Multi-Level Roller Conveyor Dryer for Compact Low-Temperature Panel Drying

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing dryers for boards, such as plasterboards, face challenges in achieving efficient low-temperature drying while maintaining a compact design and high throughput, particularly in the horizontal transport of flat panels.

Innovation Solution

A conveyor system with a drive system adapted for low-temperature operation, utilizing multiple levels and synchronized chains or a mother chain to extend residence time, combined with rolling bearings and compact roller conveyors for efficient horizontal transport.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If multiple levels and synchronized chains are used to extend residence time, then drying capacity is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrying capacityVSAvoidconveyor system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The dryer is divided into multiple drying chambers or fields arranged in tiers, with each level processing panels independently. This segmentation allows extended residence time through multiple passes while maintaining manageable complexity in each individual section.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple chains are synchronized to operate together as a coordinated system, with electronic synchronization ensuring all chains move panels through the drying chambers in unison. This merging of multiple drive systems achieves the productivity gain without proportionally increasing operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Productivity

If a large number of plasterboards are dried simultaneously on multiple levels, then productivity is improved, but the dryer length increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of boards dried per room unitVSAvoiddryer length

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The conveyor system transitions from horizontal arrangement to vertical tiers, stacking drying chambers one above another. This dimensional change allows multiple boards to be dried simultaneously without proportionally increasing the horizontal footprint, effectively compacting the dryer while maintaining high productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Loss of energy

If low-temperature drying is used for energy efficiency, then energy consumption is reduced, but drying time is extended

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy efficiencyVSAvoiddrying time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The synchronized multi-chain system ensures continuous movement of panels through all drying chambers without interruption or idle time. This continuous action maximizes the utilization of the extended drying time, ensuring that the longer residence time required for low-temperature drying is fully productive and does not reduce overall throughput.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentEP4399466B1Dryer with a conveyor system for conveying panels to be dried

Publication Date: 2025.08.20 GRENZEBACH BSH

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AI summary

The invention relates to a dryer with a conveyor system with a plurality of fields (2) extending one after another in the conveying direction for conveying passing panels to be dried on a plurality of levels for each field (2) with conveyor devices designed as roller conveyors arranged in levels, with a drive system, comprising a plurality of continuous chains (3), wherein each chain (3) is assigned at least one drive, characterised in that the roller conveyors (1) on all levels of a respective one field (2) can be driven by a respective at least one single chain (3), which engages over the levels of the respective field (2).