Endless Diamond Wire Cutting for Clean Mineral Wool Panels

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cutting devices for mineral wool and porous construction materials generate significant waste and dust, leading to inefficient cutting processes and potential operator safety hazards, with diamond wire devices experiencing premature wear and discontinuous production due to directional changes.

Innovation Solution

A cutting device utilizing an endless loop of steel wire or cable with abrasive grains, such as diamond or cubic boron nitride, tensioned around pulleys and moved in synchronized directions to achieve precise, clean cuts with minimal waste and dust, allowing continuous production.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If diamond wire is wound on spools and reversed direction, then cutting can be performed, but wire wear increases and production becomes discontinuous

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous productionVSAvoidwire lifespan
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of reversing the wire direction to perform cuts in opposite directions, the patent uses two separate endless wires moving in opposite directions simultaneously. This inversion of the approach eliminates wire wear from reversal and enables continuous production without stops.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent divides the cutting system into two independent endless wire loops instead of one reversible wire. Each wire is tensioned independently and moves continuously in opposite directions, allowing simultaneous cutting operations without wire reversal.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If saw teeth are offset in thickness, then cutting can be performed, but material waste increases up to 10%

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting efficiencyVSAvoidmaterial waste
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional saw teeth mechanical cutting with abrasive grains on endless wires. This substitution allows for precise cutting with minimal material removal, eliminating the 10% waste associated with offset saw teeth while maintaining high cutting efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If high pressure water jet is used, then dust is reduced, but water absorption by porous material degrades mechanical properties

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedust generationVSAvoidmechanical properties
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces high pressure water jet with abrasive wires moving in contact with the material. This substitution eliminates water absorption issues while maintaining dust control through the dry abrasive cutting mechanism, preserving the mechanical properties of porous materials.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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 high-quality, clean cuts with reduced waste and dust, extending the lifespan of cutting elements and ensuring continuous production by avoiding directional changes, thus improving operational safety and efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

a wire forming an endless loop provided with abrasive grains, in particular of diamond or cubic boron nitride

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAbrasion: Abrasion

Data Source

PatentEP3684565B1Method and device for cutting a matress or a panel of mineral wood or a plate from a panel in porous constructional material
Publication Date: 2023.09.06 SAINT GOBAIN PLACO SAS
  • EP3684565B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3684565B1 patent drawingFigure 2~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a device for cutting a mat or a panel (1) of mineral wool or a board or a panel (1) of porous construction material, comprising: - movement means (3, 4) for moving the mat or panel (1) of mineral wool or board or panel (1) of porous construction material, comprising at least one conveyor, which means can be moved in a direction (X); - an endless diamond element (2a, 2b, 2c) suitable for cutting the mat or panel (1) of mineral wool or board or panel (1) of porous construction material, - means (8, 9) for moving the endless diamond element (2a, 2b, 2c) in a direction (Y) perpendicular to the direction of movement (X) of the mat or panel (1) of mineral wool or the board or panel (1) of porous construction material, said endless diamond element (2a, 2b, 2c) preferably being an endless diamond wire (2a), an endless diamond cable (2b) or an endless diamond belt (2c). The invention can be used to obtain a neat cut, without subsequent sanding, greatly reducing waste and dust generated.