Sheet Manufacturing Apparatus Feedstock Blending
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing paper recycling apparatuses produce sheets with varying characteristics due to the inherent properties of used paper, leading to inconsistent sheet quality, such as grayish tone, increased grammage, and decreased strength, depending on the feedstock used.
Innovation Solution
A sheet manufacturing apparatus with multiple supply units, including a main and sub supply unit, where the sub supply unit provides a predetermined feedstock that does not affect the sheet characteristics, allowing for the mixing and averaging of feedstock characteristics to stabilize the sheet manufacturing process, reducing the frequency of using the predetermined feedstock and minimizing its quantity, and facilitating easier addition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If only one automatic feeding mechanism is used to supply used paper, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision of sheet characteristics deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The single supply unit is divided into multiple supply units (first supply unit and second supply unit), each capable of supplying different types of feedstock. This segmentation allows the system to handle varied feedstock characteristics independently while maintaining overall process control, thereby improving sheet characteristic consistency without excessive complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of feedstock supply by introducing a second supply unit that can provide predetermined feedstock with controlled characteristics. This parameter change in feedstock composition allows compensation for variations in used paper characteristics, improving manufacturing precision of sheet properties.
2Manufacturing precision
If predetermined feedstock is mixed with used paper to suppress variation, then the manufacturing precision improves, but the quantity of predetermined feedstock required increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of completely replacing used paper with predetermined feedstock, the system applies partial action by mixing a controlled amount of predetermined feedstock with used paper. This partial supplementation is sufficient to suppress variation in sheet characteristics while minimizing the quantity of predetermined feedstock required.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit dynamically adjusts the proportion and parameters of predetermined feedstock mixing based on the characteristics of supplied used paper. This parameter optimization ensures that the minimum necessary amount of predetermined feedstock is used to achieve the desired sheet characteristic consistency.
3Ease of operation
If the second supply unit is disposed above the first supply unit, then the ease of operation for adding feedstock improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The second supply unit is positioned in the vertical dimension (above the first supply unit) rather than only in the horizontal plane. This dimensional arrangement allows operators to access and load feedstock into the second supply unit more easily from above, improving ease of operation while the compact vertical stacking minimizes the overall footprint and device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A sheet manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the invention has a manufacturing unit 102 that makes a sheet; and a plurality of supply units 10 that supply loaded feedstock T to the manufacturing unit 102; and the feedstocks T supplied from the plural supply units 10 are conveyed overlapping each other.