CALENDER AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SUCH A CALENDER

Abstract

A calender includes a rotatable roller, and a belt co-acting with the roller with a determined belt pressure. At least one material for feeding through the calender is situated between the roller and the belt for a determined contact time during throughfeed through the calender. The calender also includes heating means for heating the fluid and/or the roller, control means for controlling the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time, and a database for storing data. The control means are configured to control the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time on the basis of at least one of the data contained in the database, before and/or during throughfeed of the material. A set with a plurality of such calenders and a method for controlling such a calender.

Claims

1. A calender, comprising: a rotatable roller, which roller is hollow and thereby defines an internal space which can be filled at least partially or is filled at least partially with a heatable fluid, such as oil or air; a belt, co-acting with the roller, with a determined belt pressure, wherein at least one material for feeding through the calender is situated between the roller and the belt for a determined contact time during throughfeed through the calender; heating means for heating the fluid and/or the roller, which heating means are disposed in the internal space; one or more control means for controlling the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time, characterized by a database in which at least one of the following data is stored, periodically: a measured outer periphery temperature of the roller; a measured fluid temperature; the contact time; the belt pressure; a power of the heating means; number of revolutions of the roller since the start of a calendering process; at least one property of the at least one material being fed through the calender; at least one property of a transfer paper being fed through the calender; an ambient temperature; an air humidity; which calender is used; a power of drive means of the calender; at least one property of a belt of the calender, and the one or more control means are further configured to control the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time on the basis of at least one of the data contained in the database, before and/or during throughfeed of the material.

2. The calender according to claim 1, wherein the control means are configured to determine before and/or during throughfeed of the material, on the basis of at least periodically recorded settings of the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time of a plurality of prior calendering processes and on the basis of at least the at least one property of the same material, how the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time must be set, and to control the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time in the determined manner.

3. The calender according to claim 1, wherein the control means are configured to control the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time on the basis of the ambient temperature.

4. The calender according to claim 1, wherein the database and the control means are connected or at least connectable to each other, wirelessly or via a computer network.

5. The calender according to claim 1, wherein the control means are configured to control the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time on the basis of average values when a connection with the database drops out.

6. A set with a plurality of calenders according to claim 1, wherein the control means of at least one of the calenders are configured to control the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time of that one calender on the basis of periodically registered data of calendering processes performed with the calenders of the set.

7. The set according to claim 6, wherein said one calender is a calender of the set other than the calender of which the data are registered.

8. A method for controlling a calender according to claim 1, which method comprises the following steps of: a) controlling the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time by means of the one or more control means on the basis of at least one of the data contained in the database, before and/or during throughfeed of the material.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein step a) is performed by determining on the basis of at least periodically recorded settings of the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time of a plurality of prior calendering processes and on the basis of at least the at least one property of the same material how the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time must be set, and by controlling the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time in the determined manner.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein step a) is performed by controlling the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time on the basis of the ambient temperature.

11. The method according to claim 8, comprising the steps of: b) observing that a connection with the database has dropped out; and c) controlling the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time by means of the one or more control means on the basis of average values while the connection has dropped out.

12. The method according to claim 8, comprising the steps of: d) entering a material for feeding through the calender; e) setting the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or contact time on the basis of at least one property of the material entered in step d).

13. The method according to claim 12, comprising the steps of: f) generating a signal when the calender is ready for throughfeed of the material entered in step d); and g) feeding through the material after the signal has been generated.

Description

[0079] The invention will be further elucidated with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

[0080] FIG. 1 shows schematically a set with a plurality of calenders according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0081] FIG. 2 shows schematically the steps of a method according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0082] FIG. 1 shows schematically a number of calenders 1-5 according to the invention, each provided with one or more control means (not shown). Calenders 1-5 can be accommodated at the same or at different production sites. These calenders are connected via respective connections 6-10, which run via a network such as the Internet 11, to a database 12, which is also connected to the Internet 11. Calenders 1-5, or at least a part thereof, are configured to store via respective connections 6-10 running via Internet 11 at least one parameter in respect of the arrangement of calenders 1-5 in the database, such as for instance a measured outer periphery temperature of the roller of calenders 1-5, a measured fluid temperature in calenders 1-5, the contact time, the belt pressure, a power of the heating means of calenders 1-5, number of revolutions of the roller of calenders 1-5 since the start of a calendering process, at least one property of the at least one material being fed through calenders 1-5, at least one property of a transfer paper optionally being fed through calenders 1-5, an ambient temperature around calenders 1-5, which calender 1-5 is being used, a power of drive means of the calender 1-5 and/or at least one property of a belt of calenders 1-5. The calenders 1-5 which are provided with one or more control means are further also configured to control the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time of calenders 1-5 on the basis of at least one of the data contained in database 12.

[0083] The control means of calender 1 are configured to control the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time of calender 1 on the basis of optionally periodically registered data of calendering processes performed with the set of calenders 1-5, wherein this can particularly involve/relate to the other calenders 2-5, before and/or during throughfeed of a material through calender 1.

[0084] A method 100 which can be performed with one or more of the calenders 1-5 is shown in FIG. 2. This method comprises the step 101 of controlling the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time by means of the one or more control means of calenders 1-5 on the basis of at least one of the data contained in database 12, for instance for the purpose of bringing calenders 1-5 into a stationary state. It is possible here for this step to be performed by determining on the basis of at least periodically recorded settings of the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time of a plurality of prior calendering processes performed with calenders 1-5, or a part thereof, and on the basis of at least the at least one property of the same material how the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time of calenders 1-5 must be set, and by controlling the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time of calenders 1-5 in the determined manner.

[0085] The method then comprises the step 102 of entering a material for feeding through the calender 1-5, for instance by an operator via an interface of the calender 1-5, and the step 103 of setting the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time on the basis of at least one property of the material entered in step 102, whereby the calender 1-5 is for instance brought from the stationary state into an operative state in which the material can be entered. The method here preferably comprises the step 104 of generating a signal when the calender 1-5 is ready for throughfeed of the material entered in step 102, after which the material is actually fed through in step 105.

[0086] The possible dropping out of the respective connection 6-10 is preferably taken into consideration in the method. When it is observed during one of these steps 101-105 that a connection, such as the respective connection 6-10, to database 12 drops out, as shown in step 106, the one or more control means will preferably control the heating means and/or the belt pressure and/or the contact time in step 107 on the basis of average values until the connection has been restored, as shown in step 108, after which the control on the basis of at least one of the data contained in database 12 is returned to.

[0087] It is noted that the steps 101-105 are shown in sequential order, but that the steps can be performed in any suitable order and/or that, if desired, one or more steps can be repeated. It is thus possible to additionally or moreover alternatively perform the step 101 of controlling during the throughfeed step 105.

[0088] Although the invention is elucidated above on the basis of a number of specific examples and embodiments, the invention is not limited thereto. The invention instead also covers the subject matter defined by the following claims.