Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Vivek Moreshwar Karandikar

Kevin B Sartain

Mark G Dollevoet

James Leo Baggot

Matthew Robert Wilson

Gregory Michael Bixler

Daniel Mark Heinz

Jeffrey George Skarda

Frank Stephen Hada

Antwain Demone Taylor

Walter F Montgomery

Paul Louis Bartocci

Jeffrey Wasylyk

Damon Otis Branch

James Daniel Rucinski

Ryan A Petras

Matthew W Trautschold

Julie A Hansen

Justin P Stergar

Brett Schoenberg

Brian James Gingras

Jason Michael Julien

Daniel James Wilczynski

Mark Gary Dollevoet

The present invention provides an adaptive control system to control a plant using direct output feedback in which a function of the full plant state, as opposed to estimates thereof, is used for feedback control of the plant. The adaptive control system of this invention is therefore highly useful in the control of plants, particularly plants for controlling the physical properties of rolls of web material and more particularly a calendering apparatus. Accordingly, in a particularly preferred embodiment the adaptive control system of this invention controls loading of a calender apparatus, such as a pair of opposed rolls forming a calendering stack, based upon the physical properties of a previously processed web.

Adaptive sheet caliper control system and apparatus and methods

Registration and inspection systems and methods for use on a winder are disclosed. The systems and methods include scanning a region proximate a winding module with one or more sensors to determine a product defect. The product defect is then associated with a winding process parameter, such as percent roll build information or the identity of the particular sensor to first detect the defect. The winding process parameter is used to classify the defect into one or more defect profiles. The defect profiles can be based at least in part on segmenting the roll build of a web onto a winding module into a plurality of inspection windows and segmenting a plurality of sensors into a plurality of inspection sensor segments.

Winder registration and inspection system

Coreless rolls of tissue, such as rolls of bath tissue or paper towels, are produced by winding tissue logs on a mandrel having retractable pins. During winding, the pins extend and penetrate the first several windings of the log as it is initially wound, which prevents slippage. After the winding is complete, the pins retract to allow the tissue log to slide off of the mandrel for subsequent slitting into individual product rolls and packaging. The penetration of the pins into the first several windings of the log tends to mechanically entangle and structurally unify those windings to create a 'soft core'. At the same time, the properties of the tissue sheets within the soft core are the same as the other sheets within the roll and are therefore usable by the consumer.

Coreless tissue rolls

A web winding and measuring system is provided. The system includes a rotatably-mounted spool onto which a web of material is wound to form a roll. The system additionally includes a light-emitting device configured to illuminate the roll by light, providing a line on a cylindrical surface of the roll in a cross-machine direction, a light-receiving device configured to detect the line and generate measurement data from the detected line, and a computing device communicatively coupled to the light-receiving device and configured to receive the measurement data and calculate a diameter of the roll.

Diameter measurement of a roll of material in a winding system

A controller for a motor is configured to rotate a roll of material. The controller includes a drive speed regulator configured to generate an initial torque command based on a difference between a speed setpoint and a measured drive speed of the motor. The controller also includes an observer module configured to estimate a density error of the roll of material. The initial torque command is adjusted based on the density error to obtain a total torque command. The controller also includes a torque regulator configured to control the motor based on the total torque command.

Controller and system for controllably rotating a roll of material

Generally, the present disclosure is directed to, in one embodiment, a process for controlling a converting line web. More specifically, a sheet material is provided on the converting line. A loss of control is detected in the sheet material web and the sheet material web is broken at a location upstream from the converting line web rewinder. The broken sheet material web is redirected.

Rewinder web chop with early detection and web diversion to eliminate equipment damage

By designing a belt-driven unwind to have two distinct belt tension areas, the belt pressure against the unwinding roll can be decreased. The belt-driven unwind can have a higher belt tension section for proper belt tracking and to prevent slippage at the drive roller, and the belt driven unwind can have a lower belt tension section for the portion of the belt in contact with the unwinding roll. In this manner, the belt-driven unwind can be used with soft, bulky tissue rolls without damaging the rolls like a conventional belt-driven unwind.

Unwind apparatus

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Neenah, WI, United States of America

Vivek Moreshwar Karandikar