Humidifying Device for Corrugating Machines

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing corrugating machines face challenges in maintaining the optimal temperature and moisture of liner paper post-heating, leading to inefficiencies in cardboard production due to heat dissipation issues with water application rollers, which affect glue penetration and affixing quality.

Innovation Solution

A humidifying device with a sealed chamber and liquid application roller system that minimizes heat dissipation by using a chamber with a narrow opening, a blade for adjusting liquid application, and a circulation passage to maintain heated water temperature, ensuring optimal temperature and moisture for liner paper before affixing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If the wrap angle of the preheater is increased to raise the heating amount, then the liner paper temperature reaches the required level, but the moisture content of the liner paper decreases, reducing glue penetration depth

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveliner paper temperatureVSAvoidmoisture content
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

A water application roller is introduced between the preheater and the affixing section to preliminarily rehumidify the liner paper after heating. This preliminary action restores the moisture content that was reduced during the heating process, ensuring both sufficient temperature and adequate moisture for effective glue penetration and affixing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The water application roller acts as an intermediary device that mediates between the heating process and the affixing process. It applies water to the liner paper in a controlled manner, serving as a bridge that reconciles the conflicting requirements of high temperature and sufficient moisture content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If the liner paper transport speed is reduced to increase wetting time, then the glue penetration depth increases, but the cardboard production efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveglue penetration depthVSAvoidcardboard production efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The water application roller performs preliminary rehumidification before the affixing section, ensuring that the liner paper has sufficient moisture content prior to glue application. This allows the liner paper to be processed at normal transport speeds while still achieving adequate glue penetration, as the moisture is already restored by the water application roller.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the moisture content parameter of the liner paper by introducing controlled water application after heating. This parameter change enables the system to maintain both high production speed and sufficient glue penetration depth, as the moisture level is actively managed rather than relying solely on extended contact time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Quantity of substance

If a water application roller is used to rehumidify the liner paper, then the moisture content is restored, but heat dissipation occurs, reducing the liner paper temperature

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemoisture contentVSAvoidliner paper temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The water application roller is designed to apply water continuously and uniformly to the liner paper surface as it passes through. This continuous action ensures that moisture is restored without requiring the liner paper to slow down or stop, maintaining the continuous flow of the production line while achieving rehumidification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The water application roller applies water locally to the surface layer of the liner paper where moisture is most needed for glue penetration. This localized water application minimizes the overall water added to the system and reduces the thermal mass increase that would cause heat dissipation, while still achieving the required moisture content at the critical surface layer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 solution effectively maintains the liner paper at an appropriate temperature and moisture level, enhancing affixing strength and efficiency without reducing cardboard production speed, even with heavy liner paper, by reducing heat loss and ensuring consistent humidification.

Implementation Method 1

the heating is performed by the liner paper coming into contact with a peripheral face (heating surface) of the roll-shaped preheater

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

an increase in the heating heat amount by the preheater results in a decrease in the moisture of the liner paper (surface layer in particular)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCapillary action: Capillary Action

Data Source

PatentEP3357679B1Humidifying device and corrugating machine
Publication Date: 2020.01.01 MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND MACHINERY SYST LTD
  • EP3357679B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3357679B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3357679B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Provided are a humidifying device and a corrugating machine whereby release of heat from heated water can be suppressed as much as possible and a liner paper can be humidified at the appropriate temperature. A humidifying device (100) for humidifying a surface liner paper (34) affixed to a core paper via a starch glue applied to apexes of waves in the core paper, wherein the humidifying device (100) has: a liquid application roller (11) for applying heated water to the surface liner paper (34), the liquid application roller (11) being provided downstream from a preheater (11) for heating the surface liner paper (34) prior to the affixing; and a chamber (12) disposed facing the peripheral face of the liquid application roller (11) and provided with an internal space (12B) to which the heated water is supplied; the chamber (12) furthermore has an opening (12A) for supplying the heated water to the peripheral face of the liquid application roller (11), and the chamber (12) is formed so that the length of the opening (12A) in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the liquid application roller (11) is less than the diameter of the liquid application roller (11) .