Adaptive Crimping Roller Control for Tobacco Web Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
The variability in web thickness in the tobacco industry leads to inefficient crimping processes, resulting in defective products and production interruptions due to inadequate crimping settings, as crimping machines are initially set based on a reference thickness value and struggle to adapt to changes in web thickness.
Innovation Solution
A method and unit for crimping a web of material that includes sensors to measure the web's thickness and adjust the crimping process accordingly, ensuring effective crimping by comparing the measured thickness to reference values and automatically adjusting the crimping rollers' distance and position to maintain optimal crimping parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the crimping machine is set based on a reference thickness value, then the crimping process is simple to operate, but the quality of crimping deteriorates when web thickness varies
Solution Approach 1:
The crimping machine transitions from a static setup with fixed roller distance to a dynamic system where the distance between crimping rollers is automatically adjusted based on real-time web thickness measurements. This allows the machine to adapt to varying web thicknesses while maintaining consistent crimping quality.
Solution Approach 2:
A measurement device provides feedback on the actual web thickness to the control system, which then adjusts the crimping roller distance accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that crimping parameters always match the actual web conditions, resolving the contradiction between simple operation and consistent quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If the crimping rollers are set for thin web, then thin webs can be crimped effectively, but thick webs cause jamming or severing
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the crimping roller distance based on the actual web thickness being processed. When a thick web is detected, the rollers automatically increase their separation distance to prevent jamming or severing, while maintaining appropriate closeness for thin webs to ensure effective crimping.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical parameter of roller distance is changed in real-time according to web thickness variations. This parameter adjustment allows the same crimping machine to handle both thin and thick webs appropriately, preventing both ineffective crimping of thin webs and jamming of thick webs.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual adjustment of crimping settings is performed for each web thickness change, then crimping quality is maintained, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automatic feedback system continuously monitors web thickness and triggers automated adjustments to crimping roller distance, eliminating the need for manual intervention. This maintains consistent crimping quality while preventing production delays associated with manual adjustment operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The crimping machine performs self-adjustment based on sensor input, automatically modifying its own operating parameters without requiring operator intervention. This self-service capability maintains quality consistency while preserving production speed.
4Manufacturing precision
If the crimping rollers are positioned close together, then effective crimping is achieved for reference thickness, but webs of different thickness cause incorrect deformation or jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The crimping roller positioning system becomes dynamic, allowing the distance between rollers to change based on web thickness. This enables the machine to maintain accurate crimping deformation for various web thicknesses by automatically positioning the rollers at appropriate distances before each crimping operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical distance parameter between crimping rollers is varied according to web thickness measurements. This parameter change allows the system to adapt to different web thicknesses while maintaining consistent crimping deformation accuracy, achieving both precision and versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to a method for crimping a web of material for the tobacco industry, including the following steps:feeding a web of material for the tobacco industry along a feed path;crimping the web between two crimping rollers operatively coupled to make a plurality of longitudinal easy folding lines on the web;measuring a value of a thickness of the web before the step of crimping;The step of crimping the web is adjusted as a function of the thickness value measured during the step of measuring.