Rotatable Ceramic Setter Assembly for Kiln Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ceramic rack systems for kiln treatment require frequent assembly and disassembly, leading to inefficient use of kiln car space due to void volumes and reduced loading capacity, as they need to maintain accessibility for loading and unloading.
Innovation Solution
A ceramic assembly comprising a rod-shaped central prop with freely rotatable setters and spacers, secured by a foot for stability, allowing for efficient stacking and loading/unloading without disassembly, utilizing high-temperature resistant ceramic materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If racks are stacked on kiln car with maintainability of accessibility in mind, then loading and unloading operations can be performed, but substantial void volumes are left on the kiln cars leading to loss of capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The rack system employs rotatable setters that can be freely rotated around the central prop to change their orientation and position. This dynamic capability allows the rack structure to adapt its configuration, enabling denser stacking arrangements on the kiln car while maintaining accessibility for loading and unloading operations, thereby reducing void volumes and increasing loading capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The rack is divided into modular components including central props, setters, and spacers that can be independently positioned and configured. This segmentation allows for optimized spatial arrangement on the kiln car, enabling tighter packing while preserving access to individual racks for loading and unloading operations
2Productivity
If racks are pre-assembled before treatment run, then loading efficiency improves, but time and resources are wasted on assembly and disassembly operations
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable setters provide dynamic reconfiguration capability that allows racks to be quickly adjusted and repositioned without complete disassembly. This reduces the time and effort required for setup and teardown operations while maintaining high loading efficiency, as racks can be rapidly reconfigured rather than fully assembled and dismantled
Solution Approach 2:
The modular rack components can be pre-positioned in optimal configurations and left in place for multiple treatment runs. The rotatable setters allow these pre-positioned racks to be quickly adapted to different loading requirements without requiring complete reassembly, thereby eliminating repeated build-up and dismantling operations
Data Source
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Figure 3
Figure 4~5a
AI summary
The present invention relates to an assembly for supporting products to be treated in a kiln, comprising a rod-shaped central prop, a plurality of setters for being mounted around the rod-like central prop such that each setter is freely rotatable around the longitudinal axis of the said central prop, and optionally a number of spacers for positioning between adjacent setters. Each setter may carry a plurality of objects to be treated.