Coater Start-up Optimization, 1998 Coating Conference Proceedings

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This paper describes a novel method of off-machine coater start-up optimization. Off-machine coater start-up is particularly challenging because the process is in a continual state of change during start-up. Therefore, key quality variables must be modeled in order to optimize the start-up. Additionally, fast and accurate quality measurements are required. Knowledge of the process is essential in the design of an advanced control method because estimation and prediction are used to achieve fast transition to steady state within acceptable quality limits. Economically, start-up optimization minimizes start-up time and thus paper wasted in the initial transient period of coating. This transient period is a major contributor to total production loss and its reduction brings a significant amount of capital savings every year.