Fiber Cutting Apparatus with Angled Rollers for Isotropic Resin
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manufacturing apparatuses for fiber reinforced resin materials often result in uneven fiber orientation due to the free falling and tilting of cut fiber bundles, leading to variations in material strength across different directions.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes multiple cutters arranged along the conveying direction of the fiber bundles, with each cutter's longitudinal direction forming different angles with the conveying direction, ensuring uniform dispersion and controlled fiber orientation, and the cutters are positioned to cut the fiber bundles when their leading ends reach the conveying surface to prevent bouncing and ensure intended orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single cutter roller is used to cut fiber bundles, then the cutting process is simple, but the fiber orientation becomes uneven and strength varies in different directions
Solution Approach 1:
The single cutter roller is divided into multiple cutter rollers (first, second, third cutter rollers) arranged at different angles. Each cutter roller cuts fiber bundles at a specific orientation (0°, 45°, -45°), segmenting the cutting function to achieve comprehensive fiber orientation coverage and isotropic strength distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutter rollers are asymmetrically arranged at different angles relative to the conveying direction. The first cutter roller is parallel to the conveying direction (0°), the second at +45°, and the third at -45°, creating asymmetric cutting orientations that collectively achieve isotropic fiber distribution.
2Productivity
If fiber bundles are cut and allowed to fall freely, then the cutting process is fast, but the fiber bundles tilt or fall in the conveying direction causing uneven orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber bundles are guided along the conveying direction before reaching the cutter rollers, ensuring they are properly positioned and oriented just before cutting. This preliminary guidance action prevents random tilting during the cutting process while maintaining high cutting speed.
Solution Approach 2:
A guide roller acts as an intermediary between the fiber bundle supply and the cutter rollers. The guide roller directs the fiber bundles at appropriate angles to each cutter roller, mediating the transition from linear conveying to multi-directional cutting orientation, thereby ensuring uniform fiber distribution.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for manufacturing a fiber reinforced resin material, by cutting long fiber bundles into a plurality of pieces having a predetermined length, and impregnating the cut fiber bundles with resin, includes a plurality of cutters each having a predetermined length and configured to cut the long fiber bundles, and a conveyance unit provided below the cutters and configured to continuously convey the fiber bundles cut with the cutters. The cutters are arranged along a conveying direction of the conveyance unit, such that respective longitudinal directions of the cutters form different angles with the conveying direction of the conveyance unit, when viewed from above the cutters.