Profiled Elastomer Conveyor Belt Vulcanization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing profiled elastomer products, such as conveyor belts, face challenges including deformation, molding errors, and limited accuracy due to the flow processes during vulcanization, which result in suboptimal profiling quality and increased manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of unvulcanized elastomeric material filled into molds depicting the desired profiling contour, where the elastomeric base body with embedded tension members is vulcanized together with the profiles, ensuring a strong bond and precise shaping, and a manufacturing system utilizing injection molding for uniform pressure and precise filling, allowing for flexible and cost-effective production of various profiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If unvulcanized elastomeric material is pressed into molds during vulcanization, then the profiling is formed, but deformation and molding errors occur due to flow processes
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric material is preheated to a temperature close to the vulcanization temperature before being pressed into the molds. This preliminary heating reduces the material's viscosity and flow tendency during pressing, thereby minimizing deformation and molding errors while still achieving complete mold filling for accurate profiling formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature of the elastomeric material is changed from ambient temperature to a preheated temperature close to vulcanization temperature. This parameter change reduces the material's viscosity and flow characteristics during the pressing process, eliminating deformation and improving profiling accuracy while maintaining complete mold filling.
2Shape
If the elastomeric material is pressed into the molds, then the profiles are formed, but the bond strength between profiles and base body is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric material undergoes a phase transition from unvulcanized to vulcanized state during the pressing process. By maintaining the material in a preheated, semi-fluid state during pressing and then completing vulcanization, the material achieves both complete mold filling for accurate profile formation and strong bonding to the base body through the vulcanization process.
Solution Approach 2:
The process creates a composite structure where the elastomeric profiles are chemically bonded to the base body through simultaneous vulcanization. The preheating ensures proper flow and filling, while the subsequent vulcanization creates strong adhesion, resulting in a composite material system with both accurate shaping and high bond strength.
3Productivity
If conventional pressing methods are used, then production is achieved, but manufacturing costs increase due to deformation and errors
Solution Approach 1:
Preheating the elastomeric material before pressing eliminates deformation and molding errors, reducing waste and rework. This preliminary action improves product quality and reduces manufacturing costs while maintaining production output, as fewer defective products need to be discarded or reprocessed.
4Volume of stationary object
If the elastomeric material flows during pressing, then the molds are filled, but deformation of the belt structure occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature of the elastomeric material is increased to a preheated state close to vulcanization temperature, which reduces its viscosity and flow resistance. This parameter change allows complete mold filling for accurate profiling while minimizing excessive flow that causes deformation of the belt structure and displacement of tensile members.
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 approach eliminates deformation, enhances profiling accuracy and adhesion, reduces manufacturing costs, and enables the production of high-quality profiled elastomer products with improved surface finish and reduced defects, facilitating automation and easy adaptation to different profiles.
Implementation Method 1
vulcanizing the unvulcanized elastomeric profiles of the molds with the elastomeric base body of the elastomer product
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for producing a profiled elastomer product (1), preferably a profiled conveyor belt (1), comprising at least the following steps: • providing an elastomeric base body (10), preferably with embedded longitudinally extending tensile members, preferably steel cables or textile, of the elastomeric product (1), • filling a plurality of molds (26) with an unvulcanized elastomeric material, wherein the molds (26) together form the contour of the profiling (12) of the elastomeric product (1), • bringing together the side of the elastomeric base body (10) of the elastomeric product (1) to be profiled with the unvulcanized elastomeric profilings (12) in the molds (26) such that the elastomeric materials are in contact, and • vulcanizing the unvulcanized elastomeric profilings (12) of the molds (26) with the elastomeric base body (10) of the elastomer product (1).