Guide Roller Cleaning Nozzles for Drying Device Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Convection dryers require extensive disassembly and cleaning when switching between products, leading to inefficiencies and contamination risks, especially in industries like food, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals, due to the need for thorough cleaning of circulating air systems.
Innovation Solution
Equipping guide rollers in the drying device with integrated cleaning nozzles that function as both transport and spray devices, allowing for automated, in-place cleaning without disassembly, ensuring all areas are reached with cleaning substances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the drying device is cleaned by disassembly and manual wiping, then thorough cleaning is achieved, but cleaning time exceeds production time and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical cleaning (disassembly and wiping) with an automated spray cleaning system. Cleaning nozzles mounted on the housing interior surface automatically spray cleaning solution into the drying chamber through openings, eliminating the need for manual disassembly and wiping operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The drying device performs its own cleaning operation through integrated spray nozzles that are part of the device structure. The system cleans itself automatically without requiring external manual intervention or disassembly, enabling rapid cleaning between production runs.
2Productivity
If CIP cleaning with spray devices is used, then cleaning time is reduced, but the spray devices become very complicated to reach every corner of complex drying devices
Solution Approach 1:
The housing interior surface serves multiple functions: it forms the structural boundary of the drying chamber and simultaneously houses the cleaning spray nozzles. The openings in the housing serve dual purposes as both structural features and spray delivery points, eliminating the need for separate complex spray device assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing interior surface acts as an intermediary structure that delivers cleaning solution directly into the drying chamber. The spray nozzles mounted on the housing interior surface use the housing structure itself as the delivery mechanism, simplifying the overall cleaning system architecture.
3Reliability
If the entire drying device including air ducts is cleaned, then contamination is prevented, but the cleaning process becomes time-consuming due to removal of individual parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical disassembly and manual cleaning of air ducts with an automated spray system. Cleaning solution is sprayed through openings in the housing interior surface directly into the drying chamber and air duct areas, eliminating the need to remove individual parts for cleaning access.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning function is extracted from the manual operation domain and integrated into the device structure itself. The spray nozzles are built into the housing, allowing cleaning to be performed in-place without extracting or removing components from the device.
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 solution reduces cleaning time and ensures reproducible purity by enabling efficient, automated cleaning within the drying device, maintaining high production speeds and minimizing contamination risks without additional complex components.
Implementation Method 1
Guide devices are provided in the form of guide rollers
Implementation Method 2
liquid and/or gaseous cleaning substances are introduced from the outside and sprayed into the drying section via the guide roller
Implementation Method 3
the volatile substances or water vapor are absorbed by the air flow
Implementation Method 4
Convection dryers, among other things, are used today to set a certain moisture content in substrate webs or to remove solvents or other volatile substances from the substrate webs
Implementation Method 5
energy is introduced into the product by means of air
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The device has a housing (11), which comprises a treatment section for the substrate strip (60), an inflow (13) and an outflow for a medium. A guide roller (20) is arranged in the treatment section for the transport of the substrate strip. The guide roller is equipped with a cleaning nozzle, by which liquid or gaseous cleaning substances is conducted in the treatment section for cleaning purposes. An independent claim is also included for a drying unit with multiple devices arranged in moving direction of the substrate strip.