Drop Roller Press Selective Actuation for Door Panel Bonding

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional door manufacturing processes often fail to apply direct pressure to inwardly-contoured channels of door skins, leading to improper bonding and potential separation of door skins and core during the pressing and curing processes.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that utilize a scanning system to identify the location of recessed panel portions and transition regions on door skins, and a press with actuators and press members that selectively apply direct pressure to these areas during the pressing operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional pressing processes apply pressure primarily to flat panel portions of door skins, then the pressing operation is simple and straightforward, but the inwardly-contoured channels receive no direct pressure causing improper bonding and potential separation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebonding qualityVSAvoidpressing system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pressing system is divided into multiple independent press members, each capable of being selectively actuated to apply pressure to specific regions of the door skin. This segmentation allows targeted pressure application to inwardly-contoured channels while maintaining simplicity in the overall system design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The press members are made selectively actuable based on real-time surface data from the scanning system. This dynamic control allows the pressing system to adapt to varying door skin geometries and apply pressure only where needed, improving bonding reliability without requiring complex fixed-pressure systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Manufacturing precision

If a scanning system and selective actuator activation are implemented to apply direct pressure to recessed panel portions, then bonding quality in these areas is improved, but the manufacturing process complexity and time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure application precisionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The scanning system captures surface data of the door skin before the pressing operation begins. This preliminary action allows the controller to pre-determine which press members need to be activated and to what extent, enabling precise pressure application without adding complexity during the actual pressing process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces complex mechanical pressure distribution mechanisms with a combination of scanning technology and selective actuator control. This substitution allows for precise pressure application to specific regions without requiring complex mechanical linkages or force distribution systems.

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

3Productivity

If conventional pressing processes are used without selective pressure application, then the manufacturing process is fast and simple, but doors may fail to bond properly along inwardly-contoured channels leading to separation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing speedVSAvoidbonding reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The scanning system automatically identifies the geometry of the door skin including inwardly-contoured channels, and the controller automatically determines the appropriate press member activation pattern. This self-service capability eliminates the need for manual setup or complex programming while ensuring reliable bonding, maintaining productivity without sacrificing reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3907066B1Drop roller press and method of making recessed panel doors
Publication Date: 2025.04.02 JELD WEN INC
  • EP3907066B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3907066B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3907066B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The disclosure relates to systems and methods for pressing a door assembly involving a scanning system operable to survey an outer surface of a door skin and identify a location of one or more recessed panel portions on the door skin, and a press operable to selectably actuate a group of actuators based on the identified location of the recessed panel portions, where the actuators drive press members onto the one or more recessed panel portions of the door skin during a pressing operation to facilitate crushing of portions of a core of the door assembly that underlie the recessed panel portion of the door skin.