Rotating Blade Web Cutting Apparatus for Continuous Fiber Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for cutting continuous webs with thermoplastic fibers result in poor productivity due to the need to stop web transport and cause pressure-bonding or welding of fibers at cut edges, leading to deteriorated performance and reduced volume of cleaning web members.
Innovation Solution
A cutting apparatus and method using a disc-shaped rotatable blade member that intersects the web direction, moving at the same velocity as the web transport, combined with a regulating section to maintain web alignment, allowing continuous cutting without stopping the web transport and preventing fiber bonding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the continuous web is cut by stopping transport and using an upper blade and lower blade shearing method, then the cutting can be performed, but productivity deteriorates due to repeated stopping of web transport
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting operation is performed continuously during web transport without stopping. The blade member rotates while the web moves, maintaining continuous cutting action and eliminating idle time between cuts, thereby resolving the contradiction between productivity and transport stopping time
Solution Approach 2:
The stationary blade system is replaced with a rotating blade member that dynamically moves with the web transport. The blade rotates about an axis along the transport direction, adapting to the continuous motion of the web and enabling cutting without stopping the transport line
2Manufacturing precision
If the continuous web is sheared by pressing between upper blade and lower blade, then the cutting can be performed, but tows are welded or pressure-bonded due to clearance pressing, deteriorating cut edge quality
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful pressing action is extracted and removed from the cutting process. Instead of using two blades that press the web, only one rotating blade member is used that cuts the web through its rotation, eliminating the pressing force that causes fiber welding and pressure-bonding
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical shearing system with two pressing blades is replaced with a rotating blade member system. The rotation of the blade member provides the cutting action without requiring the web to be pressed between surfaces, thereby preventing thermoplastic fiber welding
3Ease of manufacture
If the tows are pressed during shearing, then the cutting can be performed, but the cut edges are bound in loops, reducing the volume of the cleaning web member
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing action that causes loop formation is extracted and removed. The rotating blade member cuts the web without pressing the tows, preventing them from being bound in loops and maintaining the natural volume of the cleaning web member
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous rotation of the blade member provides uninterrupted cutting action without pressing. This continuous cutting motion severs the tows cleanly without the intermittent pressing that would cause them to bind and reduce volume
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for cutting a continuous web includes a disc-shaped rotatable blade member for cutting the continuous web by moving in an intersecting direction, while rotating about an axis of a rotating shaft, a regulating section for regulating a relative movement of the continuous web in the predetermined direction with respect to the rotatable blade member throughout a time during which the rotatable blade member is cutting the continuous web, and a reciprocating mechanism for moving both the rotatable blade member and the regulating section along a forward path and a return path. The forward path has an equal velocity region where both the rotatable blade member and the regulating section move at a velocity value equal to a transport velocity value of the continuous web. The rotatable blade member cuts the continuous web while moving in the equal velocity region.