Line-Contact Steel Wire Rope for Higher Conveyor Belt Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional steel wire ropes for conveyor belts face challenges in increasing load-carrying capability and tensile strength without altering their size or increasing production, use, and maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A steel wire rope design featuring a central steel wire with a steel wire layer and external strands wound in a single step, where the external strands are in line contact, optimizing the carbon content and wire diameters to enhance tensile strength and reduce elongation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the overall tensile strength of the steel wire rope is increased to enhance load-carrying capability, then the load-carrying capability is improved, but the size of the steel wire rope and production costs cannot be increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the contact mode from point contact to line contact between steel wire strands, which fundamentally alters the stress distribution and contact area parameters. This parameter change enables higher tensile strength within the same rope diameter because line contact distributes loads more efficiently across the strand interfaces, reducing stress concentrations and preventing premature failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite structure with a core steel wire strand and multiple external steel wire strands arranged in a specific configuration. This composite arrangement, where strands are positioned at specific angles (e.g., 60 degrees apart) and maintain line contact, creates a synergistic effect that achieves higher overall tensile strength than the sum of individual strand strengths would suggest.
2Strength
If the overall tensile strength of the steel wire rope is increased to enhance load-carrying capability, then the load-carrying capability is improved, but production costs cannot be increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves higher strength without changing material composition or adding complex processing steps. By simply altering the geometric arrangement of existing strands to achieve line contact rather than point contact, the design leverages the inherent properties of conventional steel wires more effectively, avoiding the need for expensive high-strength materials or complex manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the steel wire rope into discrete strands (core strand and external strands) that can be manufactured separately and then assembled through winding. This segmentation allows for standardized production of individual strands using conventional equipment, reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost while enabling the sophisticated line-contact configuration to be achieved through systematic assembly.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional point contact structure is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the tensile strength and load-carrying capability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic adaptability in the strand configuration where external strands are wound at specific angles around the core strand, creating a flexible structure that can dynamically distribute loads during operation. The line contact configuration allows strands to adjust their load-bearing contribution based on applied forces, optimizing strength performance while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardized winding processes.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a steel wire rope for conveyor belts. The steel wire rope includes a central steel wire, a steel wire layer externally wound on the central steel wire, and a plurality of external steel wire strands. Each external steel wire strand includes a core steel wire and N external steel wires. The central steel wire, the steel wire layer externally wound on the central steel wire, and the plurality of external steel wire strands are wound into a steel wire rope for conveyor belts in one step. The steel wire layer is externally wound on the outer side of the central steel wire, the external steel wire strands are wound to wrap the outer side of the steel wire layer, and the external steel wire strands are in line contact with the steel wire layer.