Method to converting a shrink tunnel of a production mode and method for converting a shrink tunnel from a production mode to a standstill mode

Abstract

A method for converting a shrink tunnel to a production mode, the method comprising at least opening one shrink tunnel entrance section and/or opening one shrink tunnel exit section. Furthermore, the method comprises at least one of the following steps: a) raising the temperature inside the shrink tunnel to a predefined target value (Ti-PM); b) switching on the conveyance means or raising the speed of the conveyance means to a specified target value (V(F)-PM); c) switching on or increasing the chain cooling capacity to a specified target value (P(F)-PM); d) switching on or increasing the bundle cooling capacity to a specified target value (P(G)-PM). According to the invention, the opening of the shrink tunnel entrance section and/or the opening of the shrink tunnel exit section are performed at the earliest together with carrying out one of the steps a), b), c), and/or d).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for converting a shrink tunnel to a production mode, the method comprising at least opening one shrink tunnel entrance section or opening one shrink tunnel exit section;
 and at least one of the following steps   a) raising the temperature inside the shrink tunnel to a predefined target value (Ti-PM);   b) switching on a conveyor or raising the speed of the conveyor means to a specified target value (V(F)-PM);   c) switching on or increasing a chain cooling capacity to a specified target value (P(F)-PM);   d) switching on or increasing a bundle cooling capacity to a specified target value (P(G)-PM);
 wherein 
 the opening of the shrink tunnel entrance section or the opening of the shrink tunnel exit section are performed at the earliest together with performing one of the steps a), b), c), and/or d). 
   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the opening of the shrink tunnel entrance section or the opening of the shrink tunnel exit section are performed at the latest after one of the steps a), b), c), or d) has been performed. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the opening of the shrink tunnel entrance section or the opening of the shrink tunnel exit section are performed at the earliest when the predefined target value of at least one of the steps a), b), c), or d), has been reached. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein step b) is performed in dependence on the progress of heating the shrink tunnel to a predefined target temperature (Ti-PM). 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein increasing the chain cooling capacity to a specified target value (P(F)-PM) according to step c) is performed in dependence on the progress of heating the shrink tunnel to a predefined target temperature (Ti-PM). 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein increasing the chain cooling capacity to a specified target value (P(F)-PM) is performed in dependence on a measured temperature of the conveyor. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the method additionally comprises a step e) for assessing the position of the bundles being conveyed on the conveyor and for performing the opening of the shrink tunnel entrance section or the opening of the shrink tunnel exit section in dependence on the assessed position. 
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the opening of the shrink tunnel entrance section and the opening of the shrink tunnel exit section are performed at the same time. 
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the speed of the conveyance means is raised above the specified target value for a short time and at the earliest together with opening the shrink tunnel entrance section or opening the shrink tunnel exit section. 
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 1  an additional step f), which switches a control unit of the shrink tunnel to a run mode, is performed before all other steps. 
     
     
         11 . A method for converting a shrink tunnel to a production mode, the method comprising:
 at least opening one shrink tunnel entrance section and/or opening one shrink tunnel exit section;   switching the shrink tunnel first to an operating mode by switching on at least one load within the shrink tunnel or by raising the capacity of at least one load within the shrink tunnel,   the opening of a shrink tunnel entrance section or the opening of a shrink tunnel exit section are performed at the earliest together with switching on the at least one load within the shrink tunnel or together with increasing the capacity of the at least one load within the shrink tunnel.   
     
     
         12 . A method for converting a shrink tunnel from a production mode to a standstill mode, the method comprising:
 at least closing one shrink tunnel entrance section and/or closing one shrink tunnel exit section; and   at least one of the following steps   aa) lowering the temperature inside the shrink tunnel to a predefined target value (Ti-SB, Ti-S);   bb) reducing the speed of s conveyor to a specified target value (V(F)-SB, V(F)-S);   cc) decreasing a chain cooling capacity to a specified target value (P(F)-SB, P(F)-S);   dd) decreasing a bundle cooling capacity to a specified target value (P(G)-SB, P(G)-S);
 wherein the closing of the shrink tunnel entrance section or the closing of the shrink tunnel exit section are performed at the latest together with performing one of the steps aa), bb), cc), or dd). 
   
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 12  wherein the closing of the shrink tunnel entrance section and/or the closing of the shrink tunnel exit section are performed at the earliest before performing one of the steps aa), bb), cc), or dd). 
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 12  wherein the closing of the shrink tunnel entrance section or the closing of the shrink tunnel exit section are performed at the latest before the predefined target value of at least one of the steps aa), bb), cc), or dd) has been reached. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 12  wherein reducing the speed of the conveyor is performed at the latest together with lowering the temperature inside the shrink tunnel. 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 15  wherein decreasing the chain cooling capacity is performed at the latest together with reducing the speed of the conveyor. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 12  wherein the method additionally comprises a step ee) for assessing the position of the bundles being conveyed on the conveyance means and for performing the closing of the shrink tunnel entrance section and/or the closing of the shrink tunnel exit section in dependence on the assessed position. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 12  wherein the closing of the shrink tunnel entrance section and the closing of the shrink tunnel exit section are performed at the same time. 
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 12  wherein all target values of the process steps aa) to dd) each equate to a value of zero. 
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 12  wherein an additional step ff), which switches a control unit of the shrink tunnel to a stop mode, is performed at the latest after all other steps have been performed. 
     
     
         21 . A method for converting a shrink tunnel from a production mode to a standstill, the method comprising:
 at least closing one shrink tunnel entrance section or closing one shrink tunnel exit section;   switching the shrink tunnel first to an operating mode by switching off at least one load within the shrink tunnel or by decreasing the capacity of at least one load within the shrink tunnel,   wherein the closing of a shrink tunnel entrance section or the closing of a shrink tunnel exit section are performed at the earliest together with switching off the at least one load within the shrink tunnel or together with decreasing the capacity of the at least one load within the shrink tunnel.