Chopper Blade Roll Dummy Fillers Vibration Control

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional choppers experience vibration and reduced productivity due to the use of dummy filler pieces in blade rolls, leading to equipment damage, scrap, and reduced backup roll life when chopping long fibers or fiber strands at high speeds.

Innovation Solution

The use of dummy blade slot fillers with a center portion removed and tapered sections on either end, matching the height and thickness of the chopping blades, to eliminate vibration and improve the life of both backup and blade rolls by maintaining blade and elastomeric layer integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If dummy filler pieces are used in blade roll slots to maintain blade roll integrity, then blade roll structural integrity is maintained, but vibration and chatter occur at high chopping speeds

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblade roll structural integrityVSAvoidvibration and chatter

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the harmful center portion of the dummy filler pieces, extracting only the necessary end portions that contact the elastomeric layer. This extraction eliminates the vibration-causing mass while preserving the structural support function, resolving the contradiction between maintaining integrity and reducing vibration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The dummy filler pieces are designed with non-uniform structure - the end portions maintain full height to contact the elastomeric layer and provide local support, while the center portion is removed to eliminate harmful vibration. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing support only where needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Stability of the object's composition

If dummy filler pieces are used to maintain pressure on blade sides, then blade positioning is maintained, but backup roll life is substantially reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblade positioning stabilityVSAvoidbackup roll life

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

By removing the center portion of dummy filler pieces, the patent eliminates the harmful pressure concentration that damages the backup roll while preserving the end portions that provide necessary blade positioning stability, thus extending backup roll life without sacrificing positioning accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The modified dummy fillers apply pressure locally only at the end portions where blades are positioned, rather than distributing harmful pressure across the entire filler length. This localized pressure application maintains blade positioning while reducing damage to the backup roll.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If conventional dummy filler pieces are used, then blade roll integrity is maintained, but equipment shutdowns are required frequently for maintenance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblade roll integrityVSAvoidoperational continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the harmful center portion from dummy fillers, eliminating vibration and chatter that lead to equipment damage and shutdowns. This modification maintains blade roll integrity while significantly reducing maintenance frequency, thereby improving operational continuity and productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potentially harmful presence of dummy fillers into a beneficial configuration by removing the harmful center portion. The modified fillers now provide structural support without causing vibration, effectively turning a harmful element into a beneficial one that extends equipment life and reduces shutdowns.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

4Ease of manufacture

If dummy filler pieces with full height are used, then slot filling is complete, but vibration causes scrap and quality reduction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveslot filling completenessVSAvoidchopped fiber quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the harmful center portion of dummy fillers, eliminating the source of vibration and chatter that degrades chopped fiber quality. The end portions remain to provide complete slot filling and structural support, thereby maintaining manufacturing simplicity while improving product quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The dummy fillers are designed with localized full height at the ends to provide structural support and complete slot filling, while the center portion is removed to eliminate vibration. This local differentiation maintains ease of manufacture through simple slot filling while eliminating quality-degrading vibration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP1916322B1Chopper and method of chopping unwound linear items

Publication Date: 2011.08.03 JOHNS MANVILLE CORP

Figure 1~2
Figure 2A~4A
Figure 4

AI summary

A method and apparatus for separating long, unwound items like fiber, fiber strands, yarn, etc. into short lengths is disclosed. The apparatus has a backup roll, a blade roll (4) that uses novel dummy blade slot fillers (40) between each pair of chopping blades (5) on the blade roll to eliminate or substantially reduce vibration normally encountered when making longer chopped lengths of chopped product.