Efficient energy-saving rubber vulcanizing machine

Abstract

The invention discloses an efficient energy-saving rubber vulcanizing machine, and belongs to the technical field of rubber processing equipment. Comprising a rack, a vulcanizing mold unit, a heating system, a hydraulic system and a control system, the rack is of a composite heat insulation structure filled with a nanometer micropore heat insulation material. The heating system is provided with a plurality of independent temperature control heating subareas, and precise temperature control is achieved in cooperation with a built-in fuzzy PID algorithm in the control system. A heat energy recovery device is further arranged, and dissipated hot air is collected through a heat collection cover and preheats inlet air. According to the invention, the heat energy loss of the equipment is effectively reduced, accurate and uniform heating and waste heat recycling of the vulcanization cavity are realized, the operation energy consumption is obviously reduced, and the vulcanization quality and production efficiency of rubber products are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of rubber processing equipment technology, and in particular to a high-efficiency and energy-saving rubber vulcanizing machine. Background Technology

[0002] Vulcanization is a key process in rubber product manufacturing, and the performance of the vulcanizing machine directly determines product quality, production efficiency, and energy consumption. Currently, traditional rubber vulcanizing machines on the market generally suffer from the following technical defects: (1) High energy consumption: The equipment has poor heat insulation performance, and a large amount of heat energy is lost to the environment through the casing during the production process, resulting in low energy utilization.

[0003] (2) Uneven heating: Using a single, crude heating method can easily lead to uneven temperature field in the vulcanization chamber, resulting in local over-vulcanization or under-vulcanization of rubber products, affecting the consistency of product quality.

[0004] (3) Low level of automation: Key process parameters such as temperature and pressure mainly rely on manual experience for control, resulting in slow response and poor accuracy, making it difficult to achieve process optimization and energy-saving operation.

[0005] Therefore, developing a high-efficiency, energy-saving rubber vulcanizing machine that can precisely control temperature, heat evenly, and significantly reduce energy consumption has important practical significance and economic value. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to solve the technical problems of high energy consumption, uneven heating, low degree of automation and insufficient thermal energy utilization in the prior art, and to provide a high-efficiency and energy-saving flat vulcanizing machine.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a high-efficiency and energy-saving rubber vulcanizing machine, including a frame, a vulcanizing mold unit mounted on the frame, a heating system for providing heat energy to the vulcanizing mold unit, a hydraulic system for driving the mold opening and closing and maintaining pressure, and a control system for controlling the operation of the entire equipment.

[0008] The frame is a composite thermal insulation structure filled with nanoporous thermal insulation material. The heating system includes multiple independently temperature-controlled heating zones and temperature sensors, all of which are electrically connected to the control system. The control system has a built-in fuzzy PID control algorithm, which is used to dynamically adjust the power output of each heating zone based on the feedback signal from the temperature sensor. It also includes a heat recovery device, which includes a heat collection hood and a heat exchanger. The heat collection hood is located around the vulcanizing mold unit and is used to collect the dissipated hot air. It is connected to the heat exchanger through a pipe. The heat exchanger is used to preheat the cold air that is drawn in. The preheated air is then transported to the air inlet of the heating system.

[0009] Furthermore, the composite thermal insulation structure of the frame consists of a heat-resistant steel lining, a nanoporous thermal insulation board, and a metal outer shell, from the inside out.

[0010] The aforementioned nanoporous thermal insulation material is not ordinary thermal insulation cotton, but rather a super thermal insulation material with a pore size lower than the mean free path of air molecules. At this scale, air convection heat transfer is completely suppressed, and the heat conduction path is greatly extended. The thermal conductivity of the material at both room temperature and high temperature can be as low as 0.018-0.025 W / (m·K), far lower than that of traditional ceramic fibers. Its selection is based on precise calculations: the thickness is not uniform; in areas near the high-temperature lining, higher density and thicker sheets may be used to create gradient insulation, ensuring that the surface temperature of the outer shell is close to the ambient temperature, reducing heat loss by more than 60% at the source.

[0011] The heat-resistant steel lining not only provides heat resistance, but more importantly, it acts as a temperature-uniform buffer layer. It absorbs and evenly distributes radiant heat from the mold, preventing localized hot spots from directly impacting the nano-insulating plate and extending its service life.

[0012] The metal casing is not merely a simple protective cover; its seams are treated with a combination of labyrinth sealant and high-temperature sealant to prevent heat loss due to air convection. Simultaneously, the rigid design of the casing provides robust support for the internal brittle nanoporous heat insulation plate, preventing it from pulverizing and failing during equipment operation vibrations.

[0013] Furthermore, the heat exchanger is highly likely to be a plate-fin high-efficiency heat exchanger, with a heat exchange efficiency of 70%-80%. It does not simply mix hot and cold air, but rather uses indirect heat exchange through metal partitions, preventing the possibility of recycled exhaust gas contaminating the fresh air. The core benefit lies in preheating the ambient temperature intake air to a considerable temperature. This means that the energy required for the heating system to subsequently heat it to its operating temperature is reduced by 30%-40%, transforming waste heat that would otherwise be released into the environment into valuable pre-treated energy.

[0014] Furthermore, the remote monitoring module goes far beyond data acquisition. Through built-in algorithms, it performs machine learning analysis on continuous operating data (such as power curves of each zone, hydraulic pressure fluctuations, and vibration spectra), enabling early warning of potential faults such as heater aging and hydraulic seal wear, greatly reducing unplanned downtime.

[0015] Furthermore, the vulcanizing mold unit consists of two main parts: an upper mold and a lower mold, or a moving mold and a fixed mold. When closed, it forms a cavity that perfectly matches the shape of the product. The surface finish of this cavity directly determines the product's appearance. Simultaneously, fine patterns or text can be engraved on the mold, clearly pressed onto the rubber product. The mold itself is typically made of high-strength, high-thermal-conductivity alloy steel. The heat from the heating system is first transferred to the mold, which rapidly heats up and then evenly conducts the heat to every rubber particle within the cavity. It works closely with the "zoned heating system" and is the final step in achieving uniform heating.

[0016] The enormous clamping force generated by the hydraulic system is converted into uniform pressure on the rubber inside the mold cavity through the closing of the mold. This pressure can expel air and volatiles from the rubber, prevent air bubbles from forming in the product, force the rubber compound to fill every corner of the cavity, ensure clear product outlines and precise dimensions, increase the density of rubber molecules, and promote their cross-linking reaction.

[0017] Therefore, the high-efficiency and energy-saving rubber vulcanizing machine of the present invention, which adopts the above structure, has the following beneficial effects: This invention significantly reduces heat loss during production by improving the equipment's insulation structure; achieves precise and uniform temperature control within the vulcanization chamber, preventing over- or under-vulcanization of rubber products and improving product quality consistency; enhances the automation and intelligence of equipment operation, enabling precise control and remote monitoring of process parameters; and recovers and utilizes waste heat generated during production, further improving overall energy efficiency.

[0018] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall frame structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the control system (fuzzy PID temperature control logic) of the high-efficiency and energy-saving flat vulcanizing machine of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the energy-saving rubber vulcanizing machine of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the workflow of the high-efficiency, energy-saving flat vulcanizing machine of this invention. Figure 5 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the composite thermal insulation structure of the frame of the present invention; Figure Labels 1. Frame; 11. Heat-resistant steel lining; 12. Nanoporous heat insulation board; 13. Metal shell; 2. Vulcanizing mold unit; 3. Heating system; 31. Heater; 4. Hydraulic system; 5. Control system; 6. Heat recovery device; 61. Heat collection cover; 62. Heat exchanger. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0021] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this invention shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this invention do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0022] Example like Figure 1-5 As shown, the present invention provides a high-efficiency and energy-saving rubber vulcanizing machine, including: a frame 1, a vulcanizing mold unit 2 mounted on the frame 1, a heating system 3 for providing heat energy to the vulcanizing mold unit 2, a hydraulic system 4 for driving the mold to open and close and maintain pressure, and a control system 5 for controlling the operation of the entire equipment. Frame 1 is a composite thermal insulation structure filled with nanoporous thermal insulation material; The heating system 3 includes multiple independently temperature-controlled heating zones and temperature sensors, all of which are electrically connected to the control system 5. The control system 5 has a built-in fuzzy PID control algorithm, which is used to dynamically adjust the power output of each heating zone based on the feedback signal from the temperature sensor. It also includes a heat recovery device 6, which includes a heat collection hood 61 and a heat exchanger 62. The heat collection hood 61 is set around the vulcanizing mold unit 2 to collect the dissipated hot air and is connected to the heat exchanger 62 through a pipe. The heat exchanger 62 is used to preheat the cold air that is drawn in. The preheated air is then transported to the air inlet of the heating system 3.

[0023] The core of the high-efficiency and energy-saving flat vulcanizing machine of the present invention lies in heat insulation, precise heating and waste heat recovery.

[0024] The frame 1 is a three-layer sandwich insulation structure. The innermost heat-resistant steel lining 11 can withstand high temperatures and distribute heat evenly to avoid local overheating; the middle layer of nanoporous insulation board 12 has pores smaller than air molecules, which directly seals the heat inside, making it several times more effective than ordinary insulation materials; the outermost metal shell 13 compresses and protects the internal super insulation cotton, while also sealing the seams tightly.

[0025] Vulcanizing mold unit 2 consists of an upper mold and a lower mold. When closed, it forms a cavity that perfectly matches the shape of the product. The surface finish of this cavity directly determines the product's appearance. Furthermore, fine patterns or text can be engraved on the mold, clearly pressed onto the rubber product. For heat transfer, the mold itself is typically made of high-strength, high-thermal-conductivity alloy steel. The heat from heating system 3 is first transferred to the mold, which rapidly heats up and then evenly distributes the heat to every rubber particle within the cavity. Working closely with the "zoned heating system," it is the final step in achieving uniform heating.

[0026] The heating system 3 is distributed in different locations of the mold (especially in the corners and edges that are prone to heating or cooling), with multiple independent heaters 31 and thermometers arranged. The size of each small heating zone can be adjusted individually.

[0027] Hydraulic system 4 provides powerful and stable pressure to drive the opening and closing of the mold and maintain sufficient clamping force during vulcanization to prevent rubber from overflowing under high pressure. This ensures that the vulcanization process is carried out under high pressure, resulting in rubber products with uniform density and no air bubbles.

[0028] Control system 5 reduces temperature just before reaching the target temperature, utilizing residual heat to achieve the goal and perfectly avoiding temperature overshoot. It receives commands through a human-machine interface, allowing for easy process settings. Remote monitoring transmits equipment operating data to a mobile phone, enabling early warnings and predictive maintenance. Temperature control is extremely precise and stable, production is fully automated, and remote management reduces unexpected downtime.

[0029] The heat collection shroud 61 of the heat recovery device 6 collects the inevitably escaping hot air above the mold; the heat exchanger 62 is the core component. It allows the internally collected hot exhaust gas and the cold fresh air drawn in from the outside to pass sideways (but not mix), exchanging heat through a metal plate partition; the waste heat that would otherwise be discharged is used to preheat the fresh cold air from 25°C to above 80°C. The heating system only requires a small amount of energy to heat the air to the operating temperature, significantly reducing heating energy consumption.

[0030] Workflow Preparation stage: The operator sets the process parameters for this vulcanization (such as target temperature, pressure, and time) through the human-machine interface. The control system 5 is activated, and the hydraulic system 4 drives the upper mold to lift. The operator then places the semi-finished rubber product to be vulcanized into the lower mold cavity.

[0031] Mold Closure and Heating: The hydraulic system 4 drives the upper mold downwards, completing mold closure and applying initial clamping force. Simultaneously, the control system 5 sends commands to the heating system 3. Multiple independent heating zones of the heating system 3 begin operation. Temperature sensors distributed throughout the mold's critical locations monitor the temperature in real time and feed the data back to the control system 5.

[0032] Precise temperature control process: The fuzzy PID control algorithm built into control system 5 begins operation. This algorithm can handle the nonlinearity and hysteresis of temperature changes. For example, when the temperature sensor of a certain zone detects that the temperature is lower than the set value and the heating rate is slow, the algorithm will dynamically increase the power output of the heater in that zone; conversely, when the temperature is close to the set value and there is an overshoot tendency, the power will be reduced in advance. This process continues to ensure that the entire vulcanizing chamber maintains a high degree of uniformity and stability at the set temperature.

[0033] Heat recovery: During the heating and vulcanization process, despite the protection of the composite insulated frame 1, a small amount of heat still escapes. At this time, the heat collection hood 61 installed around the mold collects this hot air and guides it to the heat exchanger 62. Cool air from the environment is drawn in by a fan and exchanges heat with the collected hot air in the heat exchanger 62, becoming preheated air before being sent to the air inlet of the heating system 3. This reduces the energy required for the heating system to heat the cold air to the operating temperature.

[0034] Vulcanization completion and mold opening: Once the preset vulcanization time is reached, the control system 5 instructs the heating system 3 to stop heating. The hydraulic system 4 then releases pressure and drives the upper mold to lift, allowing the operator to remove the vulcanized finished product.

[0035] Through the coordinated operation of the above-mentioned components, the present invention achieves an energy-saving, efficient, and high-quality rubber vulcanization process.

[0036] In summary, this invention, through its unique nano-insulation structure design, intelligent fuzzy PID control algorithm, and efficient heat recovery system, achieves groundbreaking energy-saving effects and temperature control accuracy in the field of general-purpose flat vulcanizing machines, demonstrating significant progress and innovation.

[0037] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can still be made to the technical solutions of the present invention, and these modifications or equivalent substitutions cannot cause the modified technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-efficiency energy-saving rubber vulcanizer, characterized in that, The application relates to a vulcanization device, which comprises a rack, a vulcanization mold unit arranged on the rack, a heating system for providing heat energy to the vulcanization mold unit, a hydraulic system for driving mold opening and closing and pressure maintaining, and a control system for controlling the operation of the whole device. The rack is a composite heat insulation structure filled with nano microporous heat insulation materials inside. The heating system comprises a plurality of independently temperature-controlled heating subareas and temperature sensors, and the heating subareas and the temperature sensors are electrically connected with the control system. The control system is internally provided with a fuzzy PID control algorithm, which is used for dynamically adjusting the power output of each heating subarea according to the feedback signal of the temperature sensor. The device further comprises a heat energy recovery device, which comprises a heat collecting cover and a heat exchanger. The composite heat insulation structure of the rack comprises, from inside to outside, a heat-resistant steel lining, a nano microporous heat insulation plate and a metal shell.

2. The high-efficiency energy-saving rubber vulcanizer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The nano microporous heat insulation plate adopts super heat insulation materials with a pore size smaller than the average free path of air molecules, and the pore size is smaller than 70 nm, and the thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.018-0.025 W / (m.K) at normal temperature and high temperature.

3. The energy-efficient rubber vulcanizer of claim 2, wherein, The heat-resistant steel lining is used as a uniform temperature buffer layer for absorbing and uniformly distributing the radiation heat from the mold, so as to avoid the direct impact of local hot spots on the nano microporous heat insulation plate.

4. The energy-efficient rubber vulcanizer of claim 2, wherein The metal shell is provided with a labyrinth seal and high-temperature sealant at the joint.

5. The energy-efficient rubber vulcanizer of claim 1, wherein The heat exchanger is a plate-fin heat exchanger, which indirectly exchanges heat through a metal partition plate, and the heat exchange efficiency is 70%-80%, and the cold air at normal temperature is preheated to 80-100 DEG C.

6. The energy efficient rubber vulcanizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The fuzzy PID control algorithm of the control system is configured to increase the power output of the corresponding heating subarea when the temperature sensor detects that the temperature is lower than the set value and the temperature rising rate is lower than the preset threshold value, and to reduce the power output in advance when the temperature approaches the set value and an overshoot trend occurs.

7. The energy-efficient rubber vulcanizer of claim 1, wherein, The control system is further connected with a man-machine interaction interface and a remote monitoring module.

8. The energy-efficient rubber vulcanizer of claim 7, wherein, The remote monitoring module is internally provided with a machine learning algorithm, which is used for analyzing the continuously collected operation data, and the operation data comprises a power curve of each subarea, hydraulic pressure fluctuation and vibration spectrum.

9. The energy efficient rubber vulcanizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The mold unit is composed of an upper mold and a lower mold, and the mold is made of high-strength and high-thermal-conductivity alloy steel. The mold surface is provided with fine patterns or characters, which are used for pressing the patterns on the rubber products in the vulcanization process.

10. The energy efficient rubber vulcanizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The hydraulic system is used to provide the locking force to drive the mold to open and close, and to maintain the pressure during the curing process to eliminate the air and volatile components in the rubber and force the rubber compound to fill the cavity.

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