Oscillating Cutting Frame for Lightweight Concrete Cake Separation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for cutting lightweight concrete cakes, particularly aerated or foamed concrete, often result in rough cut surfaces that stick together during hardening, requiring mechanical separation and are cumbersome to handle due to limitations in cutting wire adjustment and handling of individual longitudinal rods.

Innovation Solution

A cutting device with a hardening grate and vertically extending crossbars that can be lowered, combined with an oscillating cutting frame and hydraulic cylinders for precise control, allowing for smooth cuts that do not adhere post-hardening, and enabling variable wire spacing and easy handling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If cutting wires are used to cut lightweight concrete cakes, then cutting speed and efficiency are improved, but the cut surfaces become rough and stick together during hardening

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting speedVSAvoidcut surface quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting frame is driven to oscillate in the cutting direction at a frequency of 25 to 45 Hz, which prevents the cutting wires from adhering to the lightweight concrete cake during cutting. This vibration allows the wires to cleanly sever the material without the concrete sticking to the wires, thereby producing smooth cut surfaces that do not bond together during subsequent hardening processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #18Mechanical vibration

Solution Approach 2:

The oscillation frequency of the cutting frame is specifically controlled within the range of 25 to 45 Hz, which has been determined to be optimal for preventing adhesion between the cutting wires and the lightweight concrete. By changing the operational parameter (frequency) to this specific range, the cutting process achieves both high efficiency and smooth, non-adhering cut surfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If individual longitudinal rods are used to support the concrete cake, then handling flexibility is improved, but device complexity and handling difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandling flexibilityVSAvoidnumber of individual components
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple individual longitudinal rods are replaced by a single hardening grate with integrated crossbars that can be lowered individually. This merging of multiple separate support elements into one unified structure simplifies the device while maintaining the ability to independently position each support element, thereby reducing handling complexity without sacrificing operational flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The hardening grate serves multiple functions: it supports the lightweight concrete cake during cutting, provides a hardening surface, and enables individual lowering of crossbars to facilitate wire passage. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate support rods while maintaining all necessary operational capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Device complexity

If the cutting frame is stationary, then device simplicity is improved, but adaptability to variable cutting requirements is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting device simplicityVSAvoidwire spacing adjustment
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting frame is made oscillating rather than stationary, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position during the cutting process. The oscillation mechanism enables the cutting wires to vary their effective spacing and positioning as they move through the concrete, providing adaptability for different cutting requirements while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure.

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 solution enables the production of smooth, non-adherent cut surfaces and allows for quick, simple cutting of lightweight concrete moldings with variable thickness and complex contours, reducing handling difficulties and operational costs.

Implementation Method 1

The cutting wires can be driven to oscillate in their longitudinal direction to produce a smooth cut surface

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOscillation: Vibration

Implementation Method 2

several horizontally extending crossbars (4) that can be moved or driven up and down in the vertical direction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydraulic actuation: Hydraulic Press

Data Source

PatentEP2189262B1Method and device for cutting cut-resistant lightweight concrete cakes in lightweight concrete blocks and method and device for producing lightweight concrete blocks
Publication Date: 2011.06.15 XELLA BAUSTOFFE
  • EP2189262B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2189262B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2189262B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The device (1) has multiple transverse bars (4) extending in a horizontal bar longitudinal axis (22). A lifting device i.e. crane, is provided for raising and lowering a hardness grate (2). A cutting unit e.g. cutting wire or a cutting band, is clamped in a cutting frame. Bar intermediate spaces (26) are measured in such a manner that cross beams (15) pass through the bar intermediate spaces in a vertical direction. Beam intermediate spaces (25) are measured in such a manner that the transverse bars pass through the beam intermediate spaces in the vertical direction. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a device for producing light-weight concrete molds such as porous or foam concrete molds, comprising units for hydrothermal hardening of a cut light-weight concrete cake (2) a method for cutting a cut-resistant light-weight concrete cake such as porous and foam concrete cakes, in a light-weight concrete mold such as porous and foam concrete molds, using a cutting device (3) a method for producing light-weight concrete molds such as porous and foam concrete molds.