Filament Wound Casing Rolled for Compact Transport

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for manufacturing and assembling large-size filament-reinforced plastic composite hollow bodies face challenges such as high transportation costs and logistical difficulties due to size constraints, as well as the need for precise environmental conditions and skilled labor at the assembly site.

Innovation Solution

A method involving filament winding to create an endless casing that is cut open and rolled into a smaller diameter transport package, allowing for standard-sized transportation and assembly on-site with controlled conditions, eliminating the need for temporary equipment and skilled labor.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the hollow body is manufactured full-sized at the assembly site, then the quality can be controlled, but the transportation equipment and skilled labor requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequality controlVSAvoidtemporary equipment requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The hollow body is divided into a manufactured casing section and separate base/top sections. The casing is manufactured in a controlled environment, then transported and assembled with the base and top at the assembly site, eliminating the need for complex temporary filament winding equipment at the assembly location.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The casing is manufactured in advance in a controlled manufacturing environment where quality can be precisely controlled. The manufacturing process is completed before transportation, so that when the casing arrives at the assembly site, it is ready for final assembly without requiring complex temporary equipment setup.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If the hollow body is manufactured full-sized at the assembly site, then the quality can be controlled, but the transportation costs and logistics become impossible for large diameters

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequality controlVSAvoidtransportation feasibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The hollow body is segmented into a casing portion manufactured separately and base/top portions that are assembled at the assembly site. This allows the casing to be manufactured in controlled conditions and then transported as a manageable component rather than a full-sized structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The casing is manufactured as a flat or partially formed structure that can be rolled or folded into a compact form for transportation. This dimensional transformation allows standard transportation methods to handle the component, and it can be expanded to the required diameter at the assembly site during final assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Volume of moving object

If a temporary filament winding plant is built at the assembly site, then the hollow body can be manufactured to full size, but the equipment transportation and erection become expensive and troublesome

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehollow body sizeVSAvoidequipment setup complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The complex filament winding manufacturing process is extracted from the assembly site and relocated to a permanent manufacturing facility. Only the final assembly operations remain at the assembly site, significantly reducing the complexity of equipment setup and removal.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The casing manufacturing is performed in advance at a permanent facility equipped with proper filament winding equipment. This preliminary manufacturing action eliminates the need to transport and erect temporary filament winding equipment at the assembly site, reducing both complexity and cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Adaptability or versatility

If filament winding is performed at the assembly site, then the hollow body can be manufactured locally, but the environmental control requirements make quality guarantee difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocal manufacturing capabilityVSAvoidquality consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The filament winding manufacturing process is extracted from the assembly site environment and performed at a dedicated manufacturing facility with controlled environmental conditions. This separation allows consistent quality control while the assembly site only requires simple assembly operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The casing is manufactured in advance under controlled environmental conditions at a permanent facility. This preliminary manufacturing action ensures quality consistency before the component is transported to the assembly site, where final assembly is performed without requiring complex environmental controls.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 significantly reduces transportation costs, ensures predictable pricing, and guarantees the quality of the end product by allowing controlled manufacturing conditions, while minimizing the requirement for skilled labor at the assembly site.

Implementation Method 1

the hollow body casing is manufactured in a filament winding device, where around a rotatable mold, i.e. mandrel, there is wound filament dipped in thermoplastic by feeding it from a filament dispenser that moves on the side of the mandrel, in the axial direction thereof, so that the filament is set in a spiraling fashion on top of the mandrel

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFilament winding:

Implementation Method 2

The casing that is cut open is rolled up for forming a transport package that has an essentially smaller diameter than the finished hollow body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRolling:

Implementation Method 3

the transport package is set in an assembly stand, the outer dimensions whereof are arranged to correspond to the inside diameter of the finished hollow body. The casing is unrolled around the assembly stand, to the size of the finished hollow body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectUnrolling:

Data Source

PatentEP2370246B1Method and arrangement for manufacturing and assembling a large-size filament-reinforced plastic composite hollow body
Publication Date: 2015.04.01 OUTOTEC OYJ
  • EP2370246B1 patent drawingFigure 1~7
  • EP2370246B1 patent drawingFigure 8~9
  • EP2370246B1 patent drawingFigure 10~11

AI summary

In a method for manufacturing and assembling a large size filament-reinforced plastic composite hollow body, such as a tank, an endless casing (1) made by filament winding is cut open in the axial direction, so that there are formed two ends (2, 3) in the casing. The open-cut casing (1) is rolled up in order to form a transport package (4) with a diameter that is essentially smaller than the diameter of a finished hollow body. The transport package (4) is transported to the assembly site. On the assembly site, the transport package (4) is set in an assembly stand (5), the outer dimensions of which are adjusted to correspond to the inside diameter of the finished hollow body. The casing (1) is unrolled around the assembly stand (5) to the size of the finished hollow body, so that the casing ends (2, 3) are matched end- on-end. The ends (2, 3) of the casing (1) are fastened by a tight-fitting seam for forming an endless casing. Finally other required elements are attached to the casing for obtaining a finished hollow body. The arrangement includes a filament winding device (9) for manufacturing the casing (1) for the hollow body. In addition, the arrangement includes a cutting device (12) for cutting the casing (1) open in the axial direction, a rolling device (13) for rolling up the casing (1) to form a transport package (4), and an assembly stand (5), which is arranged to receive inside it the transport package (4) for unrolling the casing (1) on the assembly stand (5).