Plastic Film Temperature Monitoring for Quality Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for monitoring film quality during plastic film production are inefficient, leading to high levels of reject material and increased effort due to offline quality control and reliance on frost line position, which is influenced by various process parameters.

Innovation Solution

A method that determines the temperature of the film material during transport, using a temperature-dependent definition to evaluate and predict the quality condition independently of the frost line position, allowing for real-time adjustment of process parameters such as vacuum and speed to ensure desired mechanical and optical properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If offline quality control with laboratory tests is conducted, then quality assurance is achieved, but production time is lost and reject material increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequality assuranceVSAvoidproduction time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical offline laboratory testing with an optical measurement system that uses light reflection to determine film temperature and quality characteristics in real-time during production, eliminating the need to stop production for quality checks

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces temperature as an intermediary parameter that correlates with film quality characteristics. By measuring temperature via light reflection and using it to predict mechanical properties, the system enables real-time quality monitoring without direct mechanical testing of the film

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If frost line position is used to determine film quality, then mechanical properties can be assessed, but process complexity increases due to dependence on multiple process parameters

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefilm quality assessmentVSAvoidprocess parameters
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the essential quality information from the complex frost line phenomenon by directly measuring film temperature through light reflection. This isolates the critical parameter (temperature) from other influencing factors like cooling rate and frost line position, simplifying the measurement system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the measurement parameter from observing frost line position (which depends on multiple process parameters) to directly measuring film temperature through optical means. This parameter substitution simplifies the relationship between measurement and quality characteristics

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If sampling is increased to improve quality control, then quality monitoring improves, but effort and reject material increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequality monitoringVSAvoidsampling effort
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements continuous real-time quality monitoring during film production through optical temperature measurement, replacing discontinuous offline sampling. This allows quality assessment at every moment without stopping production or increasing manual sampling effort

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables the production process to self-monitor its own quality characteristics in real-time through automated optical temperature measurement and correlation with quality parameters, eliminating the need for external laboratory testing and manual sampling

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach simplifies and cost-effectively monitors film quality, reducing reject material and improving overall quality by allowing for precise adjustment of cooling processes to meet quality standards, thereby enhancing the production efficiency and product consistency.

Implementation Method 1

The transport device is generally cooled, so that the film material is cooled during rotation and/or movement of the transport device

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCooling: Cooling

Implementation Method 2

the film material undergoes a temperature profile and at a certain point in time falls below its own solidification temperature, so that it begins to solidify

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSolidification: Freezing

Data Source

PatentEP3526006B1Method for monitoring a film quality and film machine
Publication Date: 2024.04.03 WINDMOELLER & HOELSCHER GMBH
  • EP3526006B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3526006B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3526006B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for monitoring a film quality in the production of a plastic film, comprising the following steps: - determining a first temperature (10) of a film material (1) of the plastic film during a transport of the film material (1), in which the film material (1) is cooled along a conveying direction (2) of the film material (1). The invention further relates to a film machine (50) comprising a device for monitoring a film quality in the production of a plastic film.