Offline paperboard moisturizing

Abstract

An offline paperboard moisturizing system broadly comprising a supply roll carrier configured to dispense paperboard material, a water spreader configured to deliver water evenly to the paperboard material, a water supply configured to meter the water to the water spreader, a rewind roll carrier configured to take up the paperboard material, and a control system comprising a controller. The controller is configured to instruct the supply roll carrier to advance the paperboard material according to a feed rate and instruct the water supply to meter the water to the paperboard material via the water spreader according to a desired moisture level so that the paperboard material has a desired moisture content as the rewind roll carrier takes up the paperboard material.

1 . An offline paperboard moisturizing system comprising:
 a supply roll carrier configured to dispense paperboard material;   a water spreader configured to deliver water evenly to the paperboard material to moisturize the paperboard material;   a water supply configured to meter the water to the water spreader;   a rewind roll carrier configured to take up the paperboard material; and   a control system comprising a controller configured to:
 instruct the supply roll carrier to advance the paperboard material according to a feed rate; and 
 instruct the water supply to meter the water to the paperboard material via the water spreader according to a desired moisture level so that the paperboard material has a desired moisture content as the rewind roll carrier takes up the paperboard material. 
   
     
     
         2 . The offline paperboard moisturizing system of  claim 1 , the control system further comprising:
 a moisture reader communicatively connected to the controller, the moisture reader being configured to detect a moisture content of the paperboard material after the paperboard material has been moisturized via the water spreader.   
     
     
         3 . The offline paperboard moisturizing system of  claim 2 , the control system being further configured to adjust at least one of the feed rate and a flow rate of the water supply based on the moisture content as detected by the moisture reader. 
     
     
         4 . The offline paperboard moisturizing system of  claim 1 , the control system further comprising a human machine interface (HMI) configured to receive user commands including the desired moisture level and the feed rate. 
     
     
         5 . The offline paperboard moisturizing system of  claim 1 , the water supply comprising:
 a valve fluidly connected to a water source;   a tank fluidly connected to the valve; and   a pump fluidly connected to the tank.   
     
     
         6 . The offline paperboard moisturizing system of  claim 5 , the control system further comprising:
 a tank switch configured to activate the valve according to an amount of water in the tank.   
     
     
         7 . The offline paperboard moisturizing system of  claim 5 , the control system further comprising:
 a moisture reader communicatively connected to the controller, the moisture reader being configured to detect a moisture content of the paperboard material after the paperboard material has been moisturized via the water spreader, the controller being further configured to modulate the pump according to the moisture content as detected by the moisture reader.   
     
     
         8 . The offline paperboard moisturizing system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to implement closed loop automatic moisture control. 
     
     
         9 . The offline paperboard moisturizing system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to automatically set the feed rate according to user inputs of paperboard material thickness, paperboard material width, and a desired moisture level, and forming quality of previously formed products. 
     
     
         10 . The offline paperboard moisturizing system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to synchronize an unwinding speed of the supply roll carrier and a rewinding speed of the rewind roll carrier. 
     
     
         11 . A method of moisturizing paperboard material, the method comprising steps of:
 dispensing paperboard material from a supply roll carrier;   metering water to a water spreader via a pump of a water supply;   delivering the water from the water spreader evenly to the paperboard material so the paperboard material is evenly moisturized;   taking up the moisturized paperboard material via a rewind roll carrier;   instructing, via a controller, a motor of the supply roll carrier to advance the paperboard material according to a feed rate; and   instructing, via the controller, the pump to meter the water according to a desired moisture level so that the paperboard material has a desired moisture content as the rewind roll carrier takes up the moisturized paperboard material.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising a step of detecting, via a moisture reader, a moisture content of the paperboard material after the delivering step. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising a step of adjusting at least one of the feed rate and a flow rate of the water supply based on the moisture content as detected by the moisture reader. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising a step of receiving user commands including the desired moisture level and the feed rate. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the water supply comprises a valve fluidly connected to a water source, a tank fluidly connected to the valve, and a pump fluidly connected to the tank. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising a step of activating the valve via a tank switch according to an amount of water in the tank. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising a step of modulating the pump according to a moisture content as detected by a moisture reader. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the instructing steps utilize closed loop automatic moisture control. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising a step of automatically setting the feed rate according to user inputs of paperboard material thickness, paperboard material width, and a desired moisture level, and forming quality of previously formed products. 
     
     
         20 . An offline paperboard moisturizing system comprising:
 a supply roll carrier configured to dispense paperboard material, the supply roll carrier including a motor configured to advance the paperboard material according to a feed rate;   a water spreader configured to deliver water evenly to the paperboard material;   a water supply configured to meter the water to the water spreader according to a desired moisture level, the water supply comprising:
 a valve fluidly connected to a water source; 
 a tank fluidly connected to the valve; 
 a tank switch configured to activate the valve according to an amount of water in the tank; and 
 a pump fluidly connected to the tank; 
   a rewind roll carrier configured to take up the moisturized paperboard material, the rewind roll carrier including a motor configured to be synchronized with the motor of the supply roll carrier;   a moisture reader configured to detect a moisture content of the paperboard material after the paperboard material has been moisturized via the water spreader; and   a control system comprising:
 an HMI configured to receive user commands including a desired moisture level, the feed rate, a paperboard material thickness, and a paperboard material width; and 
 a controller configured to: 
 instruct the supply roll carrier to advance the paperboard material according to the feed rate; 
 instruct the water supply to meter the water to the paperboard material via the water spreader according to the desired moisture level so that the paperboard material has a desired moisture content as the rewind roll carrier takes up the moisturized paperboard material; 
 automatically set the feed rate according to forming quality of previously formed products and the user inputs; and 
 adjust at least one of the feed rate and a flow rate of the water supply based on the moisture content as detected by the moisture reader.