Segmented Stripper Design for Stable Strand Pelletizer Start-Up
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing strand pelletizers face challenges with inefficient and complex stripper designs that are sensitive to positioning tolerances, leading to blockages, increased load on the pelletizer during start-up, and difficulty in achieving a clean nozzle plate surface due to bouncing and sticking of the cutting strip.
Innovation Solution
A stripper apparatus that is movable in a transverse direction over the nozzle outlets, adjustable to opposite setting angles, and guided by a stripper guide attached to the continuous caster, allowing gradual cutting and separation of strands to avoid sudden load increases and improve cleaning efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a cutting strip is used as a stripper to separate strands quickly, then the stripping speed is improved, but the stripper bounces on the nozzle plate surface and cannot achieve a clean nozzle plate surface
Solution Approach 1:
The stripper is divided into multiple cutting strips arranged side by side, where each cutting strip is responsible for separating strands from a specific nozzle outlet. This segmentation allows the stripper to work gradually across multiple outlets rather than all at once, reducing bouncing while maintaining efficient stripping speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting strips are designed to be movable relative to the nozzle plate, allowing them to adapt their position and angle during operation. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the strips to maintain optimal contact with the nozzle plate surface, preventing bouncing and ensuring clean separation without sacrificing stripping speed.
2Productivity
If a long cutting strip is used to strip all nozzle outlets simultaneously, then the stripping efficiency is improved, but the tendency to bounce on the nozzle plate increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single long cutting strip, the stripper comprises multiple shorter cutting strips arranged side by side, with each strip corresponding to a specific nozzle outlet or group of outlets. This segmentation maintains stripping efficiency by covering all outlets simultaneously while reducing the length of each individual strip, thereby minimizing bouncing and improving stability.
Solution Approach 2:
Each cutting strip is optimized for its specific local position on the nozzle plate, with dimensions and angles tailored to the local requirements. This local optimization allows each strip to perform its function effectively without the instability issues that would arise from a single long strip spanning the entire nozzle plate width.
3Area of stationary object
If the drainage trough is positioned close to the nozzle plate to save space, then the device compactness is improved, but the area for accommodating the stripper is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The stripper components are arranged in the transverse direction (width-wise) rather than requiring additional longitudinal space between the drainage trough and nozzle plate. By utilizing the transverse dimension for accommodating multiple cutting strips side by side, the design achieves compactness in the vertical direction while providing sufficient space for the stripper mechanism horizontally.
Solution Approach 2:
The stripper guide serves multiple functions: it guides the movement of multiple cutting strips simultaneously, provides structural support for the entire stripper assembly, and maintains proper positioning relative to the nozzle plate. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby saving space without increasing complexity.
4Speed
If the stripper is moved quickly across the nozzle plate to prevent melt sticking, then the stripping speed is improved, but the stripper bounces and cannot clean the nozzle plate surface effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The stripper is segmented into multiple cutting strips that move across the nozzle plate in sequence rather than as a single unit. This segmentation allows for controlled, gradual movement that prevents bouncing while maintaining sufficient speed to prevent melt sticking. Each cutting strip can be individually positioned and adjusted to optimize its movement characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting strips are designed with dynamic movement capabilities, allowing them to adjust their speed and contact pressure as they traverse the nozzle plate. This dynamic control enables the strips to move quickly enough to prevent melt adhesion while maintaining stable contact with the nozzle plate surface for effective cleaning, eliminating the bouncing problem associated with fast single-unit strippers.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an apparatus for feeding strands of plastic material to a strand pelletizer, having a nozzle plate for producing the strands of plastic material, which nozzle plate has a plurality of nozzle outlets distributed in a transverse direction for discharging the strands of plastic material, a preferably sloping drainage trough which can be positioned below the nozzle plate for conveying the strands of plastic material away from the nozzle plate towards the strand pelletizer, and a stripper for scraping off the nozzle plate and/or for separating the strands of plastic material discharged from the nozzle plate, wherein the stripper is successively movable in the transverse direction over the plurality of nozzle outlets and can be brought into opposite setting angles by an angle adjustment apparatus for opposite travel movements along the transverse direction.