Cord Aligning Apparatus for Calender Line Setup Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for aligning cords in a calender line are labor-intensive and time-consuming, requiring manual fitting of cords into grooves of both the grooved comb roll and press roll, which prolongs setup times and reduces productivity, especially when manufacturing various types of small-lot topping sheets.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus where the grooved press roll and comb roll are arranged in parallel upstream of the topping roll, allowing cords to be first aligned and fitted into the comb roll grooves, then transferred to the press roll, reducing the need for manual alignment and minimizing labor and time required for cord alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If cords are manually fitted into grooves of both the grooved comb roll and grooved press roll to align and set them, then the cords are held in an aligned state for rubber topping, but the alignment process becomes labor-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment function is segmented between two rolls: the grooved comb roll performs the alignment function by fitting cords into its grooves, while the grooved press roll performs the pressing function. This segmentation allows each roll to have a specialized role, improving both alignment precision and setup efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment function is extracted from the press roll and assigned to a separate comb roll. The press roll is taken out from the dual function of both pressing and aligning, reducing its complexity and the manual labor required for setup.
2Device complexity
If a grooved press roll is used alone to hold cords in alignment, then the structure is simpler, but the cords may get out of alignment due to vibrations and swinging during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The grooved comb roll and grooved press roll are combined in series to work together: the comb roll aligns the cords and the press roll maintains the alignment while pressing. This combination provides both structural simplicity and operational reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooved comb roll acts as an intermediary between the cord feed and the grooved press roll. It prepares the cords in proper alignment before they reach the press roll, ensuring stable alignment throughout the pressing operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual alignment of cords is performed for every setup change, then precise alignment is achieved, but the time required for setup changes increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The grooved comb roll performs preliminary alignment of cords into its grooves before the cords reach the press roll. This preliminary action ensures that when setup changes occur, the alignment work is already partially done, reducing the time and labor required for re-alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooved comb roll and press roll work together in a self-aligning system where the cords are automatically guided into the grooves during the pressing operation, reducing the need for manual intervention during setup changes.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is aimed at shortening time and reducing labor in a work of fitting a multiplicity of cords, respectively, into grooves of a grooved press roll and of a grooved comb roll to align the same in a calender apparatus, in which rubber is topped on the multiplicity of cords as aligned, in an aligning work, the multiplicity of cords are first fitted into grooves on an upper surface side of the comb roll to be aligned, the press roll is then displaced to an alignment transfer position from a standby position close to a topping roll to be opposed to the upper surface side of the comb roll to thereby transfer an aligned state of the cords fitted into the grooves of the comb roll to the press roll as it is to fit the respective cords into grooves of the press roll and to displace the press roll to the standby position while maintaining the fitted state, to set the cords in an aligned state.