WO2008049964A1

WO2008049964A1 - Fibre-web manufacturing line and a slitter-winder

Info

Publication number: WO2008049964A1
Application number: PCT/FI2007/050559
Authority: WO
Inventors: Asko Heikola; Markku JÄRVENSIVU; Marko Jorkama; Pekka Eronen; Tuomas Ratilainen; Ville Saartomaa; Kenneth ÅKERLUND
Original assignee: Metso Paper, Inc.
Priority date: 2006-10-27
Filing date: 2007-10-17
Publication date: 2008-05-02
Also published as: FI20065681A; FI119631B; AT507723A1; AT507723B1; DE112007002552T5; FI20065681A0

Abstract

The invention relates to a fibre-web manufacturing line, such as a paper-web manufacturing line, which comprises at least two slitter- winders (20A, 20B). Each slitter- winder (20A, 20B) comprises an unwinding station (2 IA, 21B) and a slitting and winding section (26 A, 26B). The slitter- winders (20A, 20B) are located in the machine line in the machine direction (MS) substantially successively so that the unwinding stations (2 IA, 21B) are located on the machine level (M) and that the slitting and winding section (26A; 26B) of at least one is located substantially on a level (N) below the machine level (M). Furthermore, the invention relates to a slitter- winder (20A; 20B) which comprises an unwinding station (2 IA; 21B) and a slitting and winding section (26 A; 26B). The slitter- winder (20A; 20B) is arranged so that the unwinding station (2 IA; 21B) is located on the machine level (M) and that the slitting and winding section (26A; 26B) is located substantially on the level (N) below the machine level (M).

Description

Fibre-web manufacturing line and a slitter-winder

The invention relates to manufacturing lines of a fibre web, such as a paper web, more particularly to slitting and winding. The invention relates to a fibre-web manufacturing line according to the preamble of claim 1.

The invention also relates to a slitter-winder according to the preamble of claim 15.

As known from prior art, paper is manufactured in machines which together constitute a paper-manufacturing line which can be hundreds of metres long. Modern paper machines can produce more than 450,000 tons of paper a year. The speed of the paper machine can exceed 2,000 m/min (120 km/h) and the width of the paper web can be more than 11 m.

In paper-manufacturing lines known from prior art, paper making takes place as a continuous process. A paper web completing in a paper machine is wound with a winder around a winding shaft i.e. a reel spool into a machine roll the diameter of which can be more than 3.5 m and the weight of which more than 100 tons. The purpose of winding is to modify the paper web manufactured as planar into a more easily processable form. On the winder, the continuous process of the paper machine breaks for the first time and shifts into periodic operation. This periodicity is tried to be made with efficiency as good as possible in order to not to waste already done work.

The machine-roll web produced in paper-making is full-width and even more than 100 km long so it must be slit into partial webs with suitable width and length for the customers of the paper mill and to be wound around cores into so-called customer rolls before delivering from the paper mill. These slitting and winding take place as known from prior art in an appropriate separate machine i.e. in a slitter- winder.

As known from prior art, in the slitter-winder the machine roll is unwound, the wide web is slit on the slitting section into several narrower partial webs which are wound up on the winding section around winding cores, such as spools, into customer rolls. When the customer rolls are completed, the slitter- winder is stopped and the rolls i.e. the so-called set is removed from the machine after which the process is continued with the winding of a new set. These stages are repeated periodically until paper runs out of the machine roll, whereby a machine roll change is performed and the operation starts again as the winding of a new machine roll.

In high-speed paper-manufacturing lines known from prior art, the paper machine can produce more paper than a single slitter-winder is able to process, whereby the line requires several slitter- winders which are normally located in the direction of the machine line and side by side at a certain distance from each other. Many times into the space between them is located a control room of the machines or a corresponding arrangement.

In layout arrangements according to prior art, typically the first slitter-winder is usually arranged as a so-called inline slitter- winder, which means that it is located in line with the paper machine i.e. in the principal machine line. The second slitter-winder is a so-called offline slitter-winder i.e. it is not located in the centre line of the paper machine but normally beside the first slitter-winder, in its own so- called aisle i.e. in an extension section of the machine room built for it. Both slitter-winders produce customer rolls which are transported by roll conveyors first e.g. to the roll packaging machine to be packed and finally to the storage before delivering to the customers.

Published application EP 1413538 introduces a slitter-winder layout of the above- described type in which in the paper-manufacturing line are located two slitter- winders side by side, one of which is in the machine line and the other is located by its side aside from the principal machine line.

Published application JP 2003165654, for its part, also introduces a slitter-winder layout of the above-described type in which in the paper-manufacturing line are located one slitter-winder in the principal machine line and one or more slitter- winders by its side aside from the principal machine line.

The slitter-winder layouts known from prior art become expensive of their costs, because the above-mentioned aisle is required in the machine room. In addition, costs are incurred by that both slitter-winders require their own hoists for transferring empty winding shafts. Furthermore, costs are increased by that a machine-roll carriage is required for transferring the machine rolls onto adjacent slitter-winders. Also for each adjacent slitter-winder is required a pulper for broke, which incurs costs.

In prior-art slitter-winders, onto a slitter-winder being in the paper machine line but not coupled with transfer rails in the paper machine, a machine roll is normally brought with a hoist and lowered onto transfer rails which are typically located so that the height of the centre of the machine roll from the floor level is about 2.5 m. In embodiments in which the winder and the slitter-winder of the paper machine are coupled together with transfer rails inline, the machine roll is transferred along the transfer rails from the winder to the slitter- winder.

Onto a prior-art offline slitter-winder, a machine roll carriage brings a machine roll at the end of the transfer rails and transfers the machine roll onto the transfer rails.

The prior-art transfer rails of full machine rolls consist of horizontal or inclined rails with their stand-by stations. On the transfer rails, there are normally one or more rail gates which enable the operator to access the machine rolls. On the transfer rails, the machine roll is transferred from one stand-by station to another until an unwinding station. On horizontal transfer rails, the transfer is done by means of a transfer device and, on inclined transfer rails, by means of gravity by allowing the machine roll to roll along the inclined transfer rails, whereby the stand-by stations are provided with mechanisms by means of which the machine roll is stopped and released towards the unwinding station.

As known from prior art, the unwinding station typically consists of two unwind stands which carry the machine roll during unwinding. Locking arms are pivoted in the unwind stands by means of which the machine roll is locked in place for the time of unwinding. The machine roll at the unwinding station is coupled to a brake generator which operates as the actuator of the unwinder.

As known from prior art, usually after the unwinding, the emptied reel spool i.e. winding shaft is removed from the unwinding station either manually by lifting with a hoist or automatically by means of a handling apparatus of the reel spool. The handling apparatus of the reel spool consists either of vertical lifting devices or turning lifting arms and upper return rails of empty reel spools. An empty or nearly empty reel spool is lifted with the lifting device or with the lifting arms onto return rails on which there are normally several return station points. Typically, the return station (spool storage) is located above the unwinding or the slitting and winding section. On the return rails, the reel spool is transferred from one station to another either by means of the transfer device or by means of gravity by rolling by means of the stopping and releasing mechanisms. From the return rails, the empty reel spool is removed and transferred onto the winder of the paper machine by the hoist or the machine-roll carriage. In the inline slitter-winder, the return rails can also be coupled directly to the storage rails of the reel spools of the winder, whereby the reel spool can be directly transferred from the slitter-winder onto the winder.

As known from prior art, before the almost empty reel spools can be returned onto the winder, possible broke paper remaining on the roll has to be removed. For this operation, there exists either a separate unloading point or such is arranged on the transfer rails or the return rails. At the unloading point, the rotating device of the machine roll rotates the bottom layers of the machine roll into the pulper. The same point and apparatus can be used for removing bad paper layers possibly on the machine roll or even for unloading a whole broke machine roll into the pulper. Many times, the lifting devices of the reel spools are dimensioned so that only a little paper can be on the reel spool, whereby in situations in which a reel spool on which there is still a lot of paper or possibly a whole machine roll ends up as broke, the unloading of the roll has been had to perform at the unwinding station, whereby the time used for unloading is absent from the production capacity. On the other hand, unloading performed on the return rails has caused faults in the reel spool traffic.

An object of the invention is to provide a slitter- winder layout in which the above- described problems and disadvantages have been eliminated or at least minimised.

More particularly, an object of the invention is to create a slitter- winder layout which is cheap of its costs.

A particular object of the invention is, for the part of use of space, to utilise more effectively than earlier basement facilities below the paper machine room which exist or which are otherwise required in any case. The utilisation rate of these basement facilities has been comparatively low. An object of the present invention is thus to provide a novel space arrangement for a slitter-winder of a paper machine in which said basement facilities can be utilised more effectively than earlier.

Furthermore, an object of the invention is to provide such a space arrangement for a slitter-winder of a paper machine room in which the other space requirements of the paper machine room can be decreased and the space arrangements of the paper mill can be diversified. In the following description and claims, the term reel spool is used for describing winding shafts and equivalents around which the machine roll is wound and from which the machine roll is unwound before slitting. Additionally, it should be noted that even though this description primarily refers to paper, the invention is also applicable in connection with manufacturing other fibre webs. Furthermore, it should be noted that the slitting and winding section of the slitter-winder can be constituted of one apparatus unit which comprises both a slitting section and a winding section, and that the slitting and winding section can be constituted of two separate apparatus units of which one comprises a slitting section and the other a winding section.

To achieve the above-mentioned objects and those that come out later, the invention is principally characterised by what is presented in the characterising part of claim 1.

Again, a slitter-winder according to the invention is principally characterised by what is presented in the characterising part of claim 15.

The arrangement according to the invention provides a totally new layout arrangement of a slitter-winder of a paper mill in which transits and transfers can be constituted by following a totally novel way of thinking. The invention enables a manufacturing line of a fibre web in which the whole fibre- web machine is in one principal line, whereby the so-called aisle is no longer required.

According to the invention, the unwinding of the slitter-winder of the fibre-web manufacturing line is located on the machine room level i.e. machine level and at least one slitting and winding section is located below the machine room level, advantageously in the so-called basement facilities. Advantageously, the unwinding is located on the machine room level so that the transfer of machine rolls and reel spools in the different stages of processing remains substantially in the same vertical zone which extends from the floor level of the machine room to a height in which the height of the central axis of the reel spool does not substantially exceed the maximum height of the full machine rolls at the unwinding stations.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, instead of the slitter- winders being side by side in the machine line, they are located in the machine line substantially successively so that their unwinders are on the machine level and the slitting and winding sections of at least one are downstairs. Advantageously the paper-manufacturing line comprising two slitter-winders, the slitting and winding sections of both slitter-winders are downstairs. Then, a considerable amount is saved in building costs when it is not necessary to build an expensive separate aisle. Furthermore, cost savings are attainable in transfer device costs, e.g. for the part of a second hoist, a machine-roll transfer carriage and a pulper.

It should be noted that the term successively does not limit the use, structure or operation direction of the slitter-winders but indicates that the slitter-winders are located substantially in the same principal machine-directional line.

According to the invention, the slitter-winders are located successively and advantageously so that the transfer of machine rolls takes place along one pair of transfer rails, whereby the full machine rolls are easily transferrable and the machine- roll traffic flows.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, between the unwinding stations of the slitter-winders downstairs, there is a shared pulper for both in which paper broke, the bottom ends of the machine roll and broke machine rolls can be conveniently unloaded.

Furthermore, according to an advantageous additional characteristic of the invention, on the machine level between the unwindings there are, advantageously on the same rails, the return rails and storage spaces of the winding shafts and the unloading point of the machine rolls and/or machine-roll bottom ends, whereby the reel spool/broke machine roll can be transferred without a lifting stage e.g. by means of a transfer carriage. Then is achieved a considerable advantage because there is no need for a hoist for the return of the winding shafts or there is no need for arranging a separate storage for the winding shafts nor an unloading point of the machine rolls and/or machine-roll bottom ends. Because also the unloading point of the machine rolls and/or machine-roll bottom ends is between the un- windings, the bottom-end broke can advantageously be conveyed into a shared pulper arranged between the unwinding stations.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the transfer rails of the machine roll are of the so-called through-winding type i.e. the unwinding station is also through-winding, whereby the handling of machine rolls is straightforward and simple. Then, there is no need for a machine-roll carriage for transferring the machine roll, which further increases cost-savings. Additionally advantageously, the transfer rails of the machine roll can be located directly on top of floor joists so that between the rails and the floor level there are no e.g. footings or corresponding support and raising structures, whereby the structure is obtained flat and great masses as low as possible. A required/possible floor level in the area between the transfer rails can be located lower than the actual machine level.

According to an advantageous additional characteristic of the invention, in embodiments in which the handling of the rolls is performed in connection with the paper-manufacturing line, the handling devices of the rolls are located downstairs.

The present invention and its different embodiments are applicable to be used in connection with different types of slitter-winder concepts of paper-manufacturing lines and, further, the embodiments and additional characteristics of the invention provide many types of possibilities for combinations. Additionally, the invention is implementable in connection with both new paper-manufacturing lines and the modernising of paper-manufacturing lines. The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawing, to the details of which the invention is, however, by no means intended to be narrowly confined.

Fig. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 schematically shows another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 3 schematically shows alternatives according to an advantageous additional characteristic of the invention.

The following figures schematically describe different embodiments of the invention. In the figures, the same designations are used of parts corresponding each other.

Fig. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of the invention in which a paper machine comprises two slitter-winders 2OA, 2OB which both comprise a slitting and winding section 26A, 26B of an unwinding station 21 A, 21B. The slitter-winders are located in the machine line successively. In the embodiment of the figure, the unwinding stations 21A, 21B are on the machine level M and the slitting and winding sections 26A, 26B are downstairs N. On a winding drum 11 of a winder 10 of the paper machine, a paper web completing in the paper machine is wound into a machine roll 12 around a winding shaft i.e. a reel spool 13. The completed machine rolls 12 are transferred along transfer rails 40 to a stand-by station 15, from which the machine rolls 12 are further transferred along transfer rails to a stand-by station 16A of the unwinding station 21 A of the first slitter- winder 2OA or to a stand-by station 16B of the unwinding station 2 IB of the second slitter- winder 2OB along the transfer rails 40. If a spool carriage 18 is required in the embodiment, it can be located e.g. in a place shown in the figure. From the standby station 16A, 16B, the machine rolls are transferred to be unwound at the un- winding station 2 IA, 2 IB. After the unwinding, the reel spool 13 is transferred to a return station 41 which simultaneously operates as storage for empty reel spools 13 and, if paper broke remains on the reel spool 13, as an unloading point of broke layers. From both unwinding stations 21A, 21B, the reel spools 13 are transferred to the same return station 41 located between the unwinding stations below which is located a pulper 30. If required, according to what is shown in detailed Figure Det. A, the transfer rails 40 can be extended and an additional storage 42 can be located in the machine direction MS after the second unwinding station 2 IB for reel spools 13 and/or as the return station of the second unwinding station. According to Fig. 1, the slitting and winding sections 26A, 26B of both slitter- winders 2OA, 2OB are located below the machine level M downstairs on a so- called basement level N. The unwinding direction S of the unwinding station is chosen based on the process and customer requirements.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 2 corresponds, for the part of the winder and the first slitter-winder 2OA of the paper machine, the one shown in Fig. 1. In this embodiment corresponding the above-described embodiment, the slitting and winding section 26A of the first slitter-winder 2OA is located on the basement level N but, differing from the above-described, the slitting and winding section 26B of the second slitter-winder 2OB is located on the machine level N in the machine direction MS after the unwinding station 21B. Furthermore in this embodiment, the stand-by station 16B of the unwinding station 2 IB of the second slitter-winder 2OA is located in the machine direction MS before the unwinding station 2 IB. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 as in the above-described embodiment, the return station 41 of the reel spools 12 is located between the first unwinding station 21 A and the stand-by station of the second unwinding station 21B. This embodiment is well applicable in connection with modernisations. According to an additional characteristics shown in detailed Figure Det. B, for the machine rolls 12 can be arranged above additional transfer rails 43 for passing by the return station 41. According to the invention, it is possible when required, e.g. when the paper- manufacturing line produces a lot of paper, to combine the embodiments of Figs. 1 and 2 and locate three slitter-winders in the layout, whereby on the machine level M are located three unwinding stations successively and on the basement level N two slitting and winding sections and on the machine level M a third slitting and winding section.

Fig. 3 shows different alternatives for delivering rolls 51 of the winding sections 26 A, 26B of the slitter- winders 2OA, 2OB. The rolls can be delivered in the machine direction MS or in a direction MR opposite in relation to the machine direction MS from both winding sections 26A, 26B or from the second winding section 26B in the machine direction MS and from the first 26A in the direction MR opposite in relation to the machine direction or vice versa or from both winding sections in both directions MS, MR. The delivery directions for the rolls 51 are chosen based on the functionality of the mill and the locations of required further processing stations, e.g. a roll packaging station.

The different embodiments shown in the figures above are applicable in connection with the invention in many different ways, still so that the slitter-winders 2OA, 2OB are located in the machine line successively in the machine direction MS and the unwinding stations 2 IA, 2 IB are located on the machine level M and at least one slitting and winding section on the level N below the machine level. The invention is not limited to apply only to a certain apparatus type but the different devices and parts can be of many different types.

It should be noted that in this description and claims, the machine level M and the basement level N refer to, first on the part of the machine level M, the principal machine level including e.g. stepped arranged machine levels and, for the basement level N, the level below the machine level M without limiting these meanings to the floor level of the spaces in question. Furthermore, the machine line refers to the principal longitudinal line of the manufacturing line of a fibre web on which the manufacturing parts, devices and means required in manufacturing are located successively.

The invention was described above only referring to some of its advantageous embodiments, to the details of which the invention is, however, by no means intended to be narrowly confined.

Claims

1. A manufacturing line of a fibre web, such as a manufacturing line of a paper web, which comprises at least two slitter-winders (2OA, 20B), of which each slitter-winder (2OA, 20B) comprises an unwinding station (21A, 21B) and a slitting and winding section (26A, 26B), characterised in that the slitter-winders (20A₅ 20B) are located in the machine line in the machine direction (MS) substantially successively so that the unwinding stations (2 IA, 21B) are located on the machine level (M) and that the slitting and winding section (26A; 26B) of at least one is located substantially on a level (N) below the machine level (M).

2. A manufacturing line according to claim 1, characterised in that the unwinding stations (21A, 21B) are located on the machine level (M) so that the transfer of reel spools (13) in the different stages of handling remains substantially in the same vertical zone in which the height of the central axis of the reel spool does not substantially exceed the maximum height of full machine rolls at the unwinding stations.

3. A manufacturing line according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the unwinding stations (21A, 21B) are located on the machine level (M) so that the transfer of machine rolls (12) in the different stages of handling remains substantially in the same vertical zone in which the height of the central axis of the reel spool does not substantially exceed the maximum height of full machine rolls at the unwinding stations.

4. A manufacturing line according to any one of claims 1-3, characterised in that the slitter-winders (2OA, 20B) are located in the machine line in the machine direction (MS) successively so that the unwinding stations (2 IA, 21B) are located on the machine level (M) and that at least the slitting and winding section (26A; 26B) of the first slitter- winder (20A) in the machine direction (MS) is located substantially on the level (N) below the machine level (M).

5. A manufacturing line according to any one of claims 1-4, characterised in that at least two unwinding stations (21A, 21B) are located in the machine line in the machine direction (MS) successively and that between them is located a return station (41) shared by at least two slitter-winders.

6. A manufacturing line according to any one of claims 1-5, characterised in that at least two unwinding stations (21A, 21B) are located in the machine line in the machine direction (MS) successively and that between them is located the return station (41) shared by at least two slitter-winders in which there are, on the same rails, return rails and storage points of winding shafts and an unloading point of machine rolls and/or machine- roll bottom ends.

7. A manufacturing line according to any one of claims 1-6, characterised in that the slitting and winding sections of the slitter-winders (2OA, 20B) are located on the level (N) below the machine level.

8. A manufacturing line according to any one of claims 1-7, characterised in that the level (N) below the machine level (M) is the level of the so- called basement facilities below the machine room.

9. A manufacturing line according to any one of claims 1-8, characterised in that a winder (10) of the fibre- web manufacturing line and the unwinding station (21A) of at least one slitter- winder (20A) are coupled together with transfer rails (40) along which the machine rolls (12) manufactured on the winder are transported and on which are located the machine rolls (12) manufactured on the winder (10) being at stand-by stations (15, 16A).

10. A manufacturing line according to claim 9, characterised in that the transfer rails (40) extend in the substantial operating range of both unwinding stations (21A, 21B) and constitute the storage i.e. return rails of the return station (41).

11. A manufacturing line according to any one of claims 1-10, characterised in that the transfer rails (40) are located on top of floor joists of the machine room substantially on the same level with the floor level.

12. A manufacturing line according to any one of claims 1-11, characterised in that the floor level comprises a lowering in the area between the transfer rails so that a desired safety gap remains between the outer diameter of the machine roll (12) and the surface of the floor level.

13. A manufacturing line according to any one of claims 1-12, characterised in that between at least two successive unwinding stations (2 IA, 21B) is located a shared pulper (30) which substantially extends for the whole area of the return station (41).

14. A manufacturing line according to any one of claims 1-13, characterised in that the handling devices of completed rolls (51) are located on the level (N) below the machine room level (M).

15. A slitter-winder (2OA; 20B) which comprises an unwinding station (2 IA; 21B) and a slitting and winding section (26 A; 26B), characterised in that the slitter-winder (2OA; 20B) is arranged so that the unwinding station (2 IA; 21B) is located on the machine level (M) and the slitting and winding section (26A; 26B) is located substantially on a level (N) below the machine level (M).

16. A slitter- winder according to claim 15, characterised in that the level (N) below the machine level (M) is the level of the so-called basement facilities below the machine room.

17. A slitter- winder according to claim 15 or 16, characterised in that the handling devices of completed rolls (51) are located on the level (N) below the machine room level (M).