Structured Copper Alloy Sheets for Roof Drainage Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Thinner copper or copper alloy sheets used in construction plumbing products, such as roof drainage articles, result in reduced rigidity, increased susceptibility to dents and waves, and processing difficulties, while also increasing the risk of injury on construction sites, due to their reduced thickness and formability.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a structured semi-finished product with specially arranged elevations and depressions on both sides of the copper or copper alloy sheet, allowing for uniform mass distribution and improved processability, which maintains rigidity and aesthetic appeal even with reduced material thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If the sheet thickness is reduced to lower material costs, then material cost is reduced, but rigidity is reduced and processability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies embossing to create a three-dimensional structured surface on the copper or copper alloy sheet. This adds a dimensional aspect to the otherwise two-dimensional flat sheet, creating elevations and depressions that increase the area moment of inertia and thus the rigidity without increasing the nominal sheet thickness. The structured surface provides geometric reinforcement that allows thinner sheets to maintain the required structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining the copper or copper alloy base material with an embossed geometric pattern. The structured surface forms a composite system where the geometric pattern acts as a reinforcement structure, similar to how composite materials combine different materials to achieve superior properties. This composite approach allows the thin sheet to achieve the rigidity of a thicker sheet through the integrated geometric reinforcement.
2Loss of substance
If the sheet thickness is reduced to lower material costs, then material cost is reduced, but processability worsens due to waves and dents
Solution Approach 1:
The embossed structure adds a third dimension to the sheet surface, creating elevations and depressions that provide geometric reinforcement. This dimensional change increases the area moment of inertia, making the thin sheet more resistant to deformation during handling and processing, thereby improving processability without increasing material thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The embossing process is performed in advance during manufacturing, creating a pre-reinforced structure before the sheet undergoes subsequent processing or installation. This preliminary structuring ensures that the sheet has adequate rigidity from the outset, preventing waves and dents during handling, transport, and installation operations.
3Loss of substance
If the sheet thickness is reduced to lower material costs, then material cost is reduced, but the risk of injury on construction sites increases
Solution Approach 1:
The embossed structure creates a three-dimensional surface with elevations and depressions that increase the effective thickness and rigidity of the sheet. This geometric reinforcement makes the thin sheet more robust and less prone to failure during handling and installation, thereby reducing the risk of injury to workers on construction sites while still using thinner, more cost-effective material.
4Strength
If a structured surface is applied to improve rigidity, then rigidity is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The embossing process creates a three-dimensional structured surface by deforming the flat sheet in controlled patterns. This dimensional transformation is achieved through relatively simple embossing rollers or presses that apply localized pressure to create the geometric pattern, adding rigidity without requiring complex manufacturing equipment or multi-step processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The embossing process modifies the geometric parameters of the sheet surface by creating elevations and depressions with specific dimensions and patterns. By controlling parameters such as embossing depth, pattern density, and geometric shape, the desired rigidity is achieved through straightforward parameter adjustment rather than complex manufacturing changes.
Data Source
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Figure 3
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AI summary
The semi-finished product has a structuring with particularly arranged elevation and recesses. The structure is meandering shaped and is displaced into one another. One of the structuring has an independent moving direction. The plate thickness (t) of the structure around the factor 1.1 to 2.5 is larger than the nominal thickness (h). Independent claims are included for the following: (1) a building plumbing product, which comprises a semi-finished product; and (2) a method for manufacturing a semi-finished product.