Cross-laminated timber carpet production with +/- 1 mm accuracy
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing wall components, such as those used in modular construction, face challenges with waste generation and dimensional accuracy, as they often result in offcuts and propagate material tolerances, making them costly and unsustainable.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the sawing of wooden panels to form cross-laminated timber carpets, which are then cut to specific dimensions with precision, allowing for the insertion of intermediate parts to create wall components of varying heights and widths with minimal waste and high precision, enabling the production of wall components with +/- 1 mm dimensional accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If window or door openings are cut out or milled out of wall components, then openings are created, but offcuts are generated that represent significant cost factors and are economically and ecologically undesirable
Solution Approach 1:
The wall component is divided into multiple individual panels that are joined together to form the complete wall structure. Window and door openings are created by strategically positioning and joining panels rather than cutting openings in solid panels, thereby eliminating offcuts and waste material while maintaining manufacturing efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of starting with a solid panel and cutting out openings (subtractive approach), the invention inverts the approach by assembling the wall from multiple panels where openings are formed by the arrangement and joining of panels (additive approach), thus avoiding material waste entirely
2Ease of manufacture
If milling or cutting out of openings is performed, then openings are created, but dimensional tolerances deteriorate as deviations in starting materials are propagated to finished wall components
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the wall into multiple panels with standardized dimensions, the invention isolates tolerance accumulation. Each panel can be manufactured with tight tolerances independently, and the modular assembly process ensures that local deviations do not propagate throughout the entire wall structure, maintaining overall dimensional accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the manufacturing parameter from subtractive (cutting/milling) to additive (assembly/joining). This parameter change allows for better control of dimensional tolerances through standardized panel dimensions and precise joining mechanisms, preventing tolerance propagation that occurs with cutting operations
3Productivity
If standard panel widths are used without customization, then production efficiency is maintained, but adaptability to different wall component dimensions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The wall structure is segmented into multiple standardized panels that can be assembled in different configurations. This segmentation enables high production efficiency through standardized manufacturing while providing adaptability through flexible assembly arrangements, allowing customization of wall component dimensions without sacrificing productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized panels serve multiple functions and can be used in various wall component configurations. The same panel type can be assembled in different patterns and arrangements to create walls of varying dimensions and designs, providing universal applicability that maintains productivity while enabling customization
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
This method significantly reduces waste, achieves precise dimensional accuracy, and allows for the production of wall components with customizable dimensions, enhancing sustainability and cost-effectiveness in large-scale production.
Implementation Method 1
the panels on the conveyor track being connected along the adjacent longitudinal sides to form a first cross-laminated timber carpet
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing wall components for buildings, wherein cross-laminated timber panels of a certain width and length are kept in a magazine, wherein the panels are sawn transversely to the longitudinal direction to obtain cross-laminated timber panels of the same width and shorter length, wherein several panels are placed transversely to the direction of travel on a conveyor belt, such that the panels are flush at the top and bottom and the side edges of successive panels touch each other, wherein the panels on the conveyor belt are joined along the adjacent longitudinal sides to form a cross-laminated timber carpet, and wherein the carpet is sawn transversely to the direction of travel of the conveyor belt to obtain cross-laminated timber panels of a defined width.