Orientable Shear Blade for Contour-Matched Fibre Ribbon Cutting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional shear-cutting systems for fibre strips result in material waste and increased production times due to 90° cuts, which hinder precise adaptation to part contours and increase weight, necessitating manual trimming or additional processes.

Innovation Solution

A shear cutting system with an orientable blade support that allows the cutting blade and counter-blade to rotate relative to each other, enabling angled cuts (e.g., 45°, 0°, -45°) to adapt to part contours, reducing material waste and production time while maintaining reliability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional 90° shear cutting is used, then the cutting process is simple and economical, but material waste increases and subsequent trimming is required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting process simplicityVSAvoidmaterial waste
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The blade support is made rotatable relative to the counter-blade, allowing the cutting angle to be dynamically adjusted from the fixed 90° to variable angles (0°, 45°, -45°). This dynamic adjustment enables the blade to be oriented according to the specific contour requirements of the part being formed, eliminating the need for subsequent trimming operations while maintaining the simplicity of the shear cutting mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Loss of substance

If narrow fibre strips are used, then material waste is reduced, but the number of passes increases and productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial wasteVSAvoidproduction time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The rotatable blade support allows the use of wider fibre strips by adjusting the cutting angle to match the part contour. This enables fewer passes to cover the entire application surface while minimizing material waste through precise angle adaptation, thereby improving productivity without sacrificing material efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If 90° cuts are used, then the cutting process is straightforward, but the interior reinforcements cannot adapt to the theoretical contour

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting process simplicityVSAvoidcontour adaptation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The rotatable blade support enables the cutting angle to be dynamically adjusted to match the theoretical contour of the part. This allows interior reinforcements to be cut at precise angles (0°, 45°, -45°) that conform to the part geometry, achieving both operational simplicity and manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Device complexity

If fixed blade orientation is used, then the system structure is simple, but adaptability to different part contours is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem structureVSAvoidcontour adaptation
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The blade support is designed with rotational capability relative to the counter-blade, adding minimal complexity while providing significant adaptability. This rotational mechanism allows the system to accommodate different part contours by adjusting the blade angle, achieving versatility without substantially increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 system minimizes material waste and reduces production time by allowing precise, angled cuts without the need for subsequent trimming, ensuring efficient and reliable fibre strip application.

Implementation Method 1

the fibre ribbon is cut transverse to the movement of the fibre ribbon by means of shearing between a cutting blade and a counter-blade in a relative movement between said cutting blade and the counter-blade

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectShear cutting: Shear Stress

Data Source

PatentEP4678358A1Shear cutting system with orientable blade
Publication Date: 2026.01.14 M TORRES DISENOS IND SA
  • EP4678358A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4678358A1 patent drawingFigure 2~5
  • EP4678358A1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

The invention relates to a shear cutting system for fibre ribbon taping machines in which the fibre ribbon (1) is cut transverse to the movement of the fibre ribbon (1) by means of shearing between a cutting blade (2) and a counter-blade (3) in an opposite relative movement between said cutting blade (2) and the counter-blade (3). The system is characterised in that it comprises orientation means for orientating a blade support (4) of the cutting blade (2) that are configured to orient the cutting blade (2) based on a selected cutting angle for cutting the fibre ribbon (1).