Rotating Drum Shredder for Textile Waste Tuft Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing construction materials composed of textile fibers lack comprehensive shredding and separation capabilities, resulting in incomplete processing of heterogeneous mixtures, which are not suitable for structural applications in the building industry, and existing equipment fails to effectively shred hardened textile and combined textile/non-textile materials.
Innovation Solution
A tuft-making machine with a rotating drum having a truncated cone shape and swing-hammer cutters with gradually smaller spikes and increasing density, along with angular protrusions on the inner surface, processes feedstock materials into cohesive tufts by chopping, ripping, crushing, and fiberizing, followed by carding to achieve even distribution of components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional hammermill or rotating drum with uniform knives is used for shredding, then the equipment structure is simple, but the shredding is incomplete and cannot process hardened textile and combined textile/non-textile materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the spike characteristics along the drum surface. Spikes have different lengths, shapes, and densities in different zones: longer spikes at the inlet for initial tearing, shorter spikes at the outlet for final refinement. The spike density increases from inlet to outlet, creating locally optimized shredding conditions for each stage of material processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The drum surface is segmented into multiple zones with different spike configurations. Each zone handles a specific stage of the shredding process: the first section with longer spikes performs coarse shredding, while subsequent sections with shorter, denser spikes perform progressive refinement. This segmentation allows the single drum to perform multiple shredding functions that would otherwise require separate equipment.
2Manufacturing precision
If uniform knife configuration is used on rotating drum, then the equipment is easy to manufacture, but it cannot achieve gradual shredding and tearup of hardened materials
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniform knife configuration, the patent uses locally varied spike characteristics. Each section of the drum has spikes tailored to the specific shredding stage required at that position, creating optimal local conditions for progressive material breakdown while maintaining a relatively simple overall drum structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If carding machines are used to fiberize textile waste, then the fiberizing process is effective, but the resulting material lacks comprehensive properties for building industry applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple processing functions into a single integrated system. The rotating drum with varied spikes combines shredding, tearing, and fiberizing operations that were previously performed by separate carding machines. This consolidation produces a more comprehensive material with mixed textile and non-textile fibers in one process step, while reducing the number of required equipment pieces.
Solution Approach 2:
The process creates composite tuft material by combining shredded textile waste with non-textile particles and binders. The resulting material has enhanced properties for building applications, including improved thermal insulation, sound absorption, and structural integrity, by integrating multiple material types into a unified composite product.
4Manufacturing precision
If heterogeneous mixture of carpet tufts and backing material is produced, then the recycling process is simple, but the material is not suitable for structural building materials
Solution Approach 1:
The drum creates local conditions for thorough mixing and homogenization through its varied spike configuration. Different spike zones create different shear forces and material flow patterns, ensuring comprehensive mixing of textile and non-textile components throughout the processed material, transforming heterogeneous input into homogeneous output.
Data Source
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AI summary
Tuft matter (41) is construction material, in particular for building industry, comprising of clumps of tufts (13), consisting in particular of non-textile particles (131) interlaced with textile fibres (132) as the result of recycling process, in particular of combined textile and non-textile material and hardened textile of worn-out and/or residue parts of products used in means of transportation. The tuft-making machine (2) for producing tuft matter (41) comprises of the box (22), wherein rotating drum (21) of cone shape provided with tools for crushing, decomposing and fiberizing feedstock material, is placed, while cohesive formation of components with spatial tuft structure approximating even arrangement of its components is produced by recycling process.