Rotating Mold Cap Tampon End Forming for High-Rate Smoothing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tampon manufacturing processes struggle to efficiently form and smooth the axial ends of tampons, particularly those made of new materials like cotton, while maintaining high quality and adaptability to different materials and surface coatings.
Innovation Solution
A device with a guide unit featuring a first and second conveying level, mold sleeves, and radially situated rotatable mold caps that apply contact pressure, heat, and friction to form and smooth tampon ends, allowing for scalable and continuous production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional processing tools rotate about their longitudinal axis to smooth tampon ends, then smoothing effect is achieved, but the process cannot accommodate high cycle rates and new materials like cotton
Solution Approach 1:
The mold cap is designed to be movable between a retracted position and a processing position, and can rotate about its longitudinal axis during processing. This dynamic configuration allows the system to adapt to different materials (cotton, viscose, thermoplastic coatings) while maintaining high cycle rates through automated positioning and controlled rotation only when needed for smoothing.
Solution Approach 2:
The processing parameters (contact pressure, rotation speed, heating temperature) can be individually adjusted and preset for different material types. The control unit stores multiple parameter sets that can be selected based on the material being processed, enabling high productivity across diverse materials without requiring physical tool changes.
2Manufacturing precision
If radial pressing is used to produce cylindrical tampons, then lateral casing smoothness is satisfactory, but axial ends require additional processing
Solution Approach 1:
The mold cap integrates multiple functions: it forms the axial end shape, applies smoothing pressure, provides friction-based smoothing through rotation, and can apply heat simultaneously. This consolidation of forming and smoothing operations into a single tool reduces device complexity compared to separate operations, while achieving high manufacturing precision on axial ends.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold cap serves multiple purposes: shaping the axial end, smoothing the surface through contact pressure, providing friction smoothing via rotation, and applying heat when needed. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for multiple separate processing tools or steps, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining high precision.
3Productivity
If mold caps are fixed in position, then device structure is simple, but continuous production with high throughput is not achievable
Solution Approach 1:
The mold caps are mounted on movable guide units that can position them precisely in retracted or processing positions. This dynamic positioning system allows continuous production by enabling rapid tool changes and positioning without manual intervention, achieving high throughput rates while the guide unit structure remains relatively simple through automated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide unit with movable mold caps enables automated positioning and processing without continuous manual adjustment. The system serves itself by automatically moving mold caps into position, processing tampons, and returning to retracted position, allowing continuous high-speed production with minimal human intervention and simple overall structure.
4Manufacturing precision
If processing parameters are not individually adjustable, then device operation is simple, but quality consistency across different materials cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit stores preset parameter sets for different material types and can automatically select appropriate parameters based on the material being processed. This feedback mechanism ensures consistent high-quality results across different materials (cotton, viscose, thermoplastic) without requiring operators to manually adjust complex parameters, maintaining both quality consistency and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
All critical processing parameters (contact pressure, rotation speed, heating temperature, processing time) are individually adjustable and preset for different materials. The control system allows easy selection of pre-configured parameter sets, making parameter adjustment simple while ensuring manufacturing precision and quality consistency across diverse materials.
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
The device achieves high-quality, smooth tampon ends with adaptable processing parameters, suitable for various materials, and supports continuous production with high throughput rates.
Implementation Method 1
The mold cap is designed to effect forming and/or smoothing of at least one end of a tampon blank by exerting contact pressure
Implementation Method 2
The mold cap is designed to effect forming and/or smoothing of at least one end of a tampon blank by exerting contact pressure and/or heat
Implementation Method 3
The mold cap is designed to effect forming and/or smoothing of at least one end of a tampon blank by exerting contact pressure and/or heat and/or friction
Data Source
AI summary
A device and a corresponding method for shaping and/or smoothing at least one end of a tampon blank, in particular an axial end of a tampon blank, includes a guide unit driven by at least one shaft. The guide unit includes first and second conveyor planes. The device also includes shaping sleeves on the second conveyor plane for receiving at least one respective tampon blank, and rotatable shaping caps on the first conveyor plane, each designed to be operatively connected to at least one end of a tampon blank in a shaping sleeve. The first conveyor plane and the second conveyor plane are designed in order to guide a respective at least one of the shaping sleeves on the second conveyor plane coaxially relative to at least one of the rotatable shaping caps on the first conveyor plane on the conveyor plane. A computer program product controls the device.