Chamber Drum for Ceramic Extrusion Reducing Batch Switch Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing extrusion forming methods for large ceramic honeycomb structures face issues with surface roughness and quality at the connecting joints, intermittent operation leading to poor efficiency, and complex apparatus designs that increase costs and material waste, particularly during batch switching.
Innovation Solution
A continuous extrusion forming apparatus with a chamber drum featuring a first space portion and a second space portion that changes the kneaded material's direction from horizontal to vertical, isotropically decreasing the cross-sectional area to prevent eccentricity and facilitate smooth flow, thereby reducing batch switch time and improving product quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If intermittent extrusion operation is used to switch batches of kneaded material, then batch switching can be performed, but surface roughness occurs at connecting joints and quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous extrusion operation where the extruder maintains constant motion without stopping during batch transitions. The chamber drum design with optimized flow paths ensures continuous material flow from one batch to the next, eliminating the intermittent operation that causes surface roughness at connecting joints while maintaining the ability to switch between different batches of kneaded material.
2Manufacturing precision
If plunger type extruder is used for downward extrusion, then large honeycomb formed bodies can be extruded without deformation, but stop time occurs during intermittent operation and efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the plunger type extruder with a continuous screw type extruder that maintains constant motion during operation. The screw conveyor design with optimized channel geometry ensures continuous downward extrusion of large honeycomb formed bodies without stopping, eliminating the efficiency loss from intermittent operation while maintaining the ability to produce large bodies without deformation through controlled material flow and pressure distribution.
3Manufacturing precision
If three-stage screw constitution is used for vertical extrusion, then downward extrusion can be achieved, but apparatus complexity increases and cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the unnecessary third stage from the three-stage screw constitution, reducing the apparatus to a simpler two-stage screw design. The optimized two-stage configuration retains the essential functionality for downward extrusion and quality control while removing the redundant stage that contributed to apparatus complexity and cost, achieving the same extrusion quality with a more streamlined structure.
4Adaptability or versatility
If batch switching is performed in continuous extrusion apparatus, then different materials can be processed, but switch time increases and operation efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary preparation of the chamber drum flow paths and material transition zones to facilitate rapid batch switching. The optimized geometry of the chamber drum and its internal channels is designed in advance to minimize resistance and turbulence during material transitions, allowing different batches of kneaded material to be switched quickly without significant stoppage or quality degradation, thereby reducing batch switch time while maintaining versatility.
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 apparatus ensures continuous, efficient production of high-quality ceramic formed bodies with reduced deformation and surface roughness, shortening batch switch times and minimizing material waste, while maintaining apparatus simplicity and reducing operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
the extrusion of the large honeycomb formed body is performed in a downward direction (gravity direction)
Implementation Method 2
an extruding section which kneads a material including a ceramic raw material and extrudes a kneaded material
Data Source
AI summary
An extrusion forming apparatus includes an extruding section, a chamber drum, and a forming section. The extruding section kneads a material including a ceramic raw material and extrudes a kneaded material. The chamber drum has a first space portion having a first extruding direction extending portion through which the kneaded material is allowed to flow in an extruding direction, and a second space portion which has a second extruding direction extending portion extending in the extruding direction and a direction changing portion bending from the extruding direction to a downward direction, to allow the kneaded material to flow in the downward direction changed from the extruding direction. The second space portion has a cross section obtained by isotropically decreasing a cross section of the first space portion perpendicular to a flow-through direction of the kneaded material. The forming section has a die to extrude a ceramic formed body.