System for controlling the fibre mixture and method for same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system (100) for controlling the fibre mixture of a fibre preparation machine. The fibre preparation machine combines the fibres of different raw materials, length, thickness or colour to form yarn, such as flock mixture or sliver mixture. The system (100) comprises a sensor (110) which is configured to detect the fibre mixture, and an evaluation unit (120) which is connected to the sensor (110). The evaluation unit (120) is configured such that it collects all images and parameters of the fibre preparation machine and for setting the fibre preparation machine.

Description

[0001] FIBER MIXING CONTROL SYSTEM AND ITS METHODS

[0002] Technical area

[0003] The present invention relates to a method for controlling the fiber mixture and a system for controlling the fiber mixture for dispensing predeterminable amounts of fiber flakes.

[0004] Technological background

[0005] In the production of yarn, fiber blends made up of different fiber-like components, i.e. fibers of different origins, varieties, qualities, colors or other characteristics, are usually blended to produce fiber blends, which are then carded and fed into further spinning processes.

[0006] Fiber blending can be achieved, for example, by filling the various fiber types into respective hoppers and depositing them onto a conveyor belt circulating beneath the hoppers by means of feed rollers. This creates a continuous layered structure on the conveyor, which is then fed to a roller. This roller separates individual flakes from the layered structure and ensures a thorough blend of the various fibers in the different layers. By controlling the rotation speed of the individual feed rollers, the desired proportions of the individual fiber components can be determined.

[0007] Efforts are made to control the filling level of the fiber flakes in the individual shafts in such a way that this filling level remains approximately constant, so that at a constant filling level and a specified speed of the feed rollers, the desired amounts of fiber are dosed onto the circulating conveyor belt.

[0008] This conventional dosing method only achieves the specified dosing quantities to a limited extent. Previously known devices only account for fluctuations relatively imprecisely and require manual calibration relatively frequently.

[0009] Summary of the invention

[0010] The object is achieved in whole or in part by the features of the invention. To achieve this object, a method is proposed for controlling the fiber blend of a fiber preparation machine that combines fibers from different raw materials, lengths, thicknesses, or colors into yarn, such as a flock blend or sliver blend. The method comprises:

[0011] - Recording sensor data of the fiber mixture with a sensor;

[0012] - Analysis of sensor data to determine the composition of the fiber mixture;

[0013] - comparing the determined composition with a predetermined composition of the fiber mixture; and

[0014] - Adjustment of the fiber preparation machine.

[0015] Advantageously, the method can control the fiber blend of a fiber preparation machine in order to maintain or improve the quality of the flake blend or the fiber sliver blend.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the analysis of the sensor data is an analysis of the color or the multispectral properties of the composition of the fiber mixture.

[0017] Advantageously, the method can analyze the composition of the fiber mixture.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the adjustment of the fiber preparation machine comprises an adjustment of the speed.

[0019] Thanks to the adjustment, the fiber preparation machine can be adjusted to maintain or improve the composition of the fiber mixture. According to one embodiment, the adjustment of the fiber preparation machine includes adjusting the fiber mass over time.

[0020] Thanks to the adjustment of the fiber mass, the composition of the fiber mixture can be kept constant or improved.

[0021] The object is achieved in whole or in part by the features of the invention. To achieve this object, a system is proposed for controlling the fiber blend of a fiber preparation machine that combines fibers from different raw materials, lengths, thicknesses, or colors into yarn, such as a flock blend or sliver blend. The system comprises:

[0022] - A sensor configured to detect the fiber mix;

[0023] - An evaluation unit connected to the sensor; the evaluation unit is configured to collect all sensor data and parameters of the fiber preparation machine and to adjust the fiber preparation machine.

[0024] Advantageously, the system can control the fiber blend of a fiber preparation machine to maintain or improve the quality of the flock blend or the fiber sliver blend

[0025] According to one embodiment, the sensor is a camera.

[0026] Description of the characters

[0027] The above and other objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments, which are presented for illustrative and non-limiting purposes with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figures 1 and 2 show a schematic representation of a fiber preparation plant with a system 100 and method according to the invention. In the following description of the illustrated embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for features that are identical and / or at least comparable in their design and / or mode of operation, even if they are shown in different embodiments. Unless explained again in detail, their design and / or mode of operation corresponds to the design and mode of operation of the features already described above.

[0028] Description of an embodiment

[0029] The system 100 of Fig. 1 comprises a mixing machine 150, a sensor 110, and an evaluation unit 120 connected to the sensor 110. The mixing machine 150, which can be a precision mixing system such as UNIblend or a weighing box system, comprises a circulating conveyor belt 151 and three similarly designed dosing devices 152 arranged in a row above the conveyor belt 151. It is understood that the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is not limited to three dosing devices 152; rather, any number of layers 197 can be arranged above the conveyor belt 151.

[0030] Each dosing device 152 consists, as explained in more detail below, of a filling chute and two to three feed rollers 153 arranged at the lower end of the chute, as well as an opening roller 154. The flakes 191 present in the chute are grasped by the feed rollers 153 rotating in the respective directions and fed through the conveying gap formed between these two rollers to the opening roller 154. The opening roller rotates faster than the feed rollers 153 and separates flakes 191 from the supplied flake wadding 192, feeding them through a channel onto the conveyor belt 151 in the form of opened, loose flakes 191.

[0031] The loose flake bundles from the two additional dosing devices 152 are placed in layers 197 on the first layer formed by the flake bundle and guided by the conveyor belt 151 to the end of the mixing machine 150. Thus, the three layers 197 are compressed and then captured in the conveying gap of two feed rollers 153. The feed rollers 153 feed the thus formed layered structure 199 to an opening roller, which separates flakes 191 from the layered structure 199 and transfers them via a chute for subsequent processing, as shown in Figure 2.

[0032] As shown in Figure 1, the sensor 110, or rather the camera 110, is located at the shaft and records the fiber mixture of the mixing machine 150. The images are sent to the evaluation unit 120. However, the sensor can also be located at the shaft of the subsequent machine or the belt stacker. By combining several consecutive sensors, the analysis precision can be further increased.

[0033] The evaluation unit 120 collects all sensor data, or all images and parameters of the fiber preparation machine or the mixing machine 150, and subsequently analyzes the sensor data or images to determine the composition of the fiber mixture of the layered structure 199. In fact, during yarn production, the fiber mixture is typically blended or mixed from various fibrous components, i.e., fibers of different types, qualities, colors, or other characteristics, to produce fiber mixtures that are subsequently carded and fed to further spinning processes. These fibers can have various shapes and colors, and the evaluation unit 120 checks or analyzes the color of the composition of the fiber mixture of the layered structure 199.

[0034] A comparison of the determined composition with a predetermined composition of the fiber blend takes place in the evaluation unit 120. This comparison can be performed several times, and based on the result, the speed of the fiber preparation machine can be adjusted. In particular, the evaluation unit can adjust the speed of the feed rollers 153 so that the composition matches the predetermined composition, or with the predetermined blend, or with the predetermined fiber blend.

[0035] The adjustment can be made, for example, such that the fiber types from one feed chute are deposited on the conveyor belt 151 faster than those from the other feed chutes. To prevent one fiber type from one feed chute from predominating in the fiber mixture, the rollers of the feed chutes must be slowed down so that a continuous layered structure 199 is created on the conveyor element, which is then checked by the sensor 110. By controlling the rotational speed of the individual feed rollers 153, the desired proportions of the individual fiber components can be determined. In fact, the opening roller 154 can rotate faster or slower in order to separate many or few flakes 191 from the flake wadding 192 and form a flake flow that corresponds to the predetermined composition.

[0036] Additionally or alternatively, the evaluation unit can measure the fiber mass over time. Although the fill level of the fiber flakes 191 in the individual shafts remains approximately constant, it may be the case that, for a given fill level and given speed of the feed rollers 153, the desired fiber quantities are unevenly blended on the circulating conveyor belt 151 due to the different bulk densities. Therefore, the present invention makes it possible to maintain or improve the quality of the flake mixture or the fiber sliver mixture when measuring the fiber mass.

Claims

Patent claims 1. A method for controlling the fiber blend of a fiber preparation machine that combines fibers from different raw materials, length, thickness or color into yarn, such as flock blend or sliver blend, comprising: - detecting sensor data of the fiber mixture with a sensor (110); - Analysis of the sensor data to determine the composition of the fiber mixture; - comparing the determined composition with a predetermined composition of the fiber mixture; - Setting the mixing parameters of the fiber preparation machine.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the analysis of the sensor data is a multispectral analysis of the composition of the fiber mixture.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the analysis of the sensor data is an analysis of the color of the composition of the fiber mixture.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the adjustment of the fiber preparation machine comprises an adjustment of the production speed.

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the adjustment of the fiber preparation machine comprises an adjustment of the fiber mass over time.

6. A system (100) for controlling the fiber blend of a fiber preparation machine that combines fibers from different raw materials, length, thickness or color into yarn, such as flock blend or sliver blend, comprising: - A sensor (110) configured to detect the fiber mixture; - An evaluation unit (120) connected to the sensor (110); wherein the evaluation unit (120) is configured to collect all sensor data and parameters of the fiber preparation machine and to adjust the fiber preparation machine.

7. System (100) according to claim 6, wherein the sensor is a camera.

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