PJL-45

Constellation: “The only limit is your imagination”

Constellation ushers in a new era in tissue converting: the revolutionary rewinder by Fabio Perini S.p.A. totally changes the concept of rewinding.

Dario Giannini, Marketing Dept. - Fabio Perini S.p.A.


Like all innovations that mark a “before” and “after”, Constellation stems from the perfect mix of intuition, creativity and design, an endeavor undertaken with perseverance by the extraordinary engineers of the company’s R&D department. A memorable date: May 22, 2010. This is when the first flicker of the idea that was to become Constellation sparked. A hand-drawn sketch led to a phase of in-depth study and development, passing through an infinite series of technical drawings and computer simulations, followed by a manually-actuated reduced-scale model, and then the 600-mm wide pilot machine that was presented in June 2013 exclusively to a close circle of customers throughout the world. To arrive at Constellation’s final configuration, Fabio Perini S.p.A.’s R&D department had to overcome several design obstacles such as, for example, separating the log winding phase from the phase of expulsion of the previous log. The solution was to modify winding rolls configuration, that have gone from being fixed to mobile.


NO FIXED ROLLS THEN, NO CONSTANT SPEED NOR BRUSQUE ACCELERATION: EVERYTHING ROTATES AROUND THE CORE. In Constellation, log introduction and winding start are independent of expulsion. The birth and growth of a new log are distinct at outfeed, thus eliminating compromises and the roll is wound in perfectly uniform fashion. The differences between Constellation and other rewinders are several, first among them product control that in Constellation takes place on at least three winding rolls. And the fact that, at every rewinding phase, the log is always in contact with no less than three rolls is a true revolution compared to other technologies that both at the initial and final winding phases control the log through just two rolls.


TO MANUFACTURE A PRODUCT ON CONSTELLATION IT IS SUFFICIENT TO SET THE DIAMETER, SHEET COUNT, CORE DIAMETER AND WINDING LENGTH. With these few parameters, the machine performs the necessary calculations to trace the “map” of product formation and position the 4 rolls in the best way possible instant by instant. The “rewinding map” is automatically created by the machine’s software that sets every process phase so that the product corresponds to the preset parameters and is uniform from first to last sheet. This determines a spontaneous log growth due to the sole effect of rewinding, so the décor remains perfect in every point of the roll. Constellation’s highly evolved technology, fruit of an innovative patent by Fabio Perini S.p.A., allows winding very soft rolls, guaranteeing perfect consistency because the influence of external factors such as the paper itself or the quality of the cores is reduced to a minimum. A technological leap forward that will surely have important repercussions in the world of tissue converting in the years to come.


THE UNIQUENESS OF CONSTELLATION, HOWEVER, IS NOT LIMITED TO THE KINEMATICS OF ITS ROLLS, but is also given by the fact that its special features have been developed thanks to the contribution of Fabio Perini’s customers. During the 2013 roadshow, Constellation’s reduced-scale prototype toured the world to collect and process feedback and indications by those customers who previewed it. We can safely state that the machine presented at “iT’s tissue” in June is the synthesis of vanguard technology and know-how by world experts in converting. The 5 features that make Constellation truly unique are:


ABSOLUTE QUALITY. Constellation guarantees impeccable winding quality that, in turn, translates into quality of the finished product and of its characteristics using any type of paper and under any working condition, and with any type of décor.. Winding perfection and uniformity are evident from the very first to the very last sheet, so it is possible to maximize bulk by producing bigger rolls using the same amount of paper, or rolls of the same diameter containing less paper, or even to make the same product using lower-density or lower-quality paper. Constellation comes equipped with punzoncini technology that allows handling extremely soft products made using structured webs such as TAD, ATMOS, NTT and the like at high speeds and with extreme ease and efficiency. The punzoncini, already present in the TIME technology, are a Fabio Perini S.p.A. patent that transforms traditional surface winding into combined winding. The individual punzoncino fits into the core being wound, puts it in traction and favors its rotation, actually behaving like a virtual mandrel. In this way, one machine guarantees the advantages of both surface winding and mandrel winding, without any of the disadvantages.


EASE OF USE. Constellation is easier to manage because since the very beginning of winding, the log is supported by 3 winding rolls (the third roll comes into play when the log in formation is just 250 mm, differently from all other rewinders where the log is about 2000 mm), with no need for deceleration. This allows also less-experienced operators to produce perfect logs. In addition, Fabio Perini engineers have equipped Constellation with a control interface where the focus is shifted from the machine to the finished product. The application of the most recent concepts of cognitive ergonomics is at the basis of the new Easy-HMI operator panel, where the finished product can be modified without the need to hold specific technical knowledge. It is this interface that handles translating commands into actions. What before required complex operations reserved only for expert operators is today possible through a simplified touchscreen featuring all the most frequent product settings, grouped into highly intuitive commands.


COST REDUCTION. Not only does Constellation produce more aesthetically pleasant and uniform rolls, but it also allows creating soft products at very high speeds and with characteristics that were unfathomable just yesterday. The increment in bulk, the use of lower-quality or lower-density raw material and the possibility to minimize the number of adjustments due to the natural change in thickness of structured webs opens the doors to new production scenarios with a consequent reduction of costs.


HIGHER EFFICIENCY. The very structure of Constellation is designed to ensure greater efficiency. Its constructive geometry and new control interface drastically reduce product tune-up times as well as machine downtimes caused by web accumulations.


SAFETY. Last but certainly not least important distinctive trait of Constellation is operator safety in the work environment. Among the focus points of Constellation’s engineering project was to ensure easier machine accessibility and a higher level of safety for operators. Most operations can be performed directly from panel and, when this is not possible, strong attention was dedicated to making machine access ergonomic and safe.


THE NUMEROUS EXPERTS WORKING IN THE FIELD OF TISSUE WHO SAW CONSTELLATION during its official presentation at “iT’s tissue” said they were strongly impressed by the varied interpretations that this new technology will open in the near future. Stefano Di Santo, CEO of Fabio Perini, has on more than one occasion underscored how the challenge for tissue converters today is not to produce rolls but to market them, and helping its customers win this challenge is the mission that the company has set for itself. This corporate strategy places the customer at the center to offer technological solutions capable of creating products featuring “Visibly more”. Fabio Perini S.p.A. is committed to offering its customers evolved solutions in order to be able to compete in the global market, equipped with the most advanced technology available. Today, Constellation is the best demonstration of this strategic approach since it embodies the concept of “Visibly more” and ushers in an era of infinite production possibilities where the only limit is the imagination.



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