Fired Millboard Pulling Rolls for Sheet Glass
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pulling rolls in sheet glass manufacturing fail to balance high temperature durability, controlled force application, hardness, and low contamination, leading to surface damage and onclusions in the glass.
Innovation Solution
A pulling roll made from millboard materials that are fired at specific temperatures and times to minimize weight loss due to thermal perturbations, ensuring the roll maintains its structural integrity and reduces particle contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the pulling roll material is made hard to resist process damage from broken glass, then the roll's durability improves, but the roll may give off particles that adhere to glass and form surface defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials consisting of multiple layers with different properties. The outer layer is designed to be hard and wear-resistant to prevent damage from glass particles, while the inner layer provides flexibility and prevents particle generation. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by combining materials with complementary characteristics that individually would not satisfy both requirements simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the physical and chemical parameters of the rolling stock material through controlled heat treatment and composition adjustment. By changing parameters such as hardness, tensile strength, and thermal stability within specific ranges, the material achieves optimal balance between durability and particle resistance, transforming the material properties to simultaneously meet both conflicting requirements.
2Manufacturing precision
If the rolling stock contacts the glass ribbon over a limited area at edges to avoid damaging the central portion, then the glass quality improves, but the required pulling forces must be generated using only this limited area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by designing the rolling stock with non-uniform surface characteristics. The contact regions at the edges are specifically engineered with different properties (such as hardness, friction coefficient, or surface texture) compared to the central regions. This allows the limited contact area to generate sufficient pulling force through optimized local properties while maintaining glass quality in the central portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-conditioning the rolling stock material and surface before actual glass processing. Pre-treatment steps such as surface coating, heat treatment, or mechanical conditioning are performed in advance to ensure the rolling stock is optimally prepared to generate required pulling forces within the limited contact area, thereby achieving both force requirements and glass quality protection.
3Productivity
If the pulling roll operates for extended periods at high temperatures to increase productivity, then the production rate improves, but the roll material undergoes thermal degradation and weight loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by selecting and optimizing material composition parameters specifically for high-temperature stability. The material formulation includes components with high melting points and thermal stability, and the processing parameters (temperature, time, atmosphere) are carefully controlled to minimize thermal degradation while maintaining productivity. This transforms the material's thermal response characteristics to withstand extended high-temperature operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by incorporating thermal protection measures and material pre-conditioning before high-temperature operation begins. This includes pre-heating procedures, thermal barrier coatings, or material selections that inherently resist thermal shock and degradation. These preparatory measures cushion the material against thermal perturbations, enabling extended operation at high temperatures without significant weight loss or compositional change.
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 solution extends the lifespan of pulling rolls, reduces onclusions in the glass sheets, and maintains the roll's bulk density, resulting in higher-quality glass production with fewer defects.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of millboard pieces have been fired at a predetermined temperature and time such that the pulling roll does not undergo a weight loss from thermal perturbations of more than 5% upon exposure to operating temperatures
Data Source
AI summary
A pulling roll for glass manufacture made from a millboard material fired to minimize or eliminate weight loss during operation. Methods for preparing and using such a pulling roll are also disclosed.