Chipper Rotor Radial Gap Design for Clogging Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Shredding machines face high maintenance costs and downtime due to blade wear and clogging issues, requiring complex and time-consuming processes for repair and maintenance.

Innovation Solution

A chopping rotor design with axially spaced and parallel webs, allowing for a radial gap between the knife holder and the central web, which expands the chip space and reduces clogging, along with detachable knife holders and bores for easy replacement, facilitating quick maintenance and reducing downtime.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the chip space is axially closed under the knife holder, then structural stability is improved, but clogging occurs and manual cleaning is required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidclogging
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The chip space is segmented into an upper axially closed portion and a lower radially open portion. The radial gap between the knife holder and the web creates an opening at the bottom, allowing chips to escape while the upper portion remains enclosed for structural stability. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by providing both stability and anti-clogging functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If the rotor blades are fixed firmly to the rotor, then cutting performance is improved, but replacement and calibration becomes laborious and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting performanceVSAvoidblade replacement
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The knife holder is designed with a dynamic mounting system that allows for quick release and reattachment of blades. The knife holder can be detached from the rotor and reattached with proper positioning features, enabling rapid blade replacement without complex calibration procedures while maintaining cutting performance during operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If specialist maintenance is performed on the chopping rotor, then repair quality is improved, but downtime and personnel costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverepair qualityVSAvoidmaintenance downtime
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The rotor design incorporates self-service features including modular knife holders that can be easily detached and reattached, positioning features that ensure correct alignment, and a structure that allows operators to perform maintenance themselves without requiring specialist knowledge. This reduces both downtime and personnel costs while maintaining adequate repair quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3381563B1Chipper rotor
Publication Date: 2020.12.09 ALBACH MASCHBAU GMBH
  • EP3381563B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3381563B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3381563B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A chipping rotor (2) for the production of wood chips is described, comprising a shaft receptacle (4) which has at least three, preferably six circumferential and axially spaced radial webs (6) on which knife holders (8) are mounted, characterized in that at least one knife holder (8) is mounted on two fixing webs (6) in such a way that it freely spans a third web (6) arranged between the two fixing webs (6), whereby a chip space (10) of an axial length over three successive webs (6) is formed below the knife holder (8).