Wallcovering Machinery Division

Transcription

1 Emerson and Renwick Ltd s UK head office and manufacturing plant UK Headquarters Wallcovering Machinery Division The use of control technology to enhance the product and to reduce energy and production costs. USA Emerson & Renwick USA Inc 4906 IDA Park Drive Lockport New York USA USA Facility United Kingdom Emerson & Renwick Ltd Peel Bank Works Church Accrington Lancashire BB5 4EF England Presented by David Miskin and Martin Sinker Telephone: Fax: address: emersonusa@aol.com Web site: Telephone: 44 (0) Fax: 44 (0) address: sales@eandr.com Emerson & Renwick Product Ranges Design, Development, Manufacture and Installation of Wallcovering Machinery Emerson & Renwick Development Milestones Late 1960 s: 16 Hot Embossers, ICI Vymura 1970 s Duplex, PVC Coating etc. Dixon Division Machinery Coating & Laminating Automotive Machinery Radiators, Heaters, Condensers etc. Special Purpose Machinery Medical, Embossing, Bagging Machinery In-Register Duplex 1982 In-Register Hot Emboss 1986 Shaftless Rotary Screen Press 1990 In-Line Production 1995 Shaftless Advantage Gravure Press 2000 s Screen / Gravure Combinations 1

2 Emerson & Renwick Wallcovering Machinery Emerson & Renwick Wallcovering Machinery Paper Colour, Washable and Prepaste Coating Surface, Flexo, Gravure and Screen Printing, Embossing Flexo / Gravure In-Line Duplex Laminating and Embossing In-Register Emboss Also Processing of Non-Wovens PVC (Paper or Non-Woven Backed) Plastisol and Prepaste Coating Screen, Gravure and Combination Printing In-Register Hot Embossing Blown Vinyl and Chemical Emboss Also Full Turn-Key Projects, Machine Rebuilds etc. What does the Market want from the Machine Builder? What does the Market want from the Machine Builder? Less scrap (paper, inks, PVC) Lower manning levels Less down-time Less pollution Lower energy costs Reduced ink use Reduced work-in-progress 2

3 What does the Market want from the Machine Builder? Better quality Higher output Quicker manufacturing time Quicker design and colour change Safer, quieter Cheaper (update old machines) New Looks From Line-shaft to Data-Highway From Line-shaft to Data-Highway From Line-shaft to Data-Highway The last 30 years have seen technological change at an unprecedented rate, many industries have either totally disappeared or changed beyond recognition. Whilst wallpaper has not fundamentally changed, the digital revolution has enabled new products and allowed more efficient production of traditional products. The next few slides illustrate the evolution of our machines. Leander Flexo Press 1975 Still in production in China. All of the prints are line-shaft driven and registeradjustments made by handwheels. Simple electronics is used to vary the speed of the main motor (Pye Tasc Unit). 3

4 From Line-shaft to Data-Highway In-Register Emboss 1982 The availability of microprocessor-based control-systems allowed us to manufacture our first high speed In-Register Hot Embosser in Since then we have sold nearly 100 units. The digital-system allowed much more flexibility and precision. From Line-shaft to Data-Highway Shaftless Flexo Press 1985 Still in production in Russia. This is very similar to the Leander press made 10 years earlier, but digital controls have replaced the hand-wheels and gear trains. Adjustment and setting inregister is easier. From Line-shaft to Data-Highway Coating Printing Embossing 1990 Digital technology has matured allowing the integration of previously separate processes into one in-line machine. From Line-shaft to Data-Highway Coating Printing Embossing 2004 Digital technology has further matured. Control and drive functions are carried out using massproduction programmable building blocks. Cost is reduced, performance and reliability increased. Advanced SCADA systems allow better Human-machine interface, and allow integration of machine into plant IT system. 4

5 Process Integration Off-Line Production. Process Integration COAT PRINT EMBOSS WIND & WRAP Process Integration In-Line Production. COAT PRINT WIND & WRAP EMBOSS Enabling Factors Electronic Lineshaft Good Tension and Register Controls Quick or Video Monitoring Process Integration Off-Line Production For: Economy of Mass Production (PVC Coating) Production Flexibility Some Speed Advantages Use Existing Plant Against: Processing Time Space and Value of Work-in-Progress High Manning Levels High Scrap Levels 5

6 Process Integration In-Line Production Process Integration In-Line Production For: See End Product at Once No Work-in-Progress Low Manning Levels Low Scrap Levels Lower Energy Costs Against: Capital Cost (but can link existing plant) One Break Stops All Fear Non-Stop Design Change Non-Stop design-change-over is especially desirable for complex coatingprinting-embossing lines. If the line is stopped to change designs: All of the paper in the line is wasted, Scrap is made while slowing down and speeding up, Machine productivity is reduced. The down side is that a lot of scrap can be generated if many fine-tuning adjustments need to be made with the line running at full production speed. I will now describe two important aspects of Non-Stop machines. 6

7 Production planning and recipe systems For Non-Stop to work well the production runs need to be carefully planned. The operators need: Configuration (which unit prints which colour), Set of rotary screens for the new design, Inks, Recipe settings. i.e.: Speed Tensions Oven and hood temperatures Squeegee settings. Machines have included recipe systems for some time, but TCP/IP connectivity can now be included so that the machine can be connected to the plant IT system, and recipes can be stored in the production planning system, rather than the machine SCADA system. This is the way it works 1. The operator loads the NEXT job into the machine from the production planning system. The loaded recipe includes job details (i.e.; which unit uses which screen) and machine set-up (i.e.; oven temperatures). 2. The operator can now change any of the settings, load rotaryscreens and prepare to run the next job. 3. When preparation is complete and all of the new screens are ticking over the operator can select TRIAL (print a short run for colour and quality checks) or CHANGE (permanently go to next product). The SCADA system display a mimic diagram to show progress of the change-over. 4. At the end of the run the operator can send an as run copy of the recipe to the planning system. 5. During the run machine information (i.e.; speed, status) is available to the plant IT system via the TCP/IP link. Plant IT System Jobs Data-base Production planning External Support Telecomms NEXT Job when requested by operator Machine SCADA System Information about machine operation Machine Control Desk Touch Screen Web Video Machine re-configured after CHANGE or TRIAL selected Machine Information about machine operation U R 7

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10 Registration systems When running Non-Stop it is especially important that the new design goes straight into register. Four solutions are available: Open-loop preset Web Web register control Web cylinder register control Web cylinder register control with dedicated key-mark Registration systems Open-Loop preset Registration systems Web-Web register control This is the system most often used on screen printing lines. The new design is pre-registered based on web paths between prints, and then manually adjusted to production tolerance. Pre-registration is normally to within 20mm, but cannot be exact due to variation of machine and raw material conditions. A register-eye measures the distance between printed marks. Web-Web systems can give the most accurate register, but there may be problems when used on screen-printing lines Careful set-up is needed to work with very pale marks Pad-coats may cause problems because of colour or edge If pre-register is not within 10mm (gate-size) manual adjustment is needed Sophisticated mark-sensors result in expensive system Skilled operators required to get best results 10

11 Registration systems Web-cylinder register control A register-eye detects the mark printed by a previous unit. The control system measures the print-cylinder-angle at the instant that the mark was detected. Because the print-cylinder always prints its mark at the same angle, registration error can be calculated without having to detect the mark printed by the unit. This mode is available as a fall-back in conventional web-web systems, and is used when a unit is printing very difficult marks. There are, however, two problems: 1. There must be a good mark printed by a previous unit 2. Operator intervention is needed to set the system up Registration systems Web-cylinder register control with dedicated key-mark We have developed a system in which all of the prints register to a master print-mark printed on the back of the paper. This has several advantages: Not influenced by colour being printed or pad-colour Uses simple mark-sensor Requires virtually no extra operator skill So long as screens are keyed at witness-cross no configuration is needed New design is pre-registered to within about 1mm before it begins printing Registration systems Web-cylinder register control with dedicated key-mark The system is not quite as accurate as a Web-Web system, a small adjustment to register may be required after, for example, a change of squeegee-setting. However, register is accurately maintained during steady running, drift due to change of Web tension, oven temperature or cooling-drum temperature being eliminated. Cleaner Machines The system is ideal for Non-Stop rotary-screen printing lines. It is very easy to use It gives accurate registration of new design before Non-Stop change It is cost effective 11

12 Cleaner Machines What is in the Plastisol? Cleaner Machines Heating Methods 43% 24% 17% 5% 3% 8% PVC Resin Plasticiser Filler Tioxide Additives White Spirit Gas Oven Cheaper Plant Quick Warm-Up Lower Heat Loss Hot Oil Oven Good for Heat Recovery Good Temp. Control Less Exhaust (LEL s) Drum Gelling Good Surface Finish Needs Curing Downstream Cleaner Machines How much Exhaust? EN 1539 : Safety Requirements How Much Plasticiser Evaporates and Where: Gelling and Curing? Reheat for Hot Embossing? Expansion and Blowing? WE DO NOT KNOW! So we have to allow for the worst case. Cleaner Machines Evaporation is Expensive Loss of Plastisol Weight : 5 to 15% Latent Heat of Evaporation : Energy Condensation : Drips, fire risk, cleaning costs Big Fume Treatment Plant : Expensive Replacement Air to Factory : Energy Energy Costs, Carbon Taxes, Climate Change Levy IT WILL GET MORE EXPENSIVE! 12

13 Cleaner Machines Some Possible Savings Auto-Thermal Fume Treatment, Heat Recovery (CHP: waste heat to power) Fume Monitoring and Feedback (Every hood and zone) Variable Speed Fans Energy Saving Motors Localised Fume Treatment? Improved Plastisols (SCL) Low Evaporation (non-phthalate) Plasticisers Wallcovering Machinery Division 13