Contactless Looper Tension Control Without Roll Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for measuring and controlling tension in metal substrates during web handling processes, especially in applications where physical contact is not permitted, lack practical solutions, leading to potential breaks or buckling due to excessive tension or compression.
Innovation Solution
A contactless looper system that imparts a vertical deflection to the metal substrate without physical contact, using devices like magnetic rotors or electromagnets to levitate and heat the substrate, allowing for tension control through adjustable deflection amplitudes and speeds, thereby reducing rigidity and minimizing tension variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a physical contact method (deflection roll) is used to measure and control tension, then tension measurement and control is achieved, but the metal substrate may be damaged or contaminated due to physical contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical deflection roll system with an electromagnetic field-based system. Electromagnetic actuators generate forces that act on the metal substrate through eddy currents induced by moving magnetic fields, eliminating the need for physical contact while maintaining tension control capability. This substitution of mechanical action with electromagnetic action resolves the contradiction between reliable tension control and avoidance of contact damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces electromagnetic fields as an intermediary between the control system and the metal substrate. The electromagnetic actuators create oscillating magnetic fields that induce eddy currents in the substrate, which in turn generate Lorentz forces to control tension. This intermediary field-based mechanism allows force transmission without direct mechanical contact, resolving the harmful effects of physical contact while maintaining control reliability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If no physical contact is permitted, then substrate quality is maintained, but there is no practical method to measure and control tension
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical measurement and contactless force application systems with a unified electromagnetic actuation system. The same electromagnetic actuators that apply force also enable indirect measurement through monitoring of substrate response to controlled electromagnetic excitation. This unified approach maintains substrate quality while providing practical tension control without requiring separate complex measurement systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal substrate itself serves as both the object to be controlled and the sensing element. By inducing eddy currents in the substrate and measuring the resulting electromagnetic response or mechanical deformation through non-contact sensors, the system uses the substrate's own properties for both actuation and measurement. This self-service approach simplifies the overall system complexity while maintaining contactless operation and substrate quality protection.
3Measurement precision
If a deflection roll is used to measure tension, then tension can be monitored, but the method requires physical contact which is not permitted in some processing locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical deflection roll measurement with electromagnetic-based measurement. Tension is inferred by monitoring the response of the substrate to controlled electromagnetic actuation or by measuring the force required to maintain specific substrate position using electromagnetic sensors. This substitution provides precise tension measurement through field-based interaction without mechanical contact, satisfying both measurement precision and contactless operation requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces electromagnetic fields as an intermediary for both force application and measurement. Non-contact sensors detect substrate position, velocity, or tension-related parameters by measuring electromagnetic field interactions with the conductive substrate. This intermediary field-based measurement system achieves precise tension monitoring without physical contact, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and ease of contactless operation.
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
Enables effective tension control in metal substrates during processing, preventing breaks or buckling while avoiding damage from physical contact, and allowing for continuous processing with improved precision and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
at least one deflection device between the entrance and the exit, and the at least one deflection device imparts a deflection along the processing direction in a metal substrate without contacting the metal substrate
Implementation Method 2
A heating apparatus includes an entrance, an exit, and a looper between the entrance and the exit. A heating device may be provided between the entrance and the exit
Data Source
AI summary
A contactless looper for a metal substrate includes an entrance, an exit, and at least one deflection device between the entrance and the exit. The contactless looper is configured to receive a metal substrate moving in a processing direction from the entrance to the exit and impart a deflection along the processing direction in a metal substrate such that a position of the metal substrate at the at least one deflection device is vertically offset from a height of the metal substrate at the entrance of the looper. A method of processing a metal substrate with the contactless looper includes receiving the metal substrate at the entrance of the contactless looper along a passline, imparting a deflection in the metal substrate with the looper, and passing the metal substrate out the exit of the contactless looper.