Granulating Device Rail Wear Reduction via Oblique Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for granulating plastics strands suffer from wear issues due to continuous friction with granulate, leading to rail wear and reduced engagement surface of the counter blade, which complicates rail exchange and exposes the blade carrier to impact.
Innovation Solution
The rail is designed with undercuts on both sides, forming a dovetail guide that allows easy exchangeability and positions it obliquely relative to the counter blade, directing rebound granulate into a discharge channel and minimizing contact with the device, thus preventing further wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the rail is fixed close to the counter blade to collect granulate, then wear on the blade carrier is reduced, but the engagement surface of the counter blade is reduced and weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The rail is positioned obliquely rather than parallel to the counter blade, changing the spatial dimension of the arrangement. This oblique positioning allows the rail to be close to the counter blade for effective granulate collection while the separating strip maintains the necessary engagement surface area and strength of the counter blade.
2Reliability
If the rail is exchanged frequently to prevent wear, then wear damage is minimized, but device complexity and operation time are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The rail is divided into multiple segments that can be exchanged independently. This segmentation allows only the worn portions of the rail to be replaced while leaving functional sections in place, reducing the frequency and complexity of maintenance operations while effectively preventing wear damage.
3Productivity
If the rail is positioned to maximize granulate collection, then granulate discharge efficiency is improved, but wear on other device areas increases
Solution Approach 1:
The oblique positioning of the rail converts the potentially harmful rebound of granulate into a beneficial flow pattern. The granulate rebounds off the rail at an angle that directs it efficiently into the discharge channel, improving productivity while the separating strip prevents the granulate from causing wear on other device areas.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for granulating plastic strands having a cutting wheel (15), the individual blades of which graze past a counter blade (2) disposed in a blade carrier (1) when the cutting wheel is rotated, thus cutting the plastic strands (13) being guided over the counter blade into a granulate (14), wherein a rail (3a, 3b) composed of hard material running parallel to the counter blade is disposed adjacent to the counter blade and after said counter blade in the rotational direction of the cutting wheel that collects cut granulate and conducts said granulate into a discharge channel. The rail is held in a guide having an undercut (8, 9) in the blade carrier on both sides, wherein the undercut (9) facing the counter blade forms a separating strip (10), the thickness of which reduces outward in a blade-like fashion such that, along with the other undercut (8), the rail assumes an oblique position relative to the counter blade in the transverse direction, wherein the outer edge (11) of the undercut (9) facing the counter blade is in close proximity to the opposite front edge (12) of the counter blade and the other front edge of the rail protrudes in the direction of the cutting wheel.