Additive Manufacturing Nozzle for Absorbent Articles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional nozzles used in manufacturing absorbent articles face issues with uneven temperature profiles, wear resistance, and control over fluid distribution patterns, leading to undesirable results such as incorrect bond strength and uneven fluid deposition.
Innovation Solution
The use of a nozzle body constructed from multiple materials with different properties, formed using additive manufacturing techniques, which includes a thermally insulating material and a heating element to maintain temperature control and features like distribution channels for precise fluid distribution, along with a design that manages pressure profiles and wear resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional nozzles are used with high processing temperatures, then fluid viscosity and pressure are maintained, but temperature control becomes uneven and solidification time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle body is divided into multiple zones with different thermal properties - a thermally insulating material (such as ceramic or polymer) forms the main body while a wear-resistant material (such as metal or coated layer) lines the fluid contact surfaces. This segmentation allows different parts of the nozzle to serve different thermal functions, enabling precise temperature control at the fluid interface while insulating the overall structure to reduce heat loss and accelerate solidification.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle employs a composite structure combining thermally insulating materials with wear-resistant materials. The insulating material body minimizes heat transfer to the environment, maintaining stable fluid temperature and reducing solidification time, while the wear-resistant lining ensures durability at the high-temperature fluid interface. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between temperature control and solidification speed.
2Reliability
If conventional single-material nozzles are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but wear resistance and temperature control cannot be optimized simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle is segmented into a base structure made from thermally insulating material and a functional lining made from wear-resistant material. This segmentation allows each material to be optimized for its specific function while being manufactured separately and then combined, balancing manufacturing complexity with performance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
By using composite materials with distinct functional properties, the nozzle achieves superior wear resistance and temperature control. The manufacturing process involves creating the insulating material body first, then applying or bonding the wear-resistant material to the fluid-contact surfaces, which is more complex than single-material manufacturing but enables simultaneous optimization of both reliability and thermal performance.
3Manufacturing precision
If uniform material nozzles are used, then manufacturing is easier, but fluid distribution pattern control is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The wear-resistant material is applied selectively to specific regions of the nozzle where fluid contact and wear occur, rather than uniformly across the entire nozzle. This local quality approach allows precise control of the fluid distribution pattern at the slot interface while keeping the manufacturing process more manageable by limiting the complexity to only the critical fluid-contact zones.
4Strength
If high temperatures are used for fluid deposition, then viscosity control is improved, but bond strength is reduced due to prolonged solidification
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal segmentation of the nozzle - with insulating material body and wear-resistant lining - creates a controlled thermal environment that maintains optimal fluid temperature for viscosity control while minimizing heat loss to the substrate. This allows the fluid to maintain proper viscosity during deposition and then solidify quickly upon contact with the cooler substrate, maximizing bond strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite nozzle structure controls the thermal profile during fluid deposition, maintaining higher temperatures in the fluid passage to control viscosity while the insulating body prevents excessive heat transfer to the substrate. This results in better bond strength by reducing the solidification time once the fluid contacts the substrate, even though the processing temperature in the nozzle remains high.
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
This solution enhances wear resistance and temperature control, ensuring consistent fluid distribution and improved bond strength, reducing the need for costly repairs and replacements while optimizing manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
The components of the nozzle are heated, typically to 100° C. and higher, to maintain this temperature control
Implementation Method 2
The nozzle body may comprise at least one first material having a first set of properties and at least one second material having a second set of properties
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for applying a first fluid to an advancing substrate comprising a nozzle body made, at least in part, using an additive manufacturing method. The nozzle body comprises a fluid orifice for receiving the first fluid; a conduit in fluid communication with the fluid orifice for receiving the first fluid received by the fluid orifice; a passageway in fluid communication with the conduit for receiving the first fluid received by the conduit; and a slot in fluid communication with the passageway for applying the first fluid to the advancing substrate. A method for making an apparatus comprising a nozzle body is also provided, comprising: sequentially forming, from at least one material using an additive manufacturing method, a plurality of layers in a configured pattern corresponding to a shape of at least one of an upper nozzle assembly member or of a lower nozzle assembly member of the nozzle body.