Grooved Bituminous Membrane via Cooled Roller Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for creating layered bituminous membranes with surface grooves struggle to maintain groove stability during production, leading to potential flattening and inefficiencies in the melting and application process of bitumen.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a heat-activatable bitumen adhesive applied to a reinforcing material web, cooled to below its melting point using a cooled roller with a slip agent to prevent sticking, and a pattern roller with grooves that maintains stability by sharp temperature reduction, allowing for efficient groove formation and faster torching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a roller with grooves is applied to hot bitumen adhesive to form surface grooves, then the membrane application performance is improved through enhanced heat exchange and faster melting, but the grooves become flattened and unstable during production
Solution Approach 1:
The bitumen adhesive layer is cooled below its melting point before the grooved roller is applied. This preliminary cooling action ensures that when the grooves are formed, the bitumen maintains its shape and does not flatten, while still allowing for subsequent efficient heat exchange during membrane application
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature of the bitumen adhesive is changed from above melting point (during coating) to below melting point (during groove formation). This parameter change allows the bitumen to transition from a fluid state that can be molded to a solid state that maintains groove stability, while still enabling fast melting during torching application
2Productivity
If the bitumen adhesive is applied at high temperature for efficient coating, then the coating process is efficient and productive, but the grooves become unstable and flatten when the roller is applied
Solution Approach 1:
The bitumen layer is preliminarily cooled below its melting point before groove formation. This preliminary action maintains the groove dimensions and stability during production while having already achieved efficient high-temperature coating in the preceding step
Solution Approach 2:
The process uses periodic temperature control: first high temperature for efficient coating, then cooling below melting point for groove formation, creating distinct phases that achieve both coating efficiency and groove stability
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 method ensures stable groove formation and enhanced heat exchange, facilitating faster and more efficient application of the bituminous membrane with improved adhesion and reduced risk of leakage.
Implementation Method 1
the layer of adhesive bitumen is subsequently cooled to a temperature of below its melting point... while applying the roller onto the layer of adhesive bitumen. In such case the roller is cooled by a cooling agent such that the cooling primarily is brought about by the roller
Implementation Method 2
the layer of adhesive bitumen is subsequently cooled to a temperature of below its melting point defined by its ring and ball temperature
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The invention relates to a method of making a grooved reinforced layered bituminous membrane (1) comprising the steps of: providing a web (A) of a reinforcing material, applying a layer (3) of a hot liquid adhesive, and applying a roller (10) having a surface pattern of grooves onto said layer (3) of an adhesive, to form a pattern of grooves (4) in the surface of said layer of an adhesive.