Stone Block Reinforcement via Resin Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for extracting natural stone blocks like marble, travertine, and granite from quarries often result in non-standard sizes due to internal cavities and cracks, leading to material loss and increased production costs.
Innovation Solution
The method involves boring holes in the block and inserting reinforcement elements, such as resin or carbon fibre bars, to increase resistance, allowing the block to be extracted and re-cut into standard sizes without breaking, using various drilling and cutting techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional extraction methods are used to remove stone blocks from quarries, then extraction is simple and quick, but the blocks break into non-standard sizes due to internal cavities and cracks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by injecting resin into cracks and cavities before the extraction process. This pre-treatment strengthens the block internally, allowing it to withstand extraction forces and subsequent handling without breaking, thereby achieving standard-sized blocks while managing process complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining the natural stone with resin materials. The resin penetrates and bonds with the stone matrix, creating a composite structure that enhances the block's mechanical strength and integrity during extraction and processing, enabling standardized block production
2Productivity
If force is applied to break off blocks from the mine, then extraction is efficient, but material loss occurs due to unintended breaking
Solution Approach 1:
The resin injection is performed as a preliminary action before extraction. This pre-strengthening allows efficient force application during extraction without causing unintended breaking, thus maintaining high productivity while minimizing material loss from premature fracture
Solution Approach 2:
The resin acts as a cushioning agent that is applied beforehand to the vulnerable areas (cracks and cavities). This prior cushioning prevents stress concentration and propagation during extraction, reducing material loss while allowing efficient extraction forces to be applied
3Strength
If resin is applied to consolidate blocks with cracks and cavities, then block strength increases, but production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The resin injection is applied locally to specific cracks and cavities rather than uniformly throughout the entire block. This localized treatment strengthens only the vulnerable areas, achieving the necessary block strength while minimizing resin consumption and associated costs
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 approach enables the production of standardized blocks, reducing material loss and production costs while increasing the economic value of the material by ensuring the block is removed and processed in a single piece.
Implementation Method 1
a first resin is injected into the block in order to penetrate the block and consolidate the block
Implementation Method 2
a polymerizable resin is applied to the cavity... The said coating can be applied for example by spraying technique
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method (100) which enables to reinforce a block or a work-piece desired to be produced in marble, granite and all kinds of natural stone quarries and in all kinds of organic or inorganic businesses aiming for block production and to produce it on a desired scale without being broken up into smaller pieces involuntarily due to production conditions..