GB2129143A

GB2129143A - Procedure and apparatus for testing a material manufactured in web form

Info

Publication number: GB2129143A
Application number: GB08324482A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Olavi Lehtikoski
Original assignee: LD TESTERS Oy
Current assignee: LD TESTERS Oy
Priority date: 1982-10-22
Filing date: 1983-09-13
Publication date: 1984-05-10
Also published as: GB2129143B; JPS5992352A; CA1215852A; FI823620A0; DE3337705A1; FI823620L; FI71019B; SE8305350L; GB8324482D0; SE8305350D0; FR2535059B1; FR2535059A1

Abstract

A sample is taken from a material (e.g. paper) during the manufacturing process and is inserted in the input means 1 of the testing apparatus placed in the immediate vicinity of the process, the apparatus is air-conditioned by means 6, whereafter the sample is transported by means (12 Fig. 2) under control by a controller 4 into a unit 5 containing testing devices for testing different properties of the material (eg tensile tear and bursting strength, optical properties, smoothness, density, porosity, moisture content and thickness), the different tests being made from the same sample in succession and the test results being made available via display 2, printer 8 or plotter 9 within a short time after sampling. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Procedure and apparatus for testing a material manufactured in web form The present invention concerns a procedure and an apparatus for testing a material that is manufactured in web form, in connection with a process, in said procedure a sample being taken from the material for testing.

The properties of materials manufactured in web form are tested in connection both of their manufacturing and of their use in order to ensure the quantity of the material. Materials of this type which are manufactured in web form are e.g.

viscous, cellulose, paper, cardboard, fabric, and equivalent materials of which the characteristics should be constant and uniform in quality.

When procedures and apparatus known in the art are being applied, these tests are performed by trained examiners in a separate, usually air conditioned laboratory, to which the samples are conveyed. The samples are tested with a separate testing device made for each characteristic. Of the replicate measurements of the particular characteristic, obtained with each device, the means and standard deviations are calculated and the results are used in controlling the quality.

In connection with manufacturing in particular, the test result shouid be made available for use as soon as ever possible, but when using procedures and devices known in the art it may take a long time before the test results are available. Present procedures and devices have furthermore the drawback that they require an air-conditioned laboratory room and special personnel to make the tests and to treat the results. Moreover, the characteristics of the sample may change while the sample is being transported and manipulated for the various testing devices. Furthermore, existing testing devices are separate and an individual sample has to be prepared for each testing device. Moreover, existing apparatus is incovenient to manipulate.

The object of the invention is to provide a procedure and a means for testing material that is manufactured in web form and an apparatus for applying the procedure, drawbacks of the procedures and apparatus of prior art being eliminated with their aid. it is a particular object of the invention to provide a procedure and apparatus by the aid of which the results of testing can be made available within a short period, whereby these results become usable in process control immediately without time delay. It is a further object of the invention to provide a procedure and apparatus by which the material tests are performed on one sample and the manipulation time of the sample prior to its being conveyed to be tested being short.Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for applying the procedure by the aid of which the characteristics desired can be tested from one sample and by utilizing which the number of characteristics to be tested can be modified and varied depending on the purpose.

The aim of the invention is attained by a procedure and an apparatus mainly characterized by that which has been stated in the claims section.

In the procedure of the invention, a sample is taken from the material for testing and the sample is inserted in the input unit of the testing apparatus disposed in the immediate vicinity of the process. The apparatus is air-conditioned with the aid of an air-conditioning means in order to maintain desired moisture content and temperature of the sample. subsequent to airconditioning, the sample is with the aid of a transporting means transported, under control by a control means, into the basic unit and to the testing devices disposed therein which test various properties of the material, and the properties of the material are tested by the testing devices. The results of testing are immediately given out, whereby they become available shortly after the sample was taken.Moreover, the different tests are made from one and the same sample in succession in the basic unit of the testing apparatus located immediately adjacent to the process, whereby the sample manipulation time before testing will be minimized and all results of testing are obtained within a short period of time. The apparatus is placed in the vicinity of the manufacturing process or operational process to be tested, and no particular examination room is required for the tests. The process operating personnel is enabled to make use of the results of testing obtained by the aid of the procedure, without requiring any specific, prolonged training. All testing events are fully automated, whereby the apparatus is easy to operate, and likewise the print-out from the apparatus takes place automatically and the results are easy to read.

Depending on the kind of the material manufactured in web form, the samples may have either roll or sheet form and the input device has been provided with members enabling a rollshaped or sheet-shaped sample to be introduced in the basic unit. The sample area is integrated with the aid of an sensor device as the sample. is being fed from the input station into the basic unit.

It is ensured in this connection that the breadth of the sample is sufficient for obtaining correct test results, and at the same time are noted any tears or hoies that may occur in the sample and which affect the test results.

The apparatus of the invention comprises a basic unit constituted by a housing, an airconditioning means and testing devices accommodated within the basic unit, an openable input device in which the sample can be placed and which connects to the basic unit, a transporting means disposed in the basic unit and disposed to transport the sample from one testing device to the other, a controller for controlling the operation of the apparatus and for processing the results, and an output or printing means for displaying the results of the tests.The functions of the controller are provided by a computer, which controls the operation of the air-conditioning means, the transporting means and the testing devices and processes the results from the testing devices, and transmits the results to an output unit, which is a display terminal, a printer and/or plotter, or another output (print out) means known in itself in the art.

The apparatus includes, placed immediately adjacent to the input aperture between the input device and the basic unit, a sensor device for integrating the sample area and for monitoring the sample feed-in operation. The sensor device consists of a means which in a manner known in itself in the art either optically, electrically or in other ways known in the art observes the sample without touching it.

The transporting means transports the sample through the basic unit, through the testing devices. The transporting means consists to advantage of an endless belt disposed to extend from the immediate vicinity of the input means to adjacency of the basic unit's opposite side and provided with gripping members. For gripping members may be used structures known in themselves in the art, e.g. spike-like, hook-like, suction cup-like or equivalent gripping members.

With the aid of the transporting means, the sample is without cutting it off carried through the basic unit and the testing devices provided in the basic unit test the sample for different properties as the sample is being conducted through these devices.

The basic unit is preferably arranged to be openable for cleaning. It is then easy without effort from the enclosed basic unit to remove any sample pieces left in the basic unit in connection with tests. However, the main part of the sample web runs through the apparatus and departs from the apparatus after the tests, whereby only minimal quantities of the sample material remain in the basic unit.

In the basic unit is accommodated at least one, preferably a plurality of testing devices testing various properties. Each testing device constitutes an independent unit and is intended to test a given characteristic of the material. These testing device units are detachably mountable in the basic unit and, as required, exchangeably for another unit. It is thus possible to increase or reduce the number of testing device units in accordance with changing conditions, and they may, if desired, be exchanged against other units, whereby the apparatus is easily modifiable to meet different purposes and requirements. Such testing devices include tensile measuring, tear measuring, burst measuring, optical measuring, smoothness measuring, porosity measuring, specific gravity measuring, moisture content measuring and calibre measuring units.These units have been disposed to operate automatically under control by the controller and to test for desired properties.

With the aid of these measuring devices one is enabled to monitor various characteristics of a material that is being manufactured in the form of a web and to gain a reliable idea of the quality of the material.

The invention is next described more closely with reference to the attached drawing, wherein Fig. 1 presents an apparatus for applying as procedure according to the invention, in perspective.

Fig. 2 presents a basic unit of the apparatus, partly sectioned in elevation view, Fig. 3 shows the section A-A of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 shows the section B-B of Fig. 2.

The apparatus depicted in Fig. 1 comprises a basic unit 5, an input means 1, an air-conditioning means 6 indicated with dotted lines, a controller 4 and an output means 2, 8, 9. The input means 1 has been placed beside the basic unit 5, and the input means has been provided with an openable cover 21. The apparatus includes a control panel 3, with the aid of which the desired testing programme is selected. Moreover on the panel are selected the set-point values 10 of humidity, temperature and paper transport speed. The panel also carries the diagnostic pilot lights and manual switches 11 for the different testing devices.The computer serving as controller 4 has been disposed immediately adjacent to the basic unit and controls in accordance with the settings the air-conditioning of the apparatus, the sample transport, the operation of the testing devices, and it processes the test results and transfers them to the output means, in this instance a display terminal 2, a printer 8 and a plotter 9. In the application of Fig. 1 there has furthermore been provided a basket 7 into which the sample falls from the basic unit after the tests have been completed. In the design solution of Figs 2 and 3, photo-curtains 1 3 have been provided on both sides of the input aperture between the input means and the basic unit, the sample area being integrated and the sample input operation monitored with these curtains.As shown in Fig. 3, testing devices 22, indicated with dotted lines, have been mounted in the basic unit. The basic unit is enclosed and comprises a cover 1 8 and bottom 19, and the testing devices have been attached to the cover and/or to the bottom of the basic unit.

As shown in Fig. 4, the cover and bottom of the basic unit are hinged together, whereby the cover can be turned into the open position shown with dotted lines in Fig. 4 for cleaning. In the basic unit has, as shown in Figs 2 and 3, been incorporated a transporting means 12, in this particular embodiment consisting of two endless belts. The belts have been placed on both sides of the basic unit, extending from the immediate vicinity of the input means to the vicinity of the basic unit's opposite side, and they can be set in motion with the aid of a power means 23, and the position of the sample at any given moment in the basic unit is followed by monitoring the speed with the aid of a pick-up 14 or of photodetectors. The belts 12 have been provided with gripping members for carrying the sample through the basic unit.

When testing a material that is manufactured in web form, a sample is taken for testing and the sample is placed in the-input means 1, opening the cover 21 of this-means. The sample may be either a sample sheet.16 or a sample roll 17. The end of the sample is inserted in the input aperture and the cover of the apparatus is closed. The air conditioning means conditions the air in the apparatus in order to maintain humidity and temperature as set, whereafter with the aid of the controller 4 the transporting means 1 2 is placed in operation, whereby the gripping members of the transporting means engage with the sample and carry the sample along through the basic unit. The sample will thereby pass through the testing devices incorporated in the basic unit and the controller will stop the transporting means for the duration of the tests. The controller immediately processes the results, and the output means display the results of tests after a short time has passed since the sampling.

The testing devices 21 are independent testing units measuring a given characteristic of the material. Any desired number of such testing units may be mounted in the basic unit and they are easily exchangeable for another testing unit.

Claims

1. A procedure for testing a material that is manufactured in the form of a web, in connection with a process, in said procedure a sample being taken from the material for testing, characterized in that the sample is placed in the input means of a testing apparatus placed in the immediate vicinity of the process, the apparatus is airconditioned with the aid of an air-conditioning means for maintaining desired moisture content and temperature of the sample, whereafter the sample is transported with the aid of a transporting means under control by a controller into a basic unit and to testing devices disposed therein and which test various properties of the material, and the results of testing are immediately given out, the different tests being made from one and the same sample in succession within said unit and the results of testing being available for use after a short time has passed since the sampling.

2. Procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that the sample from which the tests are made is a roll.

3. Procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that the sample from which the tests are made is a sheet.

4. Procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that the area of the sample is integrated with the aid of a sensor means while the sample is being fed from the input station to the basic unit.

5. Apparatus for applying a procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus comprises a basic unit constituted by a housing, accommodated within the housing an airconditioning means and testing devices, an openable input means, in which the sample can be inserted and which connects with the basic unit, a transporting means accommodated within the basic unit and arranged to transport the sample within the basic unit from one testing device to the other, a controller for controlling the operation of the apparatus and for processing the results, and an output means for displaying the results of testings.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the apparatus comprises a sensor means disposed immediately adjacent to the input aperture between the input means and the basic unit, for integrating the area of the sample and for monitoring the sample feed-in operation.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the transporting means consists of an endless belt arranged to extend from immediately adjacent to the input means to the adjacency of the basic unit's opposite side and provided with gripping members for transporting the sample through the basic unit, through the testing devices.

8. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the basic unit is openable for cleaning.

9. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the apparatus comprises at least one, preferably a plurality of testing devices testing for different properties, each of them constituting an independent unit and these devices being detachably mountable in the basic unit and if required exchangeable against another unit.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that testing devices which occur are: tensile measuring, tear measuring, burst measuring, optical measuring, smoothness measuring, porosity measuring, specific gravity measuring, moisture content measuring and caliber measuring units.

11. A procedure for testing a material that is manufactured in the form of a web substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12 Apparatus for testing a material that is manufactured in the form of a web substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.