Cable Laying Roller Groove Materials for Wear and Cable Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional roller units for laying cables suffer from material wear due to high speeds of rotation, leading to frequent maintenance and potential cable damage from high friction and torsional stresses, limiting their durability and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A roller unit with sliders and wheels featuring annular grooves made of materials with high hardness (minimum 90 Shore D for plastics or 210 HB for metals) and low rolling friction, such as glass fiber-reinforced polyamide or pearlitic-ferritic lamellar cast iron, allowing for flexible geometry adjustment and reduced wear, along with interchangeable sectors for extended use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional materials are used for the annular groove in roller units, then the initial friction and torsional stresses on the cable are reduced, but the material wears quickly at high rotation speeds, requiring frequent maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining a polyamide base material with glass fiber reinforcement. This creates a composite structure where the polyamide provides low friction and cable-friendly surface properties, while the glass fiber reinforcement provides high hardness and wear resistance to withstand high rotation speeds without degradation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by specifying a polyamide base with particular properties (flexibility, low friction) and adding glass fiber reinforcement to achieve the desired balance between cable protection and durability. The composite material parameters are optimized to simultaneously reduce friction on the cable and resist wear at high speeds
2Reliability
If hard materials are used for the annular groove, then wear resistance improves, but the material may damage the cable due to high surface pressure and inflection
Solution Approach 1:
The composite material structure allows the glass fiber reinforcement to provide hardness and wear resistance, while the polyamide base material provides flexibility and low friction. This combination ensures that the surface pressure is distributed effectively and the cable is not damaged, even though the material is highly wear-resistant
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different material properties in different aspects of the same component: the glass fiber reinforcement provides local hardness and wear resistance where needed, while the polyamide base provides local flexibility and cable-friendly surface properties. This local differentiation of material qualities resolves the contradiction between hardness and cable protection
3Device complexity
If the roller unit geometry is fixed, then the structure is simple and robust, but it lacks flexibility for different cable diameters and laying configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the roller unit dynamic by allowing the sliders to rotate around their axes of rotation. This enables the inclination of the sliders with respect to the frame to be varied, which in turn varies the radius of curvature of the supported cable. The system transitions from a fixed geometry to a dynamically adjustable geometry, providing adaptability while maintaining structural simplicity
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 provides high durability and resistance to wear, reducing maintenance needs and ensuring efficient cable support with minimized abrasion and crushing, even at high speeds, while maintaining cable integrity by distributing contact pressure effectively.
Implementation Method 1
at least said annular support groove is made of or covered by a material with great hardness and low rolling friction
Implementation Method 2
Conventional roller units for laying cables suffer from material wear due to high speeds of rotation
Data Source
AI summary
Roller unit for laying cables (11, 12, 13), comprising a frame (23, 23′) where at least one pair of sliders (25, 25′) are positioned aligned parallel to a laying direction (S1, S2) of the cables (11, 12, 13) and each provided with at least one pair of wheels (28, 28a, 28b) supporting a cable (11, 12, 13) to be laid; said sliders (25, 25′) are hinged to said frame (23, 23′) and rotatable around respective axes of rotation (A, A′) so as to vary the inclination thereof with respect to said frame (23, 23′) and therefore to vary the radius of curvature of the cable (11, 12, 13) supported; said wheels (28, 28a, 28b) are provided with an annular groove (32) to support the cables, delimited by containing wings (33) and able to define a contact and sliding surface of at least one of said cables (11, 12, 13), wherein at least said annular support groove (32) is made of or covered by a technoplastic material with polyamide (PA) base reinforced with glass fiber, if the supported cable is a conductor (11, 13), or by means of a metal material of great hardness, in particular pearlitic-ferritic lamellar cast iron GJL250, if the supported cable is a towing cable (12).