Automated Textile Substrate Reel Joining System
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing manual process for changing and joining textile substrate reels in calendering machines for rubber-coated fabrics is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to errors, requiring large and costly accumulators to maintain production continuity, which also leads to material width and centering issues.
Innovation Solution
An automated unwinding system with motor-driven grippers and a press that uses adhesion means like elastomer sheets or double-sided tape to form joints between substrate reels, allowing continuous operation with minimal downtime and reduced accumulator size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual reel changing and substrate joining operation is used, then labor cost is incurred and joint formation takes 1-2 minutes, but production continuity can be maintained with a large accumulator
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses an automatic gripper that autonomously performs the reel changing and substrate joining operations without manual intervention. The gripper detects when a reel is nearly empty, automatically retrieves a new reel, and executes the joining process through the press, making the system self-servicing and eliminating the 1-2 minute manual downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical operation of reel changing and substrate joining is replaced by an automated mechanical system comprising a motor-driven gripper and press. This substitution reduces the joint formation time from 1-2 minutes to under a minute while maintaining production continuity, directly addressing the downtime issue.
2Reliability
If a large accumulator is used to maintain production continuity during manual joint formation, then production is not interrupted, but the accumulator is costly and causes material width and centering issues
Solution Approach 1:
The automatic gripper system performs reel changes and substrate joining autonomously in under a minute, eliminating the need for a large accumulator. The system self-manages the transition between reels without requiring extensive buffer storage, thereby reducing device complexity and cost while maintaining production continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the accumulator from the system by implementing such rapid automatic joint formation that no large buffer is needed. The automated gripper and press system completes the reel change and joining process quickly enough that production continuity is maintained without requiring the costly and complex large accumulator that causes material width and centering problems.
3Reliability
If manual joining operation is used, then labor cost is incurred and errors may occur, but the process is simple to implement
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs an automatic gripper that autonomously performs the entire reel changing and substrate joining process without manual intervention. This self-service automation ensures consistent joint quality by eliminating human error while maintaining simplicity through an integrated automated sequence that detects and executes the joining operation without external control.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual joining operation is replaced by an automated mechanical system comprising a motor-driven gripper and press. This substitution eliminates labor costs and human errors while maintaining operational simplicity through automated detection and execution of the joining process, directly improving joint quality consistency.
4Reliability
If the substrate path passes through a large accumulator, then production continuity is maintained, but the material may lose its width and centering requiring expensive correction systems
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the accumulator from the system by implementing rapid automatic joint formation that eliminates the need for large buffer storage. By removing the accumulator, the substrate does not pass through it and therefore does not lose width or centering, eliminating the need for expensive correction systems while maintaining production continuity through automated reel changing in under a minute.
Solution Approach 2:
The automatic gripper system performs rapid reel changes and substrate joining in under a minute, eliminating the need for a large accumulator that would compromise substrate dimensions. This self-service automation maintains both production continuity and manufacturing precision by completing the transition without requiring the substrate to traverse a long path through buffer storage.
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 system enables rapid, precise, and cost-effective joint formation with reduced downtime and material handling issues, achieving joint formation in under a minute compared to manual procedures, and significantly lowering the need for large accumulators.
Implementation Method 1
at least one device adapted to provide an adhesion means between the substrate in use and the replacement substrate
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4
AI summary
System (1) for unwinding reels of a textile substrate, of the type used for the manufacture of rubber-coated cord for tyres, the system (1) being automatically controlled and comprising two unwinders (100, 200) which may be alternately used, a joining press (2), guide cylinders (5-8) arranged so as to convey a substrate in use (203) supplied from an unwinder (200) between two surfaces (3, 4) of the press (2), motor-driven grippers (104, 204) for introducing a replacement substrate (103) supplied from the other unwinder (100) between the same two surfaces of the press, a device for providing an adhesion means between the two substrates, such as a double-sided adhesive tape or an elastomer to be vulcanized, and a cutting device (209) for cutting the tail end of the substrate (203) upstream of the press (2) after a joint (20) has been formed.