Chute Guide Liner Structure for Low-Friction Metal Strip Coiling

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Solution Overview

Problem

High-strength thick metal strips experience increased frictional resistance and surface flaws when wound into coils due to their high bending stiffness, requiring excessive pushing force and energy consumption.

Innovation Solution

A coiler device with a chute guide featuring a liner with a lower friction coefficient and hardness than the metal strip, attached to the downstream side of the body frame, reduces frictional resistance and prevents surface flaws by using a detachable liner that can be easily replaced.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a high-strength thick metal strip is conveyed through the chute guide, then the metal strip maintains its structural integrity, but the frictional resistance increases and surface flaws occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemetal strip strengthVSAvoidsurface flaws and frictional resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A liner is introduced as an intermediary material between the metal strip and the chute guide body frame. The liner has lower friction coefficient and lower hardness than the metal strip, serving as a mediating layer that reduces direct contact friction and prevents the metal strip surface from being scraped by the harder body frame

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The friction coefficient and hardness parameters of the guide surface are changed by attaching a liner material with different properties. The liner has lower friction coefficient than the body frame and lower hardness than the metal strip, fundamentally changing the interaction parameters between the guide and the metal strip

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Force

If a large pushing force is applied to convey the metal strip, then the metal strip can be pushed through the chute guide, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepushing forceVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The friction coefficient parameter of the guide surface is reduced by using a liner material with lower friction properties. This parameter change directly reduces the force required to push the metal strip through the chute guide, thereby reducing energy consumption

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If the body frame directly guides the metal strip, then the structure is simple, but the metal strip surface is vulnerable to flaws

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechute guide structureVSAvoidsurface flaws
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The liner acts as a protective intermediary layer between the body frame and the metal strip. Since the liner has lower hardness than the metal strip, any scraping or wear occurs on the liner rather than on the metal strip surface, preventing surface flaws

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The chute guide is transformed from a single material body frame to a composite structure with the body frame and liner. This composite structure combines the structural strength of the body frame with the low-friction, low-hardness properties of the liner

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 effectively stabilizes the passage of high-strength thick metal strips, reducing energy consumption and preventing surface flaws by minimizing frictional resistance and allowing for cost-effective and efficient liner replacement.

Implementation Method 1

having a lower friction coefficient than a friction coefficient of the body frame

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP3120947B1Coiler device provided with chute guide
Publication Date: 2021.05.12 PRIMETALS TECHNOLOGIES JAPAN LTD
  • EP3120947B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3120947B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3120947B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This coiler device (1) provided with a chute guide (40a) has: pinch rollers (10a, 10b) that lead a metal sheet (2) carried in along a path line (L1) to a coil-up line (L2) that is curved from the path line (L1); a mandrel (20) that is disposed ahead of the coil-up line (L2) and coils up the metal sheet (2); and a chute guide (40a) that guides the upward-facing surface side of the metal sheet (2) at the coil-up line (L2) and introduces the metal sheet (2) to the coil-up opening (23) of the mandrel (20). A configuration is adopted such that the chute guide (40a) has: a main body frame (70) ; and a liner (72) that is attached to the main body frame (70), forms at least a portion of the guide surface (42) that guides the metal sheet (2), has a lower coefficient of friction than the main body frame (70), and has a lower hardness than the metal sheet (2).