Vertical Extrusion Equipment for Thermoplastic Resin Impregnation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional impregnation equipment for producing fibre prepreg materials faces challenges in achieving even distribution of high-viscosity thermoplastic resin on continuous inorganic fibres due to horizontal setup, leading to difficulties in resin evacuation and potential resin decomposition.
Innovation Solution
An extrusion equipment is designed with a vertical setup, incorporating a decompression section and a melt tank connected via a vacuum system, featuring soft rubber wheels and an impregnation section with concaved curvy surfaces or protruded bulks to facilitate resin flow and reduce fibre breakage, allowing for efficient resin distribution and evacuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional horizontal impregnation equipment is used, then the equipment structure is simple, but the high viscosity thermoplastic resin cannot travel through the equipment easily and even distribution on fibres is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from horizontal to vertical equipment arrangement, utilizing gravity in the vertical direction to facilitate resin flow through the impregnation zone. This dimensional change enables high-viscosity resin to move downward through the fiber bundle without requiring complex pumping mechanisms, while achieving improved distribution through the controlled vertical flow path.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of forcing resin upward against gravity through horizontal channels, the patent inverts the approach by allowing resin to flow downward under gravity. The fiber bundle is positioned to receive resin from above, reversing the conventional flow direction and eliminating the need for complex pressurization systems.
2Reliability
If thermoplastic resin is maintained at high heat in the impregnation equipment, then the resin remains molten and flowable, but decomposition of the resin occurs easily
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical design with gravity-assisted flow enables the resin to rapidly pass through the impregnation zone and be evacuated from the equipment. This reduced residence time at elevated temperatures prevents thermal decomposition while maintaining sufficient flowability during the brief impregnation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The equipment is designed with a vertical orientation from the outset, establishing gravity as the primary driving force before resin injection. This preliminary configuration ensures that resin flows downward through the fiber bundle by gravity alone, eliminating the need for prolonged heating and pressurization that would cause decomposition.
3Productivity
If conventional horizontal impregnation equipment is used, then the equipment is easy to operate, but evacuation of large amount of processed resin becomes a big challenge
Solution Approach 1:
By arranging the impregnation zone vertically with the feed zone above and the take-up zone below, the patent enables resin to be evacuated naturally downward under gravity. This dimensional arrangement transforms evacuation from a challenging pumping operation into a simple gravitational flow process, significantly improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical configuration allows the resin itself to drive its own evacuation through gravity-induced flow. The processed resin naturally flows downward from the impregnation zone to the collection area without requiring external pumping or complex evacuation systems, making the equipment self-servicing in terms of resin removal.
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 equipment improves resin distribution and reduces fibre breakage, minimizes air bubbles, and allows for adjustable resin content, enabling high-quality fibre prepreg production with reduced resin decomposition by leveraging gravity and vacuum-assisted resin flow.
Implementation Method 1
a decompression cavity is defined between the decompression feeding port and the decompression section discharging port; the decompression cavity is connected with a vacuum device
Implementation Method 2
the present invention provides an extrusion equipment that utilizes gravity to improve resin dispersion for producing fibre prepreg material
Data Source
AI summary
Present invention is related to an extrusion equipment for processing a fibre composite. The extrusion equipment comprises a decompression and a melt tank arranged and operated vertically along with the direction of gravity. The melt tank comprises a melt tank impregnation section and a melt tank control section with a melt tank cavity as a channel condition defined within. The channel has its inner diameter or passage gradually decreased from top to bottom. The extrusion equipment provided by the present invention is configured in the direction of gravity for processing the melted thermoplastic resin and the fibre vertically for avoiding fibre fracture or breakage and improving the quality of the final products. As the melted plastic is processed vertically along with the gravity, the melted plastic could transfer or pass through the channel quickly without resulting decomposition due to the high heat and the long retention time in the cavity.