Multivariable CD (MCD) Control is built upon ABB’s many years of technology leadership in the area of CD controls. The MCD application simultaneously optimizes and balances multiple paper quality CD profiles, while coordinating the contributions of multiple sets of CD actuators within their operational limits.
- Minimizing energy consumption when the increased application of an actuator carries a penalty of increased energy demand; for example, the coordination of a rewet shower and a steambox can result in reducing the consumption of both steam and water.
- Achieving the optimum balance between competing quality objectives; for example, the application of both slice actuators and dilution actuators on a machine to balance the objectives of a uniform weight profile and a uniform fiber orientation profile.
- Reducing expensive coating additives (used to improve gloss) and improve reel building by optimizing MD and CD gloss, moisture and caliper, simultaneously on a supercalender.
- Faster recovery from process upsets by reducing the machine-direction variation that results from independent control of multiple actuator sets.
MCD achieves these goals by coordinating multiple sets of CD actuators used for controlling multiple profiles of sheet properties. It delivers the most effective results by empowering operators to set the best balance among the objectives using a simple and intuitive operator interface.