Floor System Milling for Height Tolerance and Screed Elimination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for levelling floor surfaces with foamed polymer-containing materials, such as polyurethane foam, often result in insufficient height tolerances, making it difficult to accommodate rigid floor heating systems or reduce the thickness of screed layers, which is problematic in renovation where space is limited.
Innovation Solution
The use of surface milling instead of grinding, combined with a milling apparatus equipped with a multi-axis robot and suction system, to precisely level the floor surface, allowing for the removal of sufficient material to achieve the necessary tolerances without the need for additional screed layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If grinding is used to level the floor surface, then the process is simple, but the height tolerance is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional grinding process with a milling process. Instead of using grinding stones that mechanically abrade the surface, the invention uses rotating milling cutters that cut and remove material. This substitution of the mechanical system enables achieving height tolerances of less than 1.5 mm per 2 running metres while maintaining process feasibility through the use of a milling apparatus with suction system for chip removal.
2Reliability
If the floor level is increased to provide sufficient insulation, then the insulation value improves, but the available height is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the traditional screed layer from the floor system. By using milling to directly level the insulation layer to the required precision, the invention eliminates the need for an additional screed layer. This extraction of the screed layer function allows the insulation layer itself to serve as the load-bearing surface, thereby maintaining sufficient insulation value without increasing the overall floor height.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a thicker screed layer is used to accommodate rigid floor heating systems, then the installation is stable, but the thermal insulation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the function of the screed layer, which traditionally provided stability for floor heating systems. By milling the insulation layer directly to the required precision tolerances, the invention eliminates the need for a separate screed layer. This allows rigid floor heating systems to be installed directly on the milled insulation surface, maintaining installation stability while preserving thermal insulation properties that would be compromised by a thicker screed.
4Ease of operation
If traditional floor heating systems are installed, then the heating function is provided, but the rigid boards require a flat surface that is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional grinding process with milling to create the flat surface required for rigid floor heating systems. The milling process with specialized cutters and controlled feed rates produces a uniformly flat surface with tolerances of less than 1.5 mm per 2 running metres. This mechanical substitution enables easy installation of rigid floor heating systems by providing the necessary surface flatness that grinding cannot achieve.
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 method enables the creation of floor systems with reduced or no screed, allowing for effective thermal insulation and stable installation of rigid floor heating systems, even in renovations with limited height, thereby avoiding unnecessary construction work.
Implementation Method 1
The material that is milled away is preferably led away via an extraction system that is coupled to the milling apparatus. Thus, according to some embodiments, the milling apparatus may comprise a suction system for discharge of milled-off material
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for manufacturing a floor system is provided. The method comprises the steps: • providing a supporting structure; • applying a layer of foamed polymer-containing material applied on the supporting structure and if applicable the utility lines in order to obtain a floor surface; • levelling the floor surface by means of a milling apparatus comprising at least one milling cutter; • applying a floor heating layer provided with heat conductors supported by the levelled side of the layer of foamed polymer-containing material; • applying an upper external floor covering placed on the floor heating layer.