Production Control in a Blow Room

Abstract

A system and corresponding method are provided for controlling production in a blow room, the blow room including a controller, a supplying machine having a supplying part, and a machine to be supplied that has a filling level measurement. The supplying machine and the machine to be supplied are connected to the controller. A production area is defined for the supplying machine and includes a minimum production and a maximum production. Production of the supplying part of the supplying machine is determined based on a filling level of the filling level measurement. When production of the production area drops below the minimum production, the supplying part of the supplying machine is shut down, the shutdown taking place independently of the filling level of the machine to be supplied.

Claims

1-11: (canceled)

12. A method for controlling production in a blow room, the blow room including a controller, a supplying machine having a supplying part, and a machine to be supplied that has a filling level measurement, wherein the supplying machine and the machine to be supplied are connected to the controller, comprising defining a production area for the supplying machine having a minimum production and a maximum production for the supplying machine; determining production of the supplying part of the supplying machine based on a filling level of the filling level measurement of the machine to be supplied; and when production of the production area drops below the minimum production, the supplying part of the supplying machine is shut down, the shutdown taking place independently of the filling level of the machine to be supplied.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the production area includes one or more additional fiber processing machines operationally located between the supplying machine and the machine to be supplied.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising adjusting operation of the one or more additional fiber processing machines when there is a change in the production of the production area.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the production of the production area is determined by the machine to be supplied.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the machine to be supplied is configured to turn on the supplying part of the supplying machine via the controller based on a low filling level at the machine to be supplied.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein when the production of the production area exceeds the maximum production, the controller alters production of the machine to be supplied or shuts down the machine to be supplied.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the controller saves production values of the machine to be supplied, and saves and evaluates periods of time between shutdowns of the supplying machine, the controller determining an adjustment in the production of the production area in order to minimize the shutdowns.

19. A system for controlling production in a blow room, comprising: a controller; a supplying machine having a supplying part, wherein a production area is defined for the supplying machine in the controller having a minimum production and a maximum production; a machine to be supplied that has a filling level measurement; the supplying machine and the machine to be supplied in operative communication with the controller; and the controller configured operate the supplying machine and the machine to be supplied such that production of the supplying part of the supplying machine is determined based on a filling level of the filling level measurement of the machine to be supplied; and when production of the production area drops below the minimum production, the supplying part of the supplying machine is shut down, the shutdown taking place independently of the filling level of the machine to be supplied.

20. The system according to claim 19, further comprising one or more additional fiber processing machines operationally located in the production area and in operational communication with the controller.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to adjust operation of the one or more additional fiber processing machines when there is a change in the production of the production area.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein the controller stores various settings of the additional fiber processing machines corresponding to different productions of the production area.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

[0022] The invention is explained in greater detail below on the basis of FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of machines in a blow room.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Reference will now be made to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are shown in the drawings. Each embodiment is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not as a limitation of the invention. For example features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be combined with another embodiment to yield still another embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations to the embodiments described herein.

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an example of an arrangement of machines in a blow room. This diagram shows simplified equipment for a blow room, which in many cases consists of additional machines in a wide variety of arrangements.

[0025] At the start, there is a bale opener 2, which takes fiber flocks from fiber bales 1 that have already been made ready and sends them to a transport line 3. The fiber flocks are then sent through the transport line 3 to a cleaner 4. After passing through the cleaner 4, the fiber flocks are transferred through another transport line 5 and a fan 6 to a mixer 7. The fan 6 ensures the necessary stream of conveyor air for transporting the fiber flocks from the bale opener 2 via the cleaner 4 to the mixer 7. The bale opener 2, the cleaner 4, the fan 6 and the mixer 7 are connected to a controller 15. The bale opener 2 is a supplying machine and the mixer 7 is a machine to be supplied. The cleaner 4 is a machine located between the supplying machine and the machine to be supplied. The cleaner 4 has a certain adjustment of its organs, ensuring a high-quality cleaning of the fiber flocks and a high operational reliability in a certain production area. This production area with a minimum production and a maximum production is known to the controller 15, and the controller 15 can calculate data transmitted from the cleaner 4. Depending on the filling level of the mixer 7, the controller 15 regulates production of the supplying part of the bale opener 2. If this production drops below the predetermined minimum production, the controller 15 shuts down the bale opener. If production and/or demand exceed(s) the maximum production, the mixer 7 is throttled or shut down in its production accordingly in order to prevent it from running empty. A simultaneous shutdown of the fan 6 is not absolutely necessary. By steady removal of fiber flocks from the mixer 7, the demand increases again and then drops again in the production area, whereupon the controller 15 turns on the bale opener 2 again.

[0026] The mixer 7 also comprises a supplying part for passing the mixed fiber flocks to cards 12 and 14, for example. These fiber flocks are transferred through the transport lines 8 and 10 as well as the fan 9. The cards 12 and 14 are each provided with filling chutes 11 and 13. Production of the supplying part of the mixer 7 is regulated on the basis of the filling levels in the filling chutes 11 and 13. When there is a standstill of the card 12 and a low demand of card 14, it is possible for production to drop below a minimum production, which is necessary to maintain the required operational reliability. In this case, the supplying part of the mixer 7 is stopped by the controller 15 and activated again by the controller 15 after an increase in demand in a defined production area. However, if the demand of cards 12 and 14 exceeds the maximum production, then the controller 15 acts on the cards 12 and 14 to reduce their production or shut down one of the cards 12 or 14.

[0027] Modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments illustrated or described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

LEGEND

[0028] 1 Fiber bales [0029] 2 Bale opener [0030] 3, 5, 8 Transport line [0031] 4 Cleaner [0032] 6, 9 Fan [0033] 7 Mixer [0034] 10 Distributor [0035] 11, 13 Filling chute of card [0036] 12, 14 Card [0037] 15 Controller