Packaging Unit for Radiation Crosslinking Plastic Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for crosslinking plastic materials, such as UHMWPE, using high-energy radiation face challenges in achieving sufficient temperature for effective crosslinking due to material limitations, requiring complex heating processes and involving labor-intensive handling with heavy aluminum trays, which complicates the process and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A packaging unit made from cost-effective, poorly heat-conducting materials, such as cardboard, is used to maintain a sufficient temperature for radiation crosslinking, allowing for efficient handling and thermal insulation, enabling crosslinking in a normal oxygen-containing atmosphere with antioxidants like vitamin E, and accommodating multiple elements in a single holder for streamlined processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If aluminum trays are used to hold elements during heating and irradiation, then the elements can be heated to sufficient temperature, but the handling becomes time-consuming and personnel costs increase due to the considerable weight and multiple transfers required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces heavy aluminum trays with a lightweight holder made of inexpensive material that can be easily discarded or reused. This holder is designed to be integrated with the packaging unit, eliminating the need for separate handling of heavy trays and reducing personnel costs while maintaining the necessary thermal insulation properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the holder and packaging unit into a single integrated structure. The holder is built into the packaging unit, allowing elements to be handled as a single unit rather than requiring separate manipulation of trays and holders. This integration reduces the number of transfers and handling operations required.
2Temperature
If aluminum trays are used for heating and irradiation, then elements can be heated to required temperature, but multiple transfers are required which jeopardizes product traceability and increases personnel costs
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is integrated with the packaging unit to form a single unified structure. Elements remain in this integrated unit throughout the entire process from heating to irradiation, eliminating multiple transfers between separate containers. This integration maintains continuous tracking of elements and preserves product traceability.
3Temperature
If heating elements before irradiation is done, then crosslinking temperature is achieved, but the time interval between heating and irradiation causes temperature loss, requiring complex thermal insulation measures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a lightweight holder made of inexpensive material that provides sufficient thermal insulation to maintain element temperature during the time interval between heating and irradiation. This simple holder design replaces complex thermal insulation measures while effectively preventing temperature loss.
4Temperature
If aluminum trays are used for handling elements, then elements can be heated and irradiated, but the loading capacity is limited by the number of possible loading points
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated holder-packing unit structure allows for optimized loading configurations. The holder design incorporates multiple loading points and can accommodate multiple elements simultaneously, increasing the loading capacity and improving productivity compared to traditional aluminum trays.
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 simplifies and cost-effectively achieves radiation crosslinking by maintaining the required temperature for UHMWPE and other plastics, reducing handling efforts and personnel costs, while ensuring dimensional accuracy and effective thermal insulation during the crosslinking process.
Implementation Method 1
the packaging unit is made of a material that conducts heat poorly, so that the elements reach a temperature sufficient for radiation crosslinking without the need for additional measures
Implementation Method 2
high-energy radiation is used for crosslinking the plastic materials of the elements, in particular in the form of β-radiation and γ-radiation or X-rays
Data Source
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AI summary
In order to provide a method for the radiation-crosslinking of elements (16) made of a radiation-crosslinkable plastics material, with which the radiation-crosslinking can be carried out more easily and cost-effectively than to date in terms of operating procedure, it is proposed that said method comprises the following steps of: placing one or more elements in a packaging unit with a receptacle (20) for the one or more elements, wherein the receptacle is produced from a poorly heat conducting material; heating the elements contained in the packaging unit to a temperature which is equal to or greater than a predetermined crosslinking temperature; introducing the heated elements in the packaging unit into an irradiation device for the radiation-crosslinking of the plastics material; and removing the packaging unit with the elements from the irradiation device following the radiation-crosslinking.