FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method as defined in the preamble of claim 1 and to a system as defined in the preamble of claim 7 for connecting a tool to a paperboard product manufacturing line or a tool ma ^¬ chining station.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Different kinds of methods and tools are known in the prior art for manufacturing and shaping paperboard products from paperboard.

It is known that connecting and attaching tools to a paperboard product manufacturing line re ^¬ quires time and accuracy. In addition, connecting a tool to a machining station for the time of machining requires time and accuracy.

OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the invention is to disclose a novel method for fitting and connecting a tool to a paperboard product manufacturing line or a tool ma ^¬ chining station. In addition, the objective of the invention is to disclose a novel system for connecting a tool. Another objective of the invention is to provide more accurate fitting of a tool to a correct position when connecting the tool.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The method and the system according to the invention are characterized by the features set out in the claims.

The invention is based on a method for connecting a tool to a paperboard product manufacturing line or a tool machining station. In the method, the tool is provided with a connector element adjusted relative to a selected register point, such as rela ^¬ tive to a zero point, and the place of connecting the tool, e.g. on the paperboard product manufacturing line or the tool machining station, is provided with a mating piece for the connector element, which is also adjusted relative to the selected register point. This provides quick and accurate connection and attachment of the tool, e.g. to the manufacturing line or the ma ^¬ chining station.

The invention is also based on a connection system comprising a connector element arranged in connection with a tool, and a mating piece arranged at the place of connecting the tool, e.g. on a paperboard prod ^¬ uct manufacturing line or a tool machining station.

A connector element means, in this connec ^¬ tion, any connecting means by which a tool is connect- able to the place of connecting the tool. In this con ^¬ nection, a mating piece means any mating piece which matches the connector element to form a connection.

Preferably, a paperboard product is formed from paperboard material by means of at least one tool. The tool may have been selected from the group of a die cut ^¬ ting tool, a cutting tool, a creasing tool, a shaping tool, a finishing tool and their combinations. In one embodiment, a paperboard product is formed from paper- board material by means of more than one tool. Shaping of the paperboard material into a product is important in terms of formation of the paperboard product, and it is preferably done by means of a shaping tool.

In this connection, the paperboard material may have been formed from any fibre-based source material, such as wood-based or plant-based source material or fi ^¬ bre-based composite source material or combinations thereof. The source material may be material formed from so-called fresh raw material, such as wood- or plant- based material, pulp, fibres or the like, or alterna ^¬ tively recycled material, such as pulp, fibres or the like, or their combinations. In one embodiment, the pa- perboard material is a paper product formed from several fibre-based plies. In one embodiment, the paperboard ma ^¬ terial is a thick paper product formed from one fibre- based ply or sheet-type material. The paperboard materi ^¬ al may be any paperboard, cardboard or other such thick paper which may have a grammage of 170 to 600 g/m ² .

In this connection, paperboard material is in ^¬ tended to mean paperboard or a paperboard blank. In one embodiment, before the first tool it is referred to as paperboard, and after the tool it is referred to as a paperboard blank instead of paperboard. In this connec ^¬ tion, a paperboard blank is intended to mean a prefer ^¬ ably suitable-size portion, piece or the like, cut or removed from paperboard, e.g. a paperboard web, for forming the paperboard product. Preferably, the paper- board blank is a portion of paperboard cut to a size suitable in terms of the product being formed. In one embodiment, the paperboard blank has been treated in a creasing step before shaping. In one embodiment, the paperboard blank has been cut from paperboard, e.g. a web, before shaping. The paperboard blank may contain creases, incisions, cuts, openings or the like. In this connection, shaping of the paperboard blank is intended to mean any shaping, processing, forming or pressing to shape or their combinations for providing the shape of the paperboard product.

In one embodiment, the tool connector element on the tool and the mating piece on the manufacturing line or the machining station are adjusted relative to a preselected zero point. In one embodiment, the tool connector element is a zero-point connector element and the mating piece is a mating piece for the zero- point connector element. In this connection, a zero- point connector element means any connecting means which is adjusted on the tool relative to a preselect ^¬ ed zero point and by means of which the tool is regis- trable and connectable to the mating piece at the place of connecting the tool on the manufacturing line or the machining station relative to the preselected zero point. The mating piece is preferably arranged to match the zero-point connector element, and it is adjusted on the manufacturing line or the machining station relative to the preselected zero point. Pref ^¬ erably, the place of the zero point is carefully se ^¬ lected and bound to specific coordinates.

In one embodiment, the connector element is a male element of the connection system, and the mating piece is a female element. In an opposite embodiment, the connector element is a female element of the con ^¬ nection system, and the mating piece is a male ele ^¬ ment. In one embodiment the connector element, or in an alternative embodiment the mating piece for the connector element, is a dowel, a projection or suchlike element. In one embodiment, the dowel is U-shaped in cross section. Alternatively, the dowel may be of any shape. In one embodiment the mating piece for the connector element, or in an alternative embodiment the connector element, is an opening, a hole, a groove or the like. The mating piece for the connector element is arranged to match the connector element. Prefera ^¬ bly, the connector element is such that, by means of it, the tool is easily, yet firmly connectable to the mating piece. Preferably, the connector element is in ^¬ tegral and is thus a permanent part of the tool.

In one embodiment, the connector element and its mating piece are formed from the same material, e.g. steel. In one embodiment, the connector element and its mating piece are formed from different materi ^¬ als .

The tool may comprise one or more connector elements. The place of connecting the tool may com- prise one or more mating pieces for the connector ele ^¬ ment. In one embodiment, the paperboard product manu ^¬ facturing line comprises more than one mating piece for the connector element for connecting one or more tools to the paperboard product manufacturing line.

In this connection, a tool is intended to mean any tool or part of it. As the tool it is possi ^¬ ble to use any tool or part of it known per se. In one embodiment, the tool is selected from a group compris ^¬ ing a die cutting tool, a cutting tool, a creasing tool, a shaping tool, a finishing tool and combina ^¬ tions thereof. In one embodiment, the tool is a form ^¬ ing tool or a shaping tool for shaping paperboard ma ^¬ terial into a paperboard product. As the shaping tool it is possible to use any shaping tool. In one embodi- ment, the shaping tool comprises at least a male tool element and a female tool element, of which tool ele ^¬ ments one is preferably moved relative to the other tool element.

In one embodiment, the mating piece for the tool connector element is arranged on a paperboard product manufacturing line. Thus, the tool can be po ^¬ sitioned automatically correctly relative to the manu ^¬ facturing line. In one embodiment, the tool is con- nectable to a manufacturing line which may comprise one or more tools. In one embodiment, the manufactur ^¬ ing line is provided with a tool module to which the tool is connectable and on which the mating piece for the connector element is arranged. In one embodiment, the tool module comprises more than one mating piece for the connector element for connecting one or more tools to the tool module. In one embodiment, the method and the connec ^¬ tion system according to the invention can be used in connection with a modular paperboard product manufac ^¬ turing line. A modular paperboard product manufactur- ing line comprises different tool modules which are connectable to the manufacturing line. Preferably, the modular manufacturing line comprises more than one tool module. Each work stage may have been arranged at a different module, or more than one work stages may have been combined at the same module. The work stages of the modules may have been selected from the group of die cutting, such as creasing or cutting, shaping, such as forming or form-pressing, or other suitable work stage or their combinations. In one embodiment, the modular manufacturing line comprises a tool module provided with a shaping tool. The number of tool mod ^¬ ules may vary depending on the paperboard product be ^¬ ing manufactured. The tool modules are preferably ar ^¬ ranged one behind another on the modular paperboard product manufacturing line. Preferably, different tool modules are arranged in a suitable order considering the manufacture of the paperboard product. In one em ^¬ bodiment, the tool module is connected to the frame of the modular paperboard product manufacturing line, e.g. by means of guides or by means of tracks arranged in connection with the frame. In one embodiment, the tool module is moveable on the modular paperboard product manufacturing line. In one embodiment, the tool module is independently replaceable on the modu- lar paperboard product manufacturing line. Preferably, the tool modules are arranged at such distance from each other as their function requires, and the distance between the tool modules can be changed. By changing the distances between the modules it is pos- sible to minimize the amount of waste material. The paperboard material is preferably fed in the form of a web to the manufacturing line and through the tool modules connected thereto. Preferably, each tool mod ^¬ ule can be operated independently, but the feeding of paperboard material through the manufacturing line is controlled as a whole. The paperboard material can be passed through the tool module without the module per ^¬ forming its work stage. In one embodiment, the elec ^¬ trification of the modules is arranged in such a way that each module is provided with independent electri- fication and, in addition, current supply and the nec ^¬ essary bus system (ethercat) of the modular manufac ^¬ turing line are arranged in a common electrical system of the line. Preferably, the frame structure of the modular manufacturing line is arranged as a unit which can be moved as one piece, e.g. in a transportation container .

In one embodiment, the mating piece for the tool connector element is arranged on a machining sta ^¬ tion of manufacture, quality control or repair of the tool. In the manufacture of the tool, a tool blank is connected and attached by the connection according to the invention to a machining station of manufacture of the tool for machining the tool and forming the dimensions of the tool. The accuracy of the dimensions of the tool relative to the connector element, and pref ^¬ erably to the zero point, is thus ensured already in the manufacturing stage of the tool. In quality con ^¬ trol of the tool, such as condition control of the tool, the tool is connected and attached by the con- nection according to the invention to a machining station of quality control where the condition, any de ^¬ fects and need of repair of the tool are determined, preferably e.g. by means of measurement devices. Thus, determining the wear and need of servicing of the tool becomes easier and quicker. In repair of the tool, the tool is connected and attached by the connection ac- cording to the invention to a machining station of repair of the tool where the tool is serviced, cleaned, repaired or modified. The lifetime of the tool can thus be extended. Alternatively, in the repair of the tool the tool is connected and attached by the connec ^¬ tion according to the invention to the machining station of manufacture of the tool for servicing, repair or modification.

The method and the connection system accord- ing to the invention may be used in the manufacture of any paperboard product. In one embodiment, the paper- board product is selected from the group of trays, dishes, boxes, suchlike products and different combi ^¬ nations thereof. The method and the system according to the invention may be used with any paperboard prod ^¬ uct manufacturing line, manufacturing equipment or manufacturing process. In addition, the method and the system according to the invention may be used on a modular paperboard product manufacturing line.

The tool connection method according to the invention may be utilized in the manufacture of the tool, quality control of the tool, repair of the tool and the like. Further, the tool connection method ac ^¬ cording to the invention may also be utilized in the manufacture of a tool mould.

By means of the invention, the tool can be connected and attached quickly and accurately to the correct place at a desired location, such as on a man ^¬ ufacturing line, due to the connection according to the invention. By means of the invention, the tool can also be registered relative to a selected point easily and quickly. By means of the invention, the tool posi ^¬ tioning time can be reduced and, on the other hand, the positioning time can be minimized. A shortened po- sitioning time allows quick cleaning or replacement of the tool in production. By means of the invention it is possible to improve the manufacture of a paperboard product and the dimensional accuracy, and thereby the quality, such as appearance, of the paperboard product.

By means of the invention, the use of any tool in different manufacturing processes as well as replacement of a tool on a manufacturing line can be made easier. In addition, removing the tool for quality control, wear control or service operations is easy and quick. The connection according to the invention is arranged in position only once in connection with the assembly of the manufacturing line, and the tool then automatically registers and finds its position correctly when being connected to the manufacturing line and need not be separately arranged in position each time. In addition, repairing the tool on a machining station which is provided with the mating piece for the tool connector element is easy. Thus, it can be ensured that the tool is maintained in good condition for a longer time, and thereby the manufac ^¬ turing costs of the products can be lowered. Also, tool modification work and manufacture in a tool manu ^¬ facturing process which is provided with the mating piece for the tool connector element is easy and cost- effective.

By means of the connection system according to the invention it is possible to improve the flexi ^¬ bility of the manufacturing line and to notably short ^¬ en the unproductive downtimes. By means of the inven- tion it is possible to facilitate the manufacture of small batches of different products because replacing the tool becomes quicker and easier.

The connection system according to the invention may be added to industrial processes, such as to a paperboard product manufacturing line, a tool manu ^¬ facturing line or a tool servicing process, easily and cost-effectively. By means of the invention it is also possible to manufacture small batches of various pa ^¬ perboard products flexibly and cost-effectively. LIST OF FIGURES

Fig. 1 illustrates one connection arrangement according to the invention.

EXAMPLES

The invention will now be described in detail by way of examples of its embodiments with reference to the accompanying figure.

Example 1

In connection with a modular paperboard product manufacturing line on which tray-type paperboard products are manufactured there is the connection sys ^¬ tem according to the invention for connecting and attaching a tool to the manufacturing line.

The connection system comprises a connector element, such as a zero-point connector element, which is arranged in connection with the tool, and a mating piece arranged at the place of connecting the tool to the paperboard product manufacturing line. The con- nector element is a dowel-type element or a projec ^¬ tion-type element. The mating piece matches the con ^¬ nector element and may be e.g. an opening or a groove. The tool is selected from the group of a die cutting tool, a cutting tool, a creasing tool, a shaping tool or a finishing tool.

Fig. 1 illustrates one connection arrangement according to the invention. The connection arrangement comprises a connector element (1) registered with a zero point and arranged in connection with a tool (2), and a mating piece (3) which is arranged at the place of con- nectmg the tool to the manufacturing line for fitting the mounting element therein.

Example 2

The connection system described in Example 1 is used on a tool machining station where the tool can be formed, repaired or serviced.

The method and the connection system accord ^¬ ing to the invention are suitable, as various embodi ^¬ ments, for use in connection with the manufacture of various paperboard products and in providing paper- board product manufacturing equipment as well as in connection with tool machining and service operations.

The invention is not exclusively limited to the above examples, but many variations are possible within the scope of the inventive idea defined by the claims .