Air Cushion Spreading Device for Web Winding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Material webs with low basis weights (<100 g/m²) tend to wrinkle and tear during winding due to insufficient contact with traditional spreader rollers, leading to increased abrasion and dust generation, which complicates the winding process and poses safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A spreading device with a movable spreader bar and roller attached to a common crossbar, utilizing an air boundary layer formed by nozzles to guide the material web without direct contact, allowing for adjustable engagement based on web weight, either using an air boundary layer for low basis weights or direct contact for higher basis weights.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional spreader rollers are used with low basis weight materials, then the spreading effect is insufficient due to lack of contact, but increasing wrap angle causes tearing and wrinkling
Solution Approach 1:
An air cushion is introduced as an intermediary between the spreader roller and the material web. The air cushion enables the spreader roller to exert spreading force on the web without direct mechanical contact, preventing tearing and wrinkling while maintaining sufficient spreading effect for low basis weight materials
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional mechanical contact-based spreading mechanism is replaced with a pneumatic system. Instead of relying on friction and wrap angle to transmit spreading force, the system uses an air cushion to transfer force, eliminating the mechanical contact that causes damage to delicate low basis weight materials
2Manufacturing precision
If rigid spreader bars with direct contact are used, then spreading effect is achieved, but abrasion and dust generation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The air cushion serves as a mediator that transmits the spreading force from the spreader bar to the material web without direct contact. This eliminates the friction-based abrasion and dust generation that occurs with traditional rigid spreader bars, while still achieving the necessary spreading effect
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses pneumatic pressure through the air cushion to transmit spreading force. This pneumatic mechanism replaces the mechanical friction-based spreading, eliminating wear and dust generation associated with direct solid-to-solid contact while maintaining effective spreading
3Manufacturing precision
If spreader rollers are used with high basis weight materials, then sufficient contact is achieved, but for low basis weight materials contact is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts its operating mode based on the material web's basis weight. For low basis weight materials, the air cushion mode is activated to provide sufficient spreading force without excessive contact. For high basis weight materials, the system can operate in traditional contact mode. This dynamic adaptation ensures optimal spreading效果 across different material types
Solution Approach 2:
The spreader device is designed with multi-functionality to handle both low and high basis weight materials effectively. By incorporating an air cushion system, the same spreader roller can operate in different modes (contact-based for heavy materials, air-cushion-based for light materials), providing universal applicability across diverse material types
4Manufacturing precision
If direct contact is used to prevent wrinkling, then spreading effect is improved, but abrasion deposits dust increasing cleaning effort and safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The air cushion acts as a protective intermediary that prevents direct mechanical contact between the spreader roller and the material web. This eliminates the source of abrasion and dust generation while still providing sufficient spreading force to prevent wrinkling, thus solving both the quality and safety issues simultaneously
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 solution enables quick changeovers between low and high basis weight materials, reducing wrinkles, abrasion, and dust generation, while maintaining high winding speeds and ensuring the quality of the wound material.
Implementation Method 1
the spreader bar is arranged such that an air outlet flow of the at least one nozzle module is directed directly onto the material web, so that an air boundary layer is formed between the spreader bar and the material web
Implementation Method 2
the spreader roller is arranged such that an air outlet flow of the at least one nozzle module is directed onto a surface of the spreader roller in contact with the material web, so that an air boundary layer is formed between the material web and the surface
Data Source
Figure 1~2b
Figure 3a~4
Figure 5a~5c
AI summary
The invention relates to a spreading device, a machine and a method for winding and rewinding a web of material and/or partial webs of material, preferably a paper web, a cardboard web or a tissue web, from a parent roll onto at least one winding core to a winding roll (2), wherein the winding roll (2) is supported by a first (1) and a second (4) support drum and the web of material is guided between the parent roll and the winding roll with at least one deflecting roller (5) and at least one spreading device (6, 10).According to the invention, the spreading device (10) comprises a spreading rod (11) and a spreading roller (12) which are attached to a common traverse (15), and the spreading rod (11) and the spreading roller (12) are each and independently of each other movably mounted in the direction of the material web and at least one air boundary layer is formed between the material web (M) and the spreading device (10) such that the material web (M) is guided and/or spread without contact.