Clad Plate Slits for Controlled Bending and Wear Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Clad plates with brittle cladding layers are prone to material failure under excessive bending or impact forces, leading to potential environmental pollution and safety hazards due to the lack of clear indication of failure.

Innovation Solution

A process of producing clad plates with slits in the brittle cladding layer to allow for predetermined deformation, preventing tension buildup and enabling controlled bending or folding, thereby enhancing the clad plate's resistance to bending forces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the cladding layer is made of a hard and brittle material to provide wear-resistance, then the wear-resistance is improved, but the material is prone to fracture under excessive bending or impact forces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewear-resistanceVSAvoidresistance to fracture
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cladding layer is segmented by introducing slits that divide it into multiple sections. These slits allow the brittle cladding material to deform locally without causing catastrophic fracture, thus maintaining wear-resistance while improving reliability under bending or impact forces

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The mechanical properties of the cladding layer are modified by changing its structural parameters - specifically by introducing slits with controlled depth and spacing. This changes the stress distribution and deformation characteristics, allowing the brittle material to accommodate bending forces without fracturing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Strength

If the cladding layer is made hard and brittle to provide wear-resistance, then the wear-resistance is improved, but the clad plate becomes difficult to shape and bend without causing material failure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewear-resistanceVSAvoidease of shaping
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The cladding layer is divided into segments by slits, which act as predetermined deformation zones. This segmentation allows the plate to be bent and shaped more easily during manufacturing, as the slits provide controlled points of flexibility without compromising the overall structural integrity or wear-resistance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The slits are introduced during the manufacturing process before the clad plate is put into service. This preliminary action of creating deformation pathways during fabrication makes subsequent shaping operations easier and prevents material failure during bending or forming operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Strength

If the cladding layer is made of brittle material with high yield strength, then the wear-resistance is improved, but there is no clear prior indication of failure before catastrophic breakdown

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewear-resistanceVSAvoiddetectability of failure
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The slits in the cladding layer can serve as visual indicators of stress and potential failure points. Under certain conditions, the slits may show visible changes such as widening, discoloration, or other detectable signs that precede catastrophic failure, providing early warning of material degradation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The slit structure provides feedback mechanisms for detecting stress and strain in the cladding layer. The slits can be designed to respond to loading conditions in ways that provide visible or measurable indicators of the plate's structural state, enabling monitoring of the clad plate's health

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3463738B1Clad plate and process of producing clad plate
Publication Date: 2020.03.18 G C C HLDG BV
  • EP3463738B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1C
  • EP3463738B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3463738B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

The invention relates to a process of producing a clad plate (3) comprising a first, structural-strength-providing base layer (2) of a first material and on at least one side thereof a second, wear- resistance-providing cladding layer (1) of a second material, wherein the first material and the second material are relatively ductile and brittle, respectively, whereby the process comprises the steps of: • - placing the second layer (1) onto the first layer (2) to form a multilayer plate assembly; • - making slits (6, 6a, 6b) in the second layer (1), • - wherein the slits are made as to extend from the outer surface of the second layer towards the boundary with the first layer, preferably to extend throughout the whole thickness of the second layer. The process can additionally comprise a step of heating the clad for hardening the second layer. The invention also relates to clad plates produced by the process according to the invention, and to items comprising such clad plates, such as flat plates, vessels, pipe spools, pipe loops, pipe elbows, straight pipes, pipe bends and pipe fittings.