Roll press apparatus and method for manufacturing processed product

Abstract

A roll press apparatus includes a sensor unit configured to measure shapes of a first roll and a second roll to detect deflection of the first roll and the second roll, and a control unit configured to, in response to detection of the deflection by the sensor unit, operate at least one of a first bending unit and a second bending unit such that a counter-deflection is applied to the first roll and the second roll.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A roll press apparatus comprising:
 a first roll having a first rotation shaft and a second roll having a second rotation shaft, configured to sandwich a workpiece being conveyed;   a first bearing and a second bearing provided at respective ends of the first rotation shaft;   a third bearing and a fourth bearing provided at respective ends of the second rotation shaft, the third bearing facing the first bearing, and the fourth bearing facing the second bearing;   a first bending bearing and a second bending bearing provided at respective ends of the first rotation shaft, the first bending bearing being located outside of the first bearing, and the second bending bearing being located outside of the second bearing;   a third bending bearing and a fourth bending bearing provided at respective ends of the second rotation shaft, the third bending bearing being located outside of the third bearing and facing the first bending bearing, and the fourth bending bearing being located outside of the fourth bearing and facing the second bending bearing;   a first pressurizing unit configured to apply a load to at least one of the first bearing and the third bearing in a direction in which the first roll and the second roll move toward each other;   a second pressurizing unit configured to apply a load to at least one of the second bearing and the fourth bearing in a direction in which the first roll and the second roll move toward each other;   a first bending unit configured to apply a load to the first bending bearing and the third bending bearing in a direction in which the first roll and the second roll move toward or away from each other;   a second bending unit configured to apply a load to the second bending bearing and the fourth bending bearing in a direction in which the first roll and the second roll move toward or away from each other;   a sensor unit configured to measure shapes of the first roll and the second roll to detect deflection of the first roll and the second roll; and   a control unit configured to, in response to detection of the deflection by the sensor unit, operate at least one of the first bending unit and the second bending unit such that a counter-deflection is applied to the first roll and the second roll.   
     
     
         2 . The roll press apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein when the deflection detected by the sensor unit is a deflection in which a center of the first roll is moved away from the second roll more than both ends of the first roll are, and a deflection in which a center of the second roll is moved away from the first roll more than both ends of the second roll are,
 the control unit is configured to perform at least one of:   operating the first bending unit to apply a load to the first bending bearing and the third bending bearing in a direction in which the first roll and the second roll move away from each other; and   operating the second bending unit to apply a load to the second bending bearing and the fourth bending bearing in a direction in which the first roll and the second roll move away from each other.   
     
     
         3 . The roll press apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein when the deflection detected by the sensor unit is a deflection in which a center of the first roll is closer to the second roll than both ends of the first roll are, and a deflection in which a center of the second roll is closer to the first roll than both ends of the second roll are,
 the control unit is configured to perform at least one of:   operating the first bending unit to apply a load to the first bending bearing and the third bending bearing in a direction in which the first roll and the second roll move toward each other; and   operating the second bending unit to apply a load to the second bending bearing and the fourth bending bearing in a direction in which the first roll and the second roll move toward each other.   
     
     
         4 . The roll press apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit comprises:
 three or more first distance sensors arranged in a straight line along the first rotation shaft; and   three or more second distance sensors arranged in a straight line along the second rotation shaft.   
     
     
         5 . The roll press apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein each of the first distance sensors and each of the second distance sensors are arranged on a straight line passing through a center point of a cross-section of the first roll and a center point of a cross-section of the second roll. 
     
     
         6 . The roll press apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a thickness sensor unit provided downstream of the first roll and the second roll and configured to detect a thickness of the workpiece at one or two locations in a width direction of the workpiece,
 wherein the control unit is configured to operate at least one of the first pressurizing unit and the second pressurizing unit such that a detection result of the thickness sensor unit becomes a predetermined target value.   
     
     
         7 . A method for manufacturing a processed product using a roll press apparatus, the roll press apparatus comprising:
 a first roll having a first rotation shaft and a second roll having a second rotation shaft, configured to sandwich a workpiece being conveyed;   a first bearing and a second bearing provided at respective ends of the first rotation shaft;   a third bearing and a fourth bearing provided at respective ends of the second rotation shaft, the third bearing facing the first bearing, and the fourth bearing facing the second bearing;   a first bending bearing and a second bending bearing provided at respective ends of the first rotation shaft, the first bending bearing being located outside of the first bearing, and the second bending bearing being located outside of the second bearing;   a third bending bearing and a fourth bending bearing provided at respective ends of the second rotation shaft, the third bending bearing being located outside of the third bearing and facing the first bending bearing, and the fourth bending bearing being located outside of the fourth bearing and facing the second bending bearing;   a first pressurizing unit configured to apply a load to at least one of the first bearing and the third bearing in a direction in which the first roll and the second roll move toward each other;   a second pressurizing unit configured to apply a load to at least one of the second bearing and the fourth bearing in a direction in which the first roll and the second roll move toward each other;   a first bending unit configured to apply a load to the first bending bearing and the third bending bearing in a direction in which the first roll and the second roll move toward or away from each other;   a second bending unit configured to apply a load to the second bending bearing and the fourth bending bearing in a direction in which the first roll and the second roll move toward or away from each other; and   a sensor unit configured to measure shapes of the first roll and the second roll to detect deflection of the first roll and the second roll,   the method comprising:   determining whether or not the deflection has been detected by the sensor unit; and   operating at least one of the first bending unit and the second bending unit such that a counter-deflection is applied to the first roll and the second roll in response to detection of the deflection by the sensor unit.