Fiber Forming Station with Dual Suction Tools for High Throughput
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manufacturing processes for molded parts from natural fibers lack flexibility, reproducibility, and throughput, and there is a need for environmentally friendly alternatives to single-use plastic products.
Innovation Solution
A first forming station with a reservoir, suction tools, pre-compression station, and transport device for shaping and pre-shaping molded parts from biodegradable fiber material, utilizing a pulp solution and multiple suction heads, enabling flexible and high-throughput production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single suction tool is used for forming molded parts from pulp, then the device complexity is reduced, but the productivity and throughput are limited due to sequential processing
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the forming process into two independent suction tools (first suction tool for forming, second suction tool for pre-pressing), each capable of operating simultaneously. This segmentation allows parallel processing of different production stages, doubling the throughput while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple suction tools and processing stations into a single integrated forming station. The first and second suction tools are merged with the pre-pressing station and transport device to create a coordinated system where multiple operations occur simultaneously within one structural unit, improving throughput without proportionally increasing overall system complexity
2Manufacturing precision
If the suction tool remains stationary during forming, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision and quality are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The suction tool is transformed from a stationary component to a dynamic one capable of independent rotation and movement. This allows the suction tool to be precisely positioned at different stations (forming station, pre-pressing station) during the production cycle, ensuring high manufacturing precision while the automated control system manages the added complexity
3Object-affected harmful factors
If natural fiber materials are used instead of conventional plastics, then environmental harm is reduced, but the manufacturing precision and reproducibility are currently insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates a pre-pressing station that applies controlled pressure to the formed molded parts before final processing. This feedback mechanism adjusts and stabilizes the shape and moisture content of natural fiber products, ensuring consistent quality and high reproducibility across production batches, making natural fiber materials reliable for commercial application
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
Enables the efficient, flexible, and reproducible production of molded parts with high quality and accuracy, using environmentally friendly materials, and supports high throughput by rotating and moving suction tools independently for simultaneous forming and pre-pressing.
Implementation Method 1
a first and second suction tool as a molding station, each with a plurality of suction heads for drawing the fiber material for molding the part from the reservoir containing the pulp
Implementation Method 2
a pre-compression station with a pre-compression tool having a contour adapted or adaptable to the first and second suction tools for pre-forming the molded parts located in the first and second suction tools, respectively, wherein the molded parts are pressed onto the pre-compression tool with a pre-compression pressure to reduce moisture content in the molded part and to stabilize the shape of the molded part
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 1c~1d
Figure 1e~1f
AI summary
The invention relates to a first forming station (1) for shaping (210) and pre-shaping (220) of molded parts (10) made of fiber material, a fiber forming plant (100) with such a first forming station (1) and a method (200) for operating this first forming station (1) or the fiber forming plant (100) and a molded part (10) produced by such a method.