Extrusion Body for Railway Sleeper Shoe Production

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing manufacturing processes for sleeper shoes, such as compression or injection molding, are inefficient and costly when producing shoes of varying lengths, particularly in areas like switches where different dimensions are required, leading to high labor costs and quality fluctuations due to manual adjustments.

Innovation Solution

An extrusion body with a substantially constant cross-section, allowing for flexible length adjustment and production of sleeper shoes by reshaping and joining sections, enabling the creation of shoes with varying lengths without significant material waste or the need for multiple molds.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional compression molding or injection molding is used to produce sleeper shoes of varying lengths, then manufacturing precision can be maintained, but device complexity and production cost increase significantly due to the need for multiple molds

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesleeper shoe dimensionsVSAvoidnumber of molds required
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A single extrusion mold is designed to produce extrusion bodies with constant cross-section that can be cut and assembled into sleeper shoes of various lengths. The mold structure includes a cavity defining the cross-sectional shape and an extrusion direction perpendicular to the cavity, allowing one mold to serve multiple length requirements through post-extrusion cutting and joining operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The sleeper shoe is divided into multiple extrusion bodies of constant cross-section that are produced separately and then joined together. Each extrusion body has a defined length in the extrusion direction, and multiple such bodies can be connected to achieve the required total length, allowing flexible dimensioning without requiring different molds for each length

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If manually punching and reworking sleeper shoe ends is used to achieve individual dimensions, then adaptability to different lengths is improved, but productivity decreases due to labor-intensive manual work

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesleeper shoe length variationVSAvoidproduction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The extrusion bodies are pre-formed with constant cross-section and standardized dimensions during the extrusion process. The cutting to specific lengths is performed after extrusion using automated or semi-automated cutting devices, eliminating the need for manual punching and reworking. This preliminary formation of standardized components followed by automated cutting significantly improves productivity while maintaining adaptability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Manufacturing precision

If multiple differently sized molds are produced for each sleeper shoe length, then manufacturing precision for specific dimensions is improved, but loss of substance increases due to material waste from manual adjustments

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesleeper shoe lengthVSAvoidmaterial waste
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of changing the mold geometry for each length requirement, the invention maintains a constant cross-sectional cavity in the extrusion mold and achieves different lengths by controlling the extrusion process parameters and subsequent cutting operations. The extrusion direction is perpendicular to the cavity, allowing precise control of the extrusion body length through process parameters rather than mold geometry changes, thereby reducing material waste

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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

This method allows for cost-effective and efficient production of sleeper shoes with individual dimensions, improving flexibility and reducing labor costs by enabling the production of shoes with different lengths, particularly suitable for switches and other applications requiring varied dimensions.

Implementation Method 1

an extrusion body (1) for forming a sleeper shoe (2) for a railway sleeper (4) is proposed, wherein the extrusion body (1) has a substantially constant cross-section along its main extension direction (H)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectExtrusion: Extrusion

Data Source

PatentEP4230795B1Extrusion body, sleeper shoe and method for producing a sleeper shoe
Publication Date: 2024.08.28 SEMPERIT OESTERREICHISCH AMERIKANISCHE GUMMIWERKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
  • EP4230795B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4230795B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4230795B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

Extrusion body (1) for forming a sleeper shoe (2) for a railway sleeper (4), wherein the extrusion body (1) has a substantially constant cross-section along its principal extension direction (H), wherein the extrusion body (1) comprises in cross-section: a wall section (12) extending in cross-section along a migration extension direction (W), and a bottom section (14) provided at an end section of the wall section (12), wherein the bottom section (14) extends in a direction different from the migration extension direction (W).