Continuous Seal Strip Production With In-Line Defect Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for producing sealing tapes for vehicle openings are inefficient in quality control and result in significant waste, as they often produce tapes with defects such as 'pimples', bubbles, and contour errors, which are difficult to detect and rectify during the continuous production process.

Innovation Solution

A continuous production method and device that incorporates real-time surface and contour testing, marking, and cutting to identify and remove defective areas, allowing for the production of joint-free roll goods sealing tapes with precise length markings for easy identification and separation of errors, minimizing waste and ensuring quality control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If continuous production of sealing tapes is maintained without interruption, then productivity is improved, but quality control becomes difficult and defects accumulate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous productionVSAvoidquality control
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by implementing surface and contour testing during the continuous production process to detect defects before they accumulate. The testing station examines the sealing tape in real-time, and defective areas are marked and cut out proactively, preventing quality degradation while maintaining continuous production operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If defective areas are removed from sealing tapes, then quality is improved, but material waste increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovequalityVSAvoidmaterial waste
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual inspection and cutting with automated optical testing and mechanical cutting systems. The surface and contour testing station uses optical sensors to detect defects, and an automated cutting device precisely removes only the defective portions, minimizing material waste while ensuring quality through systematic defect removal.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If manual inspection and cutting of defective areas is performed, then quality control is possible, but productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequality controlVSAvoidproduction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service by automating the inspection and defect removal process. The testing station automatically detects surface and contour defects, marks their locations, and the cutting device automatically removes defective areas without human intervention, maintaining quality control while preserving continuous production efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Loss of substance

If sealing tapes are produced with joints by reconnecting cut ends, then defective areas can be removed, but product quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedefect removalVSAvoidproduct quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the extraction principle by removing defective areas from the sealing tape while maintaining the continuity of the remaining sound portions. The cutting device excises only the defective segments, and the tape continues production without reconnection, ensuring that joints are avoided and product quality is maintained through selective removal of defects only.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3766658B1Method and device for producing seal strips
Publication Date: 2024.08.28 GTG GUMMITECHN WOLFGANG BARTELT GMBH & CO KG
  • EP3766658B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3766658B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3766658B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Method for the continuous production of sealing tapes (1;32;33) from a continuous sealing tape (1a) having a continuous 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 continuous profile strand (4a), b) checking the continuous 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 continuous sealing tape (1a), wherein individual finished sealing tapes (32) and/or roll-fed sealing tapes (1;33) are manufactured, wherein production process data of the manufacturing process are continuously and automatically recorded by means of a control device (30), and the process is automatically monitored and controlled using the recorded surface and contour defects and other production process data in such a way as to reduce surface and contour defects and/or improve the quality of the process, and device for this purpose.;