Multiple online perforation at cigarette making machines – OESP-1 - Multiple online perforation at cigarette making ma

Multiple online ventilation at cigarette making machines – OESP-1 OLP-1

Perforation of tipping or cigarette paper webs for filter cigarette ventilation

Ventilation of mass products

Electrostatic perforation has been used since 30 years for ventilation of non filter, RYO or filter cigarettes to create a directed and guided air bypass or Lindstroem principle. For this purpose, cigarette paper for some non filter or RYO cigarettes and almost every kind of filter cigarettes tipping papers are perforated electro statically OFFLINE in zones from 2.0–6.0 mm width or in rows with ONLINE or OFFLINE by use of slow, fast flow, sealed-off or SLAB carbon gas or diode laser in order to reduce the harmful substances such as nicotine and condensate down to allowed values. Another effect is the possibility to control the degree of ventilation of Cigarettes.

IPM – International Perforation Management – ONLINE ESP technology and former patents EP0460369, DE4018209 enables cigarette/tipping paper perforation while cigarette making processes to reduce nicotine/condensate levels for non-filter cigarettes. The electrostatic online multiple perforation process OESP-1 open new possibilities for cigarette/tipping paper ventilation during cigarette manufacturing by full integration of perforation equipment/cassettes.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP0460369.html

The method and the device for electro-erosive perforation of cigarette paper basically operates with at least two pairs of electrodes which are ignited at the same time in such a manner that each perforation section is treated twice in order to provide a corresponding intensity of perforation, taking into consideration the duration of ignition and the web speed. In particular, the invention operates with at least four pairs of electrodes (I to IV), between which the web (10) of cigarette paper to be perforated is moved through.

The cigarette paper is moved in the longitudinal direction of the cigarette to be produced later, the width corresponding to the circumference of the cigarette plus an overlap section for bonding. Perforating is carried out transversely to the direction of movement, that is to say an accurately defined zone section is produced around the circumference of the cigarette.

The pairs of electrodes are arranged at a distance which corresponds to half the cigarette length (a, b, c) when four pairs of electrodes are used. The first and the third pair of electrodes are ignited simultaneously. A distance-dependent control causes the second and fourth pair of electrodes also to be ignited simultaneously when the previously perforated sections have traveled the distance of half a cigarette length. Each section is perforated four times, the speed at which the web (10) can be moved being determined not by the spacing (half a cigarette length) of the pairs of electrodes but by the spacing of the pairs of electrodes in each case simultaneously ignited (one cigarette length).

This provides for uniform, intensive and very powerful perforation and the cigarette paper treated can be continuously supplied to the cigarette machine for further processing in the longitudinal direction of the cigarette.

To archive that immense ESP demands IPM developed, designed, patent grant new electronic perforation circuits which working as upward converters with IGBT, MOSFET or HVFET for power pulses from 1 up to 15 micro seconds, high current peaks up to 300 Amps, base frequencies up to 200 KHz on ferrite transformers to generate the special high voltage peaks into the shielded sparking case cassettes.

Advantages of cigarette manufacturing

Small all-over-dimensions, direct mechanical integration of perforation units, their functional interfacing and accepted EMI level in order international standards archiving high production efficiencies and controllable ventilation grades on highly automated cigarette machines.

Powerful dual IGBT electronics and multiple perforation performances across the web, here the circumference of each cigarette, allows problem less perforations on high-speed cigarette making machines up to 12.000 cpm as MAX-S, MK9, Protos80, etc.

porosities from 50 up to 600 C.U.
pore densities from 25 up to 300 pores/cm2
zone width 2.0–6.0 mm
porosity profile in cigarette length with relations up to 1:20
hole sizes from 30 up to 80 microns
cigarette ventilation grades up to 70 %

are archive able

Advantages for production and cigarette product

Compact all-over-dimensions, direct mechanical integration of perforation units, easy functional interfacing and full EMI acceptance in order of EN or NEC standards archiving high production efficiencies with controllable ventilation grades on highly automated cigarette making machines.
All necessary perforation, production parameters are stored and controlled by microcomputer operation, i.e. geometrical and synchronized positions of perforation lines, zones, etc., pores density, perforation zones width and distributions, perforation profile and porosity ranges for each cigarette brand.
Porosity profiles over the length of each non-filter cigarettes are possible.
Furthermore single, multiple, different or equal groups of single perforation zones across the cigarette paper web for non-filter or tipping paper web for filter cigarettes are possible.
All stored parameter sets are interfaced to the computer PLC control system at cigarette machine.
Online insertion of different positions of across areas and porosities of each cigarette brand are very flexible to define and controllable during perforation process.
Air ventilation level through the cigarette can be exactly defined and, due to online feedback, can be kept constant by means of perforation system design and porosity distribution. For non filter cigarettes, for example, perforation can be effected over the entire length and circumference of the cigarette.

Liability and system investment

The ESP process OESP-1 has a high liability and is realizable with low investments and low running costs when compared with on-line laser macro, micro perforation processes.

Patented, powerful, dual high frequency switching electronics and multiple perforation performances of the circumference of each cigarette enables problem less perforation on high-speed cigarette making machines up to 12.000 cpm.

An online porosity control system OPSS-1 monitor continuously the air permeability, called optical online porosimeter, with a state-of-the-art technology to obtain a close-loop feed-back to the perforation unit to keep the ventilation grades constant.

Conclusion

Online micro perforation processes are possible to use for other mass products and application fields with full system integration in entire production lines as bag, sack, packaging manufacturing etc.

New ranges of applications will be made accessible as new products with special features will be developed.

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IPM – ON-LINE LASER PERFORATION with patent grant high speed multiplexer DE102004001327

Pos. A – laser source and IPM patent grand multiplexer with 8 optical channels

by 8 laser lines, 10.6 um, CO2, sealed off laser, M<0.9, e.g. Coherent ULR-300, 300W Synrad, PRC
by 4 laser lines, 10.6 um, CO2, sealed off laser, M<0.9, e.g. Coherent ULR-150, 200W Synrad, PRC
laser source dimensions all over approx: 1100*200*200 mm, water cooled
output 45 grad divert mirror
IPM multiple laser beam multiplexer
centre rotate twin beam splitter and high speed motor (not shown) up to 1200 rpm/sec.
diameter approx. 400 mm, high approx. 200 mm
8 optical output channels, coupled special hollow fibers, each in lengths from 1000-3000 mm

Pos. B – bobbin unwind unit and perforation heads

tipping paper from 48 up 64 mm web width
8 perforation heads, 4 on each side
each laser beam supply with special hollow fibers and auto focus devices
diameter of each focus device around 25 mm
distances in web direction around 50 mm
length of necessary perforation section approx. 200 mm by 8 laser lines
necessary width of perforation section - tipping paper width + 40 mm on both sides

Pos. C – tipping paper strips with 8 laser perforation lines

up to 10.000 cpm or 135 m/min tipping paper web speed
4 laser perforation lines on each side of the tipping paper
total round or oval hole sizes between 60-180 microns diameter
up to 8 holes/cm, one hole with e.g. 14 C.U.
8 h/cm*14 C.U./h*4*2cm (Coresta) = in total around 900 C.U.
ventilation grad 10-80% with twin or quad rows
by 8h/cm*8 holes/rows*135 m/min = 14440 holes/s in total

further information on request

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Own patents

MLL-1 – Micro Laser Line Perforation for hole pattern, perforation design, waves, zigzag lines, packages lines, cryptograms, company logos, holograms, anti counterfeiting, product indicators. Patent pending for process, device and product properties. DE102004012081.

LPM-1 – micro laser perforation at wide web material with high power Co2 dual laser beam multiplexers, 200 optical channels, patent grand for process and device DE102004001327.

ESP electrostatic nano micro perforation machines for cigarette, tipping, filter, packaging, plug-wrap, sack, bag, food and other paper products, patent grand for process and device DE10328937.

Optical online OPSS-1 porovision scanning control system for electrostatic or LASER perforation machines.

Patent pending for process and device DE10251610 - China patent grand 200310104764.

Optical dyne control at fast moving substrates ODSTM-1. Previous patent application DE19542289.

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Links to patent references

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http://www.wikipatents.com/gb/2149092.html

http://www.wikipatents.com/de/3332886.html

http://www.wikipatents.com/de/2918283.html

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP0460369.html

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7224447.html

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