Ultrasonic Floor Tile Embossing for Stable Edges and Patterns
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Thermoplastic floor tiles produced using traditional methods often experience edge rebound or pattern damage due to strong internal attraction, especially at high temperatures, leading to reduced yield rates.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasonic embossing method using an ultrasonic embossing device to convert the thermoplastic material into a viscous flow state, allowing simultaneous embossing of floor tile modeling and patterns, with adjustable welding heads for different patterns and angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If cold pressing and cutting are used during forming processes, then the floor tiles can be formed with various shapes and patterns, but the edges of the floor tiles are prone to rebound or damage due to strong internal attraction in the glassy or highly elastic state
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the thermoplastic material from glassy/highly elastic state to viscous flow state through ultrasonic heating. This parameter change allows the material to be molded without rebound, as the viscous flow state enables permanent deformation rather than elastic recovery. The ultrasonic vibration generates localized heat that transforms the material's rheological properties, solving the rebound problem while maintaining shape formation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies ultrasonic vibration (mechanical vibration) to the thermoplastic material during the molding process. The ultrasonic embossing device generates high-frequency vibrations that produce localized heating and soften the material, enabling it to flow into the desired shape without rebounding. This mechanical vibration approach simultaneously achieves both shape formation and edge stability by controlling the material's physical state during processing.
2Ease of manufacture
If cold pressing and cutting are used during forming processes, then various edge treatments can be applied, but the yield rate decreases due to pattern damage and rebound
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the material state from glassy to viscous flow through ultrasonic heating, the process enables edge treatments to be applied without pattern damage. The softened material conforms to the embossing tool, ensuring accurate pattern transfer and eliminating the damage that occurs with cold pressing. This parameter change directly improves yield rate by preventing defective products.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional cold mechanical pressing and cutting system with an ultrasonic vibration-based system. This substitution eliminates the high contact forces that cause pattern damage in cold pressing, while still achieving the desired edge treatments. The ultrasonic energy provides localized heating and softening without the damaging mechanical stresses of conventional cold forming methods.
3Device complexity
If traditional cold pressing methods are used, then the equipment is simple, but the internal attraction causes strong rebound that damages features and patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The ultrasonic embossing device introduces mechanical vibration to the pressing process, creating localized heating that softens the thermoplastic material. This allows the material to flow into the pattern details without the strong internal attraction that causes rebound in cold pressing. The vibration-based approach maintains relatively simple equipment while dramatically improving pattern accuracy by eliminating the rebound phenomenon.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature and physical state parameters of the material during processing. By applying ultrasonic energy, the material transitions from a rigid glassy state to a softer viscous flow state, enabling accurate pattern transfer without rebound. This parameter change allows the use of simpler equipment compared to complex heated molding systems, while achieving superior pattern accuracy.
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 method enhances edge stability and reduces rebound, improving yield rates by fixing the patterns effectively and accommodating various pattern requirements.
Implementation Method 1
performing ultrasonic welding for a first treatment surface of the floor tile to be embossed to make the first treatment surface become a viscous flow state
Data Source
AI summary
An embossing method for floor tiles makes thermoplastic polymer material in a floor tile to be embossed be converted into a viscous flow state by an ultrasonic embossing device, and embosses a floor tile modeling and a floor tile pattern on the floor tile to be embossed at the same time, such that the floor tile modeling and the floor tile pattern are not prone to rebound after being formed by embossing, stability of embossing of the edge of the floor tile is greatly improved, and yield rate of the floor tile increases. Additionally, the ultrasonic embossing device in the present application can further configure an ultrasonic welding head as a first welding head or a second welding head according to the floor tile modeling and the floor tile pattern, thereby meeting many types of different requirements for embossing patterns and reducing development cost of production lines.