Seal Strip Production With Inline Defect Marking and Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for producing sealing tapes for vehicle openings are inefficient in ensuring quality control and minimizing waste, often resulting in errors such as 'pimples,' bubbles, and contour deviations, which can lead to suboptimal sealing performance and increased production costs.
Innovation Solution
A continuous production method and device that incorporates real-time surface and contour checking, marking, and automated cutting to identify and remove defective sections, allowing for the production of joint-free rolled goods sealing tapes with precise length markings and efficient waste management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If sealing tapes are produced by co-extrusion and wound onto supply rolls, then continuous production is achieved, but defects such as pimples, bubbles, and contour deviations occur that compromise quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by marking defective areas on the sealing tape immediately after production while the defects are still detectable. The marking system records position data of defects during production, enabling precise identification and subsequent removal of defective sections before the tape is used, thus preventing quality issues from propagating to the final product.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary marking system that acts as a mediator between production and quality control. The marking device applies visible markers (such as ink or contrasting material) to defective areas, creating an intermediary signal that guides subsequent cutting and removal operations, thereby bridging the gap between continuous production and quality assurance.
2Reliability
If defective areas are marked and cut out after unwinding, then quality control is improved, but additional processing time and complexity are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual inspection and marking with an automated optical or sensor-based detection system that automatically identifies and marks defective areas during production. This substitution reduces the need for manual intervention and simplifies the overall process by integrating detection and marking into a single automated workflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The marking system enables self-service quality control by automatically identifying and marking defective areas without requiring constant human supervision. The system records position data and applies markings autonomously, allowing the production process to maintain high reliability while reducing operational complexity.
3Loss of substance
If very long defective sections are cut out and rejoined, then waste is reduced, but butt joints are created that may affect sealing performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by removing only the necessary defective portions from the sealing tape while preserving as much usable material as possible. By precisely marking the boundaries of defective areas, the system enables selective removal of minimal sections, thereby reducing material waste while avoiding the creation of butt joints through strategic cutting and discarding of only essential defective segments.
4Productivity
If sealing tapes are produced in continuous rolls of 1000-1200 m, then productivity increases, but defect detection and management becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing a real-time marking system that records and marks defect positions during the continuous production process. The system maintains position data throughout the entire production run, enabling precise location identification even in very long tapes, thus facilitating easy defect management without compromising productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary positioning and marking system that acts as a mediator between continuous production and defect detection. The marking device creates visible references at defect locations along the continuous tape, serving as an intermediary guide that simplifies defect location and management throughout the entire production length.
Data Source
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AI summary
Method for the continuous production of sealing tapes (1;32;33) from an endless sealing tape (1a) having an endless profile strand (4a), preferably sealing tapes (1;32;33) for sealing openings that can be closed by means of a closing element (2), in particular in vehicle bodies (3), comprising the following process steps: a) extruding the endless profile strand (4a), b) checking the endless sealing tape (1a) for surface and contour defects in a surface and contour testing station (23) and recording the length position of the detected surface and contour defects on the endless sealing tape (1a), wherein individual finished sealing tapes (32) and/or roll-fed sealing tapes (1;33) wound onto a supply roll are produced from the tested endless sealing tape (1a), wherein length markings are applied to the endless sealing tape (1a) at regular intervals, and a device for this purpose.