Fiber Web Compaction Belts With Pre-Wetting to Prevent Fiber Adhesion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing devices for consolidating fiber webs face challenges such as complex and expensive constructions, fiber adherence to compaction belts leading to soilage, and inefficient wetting processes, which hinder optimal treatment of the fiber web.

Innovation Solution

The device employs two endless belts that converge at an acute angle for initial fluid application, allowing for adjustable nozzle configurations to minimize pressure on the fiber web during wetting, and uses diverging belts to reintegrate fibers back into the web, ensuring effective fluid distribution and fiber reintegration without excessive pressure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the fiber web is compressed and wetted in the pressed state between endless belts, then consolidation and wetting are achieved, but individual fibers remain adhering to the compaction belt after detachment, causing soilage and hindering optimal treatment of subsequent webs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconsistent treatment of fiber webVSAvoidfiber soilage on belt
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The nozzle bar is positioned to apply water jets to the fiber web before it enters the compression zone between the endless belts. This preliminary wetting prevents fibers from adhering to the belts during compression, eliminating soilage and ensuring consistent treatment of subsequent webs while maintaining effective consolidation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of wetting the fiber web after compression (which causes adhesion), the invention inverts the sequence by wetting the web before compression. This reverse approach eliminates the harmful adhesion effect while preserving the beneficial consolidation effect

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Object-generated harmful factors

If the nozzle bar is positioned to wet the fiber web before compression, then fiber adhesion is prevented, but the wetting effectiveness may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefiber adhesion to beltVSAvoidfluid absorption by fiber web
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The nozzle bar is positioned to apply water jets locally to the fiber web surface before compression, creating a controlled wetting zone. This localized approach prevents adhesion without over-saturating the web, maintaining both non-adhesion and effective wetting

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Quantity of substance

If intensive wetting is generated immediately on the drum, then wetting effectiveness is improved, but the construction becomes very complex and expensive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefluid application to fiber webVSAvoidconstruction complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the wetting function from the complex drum-based system and implements it through a simpler nozzle bar positioned before compression. This extraction maintains wetting effectiveness while dramatically reducing construction complexity and cost

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces the complex mechanical drum wetting system with a simpler fluid injection system using a nozzle bar. This substitution achieves the same wetting function with significantly reduced mechanical complexity

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

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 configuration allows for efficient consolidation and wetting of the fiber web, preventing fiber adherence to the belts and ensuring optimal treatment by allowing fluid jets to reintegrate fibers into the web, reducing operational complexity and costs.

Implementation Method 1

a first nozzle bar assigned to the endless belts with suction for wetting the fiber web

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid jet impingement: Jet

Data Source

PatentEP2417290B1Apparatus for compacting a fibrous web
Publication Date: 2013.03.20 TRUETZSCHLER NONWOVENS GMBH
  • EP2417290B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2417290B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2417290B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to an apparatus for compacting a material web made of fibers and/or filaments, comprising a first revolving endless belt which carries the material web and is tensioned around guide rollers, and a second endless belt which is tensioned around guide rollers and revolves counter to the first belt at the same speed, wherein the first and second endless belts form a conical compacting region in a first region in the conveying direction of the material web and run at an angle with respect to each other, whereby the material web located between the belts is increasingly pressed, wherein subsequent to the first region a first nozzle beam is disposed for a first fluid application of the material web still located between the two endless belts, wherein the two belts in this region of the first fluid application are in each case guided to run in a tensioned manner in a straight direction. According to the invention, the following is provided: the two belts (1, 2) are guided in the region of the first fluid application (D, W, A) such that they do not run parallel to each other, or: the two belts (1, 2) are guided in the region of the first fluid application (D, W, A) such that they run parallel to each other in a first section (AB1) and not parallel to each other in a subsequent second section (AB2).