Co-extrusion Roller Unit for Plastic Flooring Layering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional equipment for forming plastic flooring experiences issues with air bubbles and uneven patterns due to high temperature heating of substrates, printing layers, and abrasion-resistant layers during the rolling process, leading to inconsistent layer formation.
Innovation Solution
The equipment employs a co-extrusion unit with multiple extruders and a roller unit comprising specific rollers to form a layering structure of plastic flooring, where different melted plastic materials are extruded and rolled to create a substrate, printing layer, and abrasion-resistant layer, with a contact roller pressing and delivering these layers to form a stiff and flexible structure with predetermined patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If high temperature heating is applied to the substrate during rolling, then the substrate becomes soft and formable, but air bubbles and uneven patterns are generated in the layering structure
Solution Approach 1:
The heating process is divided into multiple heating zones along the rolling direction, allowing different temperature control for each zone. This segmentation enables gradual heating and pressing to prevent air bubble formation while maintaining layering uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate is pre-heated before entering the rolling zone to a controlled temperature range, and pre-pressing is applied before final pattern formation. This preliminary action prepares the substrate for layering without causing uneven heating that would create air bubbles.
2Productivity
If the rolling process is completed in a short time with small contact area, then production efficiency is improved, but air bubbles and uneven patterns are generated
Solution Approach 1:
The rolling process is divided into multiple pressing zones with different pressure and speed characteristics. This allows the substrate to be processed in stages, maintaining quality while improving overall throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The rolling and pressing operations are made continuous without interruption, with the substrate constantly moving through the heating and pressing zones. This continuous action prevents air bubble formation while maintaining high productivity.
3Device complexity
If conventional four-roller equipment is used, then the structure is simple, but the layering structure cannot be formed stiffly and flexibly with consistent patterns
Solution Approach 1:
Each roller is designed to perform multiple functions: heating, pressing, pattern formation, and air bubble elimination. This multi-functionality allows consistent pattern formation without requiring excessive numbers of separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The rollers are designed with variable parameters including adjustable temperature, pressure, speed, and surface characteristics. These parameter changes enable the same roller to produce different patterns and maintain consistency across different production conditions.
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 enables the formation of stiff and flexible plastic flooring with consistent patterns, eliminating air bubbles and unevenness, and allows for automated manufacturing, resulting in high-quality plastic flooring products.
Implementation Method 1
a first extruder (21), a second extruder (22), a third extruder (23), and a material distributor (24). The first, second, third extruders (21, 22, 23) are configured to extrude different melted plastic materials
Implementation Method 2
The contact roller (5) is configured to heat and soften the substrate (7)
Implementation Method 3
The contact roller (5) is configured to heat and soften the substrate (7)
Data Source
AI summary
Equipment of forming layering structure of plastic flooring contains: a co-extrusion unit, a first rolling mechanism, a second rolling mechanism, and a roller unit. The co-extrusion unit includes a first extruder, a second extruder, a third extruder, and a material distributor. A respective one of multiple guide tubes is defined between an opening of each of the first, second, third extruders and the material distributor, and the material distributor has multiple conduits configured to gather melted plastic materials from the first, second, third extruders, and a substrate is extrusion molded from a supply head of the material distributor. The roller unit is mounted on a support frame and includes a first delivery roller, a second delivery roller, a contact roller, two pattern rollers, a first guide roller, a second guide roller, and a third guide roller which are arranged along a horizontal direction of the support frame.