Helically Wound Reinforced Plastic Pipe Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing wound plastic pipes with fiber reinforcement face challenges in ensuring consistent strength and stiffness due to limited bonding between fibers and plastic, fiber damage during extrusion, and difficulty in controlling fiber orientation, leading to insufficient reinforcement under high loads.
Innovation Solution
The method involves helically winding multiple reinforcement means with non-zero pitch turns around the pipe axis, incorporating transverse auxiliary fibers for longitudinal reinforcement, and using a core mandrel to fuse and wind plastic strips, ensuring continuous reinforcement and interlocking structures within the pipe wall.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If fibers are added to plastic material with bonding agent to reinforce the pipe, then the pipe strength is augmented, but the bonding strength between fibers and plastic material is limited and insufficient under high loads
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement function is segmented into two independent systems: continuous helical fibers providing circumferential strength and discontinuous transverse fibers providing longitudinal strength. This segmentation eliminates the bonding reliability issue by making the primary reinforcement structure (continuous fibers) independent of fiber-matrix bonding strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental parameter of fiber continuity from discontinuous (short fibers) to continuous (long fibers wound in helix). This parameter change transforms the reinforcement mechanism from bonding-dependent to mechanically interlocked, resolving the bonding reliability contradiction.
2Ease of manufacture
If short fibers are used in the extrusion process, then the manufacturing is easier, but the fiber orientation is difficult to control and fibers may become damaged
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of trying to control fiber orientation during extrusion (conventional approach), the invention inverts the approach by directly winding continuous fibers in the desired helical orientation onto the mandrel. This inversion eliminates orientation control issues during extrusion while achieving precise fiber alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the extrusion-based fiber placement mechanism with a winding-based mechanism. This substitution allows direct control of fiber orientation through the winding process, eliminating the orientation control problems inherent in extrusion of short fibers.
3Reliability
If continuous helical fibers are used for circumferential reinforcement, then the adhesion between fiber and plastic material becomes less important, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple functions into the continuous helical fiber layer: it provides circumferential reinforcement, acts as the primary load-bearing structure, and eliminates the need for separate bonding agents. This merging simplifies the overall system despite the advanced manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure combining continuous helical fibers with transverse discontinuous fibers. This composite approach achieves reliable reinforcement through mechanical interlocking rather than chemical bonding, reducing dependency on adhesion while maintaining structural integrity.
4Shape
If adjoining turns of reinforcement means are arranged non-overlapping, then the layer forms a smooth character, but the interlocking between turns is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies different qualities to different parts of the structure: continuous helical fibers provide smooth outer surface and primary strength, while transverse auxiliary fibers provide localized interlocking between helical turns. This local differentiation achieves both smoothness and interlocking.
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 approach provides reliable circumferential and longitudinal strength and stiffness, independent of shear strength between fibers and plastic, with improved coherence and protection of reinforcement fibers within the pipe structure, resulting in a sturdy and efficient manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
These adjoining turns of the still hot plastic material are fused to each other so as to form a tight inner pipe
Implementation Method 2
the adhesion between said fiber and the surrounding plastic material is less important. Even in case no adherence would exist, said reinforcement fibers are able to fulfill their strengthening role
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~5
Figure 6
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a wound plastic pipe, comprises the steps of providing a core (1), providing reinforcement means (4) which comprises reinforcement fibers (5,6), helically winding the reinforcement means (4) onto said core (1) according to turns (7), helically winding at least one further reinforcement means according to turns with the same pitch and the same winding direction as the other reinforcement means, making the turns (7) of the reinforcement means bridge the turns of the other reinforcement means and helically winding a plastic strip according to abutting turns.