The invention concerns an exchangeable component of a textile machine with a surface coating or surface treatment and an optical marking as well as an apparatus for detecting the marking.
EP 0 922 797 A2 discloses a spin rotor for an open-end spinning machine, wherein, on the circumference thereof, an identification designation is placed. The identification marking is read, without physical touching, by a sensor, which is installed on an attendant service unit. The signal which contains an identification designation to be read off by the service unit, is compared with data in a control device. If the signal does not comply with a predetermined set of designation data, then the service unit is commanded to withhold a resumption of spinning on the concerned open-end spinning machine. In this way, assurance is provided that, for instance, only spin rotors which are without question technically appropriate can be brought into service. The proposed identification marking can be a bar code or a transponder. The sensor detects and reads the identification marking inductively or optically. The application of the identification marking is complex and requires a separate work step in the manufacture of a spin rotor.
EP 1 035 241 A1 makes known a spin rotor, wherein, on the circumference of the rotor plate, a designation is placed, which, upon stillstand of the spinning rotor, can be read visually by a service operator. In this way, however, no automatic control of the type of spin rotor can be realized.
Thus, it is a principal purpose of this invention to provide an exchangeable component of a textile machine, especially a spin rotor, with a surface coating or surface treatment having an optical marking, wherein the marking can be economically placed and easily read visibly or by machine and to provide further, a sensing device for the reliable detection of such a component. Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description or may be obvious from the description or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In accord with the invention, an exchangeable component of a textile machine is provided with a surface coating or a surface treatment, in which specially selected coloring elements are implanted. Upon the radiation of the coloring elements with light, the coloring elements emit or their immediate contiguous neighborhood emits, light of an individually select, specified wavelength or light of a specified spectral range of light. On the basis of the emission of this second wavelength, or the spectral range, the component itself can be identified and/or the presence of the surface coating, that is the surface treatment of the component, can be affirmed. With the intended implantation of coloring elements, a desired light emission is reproducibly generated, so that extraneous, problematic effects are excluded or repressed.
A surface coating in this respect is any covering layer, which can be deposited on the component during manufacture, for example, for the purpose of bringing about a special conditioning of the surface, for instance, in regard to roughness, friction characteristics, or an improvement in operational life by the increase of the resistance to abrasion. In the case of the surface treatment, during manufacture, the surface of the incipient component is modified in that area which is to receive the coating. For example, the modification may include the implantation of elements or a phase transposition in that area approaching the surface. Obviously, a coating can be deposited, or the coating itself executes a modification of the near surface zone of the concerned component.
It is desirable to have the coating or the surface treatment provided in an area of the component, which is subjected to severe attrition and/or contamination, in order that such attrition and/or contamination of the component may be detected.
If a type of an exchangeable component is provided with these color elements implanted in its coating or its surface treatment, then the possibility arises, that this component is now adapted for special qualitative demands. For example, highly stressed spin rotors are individually provided with a first color mark, namely a red emission, showing that these spin rotors are suitable for rotational speeds up to 120,000 revolutions per minute. Other types, which, for instance, my be only capable for 100,000 revolutions per minute, can be provided with color elements, which emit only yellow, as a second color marking. Further, a spin rotor, capable of only 80,000 revolutions per minute, can be provided with coating or surface treatment carrying color elements emitting green, as a third color marking. A corresponding chromatically staged emission of the wavelengths can, of course, be provided for all other exchangeable components of a textile machine, if specific types are available for different application purposes. In this way, the usage of the reliable operation parameter-ranges are designated by various known color emissions.
In accordance with the respective embedment of the color elements in the coating or surface treatment, and dependent upon the color elements themselves, the emitted light is generated by reflection, luminescence, phosphorescence or a combination thereof. Advantageously, luminescence or phosphorescence effects are employed, whereby a wavelength displacement between inciting light and emitted light is made available.
Especially advantageous is a situation wherein the inciting, first wavelength or the first spectral range of wavelengths, and the emitted second wavelength or the second spectral range of wavelengths are different. Thereby, the avoidance is brought about that, upon the capture of the emitted light, principally the inciting wave length is brought to the sensor by multiple reflection or dispersion, and thus, false conclusions might be drawn in regard to the presence of the color elements in the coating or surface treatment. As a rule, what occurs is a displacement of the wavelength by means of the color elements from a shorter, inciting wavelength to a lower, emitted wave length or wave length range. Advantageously, the incitation is caused by ultra violet light and the emitted wave length or the wave length range lies in the visible part of the spectrum, so that a user of the component can make an identification by observation during radiation with the ultra violet light. Conversely, if the emitted wave length, that is to say, the wave length range, is that of infrared light, then there occurs, first, a greater choice of potential color elements, and second, there becomes available sources of favorable cost for the excitation of the coloring elements. For example, luminescent diodes, which emit in the visible or infrared spectral ranges.
Coating or surface treatment proves especially advantageous, particularly when it is of an abrasion resistance nature, so that, by means of the emission of the second wave length or the second spectral range of wavelengths, the determination can be made as to whether or not, during the operational life of the component, the coating is present in sufficient thickness of the required areas. In the case of a friction sensitive layer or surface treatment, for example, molybdenum disulfide, Teflon®, or graphite particles can be embedded.
In each case of necessary coating or surface treatment, allowing for dependence upon incitation or emission wave length and the technical possibilities for the determination of the coloring element in defined positions or installation locations of the involved component, a choice exists in regard to different kinds of coloring elements or types of implantation of the coloring elements in the coating or surface treatment. In the case of a homogenous coating or surface treatment (without the implantation of particles), the coloring elements can be embedded as chemical elements or molecules or as particles (for instance, “nanocrystallite”). Where implantation is concerned, which consist of a mixture of a matrix and embedded particles of the same, the coloring elements can be employed as chemical substances in the matrix or the implanted particles can be bundled therein or even be particles which are incorporated in the matrix. Finally, before the actual coating operation, a surface treatment can be made of the coloring elements, so that these emit, as long as the thereover layered coating is present. In the latter case, for example, the intensity of the emitted light increases as the outer covering decreases, until finally even the emission ceases, when the layer with the coloring elements is worn away.
If the coloring elements themselves are specially implanted particles in the nanometer or the micrometer range, then a reproducible wavelength of the emission is achieved, since the emission itself is not further influenced by the ambient environment, for instance, by the matrix. Correspondingly, if the coloring elements can be implanted as invading imperfections in the particles of the original coating, for example in the diamond or ceramic particulate. For instance, ruby particles, in which alumina particles with chromium or chromium oxide, namely Cr2 O3, is implanted, will then illuminate in the known ruby red color. Furthermore, laser-active solid materials are known, wherein, upon incitation with a flash-light, these emit at an optional laser wavelength. For instance, if yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) is dosed with certain elements, such as (neodymium (Nd—1.064 μm), erbium (Er—2.94 μm) or Holmium (Ho—2.1 μm), then each emits in accord with the respective element at different wave lengths. Even porous semi-conductors (Si, SiC) fluoresce by excitation with ultraviolet light until they are down into the nanocrystalline state.
The marking of the components can be carried out very simply, if the coloring elements are printed upon the given component.
The coloring elements can be invisible to the human eye, if appropriate apparatuses are employed.
A particularly positive determination of the coloring element of a coating or surface treatment of an exchangeable component is done with a detection apparatus. By means of an illumination apparatus, the light of a first specified wave length or a spectral range of wave lengths is radiated and the light emitted from the component is captured by a light receiving apparatus, especially in the case of a second predetermined wavelength or a second predetermined spectral range of wavelengths. Therewith, the incitation of the coating or surface treatment, is effected and the determination of the captured wave lengths is carried out in a defined, orderly manner, so that any disturbance effects, such as stray light can be predominately excluded.
Advantageously, the illumination apparatus encompasses a light diode or a laser diode, which emit within a narrow banded wavelength range. In the case of the laser diode, additionally a directed light beam can be obtained, so that the alignment is simplified to be upon the given coating or surface treatment. If additionally, light fiber conductors are employed, then the light fiber can be precisely directed onto locations which would normally be inaccessible. With a color or a band-edge filter in the path of the light capture device, stray light can be repressed and an implant on the desired, determined second wavelength or the second spectral range of wavelengths can be achieved.
If a detection apparatus is to be installed on a rotor spinning machine, this apparatus could well exhibit a data memory capability with which the presence or the absence of the detection signal therein could be registered. This capability would allow recognition as to when an abrasion-resistance coating is worn away, or that, in a case of quality problems, the cause could be related to a non-appropriate component. Advantageously, the detection apparatus can be employed as part of the maintenance/service device, since principally, such an apparatus is necessary for the monitoring of the components at each individual workstation.
It is also advantageous if the detection apparatus, especially during the usage of fiber light conducting means in the sensor head, is installed in an extension arm of the maintenance/service device for a respective workstation, or indeed, installed on the component to be monitored. Upon the detection of a spin-rotor as an exchangeable component, advantageously, the detection apparatus or the corresponding detection head is provided on the extension arm with a cleaning module, which permits one extension arm to serve for both operations.
For the monitoring of the added equipment on a spinning station, with at least one exchangeable component, a display and/or an interrogation system should be provided. Such an arrangement generally includes an LCD-display with one or more lines, or a display screen, which is equipped to respond to queries and has corresponding input keys or is provided with a computer keyboard. On this account, it is possible for the operating person to call up the actual configuration directly at the individual spinning station and to monitor in this manner. With such equipment, the display or the interrogation can be on a need-basis, either at each spinning station, or central on the spinning machine, or as part of a distributed control system for the spinning machine. It may again be at a maintenance apparatus, at a central control station for the spinning plant, or located externally in a central service station.
Advantageously, the interrogation capability permits calling up the configuration of each spinning station of the spinning machine. The data thereby collected by this query-capability can be correlated with other data obtained from the spinning station. For example, the measured state of quality of the produced thread is correlated with the accessory equipment of the station, or the full operational life of an exchangeable component can be supervised, thus allowing a statistical quality control system to be carried out, based on the acquired data. If, for example, the thread quality lies too often outside of a tolerance limit, then, first, it can be determined whether the configuration of the exchangeable components at the spinning station are appropriate for the desired quality level, or, second, the expert can rely on other, empirical data which demonstrates a causal relation between the basic quality of the thread and a specific, existing spinning machine component.
In the case of a control system, the determined and evaluated data from the spinning station is employed, in order to optimize control parameters for the entire spinning machine and, of course, to optimize the control of the specific spinning station. Accordingly, optimized parameters at the spinning machine or spinning station can then be activated. In the presence of the achieved results from the quality control, active measures are obtained, which contribute to the continued increase of the quality of the spun thread.
The display or the interrogation apparatus and the control system are not only applicable to the spinning station of a spinning machine, but contribute to the detection, monitoring and control of other spinning related machines in a spinning works. Examples for such spinning related machines with at least one exchangeable component, could be machines for carding or drawing, or also a ring spinning machine.
Embodiments of the invention are provided below in greater detail with the aid of the drawings.
Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are shown in the figures. Each example is provided to explain the invention, and not as a limitation of the invention. In fact, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield still a further embodiment. It is intended that the present invention cover such modifications and variations.
The
In the case of the embodiment of 1B, in the coating process, first an illumination layer is deposited, namely layer 104. Upon this layer, the hard, resistant coating 105 is applied. The illumination layer 104 contains the coloring elements and emits light when excited by the incitation light 102. Advantageously, this illumination layer 104 takes over additional functions, such as, for instance, as a holding primer between the basic body 100 and the hard material layer 105. If the hard material layer 105 is not transparent, or not sufficiently transparent for the incitation light 102, or for the emitted light 103, then the emission light 103 can then only be detected if the hard layer 105 is sufficiently thin or is already abraded to a thin condition. As a result, by the determination of the emitted light 103, a conclusion can be made, that the hard material layer 105 is in a worn condition.
Where the embodiment of
The
During the thread production, a spun yarn 9 is pulled out of the lateral groove 18a of the rotor bowl 5 through the existing thread removal nozzle 7 and the thread removal tube 8. The course of the yarn 9 in this operation is shown in
In the small diameter, thread removal tube 8 is inserted on the top side, a disk-like twist-repressor 10, which is as free as possible from abrasive action on the running removal of the yarn and possesses a surface structuring to permit a desired number of rotations per yarn length. The passage of the thread removal tube 8 is designed to be similar to a slot, whereby the entrance slot spatially borders on thread removal nozzle 7 and corresponds to the cross section of the boring in the thread removal nozzle 7, and on the thread exit side, opens upward in a funnel-like manner. The free cross-section of the boring of the thread removal nozzle 7, on this account, is coaxially extended by the contiguous thread removal tube 8 which later then widens itself upward, as shown on
On the robot 2 is to be found a movably installed detector 11, which, upon demand, can be extended into a position oppositely situated to the thread removal tube 8. In the detector 11 is bearingly supported an extendable detector tube 12 with a sensor head 12a, which can be run out of the housing of the detector 11 for the capture of markings.
When the said detector tube 12 is so extended, it proceeds through the thread removal tube 8 and the thread removal nozzle 7 until it is in the neighborhood of the rotor bowl base 18.
In this detector tube 12, run light-conducting fibers, which are conducted to the sensor head 12a of the tube 12 and are there electrically bound with imaging system 13. In the detector 11 is placed a source of illumination, the light of which is conducted through the light-fibers in the tube 12, and from there exits the image system through, for example, a lens. The emitted light 103 from the object to be examined is once again collected by the imaging system 13 and coupled back into the detector 11 through the light fibers, at which point the emitted light is captured by an opto-electronic sensor. If the object to be examined contains a color marking, then the detector 11, considering the dependence on the lighting source, on the stray light, and giving consideration to the spectral range emitted by the object, also incorporates a frequency band filter and a spectral resolution element, for example, as has been discussed above in relation to
On the inner surface of the twist repressor 10, is placed an optical marking 15 in the form of a surface treatment, or a coating with color elements (see
Besides the detection of the abrasive wear or the identification of the rotor 3, it is possible, that simultaneously therewith, the results of the cleaning of rotor groove 18a can be examined. The failure of an emission signal gives indication thereof, that either the rotor with the special rotor groove coating is not in place, the wear resistance layer in the rotor groove is worn through, or contaminations still exist in the rotor groove. The latter can be verified, in that the cleaning cycle with the cleaning head 141 can be prolonged, in order that the desired degree of cleaning can be achieved. Should the emitted light still not be detected after a lengthy cleaning period, then, first, there is probably a solidly set contamination deposit in place, so that the rotor 3 must be subjected to maintenance service. Second, the protective wear layer may be exhausted, which likewise calls for maintenance services. Another possibility is that the component is actually not provided with the appropriate special coating code. For example, in the latter case, the rotor speed of rotation is reduced in cases where special rotors are required for extremely high speeds of rotor rotation, or the spinning station, due to security measures, would not resume spinning.
The sensor heads 22, 32, 42, 52 as well as the signal lines 23, 33, 43, 53 are identically designed. The sensor heads can be in some cases passive receivers for the radiation and reception of light, which, in this case is transmitted through light conducting fibers as signal connections (as, for example in
A first embodiment example of the handling of signals is shown in
In a second embodiment example, (“B” in
The configuration data and the conditional data can be optically transmitted, as has been made clear in
From the control unit 87 of the spinning machine, the data can be sent over a communication bus 90 to a plant control unit 91, at which point that likewise can be retrieved at a display unit 92. Further control units 87a and 87b for the spinning machine and communication busses 90a, 90b are indicated in dotted lines. These busses are likewise connected with the plant control unit 91.
The control unit of the spinning machine 87 or the plant control unit 91 are connectable over communication lines 97, 98 with a data transmission unit 93. The data issuing from the data transmission unit 93 is received by an external data transmission unit 94 and sent to a service unit 95. At that location, the data may be called up by means of a display unit 96.
Besides the configuration data and the conditional data, the communication channels 84, 88, 90, 93, 94, 97, 98 also transmit the operational parameters of the spinning station, the robot and the spinning machine (such data being, for instance, rotor speed of rotation, spool information, thread removal speed, and input speed of the fiber band). Further, the measured thread quality (thread quality, which, for instance, will be detected by a thread cleaner, this including quality control, thickness, count of faults, etc.) is respectively sent to the supervisory monitoring and control units 85, 87, 91, 95.
Once in possession of the available configuration and/or condition data of the operational and quality parameters, it is possible to compute optimized operational parameters in one of the control units 85, 87, 91, 95, which can be used for spinning at a spin station 80.
Additionally, these parameters can be send back over the communication channels 84, 88, 90, 97, 98, 93, 94 back to the spinning station control 80. In an exemplary manner, the optimizing parameters are sent from the service unit 95 to the external data transmission unit 94. It is also possible, that the data may be sent from the service unit 95 to the data transmission unit 93 and either input into the plant control equipment or resent directly to the control unit 87 on the spinning machine. Centrally, it is possible thus, to become aware of the degree of wear of the exchangeable components and to exhibit the same. The control work and the maintenance activities are simplified, if the spinning station number accompanies the configuration data or the conditional data, so that an assignment and localization becomes possible. Furthermore, the point in time of the detection is confirmed, so that, for example, an accessory and/or wear pattern chronology can be comprised.
With the above, a remote diagnosis system can be realized, wherein, because of the available data, an external evaluation can be undertaken in order that a determination of basic fault causes can be detected in the operational center. Upon the occurrence of disturbances at the spinning station on the above account, it is not necessary in every case that a maintenance operator must be sent immediately to examine the localized system configuration and carry out the results of his analysis.
The present invention is especially applicable where security-relevant components are involved. This group of components could include the spin-rotor, disintegration roll, and support disk. Also, it is possible to include herein the spools, thread removal nozzle or the traverse rods. The recognition of original parts is moreover advantageous for the judgments regarding guarantee cases.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention. It is intended that the present invention include such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
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