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Problem:

The roll handling system is causing major headaches for my maintenance staff. The original towed conveyor still runs but the control system keeps breaking down. Relays continually trip, the I/O cards are failing, the user-interface is barely readable. So, what now? What is important? Should we purchase new equipment? Why should we upgrade the existing equipment?

Solution:

The APSOLUT Newsprint Control System answers these questions with a coordinated, collective approach to modernizing legacy roll handling systems found within a Newsprint Facility.

There are three key components that are important to Newsprint Automation:

• APSOLUT Integration^™

• APSOLUT Automation^™

• APSOLUT Innovation^™

New equipment is expensive and inferior to existing equipment if not integrated properly to your facility. This includes the cost of new equipment, construction, startup, installation, maintenance, and extensive operator & maintenance training. Integration is essential to resolving the problems you are experiencing. New equipment will likely complicate rather than simplify the operation.

Existing equipment is already purchased and installed. Some maintenance may be required to stop zones and other electronic components before proper operation can occur. Many problems you are experiencing are caused by old technologies that have reached their expected lifetime. Modernization of the existing system will replace these legacy components with new, state-of-the-art technology. Your existing system has tremendous potential that can be unlocked to reveal cost savings, increased efficiency, reduced maintenance, vital process information, and significant process improvements.

In this section, "Newsprint Automation", you'll explore how disparate systems can be pulled out of their individual shells, allowing you to integrate your Newsprint Facility and manage the entire system from a central location. You'll see how automation can increase the efficiency of your operation and how innovation can deliver significant process improvements to your bottom line.

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APSOLUT Integration enables the Newsprint Department to manage supply chain costs. This includes the cost of movement, storage, and control of newsprint rolls across the supply chain, both within the newsprint facility, the database, and between different components of the supply chain.

Effective supply chain management is the next logical step you need to take in order to increase profit and market share.

The APSOLUT Newsprint Control System uses a database to collect production plans and execution results. The pressroom supplies the necessary production plans to the database. Production plans spend very little time in the database. A plan remains in the database until you are ready to begin production of the plan. This allows the plan to be modified, reassigned, or placed on hold Just-In-Time for operations. The ability to have the right roll to the right reel stand at the right time results in decreased setup costs and the most efficient use of operations time.

Integration Features

• Cart ID

• Roll Type

• Roll Manufacturer

• Stripper Station Assignment

• Reel Stand Assignment

• Spur Assignment

• Stripper Station Status

• Stop Zone Status

• Production Plans

• Execution Results

• Cart Location

• Desired Newsprint Consumption

• Actual Newsprint Consumption

• Inventory Levels

The level of integration is up to you...

High-level integration uses RFID Technology to enable accurate tracking of newsprint rolls from the warehouse to the reel stand. Cart identification is integrated into the database schema. Valuable information such as: cart id, roll size and manufacturer; stripping station, track, reel stand, and spur assignment; as well as advanced cart status, is tracked for each newsprint roll.

Low-level integration uses stop zones and photo-electric sensors distributed throughout the newsprint area for accounting purposes. Roll information is integrated into the database schema for tracking and consumption. Valuable information such as roll size and manufacturer; track zone locations; as well as limited cart status, is tracked for each newsprint roll.

No matter what level of integration you choose, the APSOLUT Newsprint Control System can be tailored to fit your individual needs. Execution results are recorded to the manufacturer level, which allows for accurate reporting of inventory levels and newsprint consumption.

APSOLUT Automation increases the efficiency of the Newsprint Department by processing production plans accurately without costly human errors. Roll handling is elevated to the next level by centralized PLC-based technology. The slow-moving nature of the newsprint carts makes a PLC the solution of choice.

Automation replaces the legacy distributed control system with more advanced technology that centralizes control and virtually frees your system of maintenance problems.

The APSOLUT Newsprint Control System uses an encoder to track the position of each towed conveyor. As newsprint rolls travel around the tracks, electronic components watch for certain events to unfold and report the results to the processor. The processor quickly processes the information and makes informed assignment, position, and consumption decisions Just-In-Time for operations. The central PLC replaces all existing controllers that are scattered throughout the newsprint floor.

A broad line of digital and analog I/O modules, including intelligent I/O modules and I/O modules from third-party vendors, replace a countless number of individual control relays. These legacy relays are prone to failure and extremely difficult to troubleshoot. A PLC is well-suited for roll handling applications where the existing system can not be reused and system stability is key to operations. Troubleshooting of the PLC is accomplished with a simple, easy-to-use Windows-based programming software package that has several diagnostic and troubleshooting tools.

Automation Features

• Centralized PLC

• Precise Encoder Tracking

• RFID Technology

• Automatic Track Start/Stop

• Stop Zone Alarming

• Automatic Cart Dispatch

• Automatic Upload/Download

• Automatic Job Mode

• Laydown Lane Assignment
  by Type and Manufacturer

• Newsprint Roll Tracking
  by Type and Manufacturer

• Newsprint Roll Consumption
  by Type and Manufacturer

• Real-time Newsprint Consumption
  by Press and Reel Stand

The level of automation is up to you...

High-level automation enables production plans to automatically download from the database and start sequentially for minimal delay between plans. Newsprint rolls are assigned to specific carts and delivered to a specific press, reel stand, and spur. Divert decisions are made automatically that allow newsprint rolls to be reworked before entering the press tracks.

Low-level automation sets defined inventory levels for each type and manufacturer of newsprint rolls. Photo-electric sensors, distributed throughout the newsprint area, account for each roll and communicate plant-floor data to the PLC for data acquisition. These levels are maintained automatically and consumption of each roll is controlled by the reel stand operator.

No matter what level of automation you choose, the APSOLUT Newsprint Control System can be tailored to fit your individual needs. A centralized PLC collects the plant-floor data for processing and database integration at any level. Increase your process throughput and the efficiency of your Newsprint Department today with APSOLUT Automation.

APSOLUT Innovation enables you to realize significant process improvements within your Newsprint Facility. Intense competition between newspapers and commercial printers demands improved financial performance from all departments within a production facility.

Information technology is the enabler of innovation within a production facility that allows you to seek considerable improvements in cost, time, and quality of the finished product.

APSOLUT Identification^™

APSOLUT Identification uses a wireless Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) technology to track newsprint rolls. This technology is coupled with another technology called Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Innovative RFID technology consists of three key components: an antenna, a transceiver, and a transponder (commonly known as an RF tag that is electronically programmed with unique information).

The significant advantage of RFID systems is the non contact, non line-of-sight nature of the technology. RFID technology is effective in harsh conditions (e.g. paint, grease, grime, and other visually and environmentally challenging conditions) where barcodes or other optical technology are not feasible. The challenging environment of the Newsprint Department makes RFID technology the solution of choice.

The RFID tags uniquely identify an individual newsprint roll. The ID serves as the primary key field within the database. The database contains modifiable product-specific information for each newsprint roll. The type, manufacturer, laydown lane assignment and location, stripper assignment, press track assignment, reel stand assignment, spur assignment, as well as, many other roll status flags are vital pieces of information readily available to the control system. This allows the APSOLUT Newsprint Control System to make informed decisions and accurately record consumption down to an individual press reel stand.