Mould Container Part for Brick Slip Manufacturing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for manufacturing brick slips involve significant waste, noise, dust emission, wear on equipment, and energy inefficiency due to sawing dried and fired bricks, which are labor-intensive and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

A mould container part with pivotable slip moulding parts that allow for the formation of green brick parts which are thinner and can be easily separated, enabling efficient cutting and reducing waste, using flexible cutting members like cords to minimize material loss and energy consumption, and allowing for faster drying and firing processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If conventional sawing method is used to manufacture brick slips, then brick slips can be produced, but large quantity of waste material is created, noise and dust emission occur, and energy is wasted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewaste materialVSAvoidproduction capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention performs cutting action during the moulding process itself, before the brick is dried and fired. The mould container includes cutting means that divide the green brick into multiple brick slips during forming, eliminating the need for subsequent sawing of finished bricks and preventing waste material generation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the cutting function from the post-moulding process and integrates it into the mould container. By incorporating cutting means within the mould container, the separation of brick slips occurs during moulding, removing the harmful sawing operation from the production流程.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Productivity

If conventional sawing method is used, then brick slips are produced, but the process is labour-intensive and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction capacityVSAvoidmanufacturing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges the moulding and cutting operations into a single integrated process. The mould container combines forming functions with integrated cutting means, allowing green bricks to be moulded and simultaneously divided into brick slips in one continuous operation, eliminating separate labour-intensive steps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The cutting action is performed preliminarily during the moulding stage while the brick is still green and pliable. This preliminary cutting eliminates the need for subsequent processing steps, reducing both labour requirements and total manufacturing time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional sawing method is used, then brick slips are produced, but wear on saws and sawing machines occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveequipment maintenanceVSAvoidproduction capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the cutting function from heavy-duty sawing equipment and relocates it to integrated cutting means within the mould container. This uses simpler, wear-resistant cutting elements that are part of the moulding apparatus, eliminating maintenance issues associated with large saws and sawing machines.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The cutting means in the mould container can be made from inexpensive materials that are easily replaced if worn, rather than using expensive, heavily-duty saw blades that require costly maintenance and replacement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

4Loss of energy

If brick is cut after firing, then brick slips are produced, but all waste material has undergone complete drying and firing process consuming energy

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidwaste material
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The invention performs the cutting action preliminarily while the brick is still green and uncured, before the energy-intensive drying and firing processes. This allows waste portions to be removed and discarded without having consumed drying and firing energy, significantly reducing overall energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

By cutting during the green state, the invention enables immediate discarding of waste material portions without the energy cost of processing them through drying and firing. The useful brick slip portions continue to the firing process while waste is eliminated early.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentEP3148761B1Mould container part for the manufacture of bricks slips, mould container pressing device and method for application thereof
Publication Date: 2019.07.10 BEHEER DE BOER NIJMEGEN
  • EP3148761B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3148761B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3148761B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a mould container part (2) for manufacturing brick slips, comprising one or more mould containers (4) for forming therein a green brick from clay for the brick manufacturing industry, the mould container part (2) comprising at least two slip moulding parts (6) which are movable relative to each other and which are movable between a filling position, in which the green bricks are mouldable, and a release position in which the slip moulding parts (6) are removed from one another, and wherein two cross-sectional openings (18, 20) are arranged in the side walls of the mould containers (4). The invention further relates to a mould container pressing device with such a mould container part and to a method for manufacturing brick slips in which a mould container pressing device with such a mould container part is applied.