Cutting device for cutting a strip-shaped material and a method for determining and outputting wear information of a first and / or second blade element of a cutting device

Abstract

Cutting device for cutting a ribbon-shaped material, in particular a sticky cord ribbon, comprising two knife elements (4, 6, 17, 19, 23, 25) cooperating with each other for cutting, wherein each knife element (4, 6, 17, 19, 23, 25) is arranged on a knife carrier (5, 7, 18, 19, 24, 26) which in turn is arranged directly or indirectly on a device frame (3), characterized in that at least one vibration sensor (10, 11, 21, 22, 27, 28) is provided, via which vibration information, which is a measure of a vibration of the knife elements (4, 6, 17, 19, 23, 25) generated by the interaction of the knife elements (4, 6, 17, 19, 23, 25) during a cut, can be detected, and that a device for determining a the condition of one or both knife elements (4, 6, 17, 19, 23,25) a processing unit (12) set up to provide wear information based on the vibration information and a display unit (13) for outputting the determined wear information is provided.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a cutting device for cutting a ribbon-shaped material, in particular a sticky cord ribbon, comprising two knife elements cooperating with each other for cutting, wherein each knife element is arranged on a knife carrier which in turn is arranged directly or indirectly on a device frame.

[0002] Cutting devices of the type described are used, for example, in tire manufacturing. They serve to cut strip-shaped material, in particular sticky cord, either steel cord or textile cord. The term "cutting device" encompasses various types of machines. These are broadly divided into shears and slitters. Examples of shears include guillotine shears, i.e., a guillotine shear with a beam-shaped, vertically movable upper blade and a beam-shaped, stationary lower blade; rotary or roller shears with a rotating, horizontally movable circular blade and a stationary blade bar; or shears with a rapidly rotating saw blade. These shears are used to cut individual sections of a continuous strip. Various such shears are described, for example, in DE 20 2013 103 082 U.A slitter is used to divide an endless strip lengthwise, creating two or more partial strips. This process typically employs two working circular blades that separate the material.

[0003] Regardless of the type of cutting device, the respective knife systems are subject to a certain amount of wear. Depending on the stress and wear, appropriate maintenance and adjustment work must therefore be carried out. Determining the right time for maintenance, knife replacement, or adjustment during operation is difficult. In practice, maintenance personnel check the condition of the respective knife system at defined maintenance intervals and, if necessary, adjust the knife system accordingly, or replace it if excessive wear is observed. However, until it is recognized that an adjustment or knife replacement is required, operations continue, potentially resulting in the production of a corresponding amount of scrap material.If a necessary intervention is detected, this leads to a standstill of the cutting device and thus of the entire system, inevitably resulting in a production outage. Since the stress on the measuring system is influenced not only by the number of cutting operations but also by factors such as the type of material, its width, and its thickness, various parameters are present that promote wear, making it all the more difficult to detect wear requiring action in a timely manner.

[0004] The invention is therefore based on the problem of providing an improved cutting device in comparison.

[0005] To solve the problem, a cutting device of the type mentioned above is provided with at least one vibration sensor, via which vibration information, which is a measure of a vibration of the knife elements generated by the interaction of the knife elements during a cut, can be detected, and a processing device set up to determine wear information indicating the state of one or both knife elements on the basis of the vibration information, as well as a display device for outputting a determined wear information, is provided.

[0006] The invention is based on the understanding that each cut by the knife system generates vibrations that lead to vibrations within the machine. It has been found that these vibrations, or rather the vibration spectrum, change over time and therefore with increasing wear of the knife elements. Typically, stronger vibrations occur, resulting from wear-related misalignment requiring adjustment, or from the corresponding wear of the knife elements, which leads to reduced cutting quality. Due to wear, the vibration amplitudes increase, meaning that greater vibration accelerations occur at the knife elements, the knife carrier, or coupled machine components into which the vibrations are transmitted.According to the invention, at least one vibration sensor is used to detect the vibrations generated during a cut, which are produced by the interaction of the cutting elements and the strip material. The vibration sensor thus provides vibration information in the form of sensor signals that represent the vibrations resulting from the interaction of the cutting elements. These sensor signals are fed to a processing unit designed to process the sensor signals and determine wear information based on them. This wear information ultimately provides information about the condition of the cutting system.The wear information of the cutting elements indicates whether the cutting system is cutting the strip material as required, or whether the cutting quality has decreased due to wear resulting from incipient or advanced wear of the cutting elements. Ultimately, the wear information indicates whether or not action is required by maintenance personnel.

[0007] According to the invention, wear information is displayed to a display device, such as a monitor, indicator light, or similar, in a way that is easily accessible to maintenance personnel. This allows the personnel to easily understand the wear information and draw appropriate conclusions. The wear information can be extremely simple in its content, for example, in the form of a color indicator, which can also be structured like a traffic light system. If the determined wear information indicates that the vibrations present in the monitored section, or several vibrations or spectra recorded within a monitoring cycle, are within a tolerance range that corresponds to a cutting system exhibiting no or only negligible wear, then, for example, a green indicator light can be displayed.If the vibrations or vibration spectrum are within a tolerance range corresponding to a given, but acceptable, level of wear on the cutting system, a yellow indicator light can be displayed as a warning signal. Conversely, if vibrations or vibration spectra are detected that fall within an interval corresponding to increased or high wear of the cutting system, a red indicator light can be displayed as an alarm signal, requiring immediate action. This traffic light system therefore allows for the timely detection of a certain level of wear, enabling appropriate precautions to be taken. This allows for either preventative action before excessive wear is detected or immediate action to be taken if such excessive wear is detected.In addition to such a color light system, any other type of display, for example in text form or symbol field etc., is of course conceivable in order to communicate the respective wear information accordingly.

[0008] The system therefore allows for virtually continuous monitoring of the cutting behavior, independent of the process. This means it is independent of the type of equipment used, whether it's a pair of shears (and if so, which type), a slitter, etc., and independent of the material being cut (steel cord, textile cord, material thickness, etc.). This is because only the respective oscillation or vibration behavior is considered, the cause of which is solely the cutting quality, which in turn depends on the quality of the cutting system. By using at least one vibration sensor, the cutting process can therefore be continuously recorded and analyzed by the processing equipment, and information about the wear of the cutting system can be provided.This allows for real-time detection and communication of any wear, enabling timely intervention. Manual intervention by maintenance personnel to check the knife system, which would necessitate downtime of the cutting unit, is therefore eliminated. Instead, maintenance or even a possible knife replacement can be scheduled early upon detection of wear, thus preventing downtime of the cutting unit due to knife wear during production and maintaining a high level of product quality, while also avoiding rejects.

[0009] As described, the processing unit serves to determine wear information based on the vibration information, i.e., the sensor signal, obtained via the vibration sensor. In a further development of the invention, the processing unit can determine wear information by comparing the vibration information, or comparative information derived from it, with at least one reference information. Specific reference information, such as reference vibration modes or reference vibration spectra, which are assigned to different wear states, are stored in the processing unit for the type of cutting device, optionally specified with regard to the material being cut.The processing unit is now configured to compare either the sensor signals supplied by the vibration sensor directly or comparative information derived from them—for example, comparative values ​​such as vibration amplitude or acceleration values—with the reference information, which is of course defined accordingly, e.g., a comparative amplitude or acceleration value. This comparison allows for the simple identification of the wear level associated with a recorded actual vibration or vibration value, thus enabling the straightforward determination of corresponding wear information.

[0010] In addition to the actual sensor signal, one or more material parameters, in particular the thickness, width, and type of material (e.g., steel or textile cord), are preferably also recorded. These material parameters are also assigned to the reference information, so that the reference information associated with the monitored process can be used for comparison purposes. The measurement data is acquired continuously; that is, the data is recorded in real time during the ongoing process and processed by the processing unit, which has appropriate processing algorithms for this purpose.With a good cutting process, meaning a wear-free or very low-wear blade system, the vibration information, or rather the signal curve supplied by the vibration sensor, shows a clear, relatively sharp curve with a relatively sharp peak in a very narrow frequency range, with only slight distortion at lower and higher frequencies. In contrast, with a more heavily worn blade system, the vibration information, or rather the signal curve, is more or more distorted or smeared and may exhibit multiple peaks at different frequencies, indicating corresponding blade wear. The frequency of the vibrations is in the kilohertz range. The reference information is stored in the processing unit and was recorded beforehand.If the processing algorithm that handles the sensor signals and determines wear information is a self-learning algorithm, possibly based on artificial intelligence, it can be trained using previously recorded reference information, such as reference signal waveforms, related to specific wear patterns and operating parameters. Furthermore, a self-learning system evolves during operation based on the continuously acquired sensor information, so that the processing becomes increasingly specific and accurate over time.

[0011] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the processing device is configured to determine a comparative value, in particular an average value, based on several successively recorded vibration data points. As described, the cutting behavior is monitored virtually continuously, and corresponding vibration data is recorded. A signal recording is not required for every cut, but only at defined intervals, for example, after every 10th, 50th, or 100th cut. At each recording point, several vibration data points from several rapidly successive cuts can be recorded. For example, a defined measured value can be selected from each of these, and an average value can be calculated for this cycle, which then forms the basis for further processing.Within each recorded vibration signal, a defined measurement is considered, which forms the basis for further processing. This measurement is, for example, the given maximum vibration acceleration or the maximum amplitude within the vibration signal. Over time, this results in a corresponding set of vibration signals and the measurements derived from them, which can be represented as a curve in a diagram. The processing unit is then able to process these multiple, temporally intersecting vibration signals to determine a comparative value, such as an average value or a mean value curve. This comparative value represents the reference information that is taken into account when comparing the data with the reference information.

[0012] This reference information can describe a condition or be assigned to a condition that indicates sufficiently severe wear and requires timely action. If the comparison information—that is, the current comparison value resulting from the last recorded vibration behavior—is found to be equal to or greater than the reference information, a corresponding message can be displayed, requesting intervention from personnel. For example, if the maximum vibration acceleration in the vibration spectrum is determined as the signal information to be processed, and the comparison value is calculated based on this, then a corresponding reference value, also assigned to a defined wear condition and describing a vibration acceleration, is used as the reference information for the comparison.

[0013] It is also conceivable that at least a first and a second reference value are provided, whereby a first wear indicator can be output depending on a comparison of the reference value with the first reference value, and a second wear indicator can be output depending on a comparison of the reference value with the second reference value. The information system is therefore tiered. If the comparison shows that the reference value is equal to or greater than the first reference value, then, for example, a yellow light can be issued as a warning signal for an impending intervention, similar to a traffic light system. If the comparison shows that the reference value is equal to or greater than the second reference value, then a red light can be issued as an alarm signal.

[0014] Although a single vibration sensor can capture relevant vibration information, it is certainly conceivable to use multiple vibration sensors positioned at different locations. The processing unit for determining wear information is configured to use the vibration data from these multiple sensors. The separate sensor signals are processed independently and compared with their own reference data, thus providing redundancy. This ensures that even if one vibration sensor fails, wear measurement remains possible, and the processing unit can compare the resulting evaluation data with each other, enabling verification. Naturally, this also results in a broader database that can be considered in long-term analyses.

[0015] As described, the vibrations are generated by the knife system, i.e., by the interacting knives. Therefore, it is advantageous for the vibration sensor, or at least one of the multiple vibration sensors, to be located on a knife carrier so that the vibration behavior is ultimately detected directly at the point of generation. However, it is also conceivable to position the vibration sensor, or at least one of the multiple vibration sensors, on the setup frame. As described, the knife carriers are always mechanically coupled to the setup frame, so any vibrations generated by the knife elements are inevitably coupled into the setup frame, where they can be detected by the vibration sensor.

[0016] As described, the cutting device can be implemented in different types. One type is a guillotine shear. In this type, the first cutting element is an upper blade, which is arranged on a first blade carrier, and the second cutting element is a lower blade, which is arranged on a fixed support frame provided on the device frame and serves as the second blade carrier. In this type, the vibration sensor, or one of several vibration sensors, is located on the first blade carrier or on a blade carrier guide provided on the device frame, i.e., in the area of ​​the upper blade, or on the support frame, i.e., in the area of ​​the lower blade. The support frame can also be a tabletop over which the strip material fed to the cutting system is conveyed.

[0017] In a further development of this variant, it is conceivable that at least one vibration sensor is provided on the first knife carrier or knife carrier guide, and at least one vibration sensor is provided on the frame support. Consequently, two vibration sensors are arranged on or in the immediate vicinity of both vibration-generating elements, each providing separate measurement signals that can be evaluated accordingly.

[0018] Of course, it is possible to provide several first vibration sensors on the first knife carrier or knife carrier guide and / or several second vibration sensors on the frame carrier, i.e., that more than two vibration sensors are arranged at different positions.

[0019] Another type of device is a roller shear. This can have as its first cutting element a roller knife arranged on a horizontally movable knife carrier, and as its second cutting element a stationary knife bar arranged on a stationary frame support provided on the device frame, which also serves as the second knife carrier. The roller knife is movable along this knife bar, and a vibration sensor is arranged on the first knife carrier, on a guide for the first knife carrier provided on the device frame, on the frame support, or on the device frame. This cutting device is characterized by the combination of a horizontally movable roller knife that travels along a horizontally extending, stationary knife bar and thereby cuts the strip material.Here too, if only one vibration sensor is provided, it can be positioned in different locations, and of course, multiple vibration sensors can also be provided in different locations. The frame support on which the cutter bar is mounted can again be a tabletop that rests on the strip material before cutting.

[0020] A slitter cutting device can have a first roller knife as the first cutting element and a second roller knife as the second cutting element. The first roller knife is mounted on a first knife carrier movable on the setup frame, and the second roller knife is mounted on a second knife carrier fixed in position on the setup frame. A vibration sensor is located on the first knife carrier, on a guide for the first knife carrier provided on the setup frame, on the second knife carrier, or on the setup frame. The strip material to be cut longitudinally runs between the two roller knives and is cut into corresponding sub-strips. One of the roller knives is mounted on a horizontally movable first knife carrier, for example, an adjustment plate, which allows the first roller knife to be adjusted relative to the second roller knife.The second roller knife is attached to a second knife carrier that is fixed in position on the mounting frame. The single or multiple vibration sensors can also be positioned in different locations within this carrier.

[0021] The descriptions and list of the different types of cutting devices that can be equipped with the wear detection system according to the invention are not exhaustive; rather, the wear detection system can also be integrated into other cutting devices not explicitly mentioned here.

[0022] In addition to the cutting device itself, the invention further relates to a method for determining and outputting wear information of a first and / or second knife element of a cutting device, wherein the cutting device comprises a mounting frame and two knife elements that cooperate with each other for cutting, wherein each knife element is arranged on a knife carrier which in turn is arranged directly or indirectly on the mounting frame, wherein vibration information, which is a measure of a vibration of the knife elements generated by the interaction of the knife elements during a cut, is detected by means of at least one vibration sensor, and wherein, by means of a processing device, wear information indicating the state of one or both knife elements is determined on the basis of the vibration information, which is output via a display device.

[0023] In a further development of the process, the processing unit for determining wear information can be configured to compare the vibration information, or a comparison value determined based on it, with at least one reference value. Furthermore, the processing unit can be used to determine a comparison value, in particular an average value, which serves as comparison information, based on several vibration information recordings made sequentially over time.

[0024] Furthermore, the procedure may stipulate that at least a first and a second reference information is provided, whereby a first wear information is output depending on a comparison of the reference value with the first reference information, and a second wear information is output depending on a comparison of the reference value with the second reference information. This allows for a staggered information output, for example, an indication that the system is working correctly, followed by a first warning when wear is detected, and a second alarm when wear is excessive. This can be implemented as a color-coded traffic light system.

[0025] Furthermore, the process may include the use of multiple vibration sensors arranged at different positions, with the processing unit determining the wear information based on the vibration data from these multiple sensors. This allows for redundancy and a corresponding cross-comparison or verification of the determined wear information.

[0026] Finally, it may be provided that a guillotine shear comprising as the first cutting element a vertically movable upper blade and as the second cutting element a stationary lower blade, or a roller shear comprising a horizontally movable roller blade and a stationary blade beam along which the roller blade travels, or a slitter comprising a movable first roller blade and a stationary second roller blade is used as the cutting device.

[0027] Further advantages and details of the invention will become apparent from the exemplary embodiments described below and from the drawing. The drawings show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a cutting device according to the invention in the form of a guillotine shear, Fig. 2 the cutting device made of Figure 1 Fig. 3 shows a side view, Fig. 3 an enlarged schematic representation of the knife system with associated vibration sensors, Fig. 4 a schematic representation of the time course of different vibration information in the form of a curve representation with a mean value curve, Fig. 5 a schematic representation of a cutting device according to the invention in the form of a slitter, Fig. 6 a schematic representation of a cutting device according to the invention in the form of a roller shear, Fig. 7 a schematic representation of a cutting device according to the invention in the form of a guillotine shear accordingly Fig. 1including illustrations of various positioning options for vibration sensors, and Fig. 8 the cutting device made of Figure 7 in a side view.

[0028] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a cutting device 1 according to the invention in the form of a guillotine shear 2 in a front view, while Fig. 2 the cutting device 1 from Figure 1 Figure 1 shows a side view. The cutting device 1 comprises a mounting frame 3, including an upper blade 4, which is arranged on a first blade carrier 5. The blade carrier 5 is received in lateral blade carrier guides and is vertically movable via an actuator, as indicated by the double arrow P1. It can therefore be moved from a raised position to a lowered cutting position, in which the cutting of the conveyed strip material takes place.

[0029] This cut is made by the interaction of the upper blade 4 with a lower blade 6, which is fixed in position on a second blade carrier 7, for example a table top 8, and which is fixed in position on the setup frame 3. This means that the lower blade 6 is fixed in position, while the upper blade 4 is vertically movable relative to it. The upper blade 4 and lower blade 6 are slightly spaced apart from each other by a cutting gap 9, as shown. Fig. 3 , which shows an enlarged partial view of this knife system.

[0030] During operation, the strip material to be cut is drawn between the upper blade 4 and the lower blade 6 via a suitable transport device comprising a pulling device with a suitable gripper mechanism. The strip material is fixed in a cutting position, after which the upper blade 4 is moved vertically downwards and, in conjunction with the lower blade 6, cuts the strip material. The cut strip section is then transported away, and another section of the strip material is drawn through again after the upper blade 4 is raised. The cutting process is carried out at a relatively high frequency, i.e., several cuts are made per minute, which places a corresponding load, particularly on the upper blade 4 and the lower blade 6, as well as on their correct positioning relative to each other across the cutting gap 9. Over time, wear can occur, either on the upper blade 4 or the lower blade 6 itself., that their cutting edges wear out, or with regard to the originally defined setting of the width of the cutting gap 9, this may become smaller or larger during operation.

[0031] With each cut of the strip material, minimal vibrations occur, triggered by the interaction of the upper blade 4 with the lower blade 6 in conjunction with the strip material. These vibrations originate from the two blade elements and are coupled via them into the two blade carriers 5, 7 and the setup frame 3. The vibrations are short-term, high-frequency vibrations in the kilohertz range. Provided the upper blade 4 and the lower blade 6 are not worn and the cutting gap 9 is optimally adjusted, very weak vibrations with a small amplitude from a central peak result, meaning that there is only a low vibration acceleration of the components involved. However, with increasing wear, the vibration behavior or the vibration pattern during a cut changes, i.e., the vibration spectrum. It will usually increase, i.e.,The vibrations become stronger, the vibration spectrum shows larger amplitudes as well as a corresponding distortion or smearing with multiple peaks over a wider frequency range. This means that the vibration behavior, and thus the detectable vibration information, changes with increasing wear, so that, in principle, the degree of wear can be inferred from the detectable vibration information.

[0032] For this purpose, two vibration sensors 10, 11 are provided in the example shown, with the vibration sensor 10 being arranged on the first knife carrier 5 and the second vibration sensor 11 being arranged on the second knife carrier 7. Each vibration sensor 10, 11 provides a corresponding sensor signal, which is continuously supplied and shows a signal increase immediately at the start of the cut, i.e., when the two knife elements and the strip material interact. The sensor signals recorded for each cut, i.e., the vibration information, are given to a processing unit 12, which is configured to process the vibration information or sensor signals using a stored processing algorithm and, based on the recorded sensor signals, to determine wear information that reflects the degree of wear.

[0033] For this purpose, the processing unit is configured to compare the vibration information, for example, the supplied sensor signal, with reference information. This reference information, stored in the processing unit 12, can be configured accordingly, depending on the type of vibration information. Each stored reference information, previously recorded for the specific cutting device or this type, is assigned to a specific wear condition. The processing unit then compares, for example, the vibration information in the form of a signal waveform with reference information, which is also a signal waveform. This reference information is stored in the processing unit 12 along with a multitude of other reference information assigned to different wear conditions and operating or material parameters; that is, a corresponding set of information is available for comparison.Depending on the best match of the vibration information to be compared, the degree of wear can be determined from the correspondingly suitable reference information, i.e., wear information can be ascertained. This wear information is displayed on a display device 13, which is, for example, a monitor with color display capability. Depending on whether the wear information indicates that there is no wear, that there is tolerable but incipient wear, or that there is significant or severe wear requiring action, one of three indicator lights 14, 15, or 16 can be displayed.If there is no wear, indicator light 14, for example, illuminates green; if there is incipient but tolerable wear, indicator light 15 illuminates yellow as a warning signal; if there is severe wear requiring immediate action, indicator light 16 illuminates red as an alarm signal. It is therefore a kind of traffic light system.

[0034] Since two vibration sensors 10, 11 are provided, the processing unit can process both separately and perform a comparison of each, so that two results can be compared with each other, with one comparison being the leading one and the other comparison being used for plausibility checks.

[0035] Vibration information can be recorded for each individual cut, and a corresponding comparison, and thus wear information, can be determined for each cut. However, it is also conceivable to perform this only intermittently, for example, only every 10th, 20th, 50th, or 100th cut. It is also conceivable to record the signal at staggered intervals, for example, every minute, every 5 minutes, etc. In this case, it is possible to record and evaluate the vibration signals of several, for example, five immediately consecutive cuts per signal recording cycle and, based on this, determine a common measurement value, for example, by averaging, which serves as the basis for comparison as vibration information. This means that various evaluation options are available.

[0036] Fig. 4Figure 1 shows an example of a curve overlaid on a large number of individual recorded vibration measurements, along with an associated average curve. The measurement number is plotted along the abscissa, and the ordinate represents, for example, the respective maximum amplitude of the measured vibration or the maximum vibration acceleration within the measured vibration. It is assumed that for each measurement, either the maximum amplitude of the vibration (i.e., the maximum peak) or a maximum vibration acceleration is determined from the respective sensor signal and then compared with the reference information. Fig. 4 Several such vibration information points S1-S6 are marked, which are merely selected as examples. Overall, a curve K is formed along the length of the individual vibration information points.

[0037] Also shown is a mean value curve M, which is determined by averaging along the curve K.

[0038] Furthermore, a first reference information R1 is shown in the form of a dash-dotted line running horizontally, as is a second reference information R2 in the form of a dashed line, also running horizontally. Reference information R1 indicates a first information level, and reference information R2 a second information level. Each recorded vibration value, i.e., each amplitude or acceleration value, is compared with reference information R1 and R2. Depending on the comparison result, one of three indicator lights is displayed. The two reference information values ​​R1 and R2 therefore represent separate information limits. Reference information R1 is a warning limit. If this level is reached, a warning signal in the form of the yellow indicator light 15 is displayed. Reference information R2 is an alarm limit, meaning that if this level is reached, an alarm signal in the form of the red indicator light 16 is displayed.Below the reference information R1, the green indicator light 14 is given, indicating proper operation.

[0039] As described, curve K is determined based on the individual sensor readings; it follows their progression. The individual sensor readings vary considerably, meaning that the specific sensor reading can differ from measurement to measurement, resulting in the relatively jagged shape of curve K. While most sensor readings at the beginning of the curve are lower than the initial reference value R1, sensor readings S1 and S2, for example, lie above the reference value R1. If only this raw value were considered, it would trigger a warning message. To avoid this, as it is only a snapshot in time, the mean value curve M is calculated, which lies significantly below the reference value R1.

[0040] Fig. 4However, it also shows that over time, with an increasing measurement number, the mean value curve M rises. Upon acquiring sensor information S3, a mean value is obtained that is equal to or greater than the reference information R1, causing the indicator light to change from the previously given green signal 14 to the yellow signal 15. This indicates that considerable wear has now occurred, which may necessitate planning for intervention. As the figure shows, the vibration information then increases, as exemplified by vibration information S4 and S5, which also causes the mean value curve M to rise.Upon receiving sensor information S6, the mean value is equal to or greater than the second reference value R2. This triggers the third, red indicator light 16, signaling that immediate action is required due to severe wear. This wear must be addressed either by adjusting the cutting gap 9 or by replacing the blade. An alarm signal is thus triggered. In this example, the system reacts swiftly, as evidenced by the drop in curve K and the mean value curve M. This means that the point at which wear becomes unacceptable can be detected with high precision, allowing for immediate action at the very beginning of this condition. Because the yellow warning signal was already triggered, it was possible to prepare for this moment and take appropriate measures.

[0041] The cutting device 1 as described above is a guillotine shear, also called a guillotine shear. Fig. 5Figure 1 shows an example of a cutting device 1 according to the invention, which is designed as a slitter that allows an endless strip material to be separated longitudinally into two strips. A first cutting element in the form of a first roller knife 17 is shown, which is movable on a first knife carrier 18 that is horizontally movable on the device frame (not shown in detail here). The first knife carrier is, for example, an adjustment plate. A second cutting element in the form of a second roller knife 19 is also provided, which is arranged on a second, stationary knife carrier 20. Both rotate in opposite directions, as indicated by arrows P2 and P3. A strip material runs from above between the two roller knives 17 and 19, as indicated by arrow P4, and is cut into two strips, as indicated by arrows P5 and P6.

[0042] This process also generates corresponding oscillations and vibrations, which are detected by two vibration sensors 21, 22, located on the two knife carriers 18, 20, and transmitted to the processing unit, which is not shown in detail here. The processing method is as described above for the first example.

[0043] Fig. 6 Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a cutting device 1 according to the invention in the form of a rotary shear. A first cutting element in the form of a rotary knife 23 is provided, which is arranged on a first knife carrier 24. The knife carrier 24 is horizontally movable, as indicated by the double arrow P7, and the rotary knife 23 rotates clockwise, as indicated by arrow P8.

[0044] A second cutting element is provided in the form of a fixed-position cutter bar 25, which is fixedly mounted on a frame support 26, again for example a tabletop, which serves as a second cutter carrier. The strip material is also pulled through here when the roller cutter 23 is in the starting position shown on the left. Upon reaching the cutting position, the strip material is fixed, and the roller cutter 23 is moved to the right via the cutter carrier 24 into the position shown with dashed lines. During this movement, the strip material is cut by the interaction of the roller cutter 23 with the cutter bar 25. Subsequently, the strip material is pulled through again, with the roller cutter 23 being moved back from the dashed position, cutting the strip material. Alternatively, before the next cut, the roller cutter 23 can also be moved back into the position shown in Fig. 6 The starting position shown can be moved.

[0045] Here again, two vibration sensors 27, 28 are provided. A first vibration sensor 27 is attached to the first knife carrier 24, and a second vibration sensor 28 is arranged on the frame support 26. They communicate with a processing unit (not shown in detail), which processes the sensor signals to determine the sensor information and to perform the comparison for wear determination.

[0046] The Fig. 7 and 8 show an embodiment of a cutting device 1 according to the invention, which is derived from the guillotine shears. Fig. 1-3 This corresponds to the setup frame 3, the upper blade 4 with its first blade carrier 5, and the lower blade 6 with the frame support 7 are shown again. Also shown are the blade carrier guides 29 on both sides, in which the first blade carrier 5 is guided vertically on the setup frame 3. The two vibration sensors 10, 11 are again shown.

[0047] Furthermore, a number of different positions are indicated by the dashed sensor symbols, where either the two vibration sensors 10, 11 can be positioned alternatively, or where additional vibration sensors can be arranged, each providing separate sensor signals. Naturally, all vibration sensors are connected to the processing unit 12, which performs the corresponding signal evaluation, and to which the display unit 13 is assigned.

[0048] In principle, it is conceivable to derive from the wear information how an appropriate reaction can be implemented, for example, when the first warning level is reached, i.e., when a certain level of wear has been detected, and when this condition persists over a longer period. For instance, it would be conceivable to readjust the cutting gap 9 if its width, as measured during operation, is no longer within the tolerance. This adjustment can be performed automatically, meaning that the cutting gap 9 can be automatically readjusted depending on the wear result. The success of this measure can be immediately verified based on the next measurements of the cutting quality.

Claims

1. Cutting device for cutting a ribbon-shaped material, in particular a sticky cord ribbon, comprising two knife elements (4, 6, 17, 19, 23, 25) cooperating with each other for cutting, wherein each knife element (4, 6, 17, 19, 23, 25) is arranged on a knife carrier (5, 7, 18, 19, 24, 26) which in turn is arranged directly or indirectly on a device frame (3), characterized by the fact thatat least one vibration sensor (10, 11, 21, 22, 27, 28) is provided, via which vibration information, which is a measure of a vibration of the knife elements (4, 6, 17, 19, 23, 25) generated by the interaction of the knife elements (4, 6, 17, 19, 23, 25) during a cut, can be detected, and that a processing device (12) set up to determine wear information indicating the state of one or both knife elements (4, 6, 17, 19, 23, 25) on the basis of the vibration information, as well as a display device (13) for outputting determined wear information, is provided.

2. Cutting device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the processing unit is set up to determine the wear information based on a comparison of the vibration information or a comparison information determined on the basis thereof with at least one reference information (R1, R2).

3. Cutting device according to claim 2, characterized by the fact thatThe processing device is set up to determine a comparative value, in particular an average value, which serves as comparative information, based on several vibration data recorded successively over time.

4. Cutting device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by the fact that at least one first and one second reference information (R1, R2) is given, whereby a first wear information can be output depending on a comparison of the comparison value with the first reference information (R1) and a second wear information can be output depending on a comparison of the comparison value with the second reference information (R2).

5. Cutting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact thatSeveral vibration sensors (10, 11, 21, 22, 27, 28) are provided at different positions, wherein the processing device (12) is set up to determine the wear information based on the vibration information of the several vibration sensors (10, 11, 21, 22, 27, 28).

6. Cutting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that a vibration sensor (10, 11, 21, 22, 27, 28) is arranged on a knife carrier (5, 7, 18, 19, 24, 26) or on the setup frame (3).

7. Cutting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact thatThe first knife element is an upper knife (4) which is arranged on a vertically movable first knife carrier (5), and the second knife element is a lower knife (6) which is arranged on a frame carrier provided on the setup frame, which is fixed in position and serves as a second knife carrier (7), wherein a vibration sensor (10) is arranged on the first knife carrier (5) or on a knife carrier guide (29) provided on the setup frame or on the frame carrier (7).

8. Cutting device according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that at least one first vibration sensor (10) is provided on the first knife carrier (5) or the knife carrier guide (29) and at least one second vibration sensor (11) is provided on the frame carrier (7).

9. Cutting device according to claim 8, characterized by the fact thatSeveral first vibration sensors (10) and / or several second vibration sensors (11) are provided on the knife carrier (6) or the knife carrier guide (29).

10. Cutting device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by the fact that The first knife element is a roller knife (23) which is arranged on a horizontally movable first knife carrier (24), and the second knife element is a position-fixed knife bar (25) which is arranged on a position-fixed frame support (28) provided on the setup frame (3) and which serves as a second knife carrier and along which knife bar (25) the roller knife (23) is movable, wherein a vibration sensor (27) is arranged on the first knife carrier (24) or a guide of the first knife carrier (24) provided on the setup frame (3) or on the frame support (26) or on the setup frame (3).

11. Cutting device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by the fact thatThe first knife element is a first roller knife (17) and the second knife element is a second roller knife (19), wherein the first roller knife (17) is arranged on a first knife carrier (18) movable on the setup frame (3) and the second roller knife (19) is arranged on a second knife carrier (20) fixed in position on the setup frame (3), wherein a vibration sensor (21, 22) is arranged on the first knife carrier (18) or a guide of the first knife carrier (18) provided on the setup frame (3) or on the second knife carrier (20) or on the setup frame (3).

12. Method for determining and outputting wear information of a first and / or second cutting element (4, 6, 17, 19, 23, 25) of a cutting device (1), wherein the cutting device (1) comprises a mounting frame (3) and two cutting elements (4, 6, 17, 19, 23, 25) that interact with each other for cutting, wherein each cutting element (4, 6, 17, 19, 23, 25) is arranged on a cutting element carrier (5, 7, 18, 20, 24, 26), which in turn are arranged directly or indirectly on the mounting frame (3), wherein vibration information, which is a measure of a vibration generated by the interaction of the cutting elements (4, 6, 17, 19, 23, 25) during a cut, is obtained by means of at least one vibration sensor (10, 11, 21, 22, 27, 28). the cutting elements (4, 6, 17, 19, 23, 25) is detected, and wherein a processing device (12) is used to determine the state of one or both cutting elements (4, 6, 17, 19, 23,25) the specified wear information is determined on the basis of the vibration information, which is output via a display device (13).

13. Method according to claim 12, characterized by the fact that the processing unit (12) is set up to determine the wear information on the basis of a comparison of the vibration information or a comparison information determined on the basis thereof with at least one reference information.

14. Method according to claim 13, characterized by the fact that By means of the processing device (12) an interpolation value, which serves as comparison information, is determined from several vibration information recorded successively over time.

15. Method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized by the fact thatat least one first and one second reference information is given, whereby a first wear information is output depending on a comparison of the comparison value with the first reference information and a second wear information is output depending on a comparison of the comparison value with the second reference information.

16. Method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized by the fact that Several vibration sensors (10, 11, 21, 22, 27, 28) are provided at different positions, wherein the processing device (12) determines the wear information based on the vibration information of the several vibration sensors (10, 11, 21, 22, 27, 28).

17. Method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized by the fact thatThe cutting device (1) may include a guillotine shear comprising as a first knife element a vertically movable upper knife (4) and as a second knife element a fixed lower knife (6), or a roller shear comprising a horizontally movable roller knife (23) and a fixed knife bar (25) along which the roller knife (23) travels, or a slitter comprising a movable first roller knife (17) and a second fixed roller knife (19).

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