Method for manufacturing leather article
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for manufacturing artificial leather often result in the formation of air cells due to trapped gas, leading to quality and yield issues.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a stacked set of a leather precursor and a pressing member with vents, heated and vacuumized to prevent gas trapping, allowing the polymer material to form a flexible leather without the need for organic solvents or dispersants, thereby eliminating air cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional coating method with organic solvent is used, then polymer material can be uniformly coated on substrate, but air cells are formed due to trapped gas during heating process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing vacuum treatment before and during the heating process to remove trapped gas from the polymer coating before it solidifies. This prevents air cell formation while maintaining uniform coating quality, resolving the contradiction between surface uniformity and air cell prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses vacuum pressure (pneumatic principle) to remove trapped gas from the coating layer during the manufacturing process. By creating a vacuum environment, gas bubbles are drawn out through vents in the substrate or release paper, preventing air cell formation while maintaining coating uniformity.
2Ease of manufacture
If heating process is applied to remove organic solvent, then polymer material connects to form artificial leather, but gas trapping results in quality defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous vacuum treatment throughout the heating process rather than as a separate step. The vacuum is maintained continuously while the polymer is being heated and solvent removed, ensuring that gas is constantly evacuated as it is generated, thereby maintaining high product quality without complicating the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces vents or porous structures in the substrate or release paper as intermediary elements that facilitate gas escape during heating. These intermediaries provide pathways for trapped gas to escape without disrupting the polymer coating process, thereby maintaining both ease of manufacture and product quality.
3Manufacturing precision
If vacuum treatment is applied during heating, then air cell formation is prevented, but production time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial vacuum treatment rather than maintaining extreme vacuum throughout the entire process. By applying vacuum only during critical phases of heating when gas generation is most active, and using vents to facilitate rapid gas evacuation, the process achieves effective air cell prevention with reduced time and energy consumption compared to continuous full vacuum treatment.
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
This method enhances the quality and yield of artificial leather by preventing air cell formation, improving tensile strength and surface uniformity, and reducing environmental impact and production costs.
Implementation Method 1
The stacked set is heated and vacuumized to allow the polymer material to form the flexible leather
Implementation Method 2
The stacked set is heated and vacuumized to allow the polymer material to form the flexible leather
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a leather article including a flexible leather includes steps as follows. A leather precursor is provided, wherein the leather precursor includes a polymer material. A release member, the leather precursor and a pressing member are stacked in sequence to form a stacked set, wherein at least one of the release member and the pressing member is formed with a plurality of vents. The stacked set is heated and vacuumized to allow the polymer material to form the flexible leather, such that the leather precursor forms the leather article. The leather article is separated from the release member and the pressing member.