Angled Deflector Edges for Multilayer Tube Folding Precision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing multilayer tube-shaped elements in the tobacco industry lack precision in size and superposition, leading to irregular shapes and poor connections due to incorrect sizing or positioning of the paper webs.
Innovation Solution
A machine comprising folding stations with angled deflector edges and a positioning system to accurately fold and glue longitudinal strips of paper webs, forming a multilayer tube with precise dimensions and a stabilizing element to ensure flat folds, along with a processing unit for real-time adjustments to maintain precision and correct diameter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional superposing and gluing methods are used to form multilayer tubes, then the production process is simple, but the dimensional precision and shape regularity are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The machine divides the web processing into distinct segments: a first folding station folds longitudinal strips onto a second strip, and a second folding station performs additional folding to create the multilayer structure. This segmentation allows precise control over each folding operation to achieve dimensional accuracy while maintaining manageable machine complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The folding stations perform preliminary folding actions on the web before the final tube formation. By pre-folding the longitudinal strips onto the second strip in controlled stages, the machine establishes precise geometric relationships between layers beforehand, ensuring dimensional precision in the final tube product.
2Shape
If the two webs are offset during superposing and gluing to achieve cylindrical shape, then the tube shape improves, but the precision of web superposition and size control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The folding stations use movable and adjustable components that can dynamically adapt during operation. The first and second folding stations can be adjusted to control the offset amount and folding angles, allowing the system to maintain both cylindrical shape and precise web superposition by optimizing the dynamic positioning of each layer during the folding process.
Data Source
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AI summary
A machine for making multilayer tubes of the tobacco industry comprises: a first folding station (3, 4) configured to fold a first longitudinal strip (110) of the continuous web (100) onto a second longitudinal strip (120) of the web (100) to obtain a multilayer web; a forming station (5) for forming a continuous tube by continuously wrapping the multilayer web around a longitudinal axis; a cutting station for cutting the continuous tube into a succession of tubes (200); wherein the folding station (3, 4) has a first deflector edge (10) for deflecting the first longitudinal strip (110) and a second deflector edge (11) to deflect simultaneously the remaining longitudinal strip (120, 130) of the continuous web (100), the first and second deflector edges (10, 11) being angled to each other.