Web production with increased process efficiency

A conservation control system for integration with a feedback cross-machine direction controller associated with a cross-machine direction profiler operable to directly modify the properties of a web being produced in the machine direction, said web properties measured and modified after the formed web has exited a headbox, said conservation control system comprising:

• means for receiving an error profile, said error profile including a plurality of cross-direction zones;
• means for receiving a first cross-direction set point array from said feedback cross-direction control, said first cross-direction set-point array including a plurality of first set-point values, each said first set-point value correlating to one of said cross-direction zones;
• means for determining a performance band;
• means for creating a decision array having a plurality of decision array values, where each said decision array value correlates to one of said cross-direction zones, and for each cross-direction zone if said error profile is outside said performance band, said decision array value correlating to that cross-direction zone is set to accept and if said error profile is inside said performance band, said decision array value correlating to that cross-direction zone is set to reject;
• means for creating a modified cross-direction set-point array, said modified cross-direction set-point array including a plurality of modified set-point values, each of said modified set-point values correlating to one of said cross-direction zones, wherein for every cross-direction zone labeled accept in said decision array, the corresponding modified set-point value is set to the first set-point value correlating to that cross-direction zone and for every cross-direction zone labeled reject in said decision array, the corresponding modified set-point value is set to a previously stored set-point;
• and
• means for transmitting said modified cross-direction set-point array to the cross-direction profiler.

A conservation control system for integration with a feedback cross-machine direction control system, the feedback cross-machine direction control system includes a cross-machine direction controller and a cross-machine direction profiler operable to directly modify the properties of a web being produced in the machine direction, said web properties measured and modified after the formed web exits a headbox, said conservation control system comprising:

• an evaluate error profile module for receiving an error profile representing a web property, said error profile including a plurality of cross-direction zones, said evaluate error profile module receiving a first cross-direction set-point array from the feedback cross-direction controller, said first cross-direction set-point array including a plurality of first set-point values, each said first set-point values correlating to one of said cross-direction zones, said evaluate error profile module further receiving a performance band, said evaluate error profile module adapted to create a decision array having a plurality of decision array values, where each said decision array value correlates to one of said cross-direction zones, and for each cross-direction zone if said error profile is outside said performance band, said decision array value correlating to that cross-direction zone is set to accept and if said error profile is inside said performance band, said decision array value correlating to that cross-direction zone is set to reject;
• and
• an individual cross-direction zone set-point chooser for creating a modified cross-direction set-point array, said modified cross-direction set-point array including a plurality of modified set-point values, each of said modified set-point values correlating to one of said cross-direction zones, wherein for every cross-direction zone labeled accept in said decision array, the corresponding modified set-point value is set to the first set-point value correlating to that cross-direction zone and for every cross-direction zone labeled reject in said decision array, the corresponding modified set-point value is set to a previously stored set-point value, said individual cross-direction zone set-point chooser adapted to transmit said modified cross-direction set-point array to the cross-direction profiler.

A conservation control method for integration with a feedback cross-machine direction control system, the feedback cross-machine direction control system includes a cross-machine direction controller and a cross-machine direction profiler operable to directly modify the properties of a web being produced in the machine direction, said web properties measured and modified after the formed web has exited a headbox, said conservation control method comprising:

• receiving an error profile having a plurality of cross-direction zones;
• receiving a set of first cross-machine set-points from the feedback cross-machine direction controller;
• determining a range for evaluation of error profile values corresponding to said cross-direction zones;
• outputting a set of modified cross-machine set-points to the cross-machine direction profiler wherein if the error profile for a given cross-direction zone is outside a said predetermined range, the corresponding set-point in the modified cross-direction set-points is the value of the corresponding set-point in the first cross-machine set-points and if the error profile for a given cross-direction zone is inside said predetermined range, the corresponding set-point in the modified cross-direction set-points is set to a previously stored value;
• and
• transmitting said modified cross-direction set-points to the cross-direction profiler.