Grinding Wheel Chopper for Abrasive Fiber Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fiber chopping devices, such as those using rotating knives, face issues with rapid wear from abrasive glass fibers, leading to reduced productivity and improper orientation of chopped fiber segments due to handling difficulties and dislocation during dispensing.
Innovation Solution
The use of grinding wheels positioned adjacent the discharge end of the chopping device, which reduces maintenance downtime and ensures proper orientation and handling of chopped fiber segments by minimizing the distance they need to be conveyed before dispensing, along with a form that tapers and widens from a circular base end to an elongated discharge end, and a strand feeding mechanism involving multiple feed screws and guide plates to efficiently guide the fibers into the grinding wheels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rotating knives are used to cut fiber strands, then the cutting function is achieved, but the knives wear rapidly due to abrasive glass fibers, reducing productivity and increasing maintenance downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional rotating knife cutting mechanism with a grinding wheel-based cutting system. The grinding wheel, made of abrasive material, cuts the fiber strands through abrasion rather than mechanical shearing. This substitution eliminates the rapid wear problem of rotating knives when processing glass fibers, as the grinding wheel is specifically designed to withstand abrasive contact and maintains its cutting edge much longer, thereby improving both reliability and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the cutting mechanism from mechanical shearing (rotating knives) to abrasive cutting (grinding wheels). This parameter change in the cutting method allows the system to handle abrasive glass fibers effectively, as the grinding wheel's abrasive surface is designed to resist and cut through similar materials without rapid degradation, thus extending service life and maintaining productivity.
2Manufacturing precision
If rotating knives with large diameter are used, then cutting capability is sufficient, but the knives must be placed far from the discharge end, requiring long conveyance distance and increasing fiber dislocation risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the large-diameter rotating knife system with a compact grinding wheel cutting system. The grinding wheel's smaller effective cutting radius allows it to be positioned much closer to the discharge end of the device. This reduction in distance minimizes the conveyance path for chopped fibers, thereby reducing the risk of dislocation and improving fiber orientation accuracy in the final product.
3Ease of operation
If fibers are conveyed long distances after chopping, then the cutting function is separated from discharge, but fiber segments become difficult to handle and may dislocate, resulting in undesired orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by positioning the grinding wheel cutting mechanism immediately adjacent to the discharge end. This ensures that fibers are cut and discharged in close proximity, eliminating the need for long-distance conveyance of chopped fiber segments. The fibers are deposited directly onto the collection surface in their intended orientation, making handling easier and preventing dislocation that would compromise orientation precision.
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 grinding wheels provide a longer service life, reducing maintenance and ensuring accurate, ordered dispensing of fiber segments in the desired orientation, enhancing productivity and precision in fiber placement.
Implementation Method 1
first and second grinding wheels that cut the strand into individual segments of desired length as the strand is conveyed along the form
Data Source
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AI summary
A device for chopping fiber strand includes a form, and a strand feeding mechanism that delivers the strand to the form and conveys the strand along the form. First and second grinding wheels may be included to cut the strand into individual segments of desired length as the strand is conveyed along the form. A method of chopping a fiber strand includes the steps of delivering a continuous strand onto a base end of a form, conveying the continuous strand along the form from the base end toward a discharge end and cutting the continuous strand into individual segments of desired length, for example using first and second grinding wheels.