Asymmetric Comminution-Extruder Connection Preventing Plastic Accumulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In thermoplastic material processing devices, material accumulation occurs at the connection opening between the comminution device and the extruder, particularly with plastics having low melting or softening points, leading to inefficiencies in material supply and thermal energy transfer.
Innovation Solution
The connection opening is designed with an asymmetrical arrangement and a narrow, rounded or sharp edge, where the inner walls of the comminution device and extruder are tangent or slightly overlapping, allowing for a reduced wall thickness and specific angle configurations to prevent material accumulation, ensuring reliable feeding of plastic material to the extruder.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the connection opening is designed with standard wall thickness, then structural strength is maintained, but material accumulates at the connection opening
Solution Approach 1:
The connection opening is designed with an asymmetrical shape where the wall thickness varies around the opening. Specifically, the wall thickness at the edge facing the extruder (in the direction of extruder screw rotation) is reduced to create a sharp or rounded edge that prevents material from lodging, while other areas maintain sufficient wall thickness for structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall thickness of the connection opening is locally optimized rather than uniformly reduced. The edge portion of the connection opening that contacts the extruder has reduced wall thickness to prevent material accumulation, while other portions maintain adequate thickness for structural integrity, achieving localized quality improvement.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the wall thickness at the connection opening is reduced, then material accumulation is prevented, but structural strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection opening employs asymmetrical wall thickness distribution, with reduced thickness only at the critical edge portion that interfaces with the extruder. This selective thinning prevents material lodging while preserving adequate wall thickness in other areas to maintain overall structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall thickness is locally reduced only where necessary for preventing material accumulation, specifically at the edge of the connection opening. The rest of the cylinder or screw tube maintains full wall thickness, ensuring that structural strength is not compromised while achieving the anti-accumulation effect where needed.
3Quantity of substance
If the connection opening is made longer, then material supply to extruder is improved, but thermal efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection opening is designed to be as short as possible by making the inner walls of the cylinder and screw tube tangent or slightly overlapping. This merging of the two components minimizes the connection length, reducing thermal energy loss while maintaining adequate material supply through the optimized edge geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The asymmetrical design allows the connection opening to be shortened while compensating for potential material supply issues through the specific edge geometry. The reduced wall thickness and angled edge configuration ensure proper material flow even with the minimal connection length, achieving both short thermal path and adequate material supply.
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 design minimizes material accumulation and ensures consistent supply and thermal efficiency by maintaining a short connection opening with a precise edge geometry that prevents plastic material from lodging, thereby enhancing the processing of thermoplastic materials.
Implementation Method 1
a comminution device for comminuting the plastic material and with an extruder, the comminution device having a cylinder with a feed opening and a cutter shaft
Implementation Method 2
the extruder having an extruder screw in a screw tube
Implementation Method 3
the thermal efficiency is very good since the comminution energy of the comminution device is introduced directly into the extrusion process
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A device for processing thermoplastic material comprises a comminution unit for comminuting the plastic material and an extruder (5). The comminution unit has a cylinder (1) with a feed opening and a cutter shaft, and the extruder (5) has an extruder screw (7) within a screw tube (6). The cylinder (1) of the comminution unit is connected to the screw tube (6) of the extruder (5) via a connecting opening (4). To prevent the accumulation of plastic material in the connecting opening (4), the connecting opening (4) is arranged asymmetrically with respect to a plane (10) that lies in the axis of rotation (2) of the cutter shaft and at a right angle to the axis of rotation (8) of the extruder screw (7), viewed in the direction of rotation (11) of the cutter shaft. This allows the wall thickness at the edge (12) of the connecting opening (4) to be made much thinner, thus minimizing this problem.