Cleaning Web Cutting Control for Precise Intermittent Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing manufacturing process for cleaning web members faces challenges in accurately suspending and cutting continuous web members due to thermoplastic fiber fusion, leading to inaccurate cutting edges and precision issues during intermittent transport.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing apparatus and method that includes an intermittent transport mechanism, a cutter mechanism, a sensor with an imaging section to generate planar image data, and a control section to compute displacement amounts for precise positioning, ensuring accurate suspension and cutting of continuous web members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If shearing is used to cut thermoplastic fibers, then fiber fusion at cut edges is prevented, but transport of the continuous web member must be suspended, reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by suspending transport before cutting to ensure precise positioning of the web member at the cutter mechanism. The transport is paused to allow accurate alignment, then cutting is performed, and finally transport is resumed. This sequence ensures cutting precision is maintained while minimizing transport suspension time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback through phototubes that detect marks on the continuous web member to control the intermittent transport. The detection signal triggers transport suspension at the correct position, ensuring the web member is precisely positioned for cutting. This feedback mechanism improves cutting precision while optimizing transport timing to maintain productivity.
2Extent of automation
If phototube detection is used to control intermittent transport, then transport suspension can be automated, but detection accuracy decreases when mark color is similar to surrounding portions or when shape differences are small
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses detection accuracy issues by using distinctively-shaped portions with sufficient contrast in shape rather than relying solely on color differences. The distinctively-shaped portions are designed to create a clear change in the light-receiving state of the phototube, ensuring reliable detection even when color contrast is minimal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses asymmetric distinctively-shaped portions placed at specific locations on the continuous web member. These asymmetric features create a clear geometric contrast that the phototube can detect reliably, improving measurement precision while maintaining automation. The asymmetric shapes ensure that the light-receiving state changes sufficiently when the marks pass through the detection point.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a cleaning web member by intermittently cutting a continuous web member at a product pitch in a transport direction, the continuous web member having a base sheet continuous in the transport direction and a fiber bundle placed on and secured to the base sheet with a direction of fibers being along the transport direction. The manufacturing apparatus includes: an intermittent transport mechanism; a cutter mechanism; a sensor; and a control section. The control section controls a transport amount related to the intermittent transport by the intermittent transport mechanism based on information of the displacement amount output from the sensor.