Partial Drying and Compression for Sheet Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing processes for treating sheet-like elements, such as hides, are inefficient due to large drying oven tunnels, lengthy production times, risk of air bubbles and shiny zones, and high energy consumption, which increase costs and require significant space and additional storage.
Innovation Solution
A process utilizing a compact apparatus with a coating station, a drying station with controlled infrared heating, and a compression station with counter-rotating rollers and a cooling system to apply and partially dry a thermoplastic coating layer, followed by compression to fix the layer without complete drying, reducing the risk of defects and energy use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If long drying oven tunnels are used to completely dry the coating layer, then the coating layer is fully dried, but the apparatus size and production time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial drying instead of complete drying. The coating layer is dried to a moisture content of 10-50% rather than being completely dried, which eliminates the need for long drying tunnels and extended production times while still achieving the desired finishing effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the drying parameter from complete drying to partial drying with controlled moisture content (10-50%). This parameter change allows the process to be completed in a much shorter time and with a more compact apparatus while maintaining quality.
2Productivity
If high temperatures are used in the drying oven to speed up drying, then drying efficiency improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses partial drying at moderate temperatures instead of complete drying at high temperatures. This approach achieves sufficient drying efficiency for the finishing process while dramatically reducing energy consumption compared to traditional high-temperature complete drying.
3Reliability
If a rest step of 24 hours is introduced after drying to allow coating layer adhesion, then adhesion quality improves, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary adhesion promotion during the compression step immediately after partial drying, eliminating the need for a separate 24-hour rest period. The compression action with heated rollers promotes adhesion in real-time, maintaining reliability while drastically reducing production time.
4Ease of operation
If the upper cylinder of the rotary press is heated to high temperatures to render the coating layer fluid, then workability improves, but air bubbles and shiny zones form
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from high temperatures to moderate temperatures (50-150°C) during compression. This parameter change maintains the thermoplastic material's workability for stretching and printing while preventing the formation of air bubbles and shiny zones that occur at higher temperatures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This process reduces production time, minimizes defects like air bubbles and shiny zones, and decreases energy consumption, allowing for efficient and reliable treatment of sheet-like elements with a more compact apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
drying station (5) provided with heating means (6) adapted to execute a thermal treatment of the sheet-like element (11)
Implementation Method 2
a cooling system to cool the sheet-like element after compression, thereby fixing the coating layer in its new shape
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
Process for treating sheet-like elements, which provides for a coating step, in which depositing means (3) of a coating station (2) deposit, on the sheet-like element (11), a coating layer (12) comprising thermoplastic material (4) in the liquid state, a step of drying the coating layer (12) of the sheet-like element (11) in a drying station (5), a step of compressing the coating layer (12) by means of two compression elements (9, 10) of a compression station (7). The drying step determines an only partial drying of the coating layer (12), in a manner such that at least one of the compression elements (9, 10) acts on the coating layer (12), plastically deforming it.