Shuttle-Carriage Braiding Layout for Multi-Strand Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual braiding of multiple strands of flexible materials is labor-intensive and exponentially complex, making it costly in terms of time and resources.
Innovation Solution
A braiding machine with a set of strand shuttles, shuttle stations arranged in a circuit, and a shuttle carriage system that repeatedly selects and moves strand shuttles to braid flexible materials, aided by a drive arrangement and strand retractors to manage tension.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual braiding is used for multiple strands, then flexibility and material variety are improved, but labor intensity and time consumption increase exponentially
Solution Approach 1:
The braiding machine divides the complex braiding process into discrete, manageable components: individual strand shuttles (each handling one or more strands), shuttle stations positioned around a circular path, and a carriage that sequentially services these stations. This segmentation allows multiple strands to be processed independently yet coordinated, reducing the exponential complexity of manual multi-strand braiding while maintaining material versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic element assignment where strand shuttles are not permanently fixed to specific strands but are dynamically assigned to shuttle stations based on the braiding pattern requirements. The carriage dynamically selects and services shuttles in sequence, allowing flexible reconfiguration for different braid patterns and material combinations without increasing labor intensity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of strands is increased, then product complexity and functionality are improved, but manual braiding complexity increases exponentially
Solution Approach 1:
Each strand shuttle is designed as a universal component capable of holding and dispensing any type of flexible material (textile yarns, threads, wire, hair, plastic filaments). The shuttles are identical in structure but differ in their assigned material, allowing the system to handle complex multi-material braids without requiring different mechanisms for each strand type, thus managing complexity while enabling product versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The braiding machine maintains continuous operation with the carriage constantly moving around the circular arrangement of shuttle stations, continuously selecting and servicing shuttles in sequence. This continuous cyclic action ensures that all strands are continuously fed and interlaced without interruption, enabling complex multi-strand patterns to be produced efficiently without the exponential time increase associated with manual methods.
3Productivity
If automated braiding is implemented, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shuttle stations are arranged in a circular path around a central carriage, creating a compact radial layout. This circular geometry allows the carriage to service multiple shuttles by moving along a simple curved path, reducing the overall machine footprint and structural complexity compared to linear arrangements. The circular configuration also enables continuous cyclic operation, improving productivity while keeping the mechanical structure relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The strand shuttles are designed to be self-contained units that automatically dispense their assigned strands as the carriage moves them between stations. The shuttles themselves perform the function of strand delivery and positioning without requiring additional actuators or mechanisms at each station, reducing device complexity while maintaining automated productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
In an aspect, a braiding machine is provided, and has a set of spool shuttles that each dispense a strand of flexible material under tension. A strand retractor releasably retracts the strands from the spool shuttles. A plurality of shuttle stations at which the spool shuttles can be positioned are arranged in a circuit. At least one shuttle carriage, when driven, repeatedly selects an immediately previously unselected spool shuttle and moves the immediately previously unselected spool shuttle from an associated shuttle station to another shuttle station along the circuit spaced from the associated shuttle station by at least one shuttle station that is intermediate the associated shuttle station and the other shuttle station. At least one spool shuttle is parkable at the at least one shuttle station. A drive arrangement is coupled to the shuttle carriage to drive the shuttle carriage.