The present invention relates to a method and a system for moving and labelling reels of a web material such as paper or nonwovens.
When reels of tissue paper, a nonwoven material or other similar wound material come from a converting or production line, they are picked up, labelled, stacked and sent to a packaging station where they are typically packaged in a plastic film. In a known method for moving and labelling such reels, a first reel is picked up from a robot table where several reels are standing next to each other, the central axes of the reels being oriented horizontally. An industrial robot picks up the first reel, moves it from the robot table and turns it such that the central axis of the roll becomes vertical. The first reel is then dropped on a roller conveyor after which the reel is provided with an internal label and an external label. Following this, the industrial robot picks up the next reel and places it on the first reel where it is labelled. In such a way, a stack of reels is formed that can then be transported away on the roller conveyor for packaging in a plastic film. It is considered necessary to put a label on both an external surface of each reel and on the inside of the reel as the reels are often sent further on to converting machines (for example for making diapers) and the operator of a converting machine will normally remove the external label. If there is a problem in the converting machine, for example due to a faulty reel, the internal label makes it easier to identify the reel. U.S. Pat. No. 8,413,407 discloses an automated system for producing and managing rolls of web material in which a labeling machine to label each roll coming from a rewinder is included. The objective of the present invention is to provide an improved method of moving and labelling reels.
The invention relates to a method of moving and labelling reels of a web material such as paper or nonwovens. Each reel has a central core piece which is hollow and the web material is wound around the central core piece. The method comprises the steps of inserting a robot arm into the central core piece of at least one reel and using the robot arm to move the at least one reel from a first position to a second position. The method further comprises the step of fixing an inner label onto the central core piece. According to the invention, the inner label is placed on the robot arm before the robot arm is inserted into the central core piece and the robot arm is used both to fix the inner label to the central core piece and to move the at least one reel.
In embodiments of the inventive method, the inner label is fixed onto the central core piece before the robot arm is used to move the at least one reel.
The method may further optionally also comprise fixing an outer label onto an exterior surface of the at least one reel.
In other embodiments of the inventive method, the inner label may be fixed onto the central core piece while the at least one reel is moved from the first position to the second position
In advantageous embodiments of the invention, the robot arm can be used to move at least two reels simultaneously and fix an inner label onto the central core piece of each of the at least two reels.
The labels may advantageously be fixed by means of adhesive. In advantageous embodiments, an adhesive is applied to a first side of the inner label while suction is applied from the robot arm against the second side of the inner label. In this way, the robot arm can hold the inner label by suction when the robot arm is inserted into the central core piece. The suction is then interrupted when the inner label is to be fixed to the central core piece and pressurized air or gas is used to blow the inner label away from the robot arm toward the central core piece such that the side of the inner label that is provided with an adhesive will come into contact with the central core piece. Conceivably, the inner label could be attached to the central core piece by other means than by blowing. For example, a piston or spring-loaded pad which projects from the robot arm could be used to attach the inner label to the central core piece. The robot arm is thus designed to be capable of attaching the inner label to the central core piece either by blowing or by other means.
In embodiments of the invention, the robot arm can grip a reel in the following way. A part of the robot arm that is inserted into the central core piece is caused to expand and press against the central core piece of the at least one reel such that the reel is held by the robot arm while the at least one reel is still in the first position. The robot arm can then move the at least one reel which is now held by the robot arm release the at least one reel at the second position. Preferably, the robot arm rotates the at least one reel before it releases the at least one reel at the second position. The expansion can take place after the inner label has been attached to the central core piece but the expansion could conceivably take place at the same time as the inner label is attached to the central core piece or even before the inner label has been attached to the central core piece.
Embodiments are conceivable in which the reel that has been moved to the second position is immediately sent away for further treatment. However, in preferred embodiments, the robot arm stacks several reels on top of each other at the second position.
The invention also relates to a system for moving and labelling reels of a web material such as paper or nonwoven. Each reel has a central core piece which is hollow and the web material is wound around the central core piece. The system comprises at least one machine for printed labels and at least one industrial robot with a moveable robot arm that can be inserted into the central core piece of at least one reel and move the at least one reel from a first position to a second position. According to the invention, the robot arm has an inner conduit which at one end communicates with at least one opening in the robot arm and which at another end is connected to/communicates with a pressure control arrangement capable of creating an underpressure at the at least one opening in the robot arm such that a label placed over the at least one opening can be held by the robot arm by suction.
Preferably, the pressure control arrangement is capable of blowing pressurized air or gas through the conduit in the robot arm such that a label which has been held on the robot arm by suction can be blown away from the robot arm.
In embodiments of the invention, a part of the robot arm is a gripping part that is designed to be capable of radial expansion such that the gripping part of the robot arm can be inserted into the central core piece of at least one reel and grip the reel when the gripping part is radially expanded. Such a gripping part is preferably located adjacent the at least one opening in the robot arm.
In embodiments of the inventive system, the industrial robot comprises software with an instruction to cause the robot arm to move to the at least one machine for printed labels; to pick up at least one label and hold it by means of suction; to move to the at least one reel and into the central core piece such that the label picked up from the at least one machine for printed labels will be inside the central core piece; and to blow pressurized air or gas through the conduit such that the label picked up from the at least one machine for printed labels is blown against the central core piece. The software of the industrial robot may further optionally further comprise an instruction to cause radial expansion of the gripping part after the label picked up from the at least one machine for printed labels has been blown against the central core piece such that the reel is gripped by the robot arm and it may optionally comprise an instruction to move from a first position and release the at least one reel on a second position.
In alternative embodiments, the software of the industrial robot may comprise an instruction to cause radial expansion of the gripping part before the label picked up from the at least one machine for printed labels has been blown against the central core piece. In this case, the reel is gripped by the robot arm and moves from a first position in order to be released by the robot arm on a second position while, during the movement, pressurized air or gas is blown through the conduit such that the label picked up from the at least one machine for printed labels is blown against the central core piece.
With reference to
The sequence of moving and labelling reels will now be explained initially with reference to
With reference to
In
In
In
The function of the industrial robot and its carrier robot arm 6 will now be explained with reference to
With reference to
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As indicated in
Optionally, there may be a separate machine for printed labels 18 for providing external labels 16, for example by printing the external labels 16.
While the sequence has been described above such that the inner label 15 (i.e. the label fixed on the central core piece 3) is fixed to the central core piece 3 before the expandable gripping part 7 has gripped the reel R1. However, it should be understood that the sequence may be such that the reel is first gripped by the robot arm 6 and the label 15 applied to the central core piece 3 thereafter, for example before the reel R1 is moved or during movement of the reel R1 from its first position P1 to its second position P2 or even just before the reel R1 is dropped onto the stack.
The industrial robot 4 may comprise software with an instruction to cause the robot arm 6 to move to the at least one machine for printed labels 17, 18; to pick up at least one label (15) and hold it by means of suction; to move to the at least one reel R1 and into the central core piece 3 such that the label 15 picked up from the at least one machine for printed labels 17, 18 will be inside the central core piece 3; and blow pressurized air or gas through the conduit (8) such that the label 15 picked up from the at least one machine for printed labels 17, 18 is blown against the central core piece 3. With reference to
Such software of the industrial robot 4 may comprise an instruction to cause radial expansion of the gripping part 7 after the label 15 picked up from the at least one machine for printed labels 17 has been blown against the central core piece 3 such that the reel R1 is gripped by the robot arm 6 and an instruction to move from a first position P1 and release the at least one reel R1 on a second position P2.
Alternatively, the she software of the industrial robot 4 may comprises an instruction to cause radial expansion of the gripping part 7 before the label 15 picked up from the at least one machine for printed labels 17, 18 has been blown against the central core piece 3 such that the reel R1 is gripped by the robot arm 6 and an instruction to move from a first position P1 and release the at least one reel R1 on a second position P2 and to simultaneously blow pressurized air or gas through the conduit 8 such that the label 15 picked up from the at least one machine for printed labels 17, 18 is blown against the central core piece 3.
While the invention has been described above in terms of a method and a system, it should be understood that these categories only reflect different aspects of one and the same invention. The system may thus include means for performing any step of the method and the method may include such steps that would be the inevitable result of using the inventive system.
Normally, the invention would be practiced such that both an internal label and an external label are applied. However, it should be understood that embodiments are conceivable in which only an internal label is applied.
Thanks to the invention, the labelling of the central core pieces 3 can be made by the same industrial robot that is used to move the reels R1, R2, R3, R4, . . . Rn and the process of moving and labelling the reels R1, R2, R3, R4, . . . Rn becomes faster.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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19203659.8 | Oct 2019 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2020/078868 | 10/14/2020 | WO |