Ultrasonic Sensor Cloth Feed Control for Printing Press Cylinders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning devices for printing press cylinders inefficiently use cleaning cloth, often requiring mechanical parts prone to malfunctions and contamination, which can lead to interruptions in the printing process.
Innovation Solution
A non-contact ultrasonic sensor measures the cloth roll radius, calculating the cloth feed length and increments for efficient cloth transfer between clean and dirty rolls, eliminating the need for mechanical parts and ensuring consistent cloth application across multiple cleaning devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanical parts are used for cloth feed control, then the device can physically transfer the cleaning cloth, but the mechanical parts are prone to malfunctions and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical sensing and control parts with a laser sensor that optically measures the cloth roll radius. This eliminates mechanical contact points that could malfunction or become contaminated, while still enabling precise control of the cloth feed mechanism through optical data about the roll dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a laser sensor as an intermediary between the cloth roll and the control system. Instead of mechanical parts directly contacting and measuring the cloth roll, the laser sensor serves as a non-contact mediator that provides measurement data to the control unit, which then calculates the required feed increments.
2Productivity
If the cleaning cloth is frequently replaced, then fresh cloth is always available, but this interrupts the printing process and reduces productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system where the laser sensor continuously monitors the cloth roll radius, the control unit calculates the remaining cloth length based on measured radius and feed increments, and adjusts the feed control accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures reliable cloth feeding throughout the entire roll lifespan, maintaining printing process continuity without interruptions.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit performs preliminary calculations of the required feed increments based on the measured roll radius before actual cloth feeding occurs. This allows the system to plan and execute precise cloth transfer in advance, ensuring that cloth is fed at the correct rate to maintain continuous operation without running out or requiring premature replacement.
3Productivity
If the cloth feed length is not precisely controlled, then the cloth transfer is simpler, but the cleaning efficiency decreases and cloth usage becomes inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of the cloth feed mechanism by calculating variable feed increments based on the changing radius of the cloth roll. As the roll radius decreases during operation, the control unit dynamically adjusts the number of increments required for each feed step, ensuring consistent and precise cloth transfer length despite the varying roll dimensions. This dynamic adjustment optimizes cleaning efficiency throughout the entire cloth roll lifecycle.
4Productivity
If multiple cleaning devices are used, then more cylinders can be cleaned, but maintaining consistent cloth application across all devices becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal control solution where the laser sensor and control unit work together to standardize cloth feed control across multiple cleaning devices. By using optical measurement and centralized control logic that calculates feed increments based on actual roll parameters, the system ensures consistent cloth application quality across all cleaning devices in the printing press, regardless of the number of devices operating simultaneously.
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 solution enhances cloth usage efficiency, reduces mechanical failures, and maintains consistent fresh cloth application to printing press cylinders, minimizing interruptions and extending equipment lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
a non-contact sensor, preferably an ultrasonic sensor, scans the peripheral surface of one of the two cloth rolls
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The device (2-1) has a contact-less operating distance sensor (30) e.g. ultrasonic sensor, producing a signal linearly proportional to a radial distance change of an outer circumference of cleaning and dirty cloth rolls (8, 10) from the sensor. A control part (40) calculates a circumferential size of the rolls form the signal and stores a preset number of rotation angle increments for the rolls and a cloth feed length-reference value. The part conveys a cleaning cloth to a cloth feed length, which corresponds to the reference value, using a drive device (11). Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a control device combination comprising a cleaning device (2) a cleaning cloth feed controlling method for cleaning of a printing machine cylinder.