Apparatus and method for web twist defect correction
AssigneeCurt G. Joa, Inc.
InventorsAdam D. DeNoble, Jeffrey Dale Brown, Robert E. Andrews, Gottfried Jason Hohm, Dennis J. Faucher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods are provided to minimize waste and improve quality and production in web processing operations. The apparatus and methods provide defect detection in deposition of acquisition material, which on current machines frequently flips and is difficult to detect when it has flipped causing manufacturers to scrap thousands of products. Using the present invention, defects are able to be detected by discerning a difference in the appearance from side to side with a vision camera, and an acquisition inverter can flip the material to a correct orientation.
Claims18
An apparatus for orienting an incoming web having a first side and a second side, the apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable web guide configured to pass the incoming web therethrough;
- a vision system configured to:
- capture an image of an untwisted portion of the incoming web;
- process the image;
- and
- determine an orientation of the first side of the incoming web based on the image processing;
- a controller configured to:
- receive the orientation of the first side of the incoming web from the vision system;
- and
- if the first side of the incoming web is in an improper orientation, control the rotatable web guide to introduce a twist in the incoming web to orient the first side of the incoming web in a proper orientation;
- wherein the rotatable web guide comprises a pair of guide plates having an open condition and a closed condition;
- wherein, in the closed condition, the pair of guide plates is configured to effectuate the twist in the incoming web;
- and
- wherein, in the open condition, the pair of guide plates is configured to allow splices in the incoming web to pass.
An apparatus for orienting an incoming web having a first side and a second side, the apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable web guide configured to pass the incoming web therethrough;
- a vision system configured to:
- capture an image of the incoming web;
- process the image;
- and
- determine which of the first and second sides of the incoming web is captured in the image based on the image processing;
- a controller configured to:
- receive from the vision system the determination of which of the first and second side of the incoming web is captured in the image;
- and
- if the first side is not captured in the image, control the rotatable web guide to flip the incoming web to orient the first side in an orientation suitable for capture by the vision system;
- wherein the rotatable web guide comprises a pair of guide plates having an open condition and a closed condition;
- wherein, in the closed condition, the pair of guide plates is configured to effectuate the flip in the incoming web;
- and
- wherein, in the open condition, the pair of guide plates is configured to allow splices in the incoming web to pass.
A method of orienting a running web comprising:
- capturing an image of the running web in an image capture zone;
- processing the image;
- determining whether a first side of the running web is in an upside-down condition in the image capture zone based on the processed image;
- if the first side is in the upside-down condition in the image capture zone, actuating a rotatable web guide to convert the upside-down condition of the first side to a right-side-up condition of the first side;
- and
- wherein the right-side-up condition is an opposite of the upside-down condition;
- wherein the rotatable web guide comprises a pair of guide plates having an open condition and a closed condition;
- wherein, in the closed condition, the pair of guide plates is configured to effectuate the right-side-up condition in the running web;
- and
- wherein, in the closed condition, the pair of guide plates is configured to allow splices in the running web to pass.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.