Monitoring applicator rods and applicator rod nips
A sensor signal is generated from a plurality of sensors located on a sensing roll, wherein each sensor enters a nip between the sensing roll and a rotating component during each rotation of the sensing roll. A rotating applicator rod forms forming a second nip with the sensing roll such that each sensor enters the second nip during each rotation of the sensing roll and each sensor generates a sensor signal upon entering the second nip. A periodically occurring starting reference is generated associated with each rotation of the applicator rod and the signal generated by each sensor is received so that a particular one of the sensors which generated the signal is determined and one of a plurality of tracking segments is identified. The signal is stored to associate the sensor signal with the identified one tracking segment.
1. A system associated with a sensing roll for collecting roll data comprising:
a plurality of sensors located at axially spaced-apart locations of the sensing roll, wherein each sensor enters a region of a first nip between the sensing roll and a rotating component during each rotation of the sensing roll;
an application station, comprising a rotatable applicator rod forming a second nip with the sensing roll, wherein each sensor enters a region of the second nip between the sensing roll and the applicator rod during each rotation of the sensing roll;
each sensor generates a respective sensor signal upon entering a region of the second nip;
structure for generating a periodically occurring starting reference associated with each rotation of the applicator rod; and
a processor to receive the periodically occurring starting reference and the respective sensor signal generated by each sensor as it moves through the second nip and, after receiving the respective sensor signal, the processor operates to:
determine a particular one of the plurality of sensors which generated the respective sensor signal,
based upon a value occurring between when the respective sensor signal was generated and a most recent starting reference, identify one of a plurality of tracking segments, wherein each of the plurality of tracking segments is, respectively, associated with a different value, and
store the respective sensor signal to associate the respective sensor signal with the identified one tracking segment.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rotating component comprises a mating roll, a web of material travels through the first nip from an upstream direction to a downstream direction.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the starting reference comprises a time reference;
the value occurring between when the respective sensor signal was generated and the most recent starting reference is calculated from an amount of time that has elapsed between when the respective sensor signal was generated and a most recent time reference; and
each of the plurality of tracking segments is, respectively, associated with a different amount of elapsed time.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the respective sensor signal comprises a pressure value.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tracking segments comprise one of:
a plurality of circumferential segments on the applicator rod, and
a plurality of time segments of a period of rotation of the applicator rod.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processor receives:
the respective sensor signal for each of the plurality of sensors during each rotation of the sensing roll, and
a plurality of the respective sensor signals occurring during a plurality of rotations of the sensing roll.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein, for each one of the plurality of the respective sensor signals, the processor identifies its identified one tracking segment and an associated applicator rod axial segment.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein:
the applicator rod comprises n axial segments, having respective index values: 1, 2, . . . , n;
an applicator rod rotational period comprises m tracking segments, having respective index values: 1, 2, . . . , m, and
wherein there are (n times m) unique permutations that are identifiable by a two-element set comprising a respective axial segment index value and a respective tracking segment index value.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein, for the plurality of respective sensor signals and for one or more of the possible (n times m) permutations, the processor determines an average of all the plurality of respective sensor signals associated with an axial segment and tracking segment matching each of the one or more permutations.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the applicator rod comprises a plurality of optically detectable marks along at least a portion of a surface of the applicator rod, wherein one distinctive mark of the plurality of optically detectable marks is different than all of the other marks.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the structure for generating the starting reference comprises:
a detector proximate to the surface of the applicator rod for detecting each of the plurality of optically detectable marks traveling by the detector; and
a signal generator in communication with the detector for generating the starting reference each time the one distinctive mark is detected.
12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a counter in communication with the detector for counting a number of the plurality of marks that have been detected since the most recent starting reference,
wherein the value occurring between when the respective sensor signal was generated and the most recent starting reference is equal to the number of the plurality of marks that have been detected since the most recent starting reference.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein generating the starting reference comprises resetting the counter to an initial value.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the applicator rod comprises one of a size press rod and a coating rod.
15. A method associated with a sensing roll for collecting roll data comprising:
providing a plurality of sensors located at axially spaced-apart locations of the sensing roll, wherein each sensor enters a region of a first nip between the sensing roll and a rotating component during each rotation of the sensing roll;
providing an application station, having a rotating applicator rod with an axis of rotation substantially parallel to that of the sensing roll and forming a second nip with the sensing roll such that each sensor enters a region of the second nip during each rotation of the sensing roll;
each sensor generates a respective sensor signal upon entering a region of the second nip;
generating a periodically occurring starting reference associated with each rotation of the applicator rod; and
receiving the periodically occurring starting reference and the respective sensor signal generated by each sensor and, after receiving the respective sensor signal:
determining a particular one of the plurality of sensors which generated the respective sensor signal,
based upon a value occurring between when the respective sensor signal was generated and a most recent starting reference, identifying one of a plurality of tracking segments, wherein each of the plurality of tracking segments is, respectively, associated with a different value, and
storing the respective sensor signal to associate the respective sensor signal with the identified one tracking segment.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the rotating component comprises a mating roll, a web of material travels through the first nip from an upstream direction to a downstream direction.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the respective sensor signal comprises a pressure value.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of tracking segments comprise one of:
a plurality of circumferential segments on the applicator rod, and
a plurality of time segments of a period of rotation of the applicator rod.
19. The method of claim 18 , comprising:
receiving the respective sensor signal for each of the plurality of sensors during each rotation of the sensing roll, and
receiving a plurality of the respective sensor signals occurring during a plurality of rotations of the sensing roll.
20. The method of claim 19 , comprising:
for each one of the plurality of the respective sensor signals, identifying its identified one tracking segment and an associated applicator rod axial segment.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein:
the applicator rod comprises n axial segments, having respective index values: 1, 2, . . . , n;
an applicator rod rotational period comprises m tracking segments, having respective index values: 1, 2, . . . , m, and
wherein there are (n times m) unique permutations that are identifiable by a two-element set comprising a respective axial segment index value and a respective tracking segment index value.
22. The method of claim 21 , comprising:
for the plurality of respective sensor signals and for one or more of the possible (n times m) permutations, determining an average of all the plurality of respective sensor signals associated with an axial segment and tracking segment matching each of the one or more permutations.
23. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the starting reference comprises a time reference;
the value occurring between when the respective sensor signal was generated and the most recent starting reference is calculated from an amount of time that has elapsed between when the respective sensor signal was generated and a most recent time reference; and
each of the plurality of tracking segments is, respectively, associated with a different amount of elapsed time.
24. The method of claim 15 , wherein
the applicator rod comprises a plurality of optically detectable marks along at least a portion of a surface of the applicator rod, wherein one distinctive mark of the plurality of optically detectable marks is different than all of the other marks.
25. The method of claim 24 , comprising:
detecting, with a detector proximate to the surface of the applicator rod, each of the plurality of optically detectable marks traveling by the detector; and
generating the starting reference each time the one distinctive mark is detected.
26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:
a counter in communication with the detector for counting a number of the plurality of marks that have been detected since the most recent starting reference,
wherein the value occurring between when the respective sensor signal was generated and the most recent starting reference is equal to the number of the plurality of marks that have been detected since the most recent starting reference.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein generating the starting reference comprises resetting the counter to an initial value.
28. The method of claim 15 , wherein the applicator rod comprises one of a size press rod and a coating rod.