A system for manufacturing a gypsum board, the gypsum board having a gypsum core, a first cover sheet, and a second cover sheet, the gypsum core being interposed between the first and second cover sheets, the system comprising:
- a forming station, the forming station adapted to form the gypsum board such that the gypsum board is within a predetermined thickness range;
- a conveyor, the conveyor adapted to convey the gypsum board at a line speed along a machine direction away from the forming station, the conveyor configured to support the gypsum board such that the first cover sheet of the gypsum board is resting upon the conveyor, the conveyor extending along the machine direction and along a cross-machine direction, the cross-machine direction being perpendicular to the machine direction;
- a cutting station, the cutting station disposed downstream of the forming station along the machine direction, the cutting station arranged with respect to the conveyor such that the conveyor carries the gypsum board past the cutting station, the cutting station including a knife configured to periodically cut the gypsum board along the cross-machine direction to define a series of board segments as the gypsum board moves along the machine direction past the cutting station;
- a cover sheet perforator system, the cover sheet perforator system including a perforator roller, a roller support frame, and a drive motor:
- the perforator roller disposed along the machine direction between the forming station and the cutting station, the perforator roller including a shaft and a plurality of perforation pins projecting from the shaft, the shaft being rotatably mounted to the roller support frame such that the perforator roller is rotatable about a rotational axis, the perforator roller having an outer circumference defined by the perforation pins,
- the roller support frame supporting the shaft of the perforator roller such that the rotational axis extends along the cross-machine direction, and the roller support frame adapted to place the pins of the perforator roller in contacting relationship with the second cover sheet of the gypsum board conveyed by the conveyor, the roller support frame including a roller bracket, the shaft of the perforator roller being journaled to the roller bracket for rotation about the rotational axis, and the roller bracket being pivotally movable such that the perforator roller is movable over a range of travel between an engaged position and a stowed position, the perforator roller being positioned when in the engaged position to be in contacting relationship with the gypsum board being conveyed by the conveyor, and the perforator roller being positioned when in the stowed position to be in non-contacting relationship with the gypsum board being conveyed by the conveyor, and
- the drive motor being mounted to the shaft of the perforator roller to rotate the perforator roller about the rotational axis, the drive motor being adapted to rotate the perforator roller to produce a series of perforation holes in the second cover sheet as the gypsum board moves past the perforator roller, the drive motor being adapted to rotate the perforator roller (i) in a direction with the gypsum board at a point of contact between the outer circumference of the perforator roller and the second cover sheet and (ii) such that the outer circumference of the perforator roller has a tangential speed, the tangential speed being substantially equal to the line speed.