Self-Cleaning Wire Screen Molded Polymer Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Self-cleaning wire screens require pre-weaving of perpendicular wires and pre-formed polymer bars, leading to increased manufacturing time, material, and cost, as well as potential weaknesses at the welded interfaces, which compromises their lifespan and flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for manufacturing self-cleaning wire screens using longitudinally aligned wires with molten polymer support members molded directly onto the wires, eliminating the need for pre-weaving and pre-formed polymer strips, and allowing for various patterned configurations such as diamond, herringbone, triangle, or harp styles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If pre-formed polymer bars or strips are used as support members, then the screen structure is stabilized, but the manufacturing time and cost increase due to requiring pre-formation and welding operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by positioning the wires in their final patterned configuration before the polymer support members are formed. The wires are arranged and secured in place, then the polymer is molded directly onto them, eliminating the need to pre-form polymer bars and then assemble them later. This reverses the traditional sequence and saves manufacturing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the wire arrangement process with the polymer support member formation process into a single integrated operation. Instead of separately preparing polymer bars and then assembling them to the wires, the polymer is molded directly onto the arranged wires, combining two operations into one and reducing both time and complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If pre-formed polymer bars are welded together to form support members, then the support structure is created, but the reliability decreases due to delamination and weakness at the welded interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the welding operation from the manufacturing process entirely. Instead of welding pre-formed polymer bars together to create support members, the polymer is molded directly in its final form onto the wires, eliminating the creation of welded interfaces that are prone to delamination and weakness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses molten polymer as an intermediary material that is molded directly onto the wires. This molten polymer serves as both the support member material and the bonding agent, eliminating the need for separate welding operations and the associated reliability issues at welded joints.
3Ease of manufacture
If perpendicularly woven wires are used as support means, then the wires are held in alignment, but the lifespan decreases due to metal-on-metal contact and increased wear at the woven sections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wire-on-wire support system with a polymer-based support system. Instead of using perpendicularly woven wires that create metal-on-metal contact and wear, the polymer support members are molded directly onto the longitudinal wires, providing alignment and support without the harmful mechanical contact between metal wires.
4Stability of the object's composition
If both polymer support strips and perpendicularly woven wires are used, then the wires are held in configuration, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase compared to traditional screens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the perpendicularly woven wires from the final screen design. While temporary wires may be used during the molding process to define the pattern, the final product consists only of longitudinal wires with molded polymer support members, removing the complexity of weaving and assembling multiple wire sets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of wire alignment and support member formation into a single integrated process. The wires are arranged in the desired pattern, and the polymer support members are molded directly onto them in the same operation, eliminating the need for separate weaving and assembly steps required by traditional methods.
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
This approach reduces manufacturing time and costs while enhancing the flexibility and lifespan of self-cleaning wire screens by integrating polymer support members without the weaknesses associated with woven wires and pre-formed polymer strips, ensuring efficient and durable performance.
Implementation Method 1
applying a bead of molten material on the wires
Implementation Method 2
directly molding the bead of molten material into a support member
Data Source
AI summary
A method of making a screen with an apparatus, the screen including a plurality of wires arranged in a patterned configuration, the apparatus including an extruder and a mold, the method including (a) longitudinally aligning the plurality of wires in the apparatus in a first direction only and arranging the wires in the patterned configuration, (b) applying a first bead of molten material on the wires via the extruder, and (c) directly molding the first bead of molten material into a support member for the screen by closing the mold about the bead, wherein the support member at least partially encases at least one of the wires.