Multi-Layer Cable Covering for Cleanroom Flexibility and Slipperiness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable coverings used in clean environments, such as semiconductor manufacturing, face issues with pollution due to additive bleeding from materials like PVC and olefin-based resins, and require improved slipperiness, bendability, and flexibility while minimizing contamination.
Innovation Solution
A long body production method involving a covering layer with an intermediate and outermost layer, where the intermediate layer has a porous structure and specific density and surface peak-to-valley values, and the outermost layer has a fluororesin composition, ensuring reduced adhesion of foreign matter and enhanced flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If polyvinyl chloride (PVC), urethane, or olefine-based resin is used as covering layer material to achieve flexibility, then bendability and flexibility are improved, but additive bleeding causes pollution in clean environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure consisting of a fluororesin base layer and a porous PTFE coating layer. The fluororesin provides flexibility and bendability while the porous PTFE layer provides cleanliness by preventing additive bleeding. This composite material approach resolves the contradiction between flexibility and pollution prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs porous PTFE as the coating layer material. The porous structure allows the material to maintain flexibility and bendability while the PTFE composition ensures cleanliness by eliminating additive bleeding. The porosity enables the material to achieve both mechanical flexibility and chemical purity simultaneously.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If fluororesin such as PTFE is used as covering layer material to achieve cleanliness and heat resistance, then pollution is reduced, but slipperiness and flexibility are insufficient compared to conventional materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite material system where fluororesin serves as the base layer and porous PTFE serves as the outer coating. This combination maintains the cleanliness and heat resistance of fluororesin while the porous PTFE layer enhances slipperiness and flexibility, resolving the contradiction between pollution prevention and operational performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the physical and chemical parameters of the PTFE material by creating a porous structure with specific density (0.2 g/cm³) and surface characteristics (peak-to-valley value of 5 μm or less). These parameter changes enhance slipperiness and flexibility while maintaining the cleanliness benefits of fluororesin-based materials.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If solid PTFE sheet is used as covering layer to achieve cleanliness, then additive bleeding is eliminated, but bendability and flexibility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms solid PTFE into a porous structure with controlled density and surface characteristics. This porous PTFE maintains the cleanliness advantage of eliminating additive bleeding while the porous architecture provides flexibility and bendability, resolving the contradiction between pollution prevention and operational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of PTFE by creating a porous structure with specific density (0.2 g/cm³) and surface roughness (peak-to-valley value ≤ 5 μm). These parameter modifications enable the material to achieve both cleanliness (no additive bleeding) and flexibility, overcoming the limitations of solid PTFE sheets.
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 method produces a long body that is highly flexible, slippery, and resistant to pollution, with reduced foreign matter adhesion and outgassing, suitable for clean environments like semiconductor manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
the intermediate layer have a porous structure. Since the intermediate layer has the porous structure, the pores of the intermediate layer are deformed when the long body is bent, whereby a load is reduced and high flexibility is thus obtained
Implementation Method 2
the outermost layer has a fluororesin composition, ensuring reduced adhesion of foreign matter
Data Source
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Figure 3
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AI summary
The method of producing long body according to the invention was made to produce a long body that is superior in slipperiness, bendability and flexibility and is low in pollution caused in the surroundings, in which the long body at least includes a plural number of electric wire(s) and/or tube(s), the covering layer at least includes an intermediate layer and an outermost layer, the intermediate layer employs a resin film having a density ρ1 of 0.2 g/cm3 or more and 1.8 g/cm3 or less and having a PV1 value, which is a surface peak-to-valley value, of 5 µm or more, the outermost layer employs a resin film having a density ρ2 of 1.2 g/cm3 or more and 2.5 g/cm3 or less, the method comprises at least: covering the long body with the covering layer; and fixing positions of the plural number of electric wire(s) and/or tube(s), and the following formulas (1) and (3) are satisfied in the case that a PV2 value, which is a surface peak-to-valley value, of the outermost layer is 5 µm or less, and the following formulas (2) and (3) are satisfied in the case that the PV2 value is larger than 5 µm: PV1−PV2≥2μm PV2−PV1>0μm ρ2−ρ1≥0.1g/cm3