Textile Machine Cleaning via Event-Driven Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for cleaning textile machines with multiple work stations do not account for the varying soiling rates of individual stations, leading to inefficient cleaning schedules and frequent unnecessary trips by cleaning devices.
Innovation Solution
A method where cleaning requests are made based on events such as thread breaks, quality measured values, and maintenance activities since the last cleaning, allowing for targeted cleaning of soiled stations and proactive cleaning of nearby stations anticipating future soiling, with a mobile cleaning device that operates independently or as part of a larger maintenance device, and a control system that distributes cleaning tasks to optimize efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mobile cleaning device moves from one work area to the next in sequence, then all work areas are eventually cleaned, but cleaning trips occur even when work areas do not need cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit receives signals from work areas indicating when cleaning is needed (e.g., after thread breaks, quality deviations, or maintenance activities). The cleaning device then responds to these feedback signals by traveling only to work areas that require cleaning, rather than following a fixed sequential route. This feedback mechanism ensures reliable cleaning coverage while improving efficiency by avoiding unnecessary trips.
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively identifies work areas that will need cleaning based on recorded events (thread breaks, quality measurements, maintenance activities) and schedules cleaning trips in advance. By determining cleaning needs before actual soiling occurs, the system can optimize travel routes and reduce unnecessary movements, thereby improving cleaning efficiency while maintaining complete coverage.
2Reliability
If cleaning is performed at fixed intervals, then all work areas receive regular attention, but cleaning resources are wasted on already clean areas
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system transitions from a static, fixed-interval schedule to a dynamic, demand-driven approach. The control unit continuously monitors events at each work area (thread breaks, quality deviations, maintenance activities) and dynamically determines when cleaning is needed. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain consistent cleaning reliability while minimizing time loss by cleaning only when necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
Each work area effectively monitors its own cleaning needs through recorded events (thread breaks, quality measurements, maintenance activities) and communicates this information to the control unit. The system allows work areas to 'self-report' when they need cleaning, eliminating the need for uniform fixed-interval inspections across all areas. This self-service approach maintains reliable cleaning coverage while reducing overall cleaning time.
3Reliability
If a cleaning device services all work areas equally, then uniform cleaning standards are maintained, but the varying soiling rates of different work areas are not addressed
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit applies different cleaning strategies to different work areas based on their individual soiling characteristics. By monitoring local events (thread breaks, quality deviations, maintenance activities) at each work area, the system tailors cleaning frequency and timing to the specific needs of each location. This local quality approach maintains uniform cleaning standards across all areas while adapting to varying soiling rates, as each area receives cleaning attention proportional to its actual contamination level.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for cleaning a textile machine (21) consisting of a plurality of identical workstations (2), wherein a cleaning request is made for a workstation (2) and the workstation (2) to be cleaned is approached and cleaned by a mobile cleaning device (1). According to the invention, it is proposed that the cleaning request is made depending on events that have occurred at the respective workstations (2) since the last cleaning process.Furthermore, the invention relates to a textile machine (21) with a plurality of identical workstations (2), a mobile cleaning device (1) and a control unit (23), wherein the control unit (23) is configured to make cleaning requests for workstations (2) and the cleaning device (1) is configured to move to and clean a workstation (2) for which a cleaning request has been made, and the control unit (23) is configured such that it makes cleaning requests depending on events that have occurred at the respective workstations (2) since the last cleaning process.