Thin Refiner Plate Carrier Segmentation for Rapid Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing refiner plate holders require a minimum thickness for safe operation, which can exceed the clearance in many refiners, necessitating costly modifications or the use of traditional plate holders that increase space requirements and prolong the refiner plate changing process.
Innovation Solution
A refiner assembly featuring a thin refiner plate carrier that allows full-circle refiner plate segment assemblies to be mounted without modifying the refiner, enabling reduced changing time and effort, and allowing interchangeable segments without structural support during refining.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If traditional plate holders are used to enable quick plate changes, then plate changing time is reduced, but the assembly thickness exceeds available clearance in many refiners
Solution Approach 1:
The plate holder is divided into two separate components: a thin carrier plate that mounts to the refiner disk, and removable plate segments that attach to the carrier. This segmentation allows the carrier to be thin enough to fit clearance constraints while the segments can be quickly exchanged without modifying the refiner structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting mechanism transitions from a thick single-piece holder to a thin carrier with a separate mounting dimension. The carrier uses a lip and groove interface that engages in a different dimensional space, allowing thin-profile mounting while maintaining structural integrity for quick plate changes.
2Reliability
If thick plate holders are used to safely retain plates under high forces, then operational safety is improved, but space requirements between refining disks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the mounting function (thin carrier) from the plate retention function (segments with mounting mechanisms). The carrier provides a stable mounting interface while the segments contain the structural elements needed to safely retain plates under high forces during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The plate segments incorporate localized mounting features (holes, recesses, or protrusions) that concentrate the structural strength exactly where needed for force retention, while the carrier remains thin in non-critical areas. This local quality approach maintains safety without increasing overall volume.
3Length of stationary object
If refiners are modified to accommodate thin plate carriers, then clearance constraints are satisfied, but modification costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier design with its lip and groove interface is created as a universal mounting system that can be applied to various refiner disk types without requiring disk modifications. The carrier itself provides all necessary mounting features, making it adaptable to different refiner configurations while avoiding costly retrofits.
Solution Approach 2:
The thin carrier acts as an intermediary component between the refiner disk and the plate segments. It mediates the connection without requiring modifications to either the disk or the plates, serving as a standalone adapter that satisfies clearance constraints while maintaining compatibility with existing refiner structures.
4Device complexity
If segment-by-segment plate replacement is used, then no additional components are required, but changing time and labor requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The plate segments are designed as discrete, independently removable units that attach to the carrier through simple mounting mechanisms. This segmentation allows entire sets of plates to be pre-assembled on the carrier and then quickly exchanged as a unit, dramatically reducing changing time compared to installing individual plates while maintaining component simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple plate segments can be pre-mounted onto the carrier in advance while the refiner is operating. When plate changes are needed, the pre-assembled segments are already in position for immediate installation, eliminating the time-consuming process of mounting plates one-by-one during the changeover.
Data Source
AI summary
A refiner plate carrier for use in refining lignocellulosic material including a mounting mechanism for mounting to a refiner plate segment and not a rotor or stator disk. The combined plate carrier and refiner plate segment may be then attached to a refiner disk. The refiner plate carrier need not provide structural support to the segment during lignocellulosic refining.