Longitudinal Corrugating Machine With Angled Guide Roll
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional corrugating machines form flutes in a transverse direction relative to the paperboard fibers, leading to reduced strength in corrugated board, and lack the ability to quickly adjust flute sizes for various types of corrugated board production.
Innovation Solution
A corrugating machine with a guide roll and flute forming bars that guide the paperboard web at an angle to align flutes with the machine direction, using interdigitated corrugating rollers to form longitudinally oriented flutes, allowing for adjustable flute sizes and maintaining constant tension across the web.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If flutes are formed in a transverse direction relative to paperboard fibers using conventional corrugating machines, then the corrugated board can be produced with standard flute sizes, but the strength of the corrugated board is reduced due to fiber re-orientation
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of forming flutes transverse to the fiber direction as in conventional machines, this invention inverts the approach by forming flutes longitudinally parallel to the fiber direction. The corrugating rollers are configured with fluting patterns that create flutes in the machine direction, thereby maintaining fiber alignment and maximizing strength while still achieving the corrugated structure needed for packaging applications
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional corrugating machines are used to form flutes, then production can proceed with fixed flute sizes, but the ability to quickly adjust flute sizes for various types of corrugated board is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The corrugating rollers are designed with adjustable parameters including roller diameter, surface speed, and fluting pattern configuration. These dynamic adjustments allow the machine to produce various flute sizes and types by changing operational parameters rather than requiring complete machine reconfiguration, thereby enhancing versatility while controlling complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes parameter changes in the corrugating process, specifically varying the roller surface speed, roller diameter, and fluting pattern depth to produce different flute sizes. By adjusting these parameters, the same basic machine configuration can produce multiple types of corrugated board, improving adaptability without proportionally increasing device complexity
3Reliability
If the guide roll arranges web portions at different angles, then constant tension can be maintained across the web width, but the device complexity increases due to the angled arrangement mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The guide roll is designed with an asymmetric configuration where different portions of the roll arrange web portions at different angles relative to the centerline. This asymmetric angle arrangement creates a tension equalizing effect across the web width, ensuring uniform tension distribution while using a relatively simple mechanical guide roll structure rather than a complex multi-component system
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
An apparatus and a method is provided for producing longitudinally corrugated product. The apparatus includes a guide roll for guiding a web of medium material, wherein at least a portion of the guide roll is adapted to be arranged at an angle relative to another portion of the guide roll. The apparatus further includes a plurality of flute forming bars oriented generally along a longitudinal axis of the web to define a first corrugating labyrinth effective to longitudinally corrugate the web to an intermediate geometry. The apparatus further includes a pair of corrugating rollers that cooperate to define, at a nip therebetween, a second corrugating labyrinth effective to longitudinally corrugate the web to a substantially final geometry. The apparatus further includes a web travel pathway for the web that follows a path around a portion of the guide roll, through the first corrugating labyrinth, and through the second corrugating labyrinth.