A corrugated board plant includes a corrugated board production assembly for producing a double-face laminated web of corrugated board, and at least one cutting assembly arranged downstream of the corrugated board production assembly, which has a cross-cutting device for producing sheets from the double-face web of corrugated board, and is capable of producing at least one identification sheet from the double-face laminated web of corrugated board, which is different from the sheets. The corrugated board plant further has a stack depositing area arranged downstream of the cutting assembly to stack the sheets and the at least one identification sheet in such a way as to form a stack, which is identifiable by means of the at least one identification sheet, in particular for further processing.

A corrugated cardboard plant, including at least one corrugated cardboard production device for producing at least one corrugated cardboard web laminated on one side, having a respective corrugated web and a cover web; a connection device, disposed downstream of the at least one corrugated cardboard production device, for connecting the at least one corrugated cardboard web laminated on one side and a lamination web to one another, while forming an at least three-ply corrugated cardboard web; at least one cutting device for generating corrugated cardboard sheets from the at least three-ply corrugated cardboard web; and at least one individual code reading device for reading corrugated cardboard sheet individual codes on at least one of the webs of the at least three-ply corrugated cardboard web and/or on at least one of the webs for forming the at least three-ply corrugated cardboard web and/or on the corrugated cardboard sheets.

Systems for providing efficient manufacturing of paper, sheet, and/or box products of varying size and structure, often with pre-applied print (“pre-print”), are provided herein. Efficient customer ordering/tracking, job aggregation, print imposition, corrugator planning, and tracking and adjustments throughout the manufacturing process are contemplated. A reel editor is configured to edit the roll based on waste and/or errors that occurred during various manufacturing processes (e.g., during printing). A control plan defining what is on each roll of printed web product may be updated after editing. Depending on the configuration, the reel editor may be integrated with various manufacturing components. The reel editor may be configured to determine if there is enough waste on the roll to even making editing worthwhile, such as based on desired quality of the images, customer requirements, different price points, among other possible factors.

A single facer equipped with a plurality of corrugated roll units each composed of a pair of corrugated rolls is provided with: a lifting/lowering device that causes each of the corrugated roll units to be lifted and lowered between a use position at which a core sheet is to be corrugated, a first position adjacent to and directly under the use position, and a second position adjacent to and directly under the first position; a horizontal movement device that causes each of the corrugated roll units to be moved horizontally between the first position, a third position adjacent to the first position on one side in a sheet transfer direction, and a fourth position adjacent to the first position on the other side in the sheet transfer direction; and a control device that controls the lifting/lowering device and the horizontal movement device to move the corrugated roll units.

Systems for providing efficient manufacturing of sheet or box structures, corrugate sheets, or other products of varying size and structure often with pre-applied print (“pre-print”) are provided herein. The systems include various features and modules that enable automated control of the corrugator, including the knives, slitters, scorers and cut-to-mark detection system(s), are contemplated. Colored markings may be used to indicate an order change section between two order sections of a roll plan for the manufacturing process. The colored markings are detected as the corrugator runs and, once detected, a controller determines a next set of order instructions—e.g., to match the upcoming order. Thus, an order change may occur, thereby enabling automated control of the corrugator based on the new order instructions. Computer readable markings may enable checking of the actual position in the roll plan to an intended position, enabling stopping or changing of the corrugator operation if needed.

A new method is disclosed for monitoring the operation of a corrugated board production plant, the method provides for detecting at least one operational parameter of a functional unit of the plant, for example a current absorbed by a motor. Then, the current value of a statistical function of the operational parameter is calculated in a current temporal window. The maximum value and the minimum value of the same statistical function are calculated based on historicized data of the operational parameter in question. By comparing the current value of the statistical function and the maximum and minimum values, a piece of information of predictive diagnostics is obtained.

The method includes the step of pulling the corrugated board along hot plates by means of an upper flexible member and a lower flexible member driven by two electric motors. By at least one electric parameter of the drive motor of the lower flexible member, the correct operation of the traction device and in particular the correct ratio of the linear feeding speeds of the two flexible members is checked. The method provides an iterative check of the controlled electric parameter and a possible correction of the speed of the flexible members to maintain the desired speed ratio.

The methods provide for detecting at least one operational parameter of a functional unit of the plant and calculating a current value of at least a first statistical function of the operational parameter in a current temporal window, the current value of the first statistical function defining a first coordinate of a point of current operation of the functional unit. A step is also provided of verifying whether the point of current operation is within a range of allowable values of the first statistical function, the values contained in the range of allowable values corresponding to a correct operation of the functional unit. In case the point of current operation is outside the range of allowable values, the position is determined of the point of current operation with respect to the range of allowable values and a statistical diagnosis is provided of the cause of the deviation of the current value from the range of allowable values based on the position.

Systems for providing efficient manufacturing of paper, sheet, and/or box products of varying size and structure, often with pre-applied print (“pre-print”), are provided herein. One or more controllers can be used to aggregate orders and information to prepare one or more control plans (e.g., reel maps, reel plans, etc.) for processing a roll of web product through the manufacturing process. The control plan may include a set of instructions for operating one or more systems within the manufacturing process to form the desired finished paper-based product. In such a regard, efficient manufacturing of various paper-based products, including corrugated boxes, folded carton, labels, flexible paper, industrial bags, plates, cups, décor, and many others, can be achieved. Further, efficient customer ordering/tracking, job aggregation, print imposition, corrugator planning, and tracking and adjustments throughout the manufacturing process are contemplated.

The method includes the step of pulling the corrugated board along hot plates by means of an upper flexible member and a lower flexible member driven by two electric motors. By at least one electric parameter of the drive motor of the lower flexible member, the correct operation of the traction device and in particular the correct ratio of the linear feeding speeds of the two flexible members is checked. The method provides an iterative check of the controlled electric parameter and a possible correction of the speed of the flexible members to maintain the desired speed ratio.