate, elevations or embossments that are spatially limited.In the context of the present description, such a structure created by local deformation shall be referred to as a three-dimensional structure.

[0016] According to an advantageous embodiment, the machine is further developed in that it further comprises a pressure force sensor device which is designed to measure a contact pressure between the embossing roller and the counter bearing.

[0017] By measuring the embossing pressure or contact pressure, the embossing process can be monitored with regard to the desired quality, for example the intensity or height of the embossing. Quality monitoring not only affects the embossing process itself, but also includes indirect error detection. By monitoring the contact pressure, it can be monitored whether embossing is always carried out with the desired embossing force or pressure, so that the desired intensity of embossing is always achieved. Based on the measured value for the contact pressure, indirect monitoring of the production process can be realized. If an error occurs in the production process in which the flat web accumulates in the embossing gap, for example, wraps around the embossing roller because the flat web adheres to the base of the embossing roller, the pressure measured on the embossing device increases within a very short time.This is the case because, after at most one revolution of the embossing roller, to which the flat web or parts of it are adhered, twice the material thickness enters the embossing gap. At this moment, a very sudden, step-like or stair-like increase in embossing pressure can be detected. Such an event can be interpreted as an indication of the described error. The production process can be checked and, if necessary, stopped.

[0018] Furthermore, adjusting the stamping pressure allows the stamping process to be adapted to fluctuating sheet quality, for example, to fluctuations in the sheet's material thickness. Adjustments to the hardness or strength of the sheet can also be made based on a measured stamping pressure. A soft and highly ductile sheet is generally easier to stamp than a correspondingly harder and less ductile material. By adjusting the stamping pressure, physical parameters of the final product, such as its hardness or tensile strength, can be adjusted.

[0019] In summary, the measured value of the embossing pressure offers a variety of possibilities to improve or monitor the quality of the embossing process.

[0020] According to an advantageous embodiment, the machine is further developed in that the pressure force sensor device is configured to transmit a measured value of the contact pressure to a contact pressure processing unit, which is configured to evaluate the measured value, wherein the contact pressure processing unit is configured to issue a warning message when a predetermined or predeterminable limit value for the contact pressure is exceeded or to reduce a contact pressure between the embossing roller and the counter bearing by means of a further included contact pressure adjustment device.

[0021] The counterbearing is, in particular, a counterroller. The embossing device can therefore comprise an embossing roller and a counterroller interacting with it. The contact pressure is measured, for example, using one or more suitable pressure force sensors on the embossing device. The measured contact pressure value can be made available to the machine control system so that it knows the current embossing pressure at all times. The processing unit can therefore be implemented as part of the machine control system. In the event of a sudden increase in contact pressure during ongoing production, once a corresponding predefined or predefinable limit is exceeded, the contact pressure can either be reduced or a warning message can be issued. Based on the warning message, the production process can, for example, be stopped.

[0022] According to further embodiments, different limit values ​​are defined for different measures or actions. For example, upon reaching a first and lower limit value, the contact pressure can initially be reduced. If the contact pressure exceeds a second and higher limit value or reaches the first limit value again despite a previous reduction in the contact pressure, and in particular within a predeterminable period of time (i.e., there is a sudden increase in the contact pressure), production can be stopped or a corresponding warning message can be issued. A machine operator can stop production, and the products produced during the shutdown time can be ejected. A suitable pressure force sensor device is, for example, a so-called pneumatic bridge.

[0023] By reducing the contact pressure or issuing a warning message, it can be ensured that no unembossed or underembossed products enter further production. Quality control thus takes place during ongoing operations and requires minimal equipment.

[0024] In addition to reducing the contact pressure, it can also be increased. If the contact pressure value falls below a specified limit (for example, after the contact pressure was previously reduced), the contact pressure can be increased again. In other words, feedback control of the contact pressure can be provided on the machine side so that it can always be kept within a desired parameter range. If the contact pressure between the embossing roller and the counter bearing is not within the desired parameter range, it can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the contact pressure. Products manufactured during a period in which the embossing pressure lies outside the desired parameter range can be automatically rejected.

[0025] As already mentioned above, the flat sheet material can be made of an aerosol-forming material from the tobacco processing industry. It is also possible for a non-aerosol-forming material from the tobacco processing industry to be used, for example, to produce classic tobacco products from RECON material. The use of an aerosol-forming material is therefore by no means mandatory. The material from the tobacco processing industry can be RECON material, which can be provided with aerosol-forming additives, for example glycerin and / or propylene glycol. The material can also be a film material, such as filter material, filter fleece, or a tobacco-free film. Even a tobacco-free material can be provided with additives, such as nicotine, glycerin, and / or propylene glycol.A so-called tobacco substitute film, such as a corn-based material, can also be used as the flat sheet material. In many cases, such a material offers a suitable alternative to RECON material.

[0026] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the machine is further developed in that it further comprises a distance measuring device which is designed to measure a distance between the embossing roller and the counter bearing in the gap existing between them, and to transmit an associated measured value to a further included distance processing unit, further comprising a distance adjustment unit which is designed to change the distance between the embossing roller and the counter bearing, wherein in particular the distance processing unit is designed to control the distance adjustment unit in such a way that the distance between the embossing roller and the counter bearing is set to a predetermined or predeterminable target value.

[0027] Advantageously, a machine according to this design allows the distance between the embossing roller and the counterbearing to be adjusted to the thickness of the material being processed. This compensates for material fluctuations and allows consistent embossing to be achieved even for flat webs with varying material thicknesses.

[0028] For this purpose, the machine can be further developed according to a further embodiment in that it further comprises a material thickness measuring device which is designed to measure a material thickness of the flat web and to transmit an associated measured value to a further included material thickness processing unit, wherein the material thickness processing unit is designed to evaluate the measured value for the distance between the embossing roller and the counter bearing as well as the measured value for the material thickness and to control the distance adjustment unit in such a way that the distance between the embossing roller and the counter bearing can be changed depending on the material thickness of the flat web.

[0029] The material thickness measuring device can, for example, be an optical measuring device that measures the material thickness of the flat sheet in transmission. Specifically, the intensity of a transmitted light beam can be measured. Alternatively or additionally, the air flow through the material can also be used for the thickness measurement. Such a measurement of air permeability or air flow is used, for example, for filter material, which already exhibits high air permeability in its initial, unembossed state.

[0030] The material thickness of the flat sheet is, in particular, a thickness of the flat sheet measured in a direction at least approximately perpendicular to a surface of the flat sheet. The material thickness can also be an average thickness of the flat sheet measured over several different points on the flat sheet.

[0031] According to a further embodiment, the machine is further developed in that the embossing device comprises a needle roller as an embossing roller, which interacts with the counter bearing in such a way that holes are made in the flat part when embossing it.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the embossing roller can therefore be designed as a needle roller. The counter roller, which is provided, for example, as a counter bearing, can be provided with corresponding grooves into which the needles of the needle roller engage. Furthermore, it is provided that both the embossing roller and the counter roller are needle rollers, which comprise both needles and grooves. In such an embodiment, the needles of one roller engage in the grooves of the other roller, for example, the needles of the embossing roller engage in the grooves of the counter roller, and vice versa, the needles of the counter roller engage in the grooves of the embossing roller. With the aid of such an embossing device, whose embossing rollers or whose embossing roller and counter bearing are designed as needle rollers, holes can be specifically introduced into the flat part. Such perforated material can be used to adjust the air flow through the material in the finished product.In addition, the piercing of the material creates small local craters where the material of the flat part is or is being pressed out. This increases the likelihood that the strips or crimped material, or fragments thereof, will become entangled within the tobacco rod, thus immobilizing the parts against movement in the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod. Furthermore, the degree of piercing can be used to adjust physical parameters of the final product, such as its hardness or draw resistance.

[0033] Regardless of the type of embossing, the embossing roller can be dimensioned to produce embossings of a predetermined height. According to such an embodiment, the machine is further developed in that it has an embossing roller that interacts with the flat part to be embossed, imprinting the three-dimensional structure on the flat part. These elevations, with a height between 5 μm and 300 μm, rise from an at least approximately cylindrical surface of the embossing roller.

[0034] The specified height of the embossed protrusions has proven to be advantageous in practice in order to effectively prevent longitudinal displacement of the strip-like material parts in the tobacco rod.

[0035] Furthermore, it is provided in particular that the elevations, viewed in plan view of the lateral surface, have at least approximately a circular shape, wherein a diameter of the elevations is between 0.4 mm and 1.4 mm, in particular between 0.4 mm and 0.8 mm.

[0036] The raised areas can be point-like, cylindrical, or crater-shaped. The diameter of the raised areas is chosen to be smaller than the width of a strip or a crimp width, i.e., the distance between adjacent crimp lines. Otherwise, the embossing would create a predetermined breaking point in the material, which is something we want to avoid.

[0037] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the machine is further developed in that the embossing roller has at least a first section and a second section which is different therefrom, wherein in the first section there are elevations on the outer surface which imprint the three-dimensional structure on the flat part, and in the second section there are no elevations on the outer surface, so that no three-dimensional structure is imprinted on the flat part by the second section of the embossing roller.

[0038] Such a design of the embossing roller allows for further flexibility of the manufacturing process and enables optimization of the product properties.

[0039] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the machine is further developed in that the embossing roller comprises a height-adjustable core and outer spacer rings arranged on both end faces of the core, wherein the core, in cooperation with the counter-bearing, locally deforms the flat part and thus imprints the three-dimensional structure thereon, and the spacer rings cooperate with the counter-bearing in such a way that they define a minimum distance between the embossing roller and the counter-bearing.

[0040] The spacer rings are designed similarly to the bearer rings used in printing technology. However, unlike the bearer rings used in printing technology, the spacer rings primarily serve to maintain a certain distance or minimum distance between the core of the embossing roller and the counter bearing, rather than to provide mechanical drive through friction.

[0041] The central roller body can be adjusted in 0.5 pm increments, for example. By adjusting the core of the embossing roller, the embossing gap can be adjusted while maintaining a preset embossing pressure. Both the embossing pressure and the size of the embossing gap can be adjusted with feedback, for example, depending on the material thickness of the flat part to be processed. Another option for feedback control is measured values ​​from a downstream quality evaluation of the embossing process, which is carried out based on an embossing profile measurement. This will be explained in more detail below.

[0042] According to a further embodiment, the machine is further developed in that it comprises an embossing roller monitoring device which is designed to detect adhesions of the flat part on a surface of the embossing roller, in particular in a region of the embossing roller which lies outside an interaction region with the counter bearing.

[0043] The embossing roller monitoring device is, for example, an optical monitoring device, or, for example, an imaging camera system that interacts with an image evaluation device. With the help of such an optical monitoring system, it can be determined whether there are any deposits on a surface of the embossing roller.

[0044] According to a further embodiment, the machine comprises a cleaning device that interacts with the embossing roller. This cleaning device is designed to remove adhesions of the flat part from the surface of the embossing roller, for example, by means of suitable scraping elements.

[0045] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the machine is further developed by an embossing device, wherein said device comprises a first embossing roller which cooperates with a first counter-bearing and a second embossing roller which cooperates with a second counter-bearing, wherein the first embossing roller and the first counter-bearing are designed to locally deform the flat part which can be passed through between the first embossing roller and the first counter-bearing in such a way that a first three-dimensional structure is embossed thereon, and the second embossing roller and the second counter-bearing are designed to locally deform the flat part which can be passed through between the second embossing roller and the second counter-bearing in such a way that a second three-dimensional structure is embossed thereon.

[0046] The general remarks already made regarding the counter bearing apply to the first and second counter bearings; they are, in particular, counter rollers. For example, the first pair of rollers is arranged directly upstream of the second pair of rollers. The first and second three-dimensional structures can be different, i.e., produce different embossing patterns. The possibility of implementing two different embossing patterns in the flat part allows for further flexibility in the manufacturing process.

[0047] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the machine further comprises a web edge control for controlling a position of a web edge of the flat part immediately upstream of the embossing device, wherein the web edge control is designed to align the three-dimensional structure embossed into the flat part in such a way that, if the machine comprises the crimping device, the three-dimensional structure has a distance of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm, to be determined transversely to the material flow direction, from crimp lines introduced into the flat part by the crimping device, and, if the machine comprises the separating device, the three-dimensional structure has a distance of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm, to be determined transversely to the material flow direction, from a respective side edge of the strips produced by the strip separating device.

[0048] As already mentioned, the embossing, for example a single elevation which is part of the embossed pattern, can become a predetermined breaking point, for example in the strip material or a crimped flat part. To avoid this, the aforementioned distances to the edges are maintained. For this purpose, appropriate web edge control can be provided. This is preferably arranged immediately upstream of the embossing device in such a way that, as the flat part passes through, it can only shift between the web edge control and the embossing device transversely to the conveying direction by an amount which lies below a tolerance value. The web edge control can therefore be used to effectively place the embossing. The stated values ​​by which the corresponding three-dimensional structures are spaced from the side edges have proven advantageous in practice.

[0049] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the machine further comprises an embossed profile measuring device which is designed to detect at least in sections the three-dimensional structure introduced into the flat part by the embossing device.

[0050] The embossing profile measuring device may be, for example, a camera unit, in particular a stereoscopic camera unit, a sensor for height profile measurement, for example, a laser triangulation measuring device, each including appropriate evaluation units. With the aid of such a sensor system, the embossing applied by the embossing device can be recorded quantitatively and qualitatively. Based on the measured values ​​acquired in this way, the size of the embossing gap and / or embossing pressure can be controlled and / or regulated, in particular with feedback.

[0051] A feedback control or regulation can further be carried out based on the measured value of a measuring device, wherein according to a further embodiment the machine comprises such a measuring device and this is designed to measure at least one physical parameter of the strand or of a rod-shaped article which is produced using a segment cut to length from the strand, in particular to measure a tensile resistance and / or a mechanical hardness of the strand or article, and based on the measured value thus acquired, a distance adjustment unit which is designed to change the distance between the embossing roller and the counter bearing and / or a contact pressure adjustment device which is designed to change, control or regulate a contact pressure between the embossing roller and the counter bearing.

[0052] The measuring device, for example, is a so-called measuring tower. Such a system includes a gripper with which products are removed at regular intervals, for example, from a viewing area, and then mechanically placed into the measuring tower.

[0053] In the measuring tower, which is designed and configured as a measuring device for detecting at least one physical parameter of the strand or a rod-shaped article, the tensile strength or mechanical hardness of a rod-shaped article, for example, can be measured as a physical parameter. If this physical parameter is not within the desired parameter range, appropriate adjustment can be made, for example, by changing the width of the embossing gap or the embossing pressure.

[0054] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the flat web supply device is designed to provide a first flat web made of a first material from the tobacco processing industry and a second flat web made of a second material from the tobacco processing industry, wherein the embossing device is arranged between the flat web supply device and optionally the crimping device or the separating device, and the passable flat part is a multi-layer flat web in which the first and the second flat web are arranged one above the other.

[0055] Combining multiple flat sheets, for example, allows the production of a heat-not-burn product comprising a RECON film or other carrier material as the first material and a flavor carrier film containing, for example, nicotine, glycerin, and / or propylene glycol as the second material. The flavors and aromas can be more easily incorporated into this second material than into the carrier material, which is why such a combination is desirable. By processing two flat sheets together, the technical problems that often arise when processing flavor carrier films can be overcome. These are often designed as gel films, which, for example, have extremely low tensile strength and are also quite sticky and therefore difficult to process.

[0056] In particular, it is provided that the second flat web, for example a flavor carrier film such as a gel film or the like, can be embedded in two flat webs of the first material, for example RECON films. In this context, the second flat web can be embedded between two separate partial webs of the first flat web. Alternatively, the first flat web can be folded lengthwise, with the second flat web being inserted into the resulting fold. For example, a gel film is wrapped in a RECON film so that RECON material is located on the respective outer side of the resulting composite. In this way, the sometimes sticky flavor carrier film does not come into direct contact with the processing machine.When embossing such a composite material, a reliable bond is advantageously created between the first and second materials, for example, between a RECON flat sheet and a gel flat sheet, which significantly simplifies processing. The required embossing force and / or the size of the embossing gap can be slightly increased, for example, compared to embossing single-layer films.

[0057] According to a further embodiment, the embossing device is used to connect an outgoing flat web to another flat web in the manner of a splicer.

[0058] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the machine is further developed in that the embossing roller is mounted so as to be rotatable about a first embossing rotation axis and the counter bearing is mounted so as to be rotatable about a second embossing rotation axis and the embossing roller and / or the counter bearing are / is guided so as to be freely displaceable in a displacement direction transverse to the respective embossing rotation axis, further comprising an embossing pressure device which is designed to exert an embossing force on the embossing roller and / or the counter bearing opposite to the displacement direction, so that the flat part can be subjected to the embossing force.

[0059] According to a further embodiment, it is further provided that, if the machine comprises the crimping device, the first crimping roller is mounted so as to be rotatable about a first crimping rotation axis and the second crimping roller is mounted so as to be rotatable about a second crimping rotation axis and the first and / or the second crimping roller are / is guided so as to be freely displaceable transversely to their respective crimping rotation axis, further comprising a crimping pressure device which is designed to exert a crimping force on the first and / or the second crimping roller opposite to the direction of displacement, so that the flat part can be subjected to the crimping force.

[0060] The embossing pressure device and / or the crimping pressure device is, for example, a device or are devices that are operated pneumatically or hydraulically. The pressure devices can be actively controlled and / or regulated, or they can operate purely passively, for example, using one or more springs that provide the embossing force and / or the crimping force. The embossing roller and / or the counterbearing, as well as the first crimping roller and / or the second crimping roller, are freely displaceable against the embossing force or against the crimping force, in a direction opposite to the direction of displacement. Of course, this displacement has design limits. Within these limits, however, the displacement occurs freely and unhindered as soon as the embossing force or the crimping force is overcome.Advantageously, with a suitably designed embossing or crimping device, the devices can respond flexibly to different material thicknesses of the processed flat part. By exerting the embossing force or crimping force on the flat part, the corresponding embossing or crimping of the flat part can be achieved. If, for example, a section of greater material thickness enters the embossing device or crimping device, the embossing roller and / or the counter bearing and, in the case of the crimping device, the first and / or second crimping roller can flexibly deflect if the corresponding embossing force or crimping force is exceeded. The embossing or crimping of the compartment part is weaker in the section of increased material thickness, relative to the overall thickness of the material, which, however, has a beneficial effect on the production process.For example, the tearing of the flat part that often occurs with such material thickenings can be advantageously avoided. In the case of crimping, the material thickening leads to a reduced crimp due to the opening movement of the crimping roller pair caused by the increased material thickness. This, in turn, compensates for the increased tensile resistance in the rod-shaped segment or rod-shaped article made from such a material, which is caused by the increased amount of material.

[0061] According to an advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the embossing pressure device and / or the crimping pressure device are / is designed to provide a predetermined, in particular an adjustable, constant, and furthermore in particular independent of a displacement position in the displacement direction, embossing force and / or crimping force.

[0062] By adjusting the embossing force and / or crimping force, the intensity of the embossing or crimping can be adjusted. The embossing force and / or crimping force can be actively controlled and / or regulated, for example, if the embossing pressure device and / or the crimping pressure device are operated pneumatically or hydraulically. The embossing force and / or crimping force can be controlled or regulated, for example, based on a recorded measured value that is a measure of the embossing or crimping. Control or regulation based on product properties, for example of a rod-shaped article that has at least one segment produced from or using the embossed or crimped flat part, can also be provided. For example, the embossing force and / or crimping force can be controlled or regulated as a function of a tensile resistance.The constant stamping or crimping force, regardless of the displacement position, allows the stamping or crimping device to react flexibly to or process different material thicknesses of the flat part and at the same time ensure uniform processing of the flat part (even with different material thicknesses).

[0063] According to a further embodiment, it is further provided that the machines have an embossing stop and / or a crimping stop, wherein the embossing stop is configured to define a minimum distance between the embossing roller and the counter bearing, and wherein the crimping stop is configured to define a minimum distance between the first and the second crimping roller.

[0064] A corresponding stop defines a minimum stamping gap or crimping gap. The stamping stop and / or crimping stop are specifically adjustable. The smaller the minimum gap width, the greater the maximum interaction of the stamping device and / or crimping device with the flat part. At the minimum stamping gap and / or crimping gap, the stamping force and / or crimping force acts against the corresponding stop.

[0065] The embossing stop can also be provided, in particular, by designing the embossing roller with a height-adjustable core and spacer rings arranged on both ends of the core. An embossing stop can also be provided elsewhere in the construction. Advantageously, the embodiments mentioned with regard to the embossing roller with a height-adjustable core can be combined with the previously mentioned embodiment.

[0066] According to a further embodiment, the machine further comprises a material thickness measuring device with a displacement and / or force sensor which is configured to measure a displacement of the embossing roller, the counter bearing, the first crimping roller and / or the second crimping roller and / or to measure a force that can be exerted by the embossing pressure device and / or the crimping pressure device, wherein the material thickness measuring device is configured to determine a material thickness of the flat part from a measured value for a degree of displacement and / or a measured value for an exertable force.

[0067] Advantageously, a machine according to this embodiment allows the material thickness of the flat part to be determined directly during processing. An upstream or downstream sensor for detecting the material thickness can be omitted, resulting in a structural simplification of the machine.

[0068] The force sensor used in the context of the aforementioned embodiment can, in particular, be the previously mentioned pressure force sensor device, which is configured to measure a contact pressure between the embossing roller and the counterbearing. The measured value of the contact pressure can thus be processed in the material thickness measuring device according to the aforementioned embodiment. The embodiments relating to the pressure force sensor device and the aforementioned embodiment relating to the material thickness measuring device can advantageously be combined with one another.

[0069] The displacement sensor can also be, in particular, the distance measuring device already mentioned above, which is configured to measure a distance between the embossing roller and the counterbearing in the gap between these two units. The measured value recorded by the distance measuring device can thus also be processed in the material thickness measuring device. With regard to the distance measuring device, the embodiments mentioned above or related developments can also be advantageously combined with the previously mentioned embodiment concerning the material thickness measuring device.According to a further advantageous embodiment, the measuring device already mentioned above, which is configured to measure at least one physical parameter of the strand or of a rod-shaped article produced using a segment cut to length from the strand, is configured to change an embossing force and / or crimping force. In particular, a feedback control loop is provided in this regard in order to optimize, for example, the pressure resistance and / or mechanical hardness of the strand or article detected as a physical parameter by the measuring device. Here, too, the aforementioned embodiments relating to the measuring device can advantageously be combined with the aforementioned embodiment relating to the material thickness measuring device.

[0070] The object is further achieved by a crimping device having a first crimping roller and a second crimping roller, each with a surface that is structured at least in sections in the transverse direction of the crimping roller, wherein the structured surfaces of the two crimping rollers engage with one another in such a way that crimping lines running in the longitudinal direction of a flat part that can be passed between the two crimping rollers, wherein the first crimping roller is mounted so as to be rotatable about a first crimping rotation axis and the second crimping roller is mounted so as to be rotatable about a second crimping rotation axis and the first and / or the second crimping roller are / is guided so as to be freely displaceable transversely to their respective crimping rotation axis, further comprising a crimping pressure device that is configured to exert a crimping force on the first and / or the second crimping roller in the direction of the displacement direction, such that the flat part can be acted upon by the crimping force.

[0071] The crimping device offers the same or similar advantages as those previously mentioned with regard to the machine comprising a crimping device with a movable first or second crimping roller, so repetition is omitted. The crimping device, in particular, also represents an independent solution to the problem of the invention in itself.

[0072] The crimping device can advantageously be further developed in that the crimping pressure device is designed to provide a predetermined, in particular an adjustable, constant, and furthermore in particular independent of a displacement position in the displacement direction, crimping force.

[0073] According to a further embodiment, the crimping device is further developed in that it further comprises a crimping stop, which is designed to define a minimum distance between the first and second crimping rollers.

[0074] According to a further embodiment, the crimping device is further developed by a material thickness measuring device with a displacement and / or force sensor configured to measure a displacement of the first crimping roller and / or the second crimping roller and / or to measure a force exerted by the crimping pressure device, wherein the material thickness measuring device is configured to determine a material thickness of the flat part from a measured value for a degree of displacement and / or a measured value for an exertable force. The object is further achieved by a method for embossing a flat part, wherein this method is further developed by the following steps: providing a flat sheet of an aerosol-forming material from the tobacco processing industry, a) crimping the flat part, wherein crimp lines extending in its longitudinal direction are introduced into the flat part, or b) separating the flat part into a plurality of strips,

[0075] Forming a rod of the tobacco processing industry from either the crimped flat part or from the plurality of strips, characterized by the following further steps: I.) Embossing the flat sheet as a flat part before step a) of crimping or before step b) of separating into strips or

[0076] II.) Embossing the crimped flat strip as a flat part according to step a) of the

[0077] Crimping or

[0078] Embossing the plurality of strips as a flat part after step b) of separating, wherein the embossing step is carried out with an embossing device in which at least one embossing roller interacts with a counter-bearing and, during the embossing, locally deforms the flat part and produces a three-dimensional structure in the flat part, and wherein, during the embossing step, an area enlargement of the flat part takes place which is between 5% and 25%, in particular between 8% and 14%, or the three-dimensional structure produced during the embossing step is formed by elevations which have a height between 5 pm and 300 pm, in particular between 5 pm and 25 pm, and which rise by this height from an at least approximately flat surface of the flat part.

[0079] The process for embossing a flat part essentially offers the same or similar advantages as those already mentioned with regard to the machine used in the tobacco processing industry, so repetition is unnecessary. The other advantageous aspects and development possibilities mentioned with regard to the device also apply to the process in the same or similar way.

[0080] The stated values ​​for the area increase of the flat strip, which occurs through the embossing process, or the height of the structure introduced during the embossing process, have proven to be advantageous in practice. These values ​​are advantageous in that the longitudinal displacement of individual strip-shaped elements in a tobacco rod produced using this method can be advantageously at least reduced, if not completely eliminated.

[0081] According to a further embodiment, the method is further developed in that a contact pressure between the embossing roller and the counter bearing is measured.

[0082] The counter bearing can in turn be a counter roller.

[0083] The method is further developed in that a measured value of the contact pressure is evaluated and, if a predetermined or predeterminable limit value for the contact pressure is exceeded, a warning message is issued or a contact pressure between the embossing roller and the counter bearing is reduced by means of a contact pressure adjustment device.

[0084] According to a further advantageous embodiment, it is further provided that a distance between the embossing roller and the counter bearing is measured in a gap existing between them and an associated measured value is processed, wherein a distance between the embossing roller and the counter bearing is changed, in particular the distance between the embossing roller and the counter bearing is set to a predetermined or predeterminable target value.

[0085] This method can be advantageously further developed by further measuring a material thickness of the flat web and evaluating an associated measured value for the material thickness together with the measured value for the distance between the embossing roller and the counter bearing, and on the basis of these measured values, the distance between the embossing roller and the counter bearing is changed depending on the material thickness of the flat web.

[0086] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the method can be used to create holes in the flat part during embossing. In particular, these holes lead to the formation of volcano-shaped elevations in the flat part.

[0087] According to a further embodiment, it is further provided that the embossing roller is monitored to determine whether adhesions of the flat part are present on a surface of the embossing roller, in particular in a region of the embossing roller that lies outside an interaction region with the counter bearing.

[0088] The method can be further developed in that the embossing step comprises a first and a second embossing step, wherein in the first embossing step a first three-dimensional structure is embossed and in the second embossing step a second three-dimensional structure different from the first is embossed.

[0089] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the method is further developed in that a web edge control is carried out to control a position of a web edge of the flat part immediately upstream of the embossing step, with the web edge control the flat part is aligned such that the three-dimensional structure embossed in the subsequent step is aligned such that if the flat web is crimped as a flat part, the three-dimensional structure has a distance of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm, to be determined transversely to the material flow direction, from crimp lines introduced into the flat web with the crimping device, and if the flat web is separated into strips, the three-dimensional structure has a distance of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm, to be determined transversely to the material flow direction, from a respective side edge of the strips produced with the separating device.

[0090] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the three-dimensional structure of the embossing is further recorded at least in sections. Furthermore, it is particularly provided that at least one physical parameter of the strand or of a rod-shaped article produced using a segment cut from the strand is measured, wherein, in particular, a tensile resistance and / or a mechanical hardness of the strand or article is measured. Based on the recorded measured value, a distance between the embossing roller and the counterbearing is changed and / or a contact pressure between the embossing roller and the counterbearing is changed.

[0091] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the method, it is provided that a first flat web made of a first material from the tobacco processing industry and a second flat web made of a second material from the tobacco processing industry are provided, and a multi-layer flat web is embossed in which the first and the second flat web are arranged one above the other.

[0092] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the method is further developed in that the embossing step is carried out with an embossing device whose embossing roller is mounted so as to be rotatable about a first embossing rotation axis and whose counter-bearing is mounted so as to be rotatable about a second embossing rotation axis, wherein furthermore the embossing roller and / or the counter-bearing are / is guided so as to be freely displaceable in a displacement direction transverse to the respective embossing rotation axis, wherein the embossing device further comprises an embossing pressure device which exerts an embossing force in the direction of the displacement direction on the embossing roller and / or the counter-bearing, so that the flat part is subjected to the embossing force.

[0093] With regard to the method for embossing the flat part, wherein the embossing roller and / or the counter bearing are freely movable, the same or similar advantages apply as those already mentioned with regard to a correspondingly designed machine, so that repetition will be avoided.According to a further advantageous embodiment, the method is further developed in that step a) of crimping is carried out with a crimping device which has a first crimping roller which is mounted so as to be rotatable about a first crimping rotation axis and a second crimping roller which is mounted so as to be rotatable about a second crimping rotation axis, wherein the first and / or the second crimping roller are / is guided so as to be freely displaceable transversely to their respective crimping rotation axis, wherein the crimping device further comprises a crimping pressure device with which a crimping force is exerted on the first and / or the second crimping roller in the direction of the displacement direction, so that the flat part is subjected to the crimping force.

[0094] With regard to the method for crimping the flat part with a crimping device whose first and / or second crimping roller is / are freely movable, the same or similar advantages apply as those already mentioned with regard to a correspondingly designed machine or crimping device.

[0095] According to one embodiment, the method is advantageously further developed in that the embossing pressure device and / or the crimping pressure device provides / provides a predetermined, in particular an adjustable, constant, and further in particular independent of a displacement position in the displacement direction, embossing force and / or crimping force.

[0096] According to a further embodiment, it is provided in particular that the embossing pressure device and / or the crimping pressure device further comprise an embossing stop and / or a crimping stop, wherein the embossing stop defines a minimum distance between the embossing roller and the counter bearing, and wherein the crimping stop defines a minimum distance between the first and the second crimping roller.The method is further developed in particular in that the embossing device and / or the crimping device has a material thickness measuring device with a displacement and / or force sensor, wherein the displacement sensor measures a displacement of the embossing roller, the counter bearing, the first crimping roller and / or the second crimping roller and / or the force sensor measures a force exerted by the embossing pressure device and / or the crimping pressure device and the material thickness measuring device determines a material thickness of the flat part from a measured value for a degree of displacement and / or a measured value for an exerted force.

[0097] The object is further achieved by a rod-shaped segment of the tobacco processing industry, comprising aerosol-forming material of the tobacco processing industry, wherein the material is a) a crimped flat sheet, b) a flat sheet separated into a plurality of strips, or c) a flat sheet cut into small pieces, wherein the flat sheet has a three-dimensional structure produced by embossing, characterized in that the flat sheet has experienced an increase in area by the embossing which is between 5% and 25%, in particular between 8% and 14%, or the three-dimensional structure is formed by elevations which have a height between 5 pm and 300 pm, in particular between 5 pm and 25 pm, and which rise by this height from an at least approximately flat surface of the flat sheet.

[0098] The same or similar advantages apply to the rod-shaped segment as previously mentioned with regard to the machine in the tobacco processing industry and the method for embossing a flat part.

[0099] The rod-shaped segment is particularly characterized by the fact that the existing structures, such as the crimped flat strip or the multitude of strips, are significantly less likely to slip in a longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped segment due to the three-dimensional embossed structure. For this reason, the rod-shaped segment is particularly suitable for the production of heat-not-burn articles.

[0100] According to an advantageous further development, the rod-shaped segment is characterized by a three-dimensional structure, in particular circular elevations in a plan view of a surface of the flat strip, which, if a) the material is a crimped flat strip, measured transversely to a longitudinal direction of the flat strip, have a distance to crimp lines present in the flat strip of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm, or if b) the material is a plurality of strips, measured transversely to a longitudinal direction of the strips, have a distance to a respective side edge of the strips of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm.

[0101] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the rod-shaped segment is further developed in that the material is a multi-layer flat sheet made of a tobacco-containing carrier flat sheet and a flavor carrier flat sheet provided with at least one additive, wherein in particular a tensile strength of the carrier flat sheet is greater than a tensile strength of the flavor carrier flat sheet.

[0102] Finally, the object is achieved by a rod-shaped article for the tobacco processing industry, comprising at least one rod-shaped segment according to one or more of the aforementioned embodiments. The same or similar advantages apply to the rod-shaped article as already mentioned with regard to the machine, the method, and the rod-shaped segment, so repetition is omitted.

[0103] Further features of the invention will become apparent from the description of embodiments of the invention together with the claims and the accompanying drawings. Embodiments of the invention may incorporate individual features or a combination of several features.

[0104] The invention is described below, without limiting the general inventive concept, using exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings, whereby express reference is made to the drawings for all details of the invention not explained in more detail in the text. They show:

[0105] FIGS. 1 to 4 are schematic views of various embodiments of a machine in the tobacco processing industry,

[0106] FIG. 5 shows a further schematically simplified view of a

[0107] Machine of the tobacco processing industry,

[0108] FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of an embossing roller designed as a needle roller,

[0109] FIG. 7 is a schematically simplified sectional side view of a lateral surface of an embossing roller rolled into a plane,

[0110] FIG. 8 is a schematically simplified sectional plan view of the outer surface of an embossing roller,

[0111] FIG. 9 is a schematically simplified view of an embossing roller and its counter bearing, viewed in the direction of material flow,

[0112] FIG. 10 is a schematically simplified side view of an embossing device with an embossing roller monitoring device, FIGS. 11 to 13 are schematic views of further embodiments of machines in the tobacco processing industry,

[0113] FIG. 14 is a schematically simplified side view of an embossing device and

[0114] FIG. 15 is a schematically simplified side view of a

[0115] Crimping device.

[0116] Within the scope of the invention, features marked with “in particular” or “preferably” are to be understood as optional features.

[0117] In the drawings, identical or similar elements and / or parts are provided with the same reference numbers, so that a repeated presentation is omitted.

[0118] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a machine 2 of the tobacco processing industry, which comprises a flat web supply device 4, an embossing device 6, a crimping device 8 and a strand forming unit 10. The flat web supply device 4 provides a flat web 12 made of a material from the tobacco processing industry. The flat web 12 is wound, for example, onto a bobbin 14. The bobbin 14 is received on a mandrel in the flat web supply device 4 and is unwound from the bobbin 14 by the flat web supply device 4. In order to provide the flat web 12 at the desired transport speed, the flat web supply device 4 comprises, for example, transport rollers (not shown). The material from which the flat web 12 is made can be tobacco-containing or tobacco-free material.Furthermore, the material can be provided with aerosol-forming additives such as glycerin and / or propylene glycol. For example, the flat sheet 12 should be made of reconstituted tobacco material (RECON).

[0119] The embossing device 6 comprises an embossing roller 16, which interacts with a corresponding counterbearing 18. For example, it is assumed that the counterbearing 18 is a counterroller. The embossing roller 16 and the counterbearing 18 are configured to locally deform the flat webs 12, which can be passed between the embossing roller 16 and the counterbearing 18 in an embossing gap, and to imprint a three-dimensional structure onto them.

[0120] The crimping device 8 comprises a first and a second crimping roller (not shown), each with a surface that is structured at least partially in the transverse direction of the roller. The structured surfaces of the crimping rollers interlock in such a way that crimping lines are introduced into the embossed flat web 20 guided between the crimping rollers, said crimping lines running in the longitudinal direction of the flat web. The crimping lines facilitate and assist the gathering of the embossed and crimped flat web 22, for example, at an inlet hopper 24 of the strand forming unit 10. The strand forming unit 10 is configured to form a strand 28 for the tobacco processing industry from the embossed and crimped flat web 22 in a schematically indicated format channel 26.

[0121] The machine 2 further comprises a knife device (not shown) configured to cut rod-shaped segments 30 from the strand 28 to length, suitable for the tobacco processing industry. The rod-shaped segments 30 can be processed into rod-shaped articles in further, not-shown, devices and processing steps. For this purpose, the rod-shaped segments 30 are often combined with other rod-shaped segments, for example, a cooling section, a spacer element, and a filter, for example, to form a tobacco product.

[0122] Fig. 2 shows another machine 2 from the tobacco processing industry, which is basically constructed similarly to the machine 2 shown in Fig. 1. Only the position of the embossing device 6 and the crimping device 8 has been reversed. The flat web 12 provided by the flat web supply device 4 is therefore first crimped in the crimping device 8, i.e. crimping lines running in the longitudinal direction of the flat web 12 are introduced into it. Further downstream, the crimped flat web 32 reaches the embossing device 6. This embosses a three-dimensional structure into the crimped flat web 32. The embossed and crimped flat web 22 then reaches the inlet funnel 24 of the strand forming unit 10 and is further processed as already explained in connection with Fig. 1.

[0123] Fig. 3 shows a further schematic representation of a machine 2 in the tobacco processing industry. As already known from the previous figures, a flat web 12 is provided by the flat web provision device 4. The flat web 12 reaches the embossing device 6, as in the machine 2 shown in Fig. 1. The embossed flat web 20 then reaches a separating device 34, not a crimping device 8, and in this respect the machine 2 shown in Fig. 3 differs from the machine shown in Fig. 1. The separating device 34 comprises a first separating roller 36 and a second separating roller 38, which interact in such a way that the embossed flat web 20 passed between the separating rollers 36, 38 is separated into a plurality of strips 40. The strips 40 are each embossed, i.e. they comprise a three-dimensional structure produced by local deformation.The separating device can, for example, be designed as described in DE 10 2019 125 295 A1.

[0124] The strips 40 then enter the inlet funnel 24 of the strand forming unit 10 and are further processed in its format channel 26 into a strand 28 for the tobacco processing industry. The machine 2 shown in Fig. 3 can also comprise a knife apparatus (not shown) with which rod-shaped segments 30 for the tobacco processing industry are cut to length from the strand 28. In contrast to the segments 30 produced with a machine as shown in Fig. 1 and 2, the rod-shaped segment 30 produced with the machine 2 shown in Fig. 3 does not comprise an embossed, crimped and gathered flat web, but rather a plurality of embossed strips 42. This rod-shaped segment 30 can also be further processed, for example with further rod-shaped segments, into an article for the tobacco processing industry, for example an HNB article.

[0125] Fig. 4 shows another machine 2 of the tobacco processing industry, which differs from the machine 2 known from Fig. 3 only in the arrangement of the embossing device 6 and the separating device 34. In this machine 2, a flat web 12 provided by the flat web supply device 4 first reaches the separating device 34. In the separating device 34, the flat web 12 is separated into a plurality of strips 40. The strips 40 move further downstream into the embossing device 6. In the embossing device 6, the strips 40 are locally deformed so that they receive an embossed three-dimensional structure. The embossed strips 42 move further downstream into the inlet hopper 24 of the strand forming unit 10 and are formed in its format channel 26 into a strand 28 of the tobacco processing industry. Rod-shaped segments 30 can be cut to length from this strand 28.

[0126] From the above-mentioned embodiments of Figs. 1 to 4, it can be seen that the embossing device 6 is located between the flat web supply device 4 and optionally the crimping device 8 or the separating device 34 (Figs. 1 and 3). Alternatively, the embossing device 6 is optionally arranged between the crimping device 8 or the separating device 34 and the strand forming unit 10 (Figs. 2 and 4).

[0127] Fig. 5 shows a further schematic view of a machine 2 of the tobacco processing industry, the basic elements of which have already been described in connection with the machine 2 of the tobacco processing industry shown in Fig. 3. The embossing device 6 comprises a pressure force sensor device 44 with which a contact pressure between the embossing roller 16 and the counter bearing 18 can be measured. The pressure force sensor device 44 is configured to transmit a measured value P of the contact pressure between the embossing roller 16 and the counter bearing 18 to a contact pressure processing unit 46. The contact pressure processing unit 46 is configured to evaluate the measured value P. If a predetermined or predefinable limit value for the contact pressure P is exceeded, the contact pressure processing unit 46 outputs a warning message.The contact pressure processing unit 46 can further be configured to generate a control signal S, which is transmitted to a contact pressure adjustment device 48. The contact pressure adjustment device 48 is configured to change a contact pressure between the embossing roller 16 and the counter bearing 18. The control signal S can be configured such that the contact pressure between the embossing roller 16 and the counter bearing 18 is reduced the moment the measured value P exceeds the predetermined limit value.

[0128] The machine 2 further comprises a distance measuring device 50, which is configured to measure a distance between the embossing roller 16 and the counterbearing 18 in the embossing gap existing between them. The associated measured value A for this distance is transmitted to a further comprised distance processing unit 52. A distance adjustment unit 54 is configured to change the distance between the embossing roller 16 and the counterbearing 18. For this purpose, a suitable control signal (not shown in Fig. 2) is again generated and transmitted to the distance adjustment unit 54. The distance processing unit 52 can be configured to control the distance adjustment unit 54 such that the distance between the embossing roller 16 and the counterbearing 18 is set to a predetermined or predeterminable target value.

[0129] The machine 2 further comprises a material thickness measuring device 56 configured to measure a material thickness of the flat web 12. For this purpose, a thickness of the flat web 12 can be measured in a direction oriented at least approximately perpendicular to a surface of the flat web 12. It is also possible, for example, to measure the thickness of the flat web 12 at several different locations and to calculate an average value from these individual measured values, which is then considered the measured value M of the material thickness. This measured value M is transmitted to a material thickness processing unit 58.The material thickness processing unit 58 is configured to evaluate the measured value A for the distance between the embossing roller 16 and the counter bearing 18 as well as the measured value M for the material thickness of the flat web 12 and to control the distance adjustment unit 54 such that the distance between the embossing roller 16 and the counter bearing 18 can be changed depending on the material thickness of the flat web 12.

[0130] Fig. 6 shows a schematic detailed view of the embossing device 6, as it can be used for embossing the flat web 12 or for embossing the strips 40. The embossing roller 16 is designed as a needle roller 60 and interacts with the counterbearing 18 such that holes can be made in the flat web 12 or the strips 40 during embossing. For this purpose, for example, the needles 62 of the embossing roller 16 engage in corresponding grooves 64 of the counterbearing 18.

[0131] Fig. 7 shows a schematic and simplified view of a jacket surface 68 of the embossing roller 16, rolled out into a plane and shown in sections. The embossing roller 16 has, for example, a jacket surface 68 that extends in the jacket surface of a cylinder. The embossing roller 16 comprises elevations 66 that interact with the flat web 12 or the strips 40. These elevations 66 imprint the three-dimensional structure on the flat web 12 or the strips 40. A first cylindrical elevation and a second hemispherical or point-shaped elevation 66 are shown as examples. These elevations 66 are arranged on the jacket surface 68 of the embossing roller 16. The elevations 66 have a height H that lies between 5 m and 300 pm. This height H of the elevations 66 is measured between the at least approximately cylindrical jacket-shaped jacket surface 68 of the embossing roller 66 and the free upper end of the elevations 66.

[0132] Fig. 8 shows a schematically simplified, sectional view of the lateral surface 68 of the embossing roller 16 in plan view. The elevations 66 have at least approximately a circular shape, with their diameter D being, for example, between 0.4 mm and 1.4 mm, and further, for example, between 0.4 mm and 0.8 mm.

[0133] According to a further embodiment, the embossing roller 16 is designed such that it has a first section 70 and a second section 72 that is different therefrom. In the first section 70, which is shown as an example for the outer surface 68 of the embossing roller 16 in Fig. 8, the embossing roller 16 has elevations 66. In the second section 72, for example, no elevations 66 are present. Thus, it is possible to emboss a structure on the flat web 12 or the strips 40 with the first section 70 of the embossing roller 16, while no structure is embossed upon contact of the flat web 12 or the strips 40 with the second section 72 of the embossing roller 16.

[0134] Fig. 9 shows a schematically simplified view of the embossing roller 16 and the counterbearing 18 of the embossing device 6. The embossing roller 16 comprises a height-adjustable core 74 and outer spacer rings 76 arranged on both end faces of the core 74. Between the core 74 and the counterbearing 18 is the embossing gap 78, through which the flat web 12 or the strips 40 are guided and in which they are locally deformed. The three-dimensional structure is embossed into these flat parts in the embossing gap 78. The spacer rings 76 interact with the counterbearing 18 in such a way that they define a minimum distance between the core 74 of the embossing roller 16 and the counterbearing 18. The core 74 is height-adjustable, as indicated by arrows, so that the clear width of the embossing gap 78 can be adjusted.

[0135] Fig. 10 shows a schematic side view of the embossing roller 16 and the counterbearing 18. Also shown is an embossing roller monitoring device 80, which may be a camera, for example. The embossing roller monitoring device 80 is configured to detect adhesions, for example, of the flat web 12 guided through the embossing gap 78 or of the strips 40, on a surface of the embossing roller 16. The embossing roller monitoring device 80 detects an area of ​​the embossing roller 16 that lies outside the interaction area with the counterbearing 18.

[0136] Fig. 11 shows a further schematic representation of a machine 2 in the tobacco processing industry, the basic structure of which is described in connection with Fig. 3. However, unlike the machine 2 described in connection with Fig. 3, the embossing device 6 comprises a first embossing roller 16A, which interacts with a first counter-bearing 18A. Directly downstream is a second embossing roller 16B, which interacts with a second counter-bearing 18B. The first embossing roller 16A and the first counter-bearing 18A are designed to locally deform the flat part passed between them, for example the flat web 12, such that a first three-dimensional structure is embossed thereon. The second embossing roller 16B and the second counter-bearing 18B are designed to subsequently emboss a second three-dimensional structure onto the flat part, for example the flat web 12 or the strips 40.The first and second three-dimensional structures are particularly different.

[0137] Fig. 12 shows a further schematic representation of a machine 2 from the tobacco processing industry, the basic structure of which has also already been explained in connection with Fig. 3. The flat web supply device 4, however, comprises a first flat web supply device 4A and a second flat web supply device 4B. A first flat web 12A made of a first material from the tobacco processing industry is provided on a first reel 14A. A second flat web 12B made of a second material from the tobacco processing industry is provided on a second reel 14B. The two flat webs 12A, 12B are combined to form a multi-layer flat web 12C. This multi-layer flat web 12C is then processed in the same way as explained for the single-layer flat web 12 in connection with Fig. 3.In the separating device, the multi-layer flat web 12C, in which the first and second flat webs 12A, 12B are arranged one above the other, is separated into individual embossed strips 42.

[0138] Fig. 13 shows a further machine 2 in the tobacco processing industry, the structure of which has also already been explained in connection with Fig. 3. This machine 2 comprises a web edge control 82 for controlling a position of a web edge, for example of the flat web 12. The web edge control 82 is arranged directly upstream of the embossing device 6. The web edge control 82 is designed in particular to align the flat web 12 or the strips 40 with the embossed structure, so that the elevations of the produced three-dimensional structure maintain certain minimum distances from the edge of the flat web or the crimp lines or the side edges of the strips. If such a machine 2 is equipped with a crimping device 8, unlike the illustration in Fig. 13, it is provided that the introduced structures have a distance of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm from the crimp lines introduced by means of the crimping device 8. If the machine 2, as shown in Fig.13, a separating device 34, the web edge control 82 is configured to ensure that the structures introduced during embossing maintain a distance of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm from the respective side edge of the strips 40. The machine 2 further comprises an embossing profile measuring device 84. This is configured, for example, to detect the three-dimensional structures present in the embossed flat web 20. Furthermore, the machine 2 comprises a measuring device 86, which is configured to measure at least one physical parameter of the strand 28 or of a rod-shaped article or segment 30 produced from this strand 28. The physical parameter measured is, for example, the tensile resistance and / or a mechanical hardness of the strand 28, the article, or the segment 30. Based on this measured value, the distance adjustment unit 54 (cf. Fig.5), which is designed to change the distance between the embossing roller 16 and the counter bearing 18 and / or a contact pressure adjusting device 48, which is designed to change the contact pressure between the embossing roller.

[0139] 16 and the counter bearing 18 to change, control or regulate.

[0140] Fig. 14 shows an embossing device 6 according to a further embodiment. The embossing device 6 comprises the embossing roller 16 and the counter bearing 18. The embossing roller 16 is rotatable about a first embossing rotation axis

[0141] 17 is rotatably mounted. The counter bearing 18 is rotatably mounted about a second embossing rotation axis 19. The embossing rotation axes 17, 19 are, for example, shafts. The embossing roller 16 is designed to be displaceable in a displacement direction R. The displacement direction R extends transversely to the first embossing rotation axis 17. The displaceability of the embossing roller 16 is realized in that its embossing rotation axis 17 is arranged in a pivotably received holding element 90. It is pivotally fastened in a static suspension, for example, with the aid of the bolt 92. The displacement direction R should be approximately assumed to be a straight line, although strictly speaking it is a circular arc segment. Displacement mechanisms are conceivable in which linear displaceability is provided.

[0142] According to further embodiments not shown, the second embossing rotation axis 19 is alternatively or additionally displaceable, for example, in a further displacement direction opposite to the displacement direction R, transverse to the second embossing rotation axis 19. Reference is made merely by way of example to an embossing device 6 in which only the embossing roller 16 is designed to be displaceable.

[0143] The embossing device 6 further comprises an embossing pressure device 92, which provides an embossing force FP acting in a direction opposite to the displacement direction R of the embossing roller 16. By exerting the embossing force FP on the holding element 90, the embossing roller 16 exerts the embossing force FP on the flat part 94 guided between the embossing roller 16 and the counter-bearing 18. The flat part 94 can be, for example, the flat web 12 or a plurality of strips 40.

[0144] The embossing pressure device 92 is configured to provide a predetermined, for example adjustable, constant, embossing force FP, which is also independent, for example, of the displacement position in the displacement direction R. Regardless of the deflection of the holding element 90 in the displacement direction R, the embossing force FP provided by the embossing pressure device 92 is therefore always the same. If, for example, a flat part 94, which has a locally greater material thickness, runs through the processing gap between the embossing roller 16 and the counterbearing 18, the flat part 94 will exert a force in the displacement direction R on the embossing roller 16 in this section.

[0145] If this force exceeds the embossing force FP, the embossing roller 16 is displaced in the displacement direction R by pivoting the holding element 90. The embossing roller 16 is thus able to avoid the material thickening. Thus, the flat part 94 passes through the embossing device 6 without any risk of material tearing off the flat part 94.

[0146] The embossing force FP provided by the embossing pressure device 92 is counteracted by an embossing stop 96. The embossing stop 96 ensures a minimum embossing distance 98 between the embossing roller 16 and the counter bearing 18.

[0147] The machine 2 of the tobacco processing industry further comprises a material thickness measuring device 100, which is illustrated by way of example as part of the embossing device 6. The material thickness measuring device 100 comprises a displacement and / or force sensor 102, which is illustrated by way of example as part of the embossing pressure device 92. The displacement and / or force sensor 102 is configured to measure a displacement of the embossing roller 16 and / or to measure the force exerted by the embossing pressure device 92 on the embossing roller 16.

[0148] The force exerted by the embossing pressure device 92 can differ from the embossing force FP. If the embossing pressure device 92 is, for example, a hydraulic or pneumatic unit, the force exerted by the embossing pressure device 92 will initially increase upon displacement of the holding element 90 in the direction of displacement R. Through active control or regulation, this force is adjusted back to the constantly set and preselected embossing force FP. From this (temporary) increase in force, a displacement of the embossing roller 16 in the displacement direction R can be inferred, similar to a displacement that can be detected, for example, with a distance sensor.

[0149] The material thickness measuring device 100 is further configured to determine a material thickness of the flat part 94 from a measured value that is a measure of the displacement and / or a measured value that is a measure of the force. This calculation can be performed, for example, on the basis of a corresponding previously performed calibration measurement. The material thickness of the flat part 94 guided through the processing gap between the embossing roller 16 and the counter bearing 18 correlates directly with the measurable deflection or the exerted force. Advantageously, the material thickness can be detected directly during the processing of the flat part 94. A material thickness sensor upstream or downstream of the processing station can advantageously be omitted. Fig. 15 shows a schematically simplified side view of a crimping device 8. The crimping device 8 comprises a first crimping roller 112 and a second crimping roller 114 interacting with the first crimping roller.The first crimping roller 112 is mounted for rotation about a first crimping rotation axis 116. The second crimping roller 114 is mounted for rotation about a second crimping rotation axis 118. The crimping rotation axes 116, 118 are, for example, suitable shafts. The first crimping roller 112 is mounted with its first crimping rotation axis 116 so as to be freely displaceable in the direction of displacement R - similar to the embossing roller 16 described in connection with Fig. 14. The displaceability is achieved by the first crimping rotation axis 116 of the first crimping roller 112 being mounted in the pivotably mounted holding element 90. The holding element 90 is pivotally mounted on a static fastening via the bolt 91. According to further embodiments not shown, the second crimping roller 114 can alternatively or additionally be designed to be displaceable. The first crimping roller 112 is displaceable transversely to its crimping rotation axis 116 in the direction of displacement direction R.

[0150] The crimping device 8 further comprises a crimping pressure device 120, which is also designed similarly to the embossing pressure device 92. The crimping pressure device 120 provides a crimping force FC that acts on the first crimping roller 112 opposite to the displacement direction R. The first crimping roller 112 exerts the crimping force FC on the flat part 94, which is guided through the processing gap between the first and second crimping rollers 112, 114. The flat part 94 can be a flat strip 12 or a plurality of strips 40.

[0151] The crimping pressure device 120 is configured to provide a predetermined, for example adjustable, constant crimping force FC, which is also independent of the displacement position in the displacement direction R, for example. The crimping stop 122 limits the movement of the first crimping roller 112 and defines a minimum crimping distance 124 between the first and second crimping rollers 112, 114. The machine 2 of the tobacco processing industry further comprises a material thickness measuring device 100, which can be embodied, for example, as part of the crimping device 8. The material thickness measuring device 100 comprises a displacement and / or force sensor 102, which is configured to measure a displacement of the first crimping roller 112 or a force exerted by the crimping pressure device 120. The material thickness measuring device 100 is configured similarly to the material thickness measuring device 100 already explained in detail in connection with Fig. 14.The force exerted by the crimping pressure device 120 does not necessarily temporarily correspond to the crimping force FC. The crimping force FC is regulated to a constant value, particularly when the crimping pressure device 120 is a hydraulic or pneumatic unit. If a flat part 94, which has a greater material thickness in some sections, passes through the crimping device 8, the flat part 94 exerts a force on the first and second crimping rollers 112, 114. If this force overcomes the crimping force FC, the first crimping roller 112 is displaced in the displacement direction R. The material thickness measuring device 100 is configured to determine a material thickness of the flat part 94 from a measured value, which is a measure of the displacement. Likewise, an increase in the force can be used to determine the material thickness of the flat part 94.

[0152] The crimping device 8 shown in Fig. 15 can be configured not only as part of the machine 2 of the tobacco processing industry. It also represents an independent solution to the problem of the invention in its own right.

[0153] All mentioned features, including those revealed solely in the drawings as well as individual features disclosed in combination with other features, are considered essential to the invention, both individually and in combination. Embodiments according to the invention may be fulfilled by individual features or a combination of several features.

[0154] 2 Machine of the tobacco processing industry

[0155] 4 Flat web supply device

[0156] 4A first flat web supply device

[0157] 4B second flat web supply device

[0158] 6 Embossing device

[0159] 8 Crimping device

[0160] 10 Strand forming device

[0161] 12 flat track

[0162] 12A first flat track

[0163] 12B second flat track

[0164] 12C multi-layer flat track

[0165] 14 reels

[0166] 14A first bobbin

[0167] 14B second bobbin

[0168] 16 embossing roller

[0169] 16A first embossing roller

[0170] 16B second embossing roller

[0171] 17 first embossing rotation axis

[0172] 18 Counter bearings

[0173] 18A first counter bearing

[0174] 18B second counter bearing

[0175] 19 second embossing rotation axis

[0176] 20 embossed flat strips

[0177] 22 embossed and crimped flat strips

[0178] 24 inlet funnels

[0179] 26 format channels

[0180] 28 strands

[0181] 30 rod-shaped segment

[0182] 32 crimped flat strip

[0183] 34 Separator

[0184] 36 first separating roller

[0185] 38 second separating roller 40 strips

[0186] 42 embossed stripes

[0187] 44 Pressure force sensor device

[0188] 46 Contact pressure processing unit

[0189] 48 Contact pressure adjustment device

[0190] 50 Distance measuring device

[0191] 52 Distance processing unit

[0192] 54 Distance adjustment unit

[0193] 56 Material thickness measuring device

[0194] 58 Material thickness processing unit

[0195] 60 needle roller

[0196] 62 needles

[0197] 64 grooves

[0198] 66 surveys

[0199] 68 lateral surface

[0200] 70 first section

[0201] 72 second section

[0202] 74 core

[0203] 76 spacer rings

[0204] 78 Embossing gap

[0205] 80 Embossing roller monitoring device

[0206] 82 Web edge control

[0207] 84 Embossing profile measuring device

[0208] 86 measuring device

[0209] 90 holding element

[0210] 91 bolts

[0211] 92 Embossing pressure device

[0212] 94 Flat part

[0213] 96 embossing stop

[0214] 98 Minimum embossing distance 00 Material thickness measuring device 02 Displacement and / or force sensor 12 First crimping roller 14 Second crimping roller 16 First crimping rotation axis 18 Second crimping rotation axis 20 Crimping pressure device 22 Crimping stop 24 Minimum crimping distance

[0215] P Measured contact pressure

[0216] S control signal

[0217] A Measured distance

[0218] M Measured value of material thickness

[0219] H Height of the elevations

[0220] D Diameter

[0221] R Displacement direction

[0222] FP embossing power

[0223] FC Crimping force

Claims

Patent claims 1. A machine (2) of the tobacco processing industry, comprising a flat web supply device (4), a strand forming unit and optionally a) a crimping device (8) or b) a separating device (34), wherein the flat web supply device (4) is configured to provide a flat web (12) made of a material of the tobacco processing industry, and a) if the machine (2) comprises the crimping device (8), the crimping device (8) comprises a first and a second crimping roller, each with a surface structured at least in sections in the transverse direction of the roller, wherein the structured surfaces of the crimping rollers engage with one another in such a way that crimping lines running in the longitudinal direction of a flat part that can be passed between the crimping rollers can be introduced, b) if the machine (2) comprises the separating device (34), the separating device (34) comprises a first and a second separating roller (36, 38), wherein the separating rollers (36, 38) interact in such a way that a flat part that can be passed between the separating rollers (36, 38) can be separated into a plurality of strips, wherein the strand forming unit (10) is designed to form a strand (28) for the tobacco processing industry either from the crimped flat part or from the plurality of strips, characterized in that the machine (2) further comprises an embossing device (6) with at least one embossing roller (16) that interacts with a counter-bearing (18), wherein the embossing roller (16) and the counter-bearing (18) are designed to locally deform a flat part (12) that can be passed between the embossing roller (16) and the counter-bearing (18) and thus to emboss a three-dimensional structure into the flat part, wherein I.) the embossing device (6) is arranged between the flat web supply device (4) and optionally a) the crimping device (8) or b) the separating device (34), wherein the passable flat part is the embossed flat web (20), and the crimping device (8) is designed to introduce crimp lines running in the longitudinal direction of the embossed flat web (20) as a flat part, or the separating device (34) is designed to separate the embossed flat web (20) as a flat part into a plurality of strips, or II.) the embossing device (6) is arranged optionally between a) the crimping device (8) or b) the separating device (34) and the strand forming unit (10), and a) if the machine (2) comprises the crimping device (8), the flat part that can be passed through is the crimped flat strip (32), and the embossing device (6) is designed to emboss a three-dimensional structure onto the crimped flat strip (32) as a flat part or b) if the machine (2) comprises the separating device (34), the passable flat part is the plurality of strips (40), and the embossing device (6) is designed to emboss a three-dimensional structure into the individual strips of the plurality of strips (40) as a flat part.

2. Machine (2) according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure force sensor device (44) which is designed to measure a contact pressure between the embossing roller (16) and the counter bearing (18).

3. Machine (2) according to claim 2, wherein the pressure force sensor device (44) is configured to transmit a measured value (P) of the contact pressure to a contact pressure processing unit (46) which is configured to evaluate the measured value (P), wherein the contact pressure processing unit (46) is configured to issue a warning message when a predetermined or predeterminable limit value for the contact pressure (P) is exceeded or to reduce a contact pressure between the embossing roller (16) and the counter bearing (18) by means of a further included contact pressure adjusting device (48).

4. Machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a distance measuring device (50) which is designed to measure a distance between the embossing roller (16) and the counter bearing (18) in the gap present between them, and to transmit an associated measured value (A) to a further included distance processing unit (52), further comprising a distance adjusting unit (54) which is designed to change the distance between the embossing roller (16) and the counter bearing (18), wherein in particular the distance processing unit (52) is designed to control the distance adjusting unit (54) such that the distance between the embossing roller (16) and the Counter bearing (18) is set to a predetermined or predeterminable target value.

5. Machine (2) according to claim 4, further comprising a material thickness measuring device (56) which is configured to measure a material thickness of the flat web (12) and to transmit an associated measured value (M) to a further included material thickness processing unit (58), wherein the material thickness processing unit (58) is configured to evaluate the measured value (A) for the distance between the embossing roller (16) and the counter bearing (18) as well as the measured value (M) for the material thickness and to control the distance adjustment unit (54) such that the distance between the embossing roller (16) and the counter bearing (18) can be changed depending on the material thickness of the flat web (12).

6. Machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the embossing device (6) comprises a needle roller (60) as embossing roller (16), which cooperates with the counter-bearing (18) in such a way that holes are made in the flat part when it is embossed.

7. Machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the embossing roller (16) has elevations (66) which interact with the flat part to be embossed and which impress the three-dimensional structure on the flat part, these elevations (66) rising with a height (H) between 5 pm and 300 pm from an at least approximately cylindrical surface (68) of the embossing roller (16).

8. Machine (2) according to claim 7, wherein the elevations, viewed in plan view of the lateral surface (68), have at least approximately a circular shape, wherein a diameter (D) of the elevations (66) is between 0.4 mm and 1.4 mm, in particular between 0.4 mm and 0.8 mm.

9. Machine (2) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the embossing roller (16) has at least a first section (70) and a second section (72) different therefrom, wherein in the first section (70) on the outer surface (68) there are elevations (66) which impress the three-dimensional structure on the flat part, and in the second section (72) on the outer surface there are no elevations, so that no three-dimensional structure is impressed on the flat part by the second section of the embossing roller (16).

10. Machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the embossing roller (16) comprises a height-adjustable core (74) and outer spacer rings (76) arranged on both end faces of the core (74), wherein the core (74) in cooperation with the counter-bearing (18) locally deforms the flat part and thus imprints the three-dimensional structure thereon, and the spacer rings (76) cooperate with the counter-bearing (18) in such a way that they define a minimum distance between the embossing roller (16) and the counter-bearing (18).

11. Machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising an embossing roller monitoring device (80) which is designed to detect adhesions of the flat part on a surface of the embossing roller (16), in particular in a region of the embossing roller (16) which lies outside an interaction region with the counter bearing (18).

12. Machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the embossing device (6) comprises a first embossing roller (16A) which cooperates with a first counter-bearing (18A), and a second embossing roller (16B) which cooperates with a second counter-bearing (18B), wherein the first embossing roller (16A) and the first counter bearing (18A) are adapted to locally deform the flat part which can be passed between the first embossing roller (16A) and the first counter bearing (18A) in such a way that a first three-dimensional structure is embossed thereon, and the second embossing roller (16B) and the second counter bearing (18B) are adapted to locally deform the flat part which can be passed between the second embossing roller (16B) and the second counter bearing (18B) in such a way that a second three-dimensional structure is embossed thereon.

13. Machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a web edge control (82) for controlling a position of a web edge of the flat part immediately upstream of the embossing device (6), wherein the web edge control (82) is designed to align the three-dimensional structure embossed into the flat part such that, if the machine (2) comprises the crimping device (8), the three-dimensional structure has a distance, to be determined transversely to the material flow direction, from crimp lines introduced into the flat part by the crimping device of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm, and if the machine (2) has the separating device (34), the three-dimensional structure has a distance, to be determined transversely to the material flow direction, from a respective side edge of the strips (40) produced by the strip separating device of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm.

14. Machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising an embossing profile measuring device (84) which is designed to detect at least in sections the three-dimensional structure introduced into the flat part by the embossing device.

15. Machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a measuring device (86) which is arranged to to measure at least one physical parameter of the strand (28) or of a rod-shaped article produced using a segment (30) cut to length from the strand (28), in particular to measure a tensile resistance and / or a mechanical hardness of the strand (28) or article, and based on the measured value thus acquired, a distance adjustment unit (54) which is designed to change the distance between the embossing roller (16) and the counter-bearing (18), and / or a contact pressure adjustment device (48) which is designed to change, control or regulate a contact pressure between the embossing roller (16) and the counter-bearing (18).

16. Machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the flat web supply device (4) is designed to provide a first flat web (12A) made of a first material from the tobacco processing industry and a second flat web (12B) made of a second material from the tobacco processing industry, wherein the embossing device (6) is arranged between the flat web supply device (4) and optionally the crimping device (8) or the separating device (34), and the flat part which can be passed through is a multi-layer flat web (12C) in which the first and the second flat web (12A, 12B) are arranged one above the other.

17. Machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the embossing roller (16) is mounted rotatably about a first embossing rotation axis (17) and the counter bearing (18) is mounted rotatably about a second embossing rotation axis (19) and the embossing roller (16) and / or the counter bearing (18) are / is guided so as to be freely displaceable in a displacement direction R transverse to the respective embossing rotation axis (17, 19), further comprising an embossing pressure device (92) which is designed to apply an embossing force (FP) counter to the displacement direction (R) onto the embossing roller (16) and / or the counter bearing (18) so that the flat part (12) can be subjected to the embossing force.

18. Machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, in which a) if the machine (2) comprises the crimping device (8), the first crimping roller (112) is mounted so as to be rotatable about a first crimping rotation axis (116) and the second crimping roller (114) is mounted so as to be rotatable about a second crimping rotation axis (118) and the first and / or the second crimping roller (112, 114) are / is guided so as to be freely displaceable transversely to their respective crimping rotation axis (116, 118), further comprising a crimping pressure device (120) which is designed to exert a crimping force (FC) counter to the direction of displacement (R) on the first and / or the second crimping roller (112, 114), so that the flat part (12) can be subjected to the crimping force.

19. Machine (2) according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the embossing pressure device (92) and / or the crimping pressure device (120) are / is configured to provide a predetermined, in particular an adjustable, constant, furthermore in particular independent of a displacement position in the displacement direction (R), embossing force (FP) and / or crimping force (FC).

20. Machine (2) according to one of claims 17 to 19, further comprising an embossing stop (96) and / or a crimping stop (122), wherein the embossing stop (96) is configured to define a minimum distance (98) between the embossing roller (16) and the counter bearing (18), and wherein the crimping stop (122) is configured to define a minimum distance (124) between the first and the second crimping roller (112, 114).

21. Machine (2) according to one of claims 17 to 20, further comprising sending a material thickness measuring device (100) with a displacement and / or force sensor (102) which is configured to measure a displacement of the embossing roller (16), the counter bearing, the first crimping roller (112) and / or the second crimping roller (114) and / or to measure a force (F) that can be exerted by the embossing pressure device (92) and / or the crimping pressure device (120), wherein the material thickness measuring device (100) is configured to determine a material thickness of the flat part (94) from a measured value for a degree of displacement and / or a measured value for an exertable force (F).

22. Crimping device (8), comprising a first crimping roller (112) and a second crimping roller (114), each having a surface structured at least in sections in the transverse direction of the crimping roller (112, 114), wherein the structured surfaces of the two crimping rollers (112, 114) engage with each other in such a way that crimping lines running in the longitudinal direction of a flat part (94) that can be passed between the two crimping rollers (112, 114), wherein the first crimping roller (112) is mounted so as to be rotatable about a first crimping rotation axis (116) and the second crimping roller (114) is mounted so as to be rotatable about a second crimping rotation axis (118), and the first and / or the second crimping roller (112, 114) are / are guided so as to be freely displaceable transversely to their respective crimping rotation axis (116, 118), further comprising a crimping pressure device (120) which is arranged to apply a crimping force (FC) opposite to the direction of displacement (R) to the first and / or the second crimping roller (112,114) so ​​that the flat part (12) can be subjected to the crimping force (FC).

23. A method for stamping a flat part, comprising the following steps: Providing a flat sheet (12) made of an aerosol-forming material from the tobacco processing industry, a) Crimping the flat part, whereby crimping lines running in the longitudinal direction of the flat part are introduced, or b) Separating the flat parts into a plurality of strips (40), forming a strand (28) of the tobacco processing industry from either the crimped flat part (32) or from the plurality of strips (40), characterized by the following further steps: I.) Embossing the flat strip as a flat part before step a) of crimping or before step b) of separating into strips (40), or II. Embossing the crimped flat strip (32) as a flat part after step a) of crimping or Embossing the plurality of strips (40) as a flat part after step b) of separating, wherein the embossing step is carried out with an embossing device (6) in which at least one embossing roller (16) interacts with a counter-bearing (18) and, during the embossing, locally deforms the flat part and produces a three-dimensional structure in the flat part, and wherein, during the embossing step, an area enlargement of the flat part takes place which is between 5% and 25%, in particular between 8% and 14%, or the three-dimensional structure produced during the embossing step is formed by elevations (66) which have a height (H) between 5 pm and 300 pm, in particular between 5 pm and 25 pm, and which rise with this height (H) from an at least approximately flat surface of the flat part.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising measuring a contact pressure between the embossing roller (16) and the counter bearing (18).

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein a measured value (P) of the contact pressure is evaluated and, if a predetermined or predeterminable limit value for the contact pressure is exceeded, a warning message is issued or a contact pressure between the embossing roller (16) and the counter bearing (18) is reduced by means of a contact pressure adjusting device (48).

26. Method according to one of claims 23 to 25, in which a distance between the embossing roller (16) and the counter bearing (18) is further measured in a gap (78) present between them and an associated measured value is processed, wherein a distance (A) between the embossing roller (16) and the counter bearing (18) is changed, in particular the distance (A) between the embossing roller (16) and the counter bearing (18) is set to a predetermined or predeterminable target value.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising measuring a material thickness of the flat web (12) and evaluating an associated measured value (M) for the material thickness together with the measured value (A) for the distance between the embossing roller (16) and the counter bearing (18), and changing the distance between the embossing roller (16) and the counter bearing (18) as a function of the material thickness of the flat web (12) on the basis of these measured values ​​(M, A).

28. A method according to any one of claims 23 to 27, wherein holes are made in the flat part during embossing.

29. Method according to one of claims 23 to 28, wherein the embossing roller (16) is further monitored to determine whether adhesions of the flat part are present on a surface of the embossing roller (16), in particular in a region of the embossing roller (16) which lies outside an interaction region with the counter bearing (18).

30. A method according to any one of claims 23 to 29, wherein the step the embossing comprises a first and a second embossing step, wherein in the first embossing step a first three-dimensional structure is embossed and in the second embossing step a second three-dimensional structure different from the first is embossed.

31. Method according to one of claims 23 to 30, in which a web edge control (82) for controlling a position of a web edge of the flat part is carried out immediately upstream of the embossing step, with the web edge control the flat part is aligned such that the three-dimensional structure embossed in the subsequent step is aligned such that if the flat web (12) is crimped as a flat part, the three-dimensional structure has a distance to be determined transversely to the material flow direction from crimp lines introduced into the flat web (12) with the crimping device of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm and if the flat web (12) is separated into strips (40), the three-dimensional structure has a distance to be determined transversely to the material flow direction from a respective side edge of the strips produced with the separating device (36) of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm.

32. Method according to one of claims 23 to 31, wherein the three-dimensional structure of the embossing is further detected at least in sections.

33. Method according to one of claims 23 to 32, wherein furthermore at least one physical parameter of the strand (28) or of a rod-shaped article which is produced using a segment (30) cut to length from the strand (28) is measured, wherein in particular a tensile resistance and / or a mechanical hardness of the strand (28) or article is measured, wherein, based on the measured value recorded, a distance between the embossed roller (16) and the counter bearing (18) is changed and / or a contact pressure between the embossing roller (16) and the counter bearing (18) is changed.

34. Method according to one of claims 23 to 33, in which a first flat web (12A) made of a first material of the tobacco processing industry and a second flat web (12B) made of a second material of the tobacco processing industry are provided, and a multi-layer flat web (12C) is embossed in which the first and the second flat web (12A, 12B) are arranged one above the other.

35. Method according to one of claims 23 to 34, wherein the embossing step is carried out with an embossing device (6) whose embossing roller (16) is mounted so as to be rotatable about a first embossing rotation axis (17) and whose counter-bearing (18) is mounted so as to be rotatable about a second embossing rotation axis (19), wherein furthermore the embossing roller (16) and / or the counter-bearing (18) are / is guided so as to be freely displaceable in a displacement direction (R) transverse to the respective embossing rotation axis (17, 19), wherein the embossing device (6) further comprises an embossing pressure device (92) which exerts an embossing force (FP) counter to the displacement direction (R) on the embossing roller (16) and / or the counter-bearing (18), so that the flat part (12) is subjected to the embossing force (FP).

36. Method according to one of claims 23 to 35, wherein step a) of crimping is carried out with a crimping device (8) which has a first crimping roller (112) rotatably mounted about a first crimping rotation axis (116) and a second crimping roller (114) rotatably mounted about a second crimping rotation axis (118), wherein the first and / or the second crimping roller (112, 114) are / is guided so as to be freely displaceable transversely to their respective crimping rotation axis (116, 118), wherein the crimping device (8) further comprises a crimping pressure device (120) with which a crimping force (FC) is exerted against the displacement direction (R) on the first and / or the second crimping roller (112, 114), so that the flat part (12) is subjected to the crimping force (FC).

37. Method according to claim 35 or 36, wherein the embossing pressure device (92) and / or the crimping pressure device (120) provide a predetermined, in particular an adjustable, constant, furthermore in particular independent of a displacement position in the displacement direction (R), embossing force (FP) and / or crimping force (FC).

38. The method according to any one of claims 35 to 37, wherein the embossing pressure device (92) and / or the crimping pressure device (120) further comprise an embossing stop (96) and / or a crimping stop (122), wherein the embossing stop (96) defines a minimum distance (98) between the embossing roller (16) and the counter bearing (18), and wherein the crimping stop (122) defines a minimum distance (124) between the first and the second crimping roller (112, 114).

39. Method according to one of claims 35 to 38, wherein the embossing device (6) and / or the crimping device (8) has a material thickness measuring device (100) with a displacement and / or force sensor (102), wherein the displacement sensor (102) measures a displacement of the embossing roller (16), the counter-bearing (18), the first crimping roller (112) and / or the second crimping roller (114) and / or the force sensor (102) measures a force (F) exerted by the embossing pressure device (92) and / or the crimping pressure device (120), and the material thickness measuring device (100) determines a material thickness of the flat part (94) from a measured value for a degree of displacement and / or a measured value for an exerted force (F).

40. Rod-shaped segment (30) of the tobacco processing industry, comprising aerosol-forming material of the tobacco processing industry, wherein the material is a) a crimped flat sheet (32), b) a flat sheet separated into a plurality of strips (40) (12), or c) is a flat sheet (12) cut into small pieces, wherein the flat sheet (12) has a three-dimensional structure produced by embossing, characterized in that the flat sheet (12) has experienced an increase in area by the embossing which is between 5% and 25%, in particular between 8% and 14%, or the three-dimensional structure is formed by elevations (66) which have a height between 5 pm and 300 pm, in particular between 5 pm and 25 pm, and which rise by this height from an at least approximately flat surface of the flat sheet (12).

41. Rod-shaped segment (30) according to claim 40, in which the three-dimensional structure, in particular in a plan view of a surface of the flat web, has circular elevations (66) which, if a) the material is a crimped flat web (32), measured transversely to a longitudinal direction of the flat web (32), have a distance from crimp lines present in the flat web (32) of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm, or if b) the material is a plurality of strips (40), measured transversely to a longitudinal direction of the strips (40), have a distance from a respective side edge of the strips (40) of 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm.

42. Rod-shaped segment (30) according to claim 40 or 41, wherein the material is a multi-layer flat sheet (12C) made of a tobacco-containing A carrier flat web and a flavor carrier flat web provided with at least one additive, wherein in particular a tensile strength of the carrier flat web is greater than a tensile strength of the flavor carrier flat web.

43. Rod-shaped article of the tobacco processing industry, comprising at least one rod-shaped segment (30) according to one of claims 40 to 42.

Images