Rotating Steam Box Cleaning to Prevent Paper Contamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing steam boxes in paper machines are not self-cleaning, leading to potential contamination of paper during cleaning cycles and lack effective monitoring and cleaning systems to ensure cleanliness.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a steam box with a housing, support arm, rotary actuator, and linear actuator for movement, along with a monitoring system and cleaning system that rotates and moves the steam box to clean it effectively, ensuring cleanliness and preventing paper contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the steam box is cleaned while stationary, then cleaning can be performed, but paper contamination occurs and cleaning effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The steam box is made movable relative to the paper machine through a support arm with rotary and linear actuators. During cleaning cycles, the steam box rotates away from the paper path and moves to a cleaning position where cleaning devices can access it without contaminating the paper. This dynamic repositioning resolves the contradiction by allowing effective cleaning while preventing paper contamination.
2Reliability
If the steam box is made movable for cleaning, then cleaning effectiveness improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm with actuators serves multiple functions: it positions the steam box for normal operation, rotates it away from paper during cleaning, and moves it to cleaning positions. This multi-functional positioning system consolidates what would otherwise require separate mechanisms, reducing overall system complexity while enabling effective cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The support arm acts as an intermediary mechanism between the steam box and the paper machine structure. It provides a controlled interface that allows the steam box to be repositioned without requiring direct modification of the paper machine or complex integration with cleaning systems, thereby simplifying the overall design.
3Reliability
If cleaning devices are added to the steam box, then self-cleaning capability improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The steam box is equipped with its own cleaning devices that can be activated independently of the paper machine operations. The system can perform self-cleaning cycles by positioning itself away from paper and activating cleaning mechanisms, thereby maintaining reliability without requiring continuous external intervention or complex integration with the paper machine's cleaning systems.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system comprising: (a) housing; (b) support arm; and (c) rotary actuator that rotates a steam box between a working position and a rotated position.