Composite Shuttle Design for Circular Looms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Circular looms face performance limitations due to the resilience of shuttle components under centrifugal force, leading to uneven weft insertion, reduced fabric quality, and increased noise, with existing solutions either compromising on material stiffness or increasing material mass.
Innovation Solution
A shuttle design featuring a frame of supports and spacers with high dimensional stability and reduced mass, utilizing aluminum for carrier plates and bridge elements, and eccentrically adjustable rollers for smooth operation, reduces centrifugal forces and noise while maintaining rigidity and increasing weaving performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the speed of the main shaft is increased to increase the number of picks per minute, then the productivity of the circular loom is improved, but the centrifugal force on the shuttle components increases causing bending and misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The shuttle bottom plate is made from a composite material consisting of a rigid foam core (such as polyethylene foam) covered with a thin metal sheet (such as aluminum or stainless steel). This composite structure provides high rigidity and dimensional stability under centrifugal force while keeping the mass low, allowing the shuttle to operate at high speeds without component misalignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameters of the bottom plate by using a composite structure with optimized density and stiffness characteristics. The foam core provides structural rigidity while the metal covering provides surface stability, creating a material that resists centrifugal deformation at high rotation speeds.
2Strength
If the mass of the shuttle is increased to strengthen components and resist centrifugal force, then the strength and rigidity are improved, but the centrifugal force and noise increase reducing performance
Solution Approach 1:
The composite bottom plate combines a lightweight foam core with a thin metal skin to achieve high strength-to-weight ratio. The foam core (density 30-100 kg/m³) provides structural strength while the metal covering (0.5-2 mm thick) provides surface rigidity, resulting in a component that is both strong and lightweight, reducing centrifugal force and noise.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom plate uses different materials with different properties in different regions: the foam core provides bulk structural support and shock absorption, while the thin metal covering provides surface rigidity and dimensional stability. This local differentiation of material properties optimizes strength while minimizing mass.
3Ease of manufacture
If injection molding is used to manufacture the bottom plate, then the manufacturing ease is improved, but the material shrinkage and dimensional deviations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom plate is manufactured as a composite structure consisting of a foam core and a metal covering, which are separately manufactured and then bonded together. The foam core is cut or molded to shape, and the metal sheet is formed and attached to the foam surface, allowing each component to be manufactured with high precision independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite construction allows the foam core to be manufactured with minimal shrinkage concerns (as foam materials have low shrinkage), while the metal covering can be precisely formed and attached, resulting in a final product with superior dimensional accuracy compared to monolithic injection molding.
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 shuttle design enhances the number of picks per minute, improves fabric quality, reduces noise, and decreases wear on components, achieving higher weaving performance with reduced stress and noise levels.
Implementation Method 1
the resilience of the components of the shuttles, on which the centrifugal force acts when the shuttles rotate in the reed
Implementation Method 2
eccentrically adjustable rollers for smooth operation
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
Shuttles (1) with wheels (4) for rotation on the reed of a circular loom and with bobbin holders (13) arranged on bearing blocks (12) for holding a weft bobbin (11) rotatably about its longitudinal axis, wherein the construction of the shuttle (1) is based on supports held at a distance from each other transverse to the direction of travel of the shuttle (1) by means of spacers (3), on which the wheels (4) are mounted.