Fiber Impregnation Device with Adjustable Volume Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for impregnating fibers with a matrix material face challenges such as viscosity changes due to evaporation or chemical reactions, laborious startup processes, and difficulties in maintaining a constant fiber volume content, especially when dealing with fluctuations in operating parameters.
Innovation Solution
A device with a unit for adjusting the fiber volume content, featuring openings with a minimum cross-sectional area to remove excess matrix material, ensuring a consistent fiber volume content, and allowing for adjustable settings to accommodate different fiber types and volumes, while preventing matrix material from hardening on rollers and enabling easy fiber insertion and processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fibers are guided through a bath with matrix material for impregnation, then continuous impregnation is achieved, but the viscosity of the matrix material changes over time due to evaporation or chemical reactions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a closed bath system that creates a controlled environment for the matrix material, preventing evaporation and minimizing contact with ambient humidity. This closed system maintains consistent viscosity by isolating the matrix material from environmental factors that would otherwise cause degradation over time during continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous fiber impregnation without interruption while maintaining stable matrix material properties. The closed bath system allows the impregnation process to run continuously without the need to stop for cleaning or viscosity adjustment, as the matrix material remains protected from environmental degradation throughout the continuous operation.
2Ease of operation
If an open bath is used for fiber impregnation, then easy fiber insertion is achieved, but laborious threading is required after cleaning and the bath can only be filled when fibers are already inserted
Solution Approach 1:
The closed bath system allows fibers to be inserted before closing the bath, creating a controlled environment that prevents matrix material exposure to air. This eliminates the need for laborious threading operations after cleaning, as the bath can be properly prepared and sealed beforehand, allowing fibers to be continuously fed through without interruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables preliminary preparation of the closed bath system with matrix material before fiber insertion. The bath can be sealed and prepared in advance, and fibers can be continuously fed through without requiring stopping for cleaning or re-threading, as the closed system maintains its integrity throughout the process.
3Manufacturing precision
If a small impregnation device with gap is used, then viscosity changes are avoided, but the matrix material must be continuously and very precisely adjusted to obtain uniform impregnation
Solution Approach 1:
The closed bath system creates a stable environment that prevents viscosity changes from evaporation and chemical reactions with ambient air. This eliminates the need for continuous matrix material adjustment, as the sealed environment naturally maintains consistent viscosity throughout the impregnation process without requiring complex control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the environmental parameters by implementing a closed system that controls temperature and humidity exposure of the matrix material. This parameter control prevents viscosity drift, eliminating the need for continuous adjustment of matrix material properties during the impregnation process.
4Productivity
If matrix material is added from a storage container above rollers, then impregnation is achieved, but excess matrix material runs down and cannot be recycled and may harden on rollers
Solution Approach 1:
The closed bath system allows excess matrix material that drips from fibers to be collected and returned to the bath for reuse. This recycling mechanism prevents waste of matrix material and eliminates the need for continuous addition from storage containers, while the closed environment prevents hardening on rollers by maintaining proper viscosity through controlled conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous circulation and recycling of matrix material within the closed bath system. Excess material that would otherwise run down and waste is continuously recovered and reused, maintaining impregnation efficiency without requiring additional matrix material addition or causing waste accumulation on rollers.
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 device ensures a constant fiber volume content is maintained despite process fluctuations, prevents matrix material from hardening on rollers, and simplifies the startup process by allowing continuous and uniform impregnation, reducing the need for complex cleaning and maintaining a stable matrix material viscosity.
Implementation Method 1
each opening is dimensioned at its minimum opening cross section to remove enough matrix material to achieve the desired fiber volume content
Data Source
Figure 1a~2b
Figure 3a~3c
Figure 4a~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for impregnating fibers (1) with a matrix material, comprising a unit for saturating the fibers with the matrix material, a unit for setting the fiber volume fraction (100) being included, which comprises at least one opening (107), through which the saturated fibers (1) are guided, each opening (107) being dimensioned at the minimum opening cross-section (111) of the opening in such a way that such an amount of matrix material is removed that the desired fiber volume fraction is achieved, and the unit for setting the fiber volume fraction (100) comprising an upper part (101, 131) and a lower part (103, 133) and each opening (107) being formed partly in the lower part (103, 133) and partly in the upper part (101, 131). The invention further relates to a method for impregnating fibers in such a device.