Auxiliary Guide Rollers for Delamination-Safe Composite Roll Forming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Roll forming of composite materials faces issues with delamination due to high shear stresses and tensile forces, leading to material layer separation and failure, especially during the formation of complex profiles with S-shaped movements.
Innovation Solution
The use of closely arranged guide rollers, mounted on axles and positioned to rotate freely, which are angled to guide the material in a linear movement between forming stations, reducing S-shaped movement and minimizing shear forces by applying compressive stresses and internal friction, preventing layer separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional roll forming is used for composite materials, then production efficiency is maintained, but delamination occurs due to high shear stresses between layers
Solution Approach 1:
The forming process is divided into multiple smaller forming stations with intermediate guide rollers positioned between them. This segmentation allows the material to be guided through each station with minimal S-shaped movement, reducing cumulative shear stresses that cause delamination while maintaining continuous production capability
Solution Approach 2:
Guide rollers are introduced as intermediary elements between the main forming stations. These guide rollers actively control the material path, preventing S-shaped movements and reducing the shear stresses transmitted to the composite layers, thereby preventing delamination without stopping production
2Adaptability or versatility
If S-shaped movement is allowed during profile forming, then complex profiles can be formed, but shear forces increase causing layer separation
Solution Approach 1:
The guide rollers are strategically positioned at specific locations where S-shaped movements are most likely to occur. Each guide roller provides localized control to maintain linear material movement in critical areas, while allowing flexibility in other regions to accommodate complex profile geometries
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rollers are designed to be rotatably mounted and freely adjustable, allowing them to dynamically adapt to the material flow requirements of different profile configurations. This dynamic capability enables the system to maintain linear material movement for simple profiles while accommodating complex profiles without excessive shear forces
3Manufacturing precision
If guide rollers are positioned closely together, then linear movement is achieved reducing shear forces, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple guide rollers are combined into single auxiliary frames that can hold several guide rollers simultaneously. This merging approach maintains the close spacing needed for precise material path control while reducing the overall number of separate components and simplifying the device structure
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary frames serving guide rollers are designed to perform multiple functions: they provide structural support, enable precise positioning of multiple guide rollers, and allow easy adjustment of roller positions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate positioning mechanisms, simplifying the overall device while maintaining manufacturing 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
This configuration enhances the stability of multilayer composites by reducing delamination, minimizing shear forces, and maintaining dimensional accuracy, even in complex profile formations, thereby improving the roll forming process for composite materials.
Implementation Method 1
the contact normal stresses exerted by the guide rollers superimpose compressive stresses in the thickness direction on the multilayer composite, preventing shearing between the material layers
Implementation Method 2
the resulting internal frictional stresses prevent the different layers from sliding against each other
Data Source
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AI summary
Roll forming unit (1) and method for longitudinally forming a material in the form of a strip-shaped semi-finished product, starting profile, or blanks into a profile or tube using a plurality of roll forming tools (6, 7, 11, 13, 15) on main stands (5) and at least one auxiliary stand (8) arranged between the main stands (5). The at least one auxiliary stand (8) has several guide rollers (11) arranged next to each other as close together as possible, each rotatably mounted on an axis (10). The angle of the axis to the horizontal is adapted according to the course of an ideal profile forming between the main stands (5) in order to guide the material, in that the guide rollers (11) are continuously offset at a defined angle from one end (11') of the guide rollers (11) to the other end (11") of the guide rollers (11).This reduces shear forces during roll forming of multilayer composite materials and improves the manufacturing process for these materials as well as for asymmetrical profiles, thin-walled tubes, circuit board production and notched profiles.