METHOD FOR MONITORING A STEEL BAND IN A CONTINUOUS PRESS FOR MATERIAL DEPOSITS, AND CONTINUOUS PRESS

The invention relates to a method by means of which at least one circulating steel band (5a, 5b) in a continuous press (1) for boards of material, in particular boards of wood-based material, is monitored for material deposits, wherein the steel band (5a, 5b) at a preselected band speed is used to exert pressure on a pressing mat for creating the board of material, and wherein the circulating steel band (5a, 5b) is monitored for material deposits by at least one optoelectronic detector (2), at least on one side of the steel band (5a, 5b), by a light transmitter (14) transmitting a light pattern (16) onto the steel band (5a, 5b) and a light receiver (15) using the reflection method to pick up the light pattern (16) and report it to an evaluation unit (3), which detects changes. To keep down the maintenance effort involved in finding a harmful material deposit, it is proposed that material deposits detected on the steel band (5a, 5b) after the beginning of the detector measurement (27) are reported to the evaluation unit (3) with absolute or relative time or mutual spacing distance values.