Movable Upper Roller Frame for Faster Roller Leveler Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing roller levelers face challenges in efficiently inspecting, maintaining, and cleaning the upper leveling rollers due to cumbersome access and high wear caused by dirt accumulation, which requires extensive disassembly and ergonomic strain during maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A roller leveler design where the upper leveling unit's frame can be moved out and accessed from above, allowing for easy inspection and maintenance, with a stable yet lightweight structure, and a coupling mechanism using sleeve and neck elements for ergonomic handling, along with a lifting system for back-up roller blocks, facilitated by an electric drive and integrated control system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the upper leveling unit is fixed in position within the roller leveler, then the structural stability is maintained, but the maintenance and cleaning operations become time-consuming and ergonomically difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The upper leveling unit is designed with movable components including the frame that can be shifted along rails, bearing plates that can be detached, and back-up roller blocks that can be independently removed. This dynamic design allows maintenance personnel to access the upper leveling rollers from above without complete disassembly, significantly reducing maintenance time and improving ergonomics while maintaining structural stability during operation
Solution Approach 2:
The upper leveling unit is divided into separable modules: the frame, bearing plates, back-up roller blocks, and leveling rollers themselves. This segmentation allows individual components to be accessed, inspected, and maintained independently. The bearing plates can be detached to access rollers, and back-up roller blocks can be removed separately, enabling targeted maintenance without affecting the entire unit
2Loss of time
If the upper leveling rollers are difficult to access for maintenance, then the structural integrity is preserved, but the maintenance time and labor requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is designed to be movable along rails rather than fixed, allowing it to be shifted to provide adequate working space for maintenance personnel. The bearing plates are designed with detachable fastening means, enabling quick removal to access the rollers from above. This dynamic accessibility reduces maintenance time from hours to minutes while maintaining structural integrity during normal operation
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring maintenance personnel to access the rollers from below or the sides, the design enables access from above by making the bearing plates and frame movable. This inversion of the maintenance approach allows workers to easily reach the rollers in a natural working position, eliminating the need for awkward postures and reducing maintenance time
Data Source
AI summary
A roller leveler and related method for leveling stock which includes an upper roller frame with an upper leveling unit, and a lower roller frame which has a machine bed with a lower leveling unit. The upper roller frame can be moved upward and downward relative to the lower roller frame by hydraulic drives. The upper leveling unit includes a plurality of upper leveling rollers and the lower leveling unit has a plurality of lower leveling rollers. The upper leveling rollers are supported with upper bearing plates and the lower leveling rollers are supported with lower bearing plates. At least several of the upper and lower leveling rollers are connected at one end to drive shafts of a drive device. A frame is moveable into and out of the roller leveler.