Folded Sealing Blade for Coating Applicator Wear Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealing blades in coating applicators become sharpened during use, posing occupational safety risks and making maintenance difficult due to their adherence to the blade holder, leading to potential injuries and damage to the application roll.
Innovation Solution
A sealing blade design featuring a contact surface that is 5-15% of its width, arranged against the moving surface, which reduces the angle and increases the contact area, thereby minimizing wear and sharpening, and includes flow openings to ensure optimal functioning and lubrication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sealing blade is pressed against the application roll to prevent air escape, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but the blade edge becomes sharp and causes occupational safety problems
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing blade is segmented into two distinct functional zones: a contact surface area (5-15% of blade width) that presses against the application roll for sealing, and a larger non-contact area that does not contact the roll. This segmentation allows the small contact zone to provide adequate sealing while the majority of the blade remains non-sharp, eliminating occupational safety hazards.
2Reliability
If the sealing blade is pressed firmly against the application roll, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but the blade wears more rapidly and may damage the roll
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing blade applies local quality by concentrating the sealing function in a small contact surface area (5-15% of blade width) with appropriate pressure, while the remaining 85-95% of the blade has different properties (non-sharp, lower pressure). This localized approach provides effective sealing at the contact zone while minimizing wear and damage to both the blade and application roll.
3Reliability
If the sealing blade is firmly stuck to the blade holder, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but removal becomes difficult and requires washing
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing blade incorporates a folded configuration that introduces flexibility and dynamic characteristics to the blade structure. This folded design allows the blade to be easily removed from the blade holder without requiring washing or complex procedures, while maintaining firm contact and sealing effectiveness during operation through the folded contact surface.
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 design enhances occupational safety, extends the service life of sealing blades and rolls, reduces premature replacement, and maintains consistent quality and production volume by minimizing blade sharpening and improving lubrication.
Implementation Method 1
some coating mixture is led from the application chamber to the front of the blade through flow openings in the sealing blade. In this case, a pool of lubricant is formed in front of the sealing blade, which pool of lubricant prevents the friction occurring between the sealing blade and the application roll
Implementation Method 2
The sealing blade may be pressed against the application roll so that no air escapes from between the blade and the application roll into the application chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A sealing blade includes opposite elongated edges (30, 31) and between them a flat (32) and which is adaptable to a blade holder (17) arranged in a coating applicator (25) of a coating device (21) and into contact with a moving surface (11′). The sealing blade has a contact surface (33), which may be arranged against the moving surface and which is 5-15% of the width (W) of the sealing blade (10).