Acoustic Insert Production via Needle Punching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing sound-deadening and thermally insulating inserts for vehicle exhaust systems are complex and costly, and may introduce contaminants or be unsuitable for different fiber types, posing pollution and installation challenges.
Innovation Solution
A method and machine using a forming casing with perforated walls and penetrating means, such as needles or jets of air/water, to interweave and compact fibers within the casing, ensuring precise shaping and contamination-free production of inserts suitable for various fiber types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex methods such as compression and firing operations are used to produce sound-deadening inserts, then the insert achieves good acoustic and thermal insulation performance, but the manufacturing process becomes costly and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of fiber interweaving from the complex compression and firing process. By using needle punching to mechanically interlock fibers directly, the method eliminates the need for high-temperature firing while achieving comparable structural integrity and insulation performance, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal-mechanical system (compression and firing at 1250°C) with a purely mechanical system (needle punching). The needles mechanically interlock the fibers through loop formation and entanglement, achieving the same structural consolidation without requiring high-temperature thermal processing equipment.
2Stability of the object's composition
If glass fibre threads are wound and permanently joined using stitching or pressurized air jets, then the insert structure is stabilized, but the manufacturing cost and operational complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of fiber placement, interweaving, and structural stabilization into a single needle punching operation. The needles simultaneously deposit fibers in the desired configuration and mechanically interlock them through loop formation, eliminating the need for separate stitching or joining operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The fiber mattress performs self-interweaving through the needle punching process. The needles create loops and entanglements that automatically secure the fiber structure in place, without requiring external stitching threads or additional joining materials. The fibers themselves become the interlocking mechanism.
3Device complexity
If a soft material plate is used for needle punching, then the process can be simplified, but particles detach from the plate and contaminate the insert, causing pollution and potential fire hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a perforated plate with controlled pore sizes that allow needle passage while preventing particle detachment. The porous structure is designed so that fibers pass through cleanly without tearing or leaving contaminants, eliminating the pollution and fire hazard associated with soft material plates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter of the plate from soft (prone to particle detachment) to rigid perforated (contamination-free). This parameter change maintains process simplicity while eliminating the harmful contamination effect, as the rigid perforated plate does not shed particles during needle punching.
4Productivity
If needles repeatedly pass through the same plate, then the needle punching process is efficient, but the plate wears directly and becomes contaminated by fibers, making it unsuitable for producing different fiber types
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid perforated plate with precisely engineered holes allows needles to pass through repeatedly without wear or contamination. The porous structure is designed to accommodate different fiber types and diameters while maintaining structural integrity, enabling the same plate to be used for producing various fiber-based inserts without cross-contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid perforated plate serves as a universal tool that can accommodate different fiber types, diameters, and insert configurations. Its robust construction and standardized perforation pattern allow it to function across multiple production scenarios, eliminating the need for plate changes when switching between different fiber materials.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method simplifies and cost-reduces the production of sound-deadening and thermally insulating inserts, ensuring precise shaping, reduced waste, and contamination-free production, facilitating easier installation and broader fiber type compatibility.
Implementation Method 1
making said penetrating means penetrate into the casing exclusively through said openings in said perforated wall to cause localized displacements on the fibres inside the seat in order to interweave/twist the fibres together and join/compact them
Implementation Method 2
the penetrating means comprise one or more nozzles for emitting jets of pressurized air and/or water; and the method comprises the step of emitting one or more jets of pressurized air and/or water by means of the nozzles into the seat of the forming casing through the openings
Implementation Method 3
the method comprises the step of performing a suction through the openings in one said perforated wall of said forming casing to cause the fibres to be sucked into said seat
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~7
Figure 8~9
AI summary
A method for producing a sound-deadening and/or thermally insulating insert (1) that can be installed in a vehicle; the method comprises the steps of providing a forming casing (5) having at least one outer perforated wall (8) and comprising an inner seat (7) shaped according to the shape of the insert (1) to be produced; providing, on the outside of said forming casing (5), punching needles (13) structured to pass through a skein of fibres; arranging a given amount of fibres (F) inside the seat (7); making said punching needles (13) penetrate into the casing (5) through said perforated wall (8) to cause localized displacements on the fibres (F) inside the seat (7) in order to interweave/twist the fibres (F) together and join/compact them.