Adjustable Tine Resin Regulator for Filament Winding

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing filament winding processes for laminate production face challenges in maintaining constant laminate weight due to variable binder resin saturation, leading to increased production time and costs, as well as loss of expensive raw material from excess resin.

Innovation Solution

A binder resin regulator apparatus with adjustable tine sets that form a rectilinear or angular guide track for the thread, allowing controlled and adjustable scraping of excess resin, ensuring consistent resin distribution and minimizing waste.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the fibre thread is pulled through a fixed scraper die or passive scraper to remove excess binder resin, then the scraping function is simple and reliable, but the binder resin loss increases and manufacturing precision deteriorates when thread speed, temperature or thread quality changes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescraping function reliabilityVSAvoidlaminate weight consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the scraper active and adjustable rather than fixed and passive. The scraper can be moved towards or away from the fibre thread, and its angle relative to the thread can be changed, allowing the scraping action to adapt dynamically to variations in thread speed, temperature, and resin viscosity, thereby maintaining consistent laminate weight while preserving scraping reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements parameter changes by allowing adjustment of the scraper's position and orientation parameters. The scraper's distance from the thread and its angular position can be modified to optimize the scraping effect under different operating conditions, enabling consistent binder resin removal despite changes in thread speed, temperature, or resin properties

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If the rotational speed of the mandrel is adjusted to maintain constant filament amount on conical mandrel, then the filament distribution is maintained, but the production time increases and productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefilament distribution consistencyVSAvoidproduction speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by enabling dynamic adjustment of the scraper parameters (position and angle) to compensate for variations in filament distribution. This allows the system to maintain consistent filament laydown on conical mandrels without requiring slow rotational speed adjustments, thereby preserving both manufacturing precision and productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Strength

If the fibre thread becomes saturated with binder resin to prevent dry portions, then the laminate strength is improved, but the binder resin loss increases and manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelaminate strengthVSAvoidbinder resin loss
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements parameter changes by allowing precise control of the scraper's position and angle to optimize the amount of excess resin removed. This enables the fibre thread to become adequately saturated with binder resin for strong laminate formation while minimizing unnecessary resin loss, thus improving the ratio of useful resin to wasted resin

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3860959B1Apparatus and method for controlling a quantity of binder resine that follows a thread
Publication Date: 2023.11.22 COMROD
  • EP3860959B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3860959B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3860959B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Apparatus (10) arranged to control a quantity of binder resin that is carried by a thread (99), the apparatus (10) comprising at least one first tine row (111) being arranged parallel and displaceably to at least one second tine row (122), wherein a guide track for the thread (99) is formed transversely to the tine rows (111, 122) and a displacement of at least one tine row (111, 122) changes the guide track. A method for controlling the quantity of binder resin by using tines (101) is described as well.