Bicomponent Extruded Mesh for Press Fabric Compressibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial fabrics used in papermaking, such as press fabrics, face limitations in compressibility and resiliency, leading to progressive thinning and reduced water handling capacity over time, necessitating frequent replacement due to limited elastic yarn integration and potential for sheet marking and delamination.
Innovation Solution
A bicomponent extruded mesh with a combination of relatively inelastic and elastic strands, where the elastic strands are co-extruded in the transverse direction to provide high compressibility and resiliency, allowing the structure to collapse under load and recover, enhancing water handling and reducing vibration through improved thickness recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional elastic yarns are integrated into press fabrics, then some resiliency is achieved, but the compressibility is limited and sheet marking occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible elastomeric coating applied to the surface of the press fabric to provide resiliency and compressibility. This flexible film allows the fabric to compress and recover without the rigid elastic yarns that cause sheet marking, resolving the contradiction between achieving resiliency and avoiding harmful sheet marking effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines conventional fabric materials with an elastomeric coating to create a composite structure. This composite approach provides the compressibility and resiliency needed for effective pressing while the flexible nature of the elastomeric layer prevents the sheet marking problem associated with traditional elastic yarns.
2Reliability
If press fabrics are used for millions of nip cycles, then water handling capacity is maintained initially, but the fabric becomes progressively thinner and must be replaced
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric coating provides dynamic adaptability to the fabric, allowing it to compress and recover with each nip cycle. This dynamic behavior maintains the fabric's water handling capacity over millions of cycles by preventing permanent deformation and thinning, thereby extending the fabric's operational lifespan.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric coating changes the physical parameters of the fabric surface, providing elasticity and compressibility that remain stable over time. This parameter change allows the fabric to maintain its water handling capacity across millions of nip cycles without progressive thinning, solving the lifespan problem.
3Reliability
If elastic yarns are used to provide compressibility, then resiliency is improved, but device complexity increases due to yarn integration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the elastic functionality from complex integrated yarn structures and implements it through a simpler elastomeric coating applied to the fabric surface. This extraction simplifies the overall device complexity while maintaining the required compressibility and resiliency properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical complexity of integrating elastic yarns into the fabric structure with a more simple elastomeric coating application. This substitution eliminates the need for complex yarn integration while providing the same compressibility and resiliency functions.
4Ease of manufacture
If traditional press fabrics are used, then manufacturing is straightforward, but vibration occurs during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric coating acts as a flexible layer that dampens vibrations during press operation. This flexible film absorbs vibrational energy while maintaining manufacturing simplicity, as the coating is applied to the existing fabric rather than requiring complex integrated construction, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and vibration reduction.
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 bicomponent extruded mesh offers enhanced compressibility and resiliency, maintaining consistent water handling performance, reducing vibration, and minimizing rewet during dewatering, while being cost-effective and less prone to sheet marking compared to conventional elastic yarn-based solutions.
Implementation Method 1
A bicomponent extruded mesh with a combination of relatively inelastic and elastic strands, where the elastic strands are co-extruded in the transverse direction to provide high compressibility and resiliency, allowing the structure to collapse under load and recover
Data Source
Figure 1(A)~1(B)
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A structure for use in industrial fabrics such as paper machine clothing and engineered fabrics. The structure is a bicomponent extruded elastomeric netting or mesh having a high degree of both compressibility under an applied normal load and excellent recovery (resiliency or spring back) upon removal of that load.