1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a method for automatically controlling a feed mechanism of a web-fed printing press. The invention also concerns a device for automatically controlling a feed mechanism of a web-fed printing press.
2. Prior Art
It is already well known from practice that webs of printing material can be drawn into printing units of a web-fed printing press by feed mechanisms. A feed mechanism, the purpose of which is to draw a web of printing material into a printing unit of a web-fed printing press, has at least one roll driven by a drive unit of the feed mechanism. The driven roll of the feed mechanism is operated at a lower speed of revolution or peripheral speed than the rolls or cylinders of the printing unit that serve to convey the web of printing material, so that a well-defined web tensile stress is produced between the feed mechanism and the printing unit for the web of printing material that is to be drawn in. The web tensile stress is a force, and the web tension is calculated from the web tensile stress by dividing the web tensile stress by the width of the web of printing material that is to be drawn in.
It is known from EP 0 976 674 B2 that the web tension can be automatically controlled by comparing an actual value of the web tension with a corresponding setpoint value, where a control unit generates a correcting variable for the feed mechanism, depending on the difference between the actual value and the set point or the deviation of the actual value from the set point. According to EP 0 976 674 B2, a measured actual value of the web tension is used, from which it follows that a suitable measuring device is necessary for measuring the web tension. The use of a measuring device for the web tension necessitates a complex design of the feed mechanism and of the web-fed printing press which increases the feed mechanism's costs.
An object of the present invention is to create a novel method and device for automatically controlling a feed mechanism of a web-fed printing press.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the actual value of the web tensile stress and/or the web tension is determined mathematically based on a model.
Accordingly, there is no need for a measuring device or a sensor for determining an actual value of the web tensile stress and/or the web tension. This results in a simpler design of the feed mechanism and the web-fed printing press with less complexity and thus lower costs.
The automatic control of the web tensile stress and/or the web tension is preferably superimposed on the automatic control of a speed of the drive of the feed mechanism or on the automatic control of a state of the drive of the feed mechanism.
The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to specific embodiments, but it is not limited to these embodiments.
The printing units 10, 11 are preferably 8-cylinder printing units. Accordingly, each of the printing units 10, 11 has four printing couples, and each printing couple has a form cylinder 18 and a transfer cylinder 19. The transfer cylinders 19 of each pair of printing couples roll against each other to form a nip for the web of printing material 14. The transfer cylinders 19 also take on the function of further conveyance of the web of printing material 14 through the printing units 10, 11. The roll 17 of the feed mechanism 15 is driven at a different speed of rotation or peripheral speed from the transfer cylinders 19 of the printing units 10, 11 in order to produce a well-defined web tensile stress and/or a well-defined web tension for the web of printing material 14.
A drive controller 20 is assigned to the drive 16 of the feed mechanism 15.
Automatic control of the web tensile stress and/or the web tension is superimposed on the automatic speed control. The drive controller 20 comprises, in addition to the speed controller 21, a control system 23 for automatically controlling the web tensile stress and/or the web tension. On the basis of the deviation between a setpoint value XSOLL for the web tensile stress and/or the web tension and a corresponding actual value XIST, the control system 23 for automatically controlling the web tensile stress and/or the web tension determines a correcting variable YN for the feed mechanism 15. In the specific embodiment of
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the actual value XIST of the web tensile stress and/or the web tension is not determined by measurement but rather mathematically based on a model. The output variable of the model 24 is the actual value XIST for the web tensile stress and/or the web tension. In the specific embodiment of
The model 24 according to
X
IST
=G2(XRW)+a*[G1(MMOT)+m*NIST+c]
where:
XIST is the computed actual value of the web tensile stress and/or the web tension,
XRW is the value of the web tensile stress and/or the value of the web tension of the reel changer,
MMOT is the motor torque of the drive,
NIST is the speed of the drive,
G1 and G2 are smoothing functions,
and a, m, and c are constants.
In one embodiment, instead of the motor torque MMOT of the drive 16, an electric current that creates the motor torque is determined by measurement and used as the input quantity for the model 24. Likewise, instead of the web tensile stress value and/or the web tension value of the reel changer, it is possible to use a quantity that creates the web tensile stress value and/or the web tension value.
The smoothing functions G1 and G2, which smooth the motor torque MMOT or the web tensile stress value and/or the web tension value XRW of the reel changer, are filter functions. The smoothing functions G1 and G2 are preferably dispensed with if quantities that are already suitably smoothed are being supplied by the torque sensor 25 and/or reel changer.
As has already been noted, the quantities c, m, and a are constants. The quantities c and m are the constants of the speed-dependent, linearized friction torque MREIB.
The constant a is a conversion factor, which is dependent on a speed ratio i between the drive 16 and roll 17 of the feed mechanism 15 and on the radius r of the roll 17. The conversion factor is defined as follows:
Instead of the model 24 illustrated in
X
IST
=G2 XRW+a*[G1(MMOT)+c]
where
XIST is the computed actual value of the web tensile stress and/or the web tension,
XRW is the value of the web tensile stress and/or the value of the web tension of the reel changer,
MMOT is the motor torque of the drive,
G1 and G2 are a smoothing functions, (which can be equal to 1 when the smoothing function is not required) and
a and c are constants.
As described above with reference to
In one embodiment of models 24 and 24′ according to
According to
The constants a, c, and possibly m of the models 24 and 24′ are determined manually or by automated means. In the case of automated determination of the parameters, a device for measuring the web tension is installed between the feed mechanism 15 and the printing unit 10 for determining the parameters, and in this case, the drive controller 20 is operated with different setpoint values for the web tensile stress at different speeds. In this connection, the torque of the drive or the current of the drive that creates the torque, the speed of the drive, and the web tension are determined by measurement, and the parameters c, m, and a are computed from these measured determinations by numerical optimization. The parameters determined in this way are then used in the model in order to mathematically determine the actual value XIST for the web tensile stress and/or the web tension later in the operation without a measuring device for the web tensile stress.
Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2006 061 252.3 | Dec 2006 | DE | national |
This is a U.S. national stage of application No. PCT/EP2007/011272, filed on 20 Dec. 2007, which claims Priority to the German Application No.: 10 2006 061 252.3, filed: 22 Dec. 2006; the contents of both being incorporated herein by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2007/011272 | 12/20/2007 | WO | 00 | 7/22/2009 |