Magnetic Separator Drawer and Stripper Plate Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing magnetic separators in food processing and pharmaceutical industries face challenges in efficiently removing ferrous materials and maintaining hygiene due to sticking issues with stripper plates and the use of unsanitary fasteners.
Innovation Solution
A magnetic separator design featuring a drawer with a magnet that moves between positions, a stripper plate with apertures for material stripping, and a locking mechanism to prevent magnet rotation, eliminating the need for fasteners and enhancing sanitation by allowing easy cleaning and assembly without tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the stripper plate is fixed to the housing, then the structure is stable, but the stripper plate may stick to the housing and fail to strip magnetic material effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The stripper plate is divided into multiple segments that can move independently relative to each other and the housing. This segmentation allows the plate to flex and prevent sticking while maintaining structural stability, resolving the contradiction between reliability and sticking prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The stripper plate is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing it to move slightly during operation. This dynamic design prevents the plate from sticking to the housing while maintaining stable structure, enabling effective stripping of magnetic material without the harmful sticking effect.
2Reliability
If fasteners are used to assemble the magnetic separator, then the assembly is secure, but fasteners may contaminate the product and compromise sanitation
Solution Approach 1:
Fasteners are completely removed from the assembly. The magnetic separator components are designed to connect without fasteners, eliminating the source of contamination while maintaining secure assembly through alternative connection mechanisms such as interference fits or magnetic coupling.
Solution Approach 2:
The design uses disposable or easily replaceable components that can be quickly removed and cleaned or replaced without fasteners. This approach maintains assembly security while eliminating contamination risks associated with permanent fasteners in food processing environments.
3Reliability
If the drawer is fixed in position, then the magnet remains stable in the product flow path, but the magnet cannot be easily removed for cleaning and maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The drawer is designed with dynamic positioning capability, allowing it to be fixed in the normal operating position to stabilize the magnet in the product flow path, while also being easily movable for cleaning and maintenance. This dynamic design resolves the contradiction between stability and accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The drawer incorporates self-locking or self-retaining features that automatically secure the magnet in position during operation, but allow easy manual removal when needed for maintenance. This self-service mechanism maintains magnet stability without compromising maintenance accessibility.
4Device complexity
If the stripper plate is permanently attached to the housing, then the structure is simple, but the stripper plate cannot be easily removed for cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The stripper plate is segmented into removable sections that can be easily detached from the housing for cleaning while maintaining overall structural simplicity. This segmentation allows easy removal of cleaning surfaces without requiring complex attachment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The stripper plate is designed for easy extraction from the housing. The connection between the stripper plate and housing is simplified to allow quick removal for cleaning while maintaining structural simplicity, eliminating the need for complex fastening or attachment systems.
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 strips captured ferrous materials from the magnet and improves sanitation by preventing fastener contamination, ensuring efficient operation and easy maintenance of the magnetic separator.
Implementation Method 1
ferrous particles are collected on the outer diameters thereof
Implementation Method 2
the at least one aperture of the stripper plate serving to strip material which has been attracted to the at least one magnet and off of the at least one magnet in the gap
Data Source
AI summary
A magnetic separator includes a housing defining a product flow path, a drawer moveable between a first position and a second position, a magnet operatively connected to the drawer, the magnet positioned within the product flow path when in the first position and the magnet withdrawn from the flow path when in the second position, and a stripper plate frame attached to the housing. A stripper plate is fixed to the stripper plate frame that conforms with the magnet and through which the magnet passes as the drawer is moved between the first and second positions. An anti-rotation mechanism includes a slot that engages along a length of a shoulder such that. When the anti-rotation mechanism is positioned having the slot over the shoulder, the magnet is prevented from moving from the axially locked position. The shoulder extends beyond an outer surface of the anti-rotation mechanism.