Hollow Board Forming Machine with Automatic Roll Exchange

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for producing low-weight building elements for furniture are not cost-efficient and lack flexibility in production processes, particularly in forming hollow board materials using medium or high-density fiberboard.

Innovation Solution

A method and machine are developed to efficiently produce hollow board materials by unwinding medium or high-density fiberboard, flattening it, and attaching spacing elements to form a hollow structure, allowing for automatic roll exchange and compact production line design, enabling the production of strong yet lightweight boards with improved surface quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If traditional methods are used to produce hollow board materials, then production cost efficiency is poor, but the patent achieves cost-effectiveness through continuous unwinding and flattening processes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction cost efficiencyVSAvoidproduction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements continuous production by unwinding fiber board from rolls and immediately flattening it in a continuous process, eliminating intermittent stopping and starting. This continuous operation significantly improves both cost efficiency and productivity compared to traditional batch methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The fiber board is unwound and flattened before being used to form the hollow structure. This preliminary preparation action ensures the material is ready for immediate processing, eliminating delays and improving overall production efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If fiber board is unwound from rolls, then production flexibility is improved, but the web may have curvature that affects surface quality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction flexibilityVSAvoidsurface quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The curved web is flattened in a preliminary action before forming the hollow structure. This ensures the surface quality is corrected early in the process, allowing the material to be properly shaped without defects from previous curvature.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The physical state of the fiber board changes from a curved rolled state to a flattened sheet state through the flattening process. This parameter change (from curved to flat) resolves the surface quality issue while maintaining production flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Strength

If spacing elements are attached to form hollow structure, then mechanical strength is improved, but production time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanical strengthVSAvoidproduction time
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Spacing elements are prepared and positioned in advance before the final assembly step. This preliminary arrangement allows for rapid attachment to the hollow structure, minimizing the time required while ensuring proper spacing and structural strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Ease of operation

If roll exchange is manual, then operation simplicity is maintained, but productivity decreases due to stopping

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperation simplicityVSAvoidcontinuous operation capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system is designed to allow automatic roll exchange without requiring manual intervention to stop the production line. The mechanism enables self-service roll changing, maintaining continuous operation while keeping the process relatively simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3433102B1Method and machine for forming a hollow board member
Publication Date: 2024.07.10 INTER IKEA SYST
  • EP3433102B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3433102B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3433102B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A machine and a method of forming an at least partly hollow board material, the method including: supplying medium and/or high density fiber board (20) wound up on at least one board element roll (1000), unwinding the medium or high density fiber board (20) from the roll (1000), and flattening the same to form at least a first flat fiber board element (23), forming spacing elements (25, 26) on the first flat fiber board element (23), and attaching at least a second flat fiber board element (24) on top of the spacing elements (25, 26) to form a hollow board (3) having the first and second fiber board elements (23, 24) connected to each other by means of the spacing elements (25, 26).