EP4351856A1

EP4351856A1 - Apparatus and method for producing insulation panels

Info

Publication number: EP4351856A1
Application number: EP22731562.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Michael DIEDERICHS; Andre Boßmann; Jörg PUDEG
Original assignee: Siempelkamp Maschinen und Anlagenbau GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Siempelkamp Maschinen und Anlagenbau GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2021-06-11
Filing date: 2022-05-31
Publication date: 2024-04-17
Also published as: WO2022258438A1; DE102021002998A1; CN117337229A

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for producing insulation panels or sound protection panels from a pressed stock mat (2) consisting at least partially of lignocellulosic particles wetted with binding agents, wherein the apparatus has an inlet zone (Z1) between two revolving screening belts (5a, 5b), the distance between which becomes smaller in the pressed stock mat running direction, and a calibration zone (Z2) for heating and curing the pressed stock mat (2) with the aid of at least two opposite calibration plates (3a, 3b; 3c, 3d; 3e, 3f), i.e. at least one pair of calibration plates (7a, 7b), wherein revolving screening belts (5a, 5b) driven in the calibration zone (Z2) are movable in the pressed stock mat running direction through a calibration gap (20) between the at least two calibration plates (3a, 3b; 3c, 3d; 3e, 3f) in contact with the upper and the lower pressed stock mat surface. In order to keep the peak loadings on the screening belts as low as possible, it is provided that the at least two calibration plates (3a, 3b; 3c, 3d; 3e, 3f) are not parallel to one another at least in an entry region (E) to the calibration zone (Z2).

Description

Device and method for the production of insulating boards

Description:

The invention relates to a device for the production of insulating or soundproofing panels from a pressed material mat consisting at least partially of lignocellulosic particles wetted with binders, the device having an infeed zone between two circulating screen belts that reduce their distance in the direction of movement of the pressed material mats and a calibration zone for heating and hardening of the pressed material mat with the aid of at least two opposing calibrating plates, wherein in the calibrating zone driven circulating screen belts can be moved in contact with the upper and lower pressing material mat surface between the at least two calibrating plates through a calibrating gap in the direction of pressing material mats travel.

The invention also relates to a method for producing insulating or soundproofing panels from a pressed material mat, which consists at least partially of lignocellulosic particles wetted with binders, using the device mentioned.

Such a device has been published, for example, in DE 10 2008 039 720 B4. In some cases, such devices with pre-compression devices or after-acting pressing devices, e.g. B continuous presses, connected in series but not relevant in the context of the invention. The products created on the device are offered, for example, by SOPREMA GmbH under the name Pavatex or by H. Henselmann GmbH + Co KG under the name Gutex.

Suitable binders are, for example, those based on the principle of polycondensation or polyaddition, such as PMDI. Another example from the prior art is provided by DE 10 2008 057 557 A1, which already clearly names the two zones. In the first zone, the circulating screen belts transporting the mat to be pressed run in a wedge shape in the first zone, compressing the mat of pressed material up to the second zone, in which they guide the mat of pressed material through a calibration zone, which is formed by at least two heatable plates running in parallel.

In the context of the invention, it should preferably be possible to produce insulating boards with densities of 100-240 kg/m ² . A main focus is also on the production of particularly thin insulation boards down to a thickness of 5 mm. The sieve belts—or sieves for short—serve to guide the mat of pressed material through the device at a desired speed by being driven at the same speed as the mat of pressed material is to be transported. In this way, steam can be introduced into the pressing material mat from the outside through the sieve, or liquid and air can be removed.

In the infeed zone, in which the screens converge in a gusset-like manner, this being realized, for example, with an oscillating movement of the upper or lower belt, the height of the pressing material mat to be calibrated is reduced. As a rule, this reduction in height has already taken place to 100 to a maximum of 120% of the final thickness of the product to be manufactured before the mat of material to be pressed enters the second zone, the calibration zone. Although steam can also be applied in this first zone, the infeed zone, the pressed material mat is only softened on the surface there. Thus, in this inlet zone of the device, the pressing material mat is not yet significantly reduced in its modulus of elasticity. Although the mat is softened on the surface with the steaming in the inlet zone and thus the friction in the calibration zone is reduced, it can unfortunately be seen that both the mat and the device are subjected to particularly high, almost impact-like forces when they enter the calibration zone, i.e. in the area between the first calibration plates in particular. And this in turn means that the screens are pressed with high forces against the material to be pressed or the calibration plates. The resulting increase in friction can only be coped with to a limited extent by the screens. In addition, this creates a local compaction in the edge area of the pressed material mat.

It has been found with devices of this type that the screens, which are made of plastic or wire mesh, reach their tensile load limits when a drive power is exceeded. This inevitably leads to limited productivity (current limit around 8 t/h with a 60 mm thick pressed material mat). If the permeable screens have a maximum tensile strength, this limits the length of the curing section, which depends on the infeed pressure on the screen at the beginning of the calibration zone. The required curing time of the binder thus determines the maximum length of the curing section and the achievable speed for a circulating screen.

On the other hand, in order to increase production, one would like to increase the production speed. It is therefore the object of the invention to keep the peak loads on the screen as low as possible so that it has a longer service life.

With regard to the device, the object is achieved by the features of claim 1 and in particular by the fact that the at least two calibration plates (at least in the entry area) of the calibration zone are not parallel to one another. In this case, the non-parallelism must preferably, but not necessarily, be formed by two flat calibration plate surfaces facing the pressed material mat, but can also be assumed to a certain extent by curved surfaces. This would, for example, result in a progressive or degressive change in the height of the calibration gap over the length in the running direction of the pressed material mats.

The inventors have taken into account that the load on the pressed material mat and sieve is greatest immediately at the entrance to the calibration zone, i.e. at the entrance between the calibration plates and thus represents the bottleneck that prevents a higher transport speed from being increased, because the stress on the sieve would be too great due to frictional forces, recognized that this can be relative to one another with a slight inclination, ie a non-parallel position of the at least two opposing calibration plates, without losing the calibration effect. It is of great importance that in addition to the task of reducing the belt load, the technological properties of the product are retained at the same time, in particular a desired thickness present at the outlet of the device or a desired density profile over the cross section. This is exactly what can be achieved with the upper and lower calibration plates set at an angle to each other at the entrance to the calibration zone.

Precisely when an angle unequal to 0° is preferably provided between the at least two sides of the calibration plates facing the pressing material mat, the transition from the inlet zone, in which only the surfaces of the mat can be steamed and thus no change in elasticity and curing took place has found to be reduced in terms of forces towards a greatly reduced mat thickness.

The distance between the at least two calibration plates forming the pair of calibration plates preferably tapers in the running direction of the mats to be pressed. Experiments have shown that the pressure on the mat or the screens can also be kept largely uniform in the entry area into the pair of calibration plates, which is understandably dependent on the composition of the pressed material mat and the compression or thickness that has already taken place.

For this it is sufficient if the maximum difference in distance between the widest and the narrowest gap of the pair of calibration plates is 50%, preferably 25%, of the mat thickness in the entry area.

For this purpose, at least one calibration plate must be arranged at an angle to the horizontal in the entry area of the calibration zone.

This is possible with an angle that is limited to the product and is fixed from the outset, with one of the calibration plates, for example, being permanently installed in the entry area of the calibration zone at an angle to the horizontal.

Or a calibration plate is provided, which is arranged such that it can be tilted via a joint and where this calibration plate is inclined from the horizontal plane by means of a defined, insertable wedge.

However, a joint and a motorized adjustment of the angle, for example an actuating cylinder, are preferably used on a calibration plate. This is with particular advantage provided that the angle is automatically adjustable.

In accordance with the currently used calibration plate lengths, it is sufficient if an adjustment device is provided with which an angle between 0.1 and 15° can be set.

The setting of the angle can be automated, for example, when the pressing material mat thickness is measured using an optoelectronic measuring device and the angle is set as a function of the measured value using a control unit of an angle adjustment device. Since the pressing material mats can vary in thickness between 5 and 300 mm and the producers also change the product more frequently, such an automatic adjustment makes sense.

As a rule, only the calibration plates in the entry area into the calibration zone are arranged at an angle to the horizontal. Provision can certainly be made for pairs of calibration plates to follow, which are arranged in parallel and always at the same distance. However, an angular position causing a relaxation, for example in the outlet of the calibration zone, should not be excluded from the invention.

The calibration plates are heated. There are various options here. Heating via internal channels using a tempering fluid, for example oil, water, steam or hot air, is particularly common. A different or the same hot medium that is used to heat the calibration plates can also be heated from below and/or above via the calibration plates, preferably Steam or a steam-air mixture or hot air alone can be introduced into the pressing material mat. If this introduction of Steam (or hot air) into the pressing material mat, particularly in the case of thick pressing material mats, may only be carried out up to half the thickness, for example, steam (or hot air) can also be induced from the opposite calibration plate to heat the pressing material mat. In the case of thinner mats to be pressed, however, it is also possible to introduce steam or hot air into the mat from one side and suck off the warm steam or condensate or warm air again through a calibration plate with a suction device on the opposite side. In this way, the pressed material mat can also be heated through completely.

The binder (e.g. PMDI) can harden quickly due to the penetration of heat and moisture into the pressing material mat.

It is also possible, instead of the hot medium, to introduce a gas that reacts differently with the binder into the pressed material mat, so that the binder hardens.

The object of the invention is achieved with regard to the method by the features of claim 13 and in particular by the fact that the calibration gap between the at least two calibration plates (at least in the entry area) is not set to a constant height in the running direction of the pressed material mats.

The method has dependent method claims analogous to the device claims, so that the advantages can be derived from the device already described.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to drawings showing exemplary embodiments. Show it 1 is a side view of a complete assembly according to the invention

Contraption,

2 shows a detail of the front part of an inventive

Device as encircled in Fig. 1 by way of example,

3 shows a schematic sectional representation of two successive pairs of calibration plates.

Fig. 1 shows a side view of the device according to the invention for fixing insulating boards and soundproofing boards. The device has a frame 13 on both sides of the treatment section for the fixing position of the insulating boards, of which only one side is visible because of the side view of the device. The device has an upper plant part 6a and a lower plant part 6b, in each plant part at least one screen belt (short: screen) rotates in a driven manner. Each sieve 5a, 5b is guided and tensioned by deflection rollers 8. Between the upper circulating sieve belt 5a and a lower circulating sieve belt 5b, i.e. between the upper and lower parts of the plant, a pressing material mat 2, which at least partially consists of lignocellulosic materials, is wetted with binders Particles is treated in an inlet zone Z1, a calibration zone Z2 and a cooling zone Z3. The pressing material mat is guided at least partially with the sieves 5a and 5b lying against it from above and from below. The calibration zone Z2 begins with the entrance between the first two calibration plates 3a and 3b, which face each other and thus form a pair of calibration plates 7a. This can be seen more clearly in the detail in FIG. The pressing material mat 2 has already almost reached its final thickness at the end of the entry zone Z1 before it enters the calibration zone Z2. The overall device according to FIG. 1 thus has an inlet zone Z1 in which the two screens 5a and 5b converge in a gusset-like manner and the pressing material mat 2 is guided into the first gap between two calibration plates 3a and 3b in a compressed manner. For the invention, however, another pair of circulating screens could also guide the pressing material mat 2 through the calibration zone Z2.

Steam blower boxes 4 are arranged on both sides of the gusset in the entry zone Z1, which soften the surface of the pressed material mat. The number of these steam blow boxes 4 depends on the composition of the mat 2 to be pressed. Since the thickness of the mat to be pressed can vary greatly, the angle of the gusset can be changed via the inlet height adjustment 10 . This design of the inlet zone Z1 is essentially known from the prior art.

Also to put a cooling zone Z3 at the exit of the device, where the hot, meanwhile calibrated and hardened, hot insulating board is cooled via an air cooling system 12, can be found in the prior art.

In the past, the production speeds were severely restricted by the tensile strength limits of the screens 5a, 5b because the friction of the screens when they entered the calibration zone was very high. The pairs of calibration plates (for example 3a and 3b, or 3c and 3d or 3e and 3f) were always formed by calibration plates aligned in parallel. As a result, the introduction of force onto the screens or the pressing material mat at the transition from the infeed zone to the calibration zone was very large. According to the invention, two calibration plates are therefore arranged at an angle a to one another, at least in the entry area E of the calibration zone Z2. The calibrating gap narrows in the running direction of the mats to be pressed (from left to right in the figures), so that the pressure on the screen remains approximately constant. Nevertheless, already in this entry area E the pressed material mat 2 is calibrated by means of heat and moisture, which act on the binding agent in the pressed material mat. This is done via the first two opposing calibration plates 3a and 3b. This can be followed by pairs of calibration plates (3c and 3d, or 3e and 3f), in which the parallel alignment of the surfaces is specified. This constant distance between the pairs of calibration plates is set using height adjustments 16.

The circled area of FIG. 1 and the enlarged representation according to FIG. 2 have a distinguishing feature for the same adjustability of the angle a of the calibration plate 3a. In Fig. 1 it is carried out via an adjusting device 15, with which the gusset 11 is also adjusted. The angle adjustment device 15 and the inlet height adjustment 10 thus form a unit. In contrast, a separate actuating cylinder is provided on both sides in FIG. 2 for the angle adjustment device 15 . In both cases, an angle between 0.1 and 15° can be set for the inclination of the calibration plate 3a from the horizontal. Of course, the invention is not limited to the angular adjustability of the first upper calibration plate 3a in the entrance area E of the calibration zone Z2. In order to achieve the same force shock-minimizing effect, other calibration plates can of course also be angle-adjustable or angle-adjustable. The total calibration gap 20 over the length of the device can therefore vary.

The angle α can also be adjusted fully automatically, based on a measurement of the press mat thickness. Such an optoelectronic measuring device 21, for example, can be connected upstream of the calibration zone Z2.

3 schematically shows the first four calibration plates 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d. The calibration plates 3a and 3b and the calibration plates 3c and 3d lie down opposite to. The calibrating plates are shown schematically in section and in this exemplary embodiment have either a channel system with steam heating 17 and steam outlets 18 in the direction of the calibrating gap 20, ie in the direction of a pressing material mat in the direction thereof. Or they have a suction device 19 with which vapor (or a vapor-air mixture and/or liquid) that has passed through the mat can be sucked off. If necessary, warm air or another reactive gas can also be used to heat through the pressed material mat 2 and to harden the binding agent.

The essential idea according to the invention is again clearly recognizable on the calibration plate 3a. It is in the entry area E in the pressing material mat running direction at the front (on the left in FIG. 3) by a gap height difference amount h by the angle adjustment device 15, not shown, around the joint 14 from the horizontal, i.e. the parallel position to the calibration plate 3b. An angle a results, which can be fixed or adjustable or even controllable. The gap height difference h should be a maximum of 50% of the pressing material mat height in front of the entry area E in front of the calibration zone Z2, preferably only a maximum of 25%.

The opposing calibration plates 3c and 3d can then be arranged in parallel again for the final hardening of the binding agent.

3 also shows that the flow direction of the steam can (but does not necessarily have to) change from a calibration plate 3b, 3c with steam outlet 18 to a suction calibration plate 3a, 3d.

Since the entry area E with its non-parallelism of the opposing calibration plates 3a and 3b extends up to the joint 14 in this case, the calibration plates 3b and 3d on the other side of the calibration gap 20, however quasi stand in a line, it should also be covered by the invention if two calibration plates 3a and 3c are provided with the joint 14 between them above the pressing material mat and the calibration plates 3b and 3d are combined into one below the calibration gap 20. Accordingly, the arrangement could also be reversed if the joint 14 is located below the calibration gap 20, that is, if FIG. 3 were turned upside down.

For a fixed angle setting, it is also possible to combine the calibration plates 3a and 3c into a single calibration plate. This means that a calibration plate would be used that was already bent or bent at an angle a.

Reference List

Claims

Patent Claims:

1. Device for the production of insulating or soundproofing panels from a pressed material mat (2) consisting at least partially of lignocellulosic particles wetted with binders, the device having an inlet zone (Z1) between two circulating screen belts (5a, 5b) and a calibration zone (Z2) for heating and hardening the pressing material mat (2) with the aid of at least two calibration plates (3a, 3b; 3c, 3d; 3e, 3f) lying opposite one another, i.e. at least one calibration plate pair (7a, 7b). , wherein in the calibration zone (Z2) driven circulating screen belts (5a, 5b) in contact with the upper and the lower pressing material mat surface between the at least two calibration plates (3a, 3b; 3c, 3d; 3e, 3f) through a calibration gap (20) in Pressed material mats running direction are movable, characterized in that the at least two calibration plates (3a, 3b; 3c, 3d; 3e, 3f) at least in an entry area (E) of the calibration zone (Z2) are not parallel to each other.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that an angle (a) unequal to 0° is provided between the at least two sides of the calibration plates (3a, 3b) facing the pressing material mat (2) at least in the entry area (E).

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the distance between the at least two calibration plates (3a, 3b) forming the pair of calibration plates (7a) tapers in the running direction of the mats to be pressed.

4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the maximum difference in distance (h) between the widest and the narrowest gap of the pair of calibration plates is 50%, preferably 25% of the mat thickness directly in front of the entry area (E).

5. Device according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the angle (a) between 0.1 ° and 15.0 ° via an angle adjustment device (15) is adjustable.

6. Device according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the angle (a) is automatically adjustable as a function of the height of the pressed material mats.

7. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the calibration plates (3a, 3b; 3c, 3d; 3e, 3f) are heatable plates.

8. The device according to claim 7, that at least one of the calibration plates (3b, 3c) can be heated with steam.

9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the at least one calibration plate (3b, 3c) is designed such that steam can flow out of steam outlet openings (18) in the direction of the pressed material mat (2).

10. Device according to claim 9, in that the calibration plate (3a, 3d) opposite the calibration plate (3b, 3c) with the steam outlet (18) is designed such that the steam that has passed through the pressing material mat (2) can be sucked off.

11. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the non-parallel, opposite calibration plates (3a, 3b) are followed by calibration plates (3c, 3d) which are parallel to one another.

12. Device according to claim 11, characterized in that a joint (14) is provided on at least one calibration plate (3a) between the non-parallel pair of calibration plates (7a) and a following parallel pair of calibration plates (7b).

13. A method for producing insulating or soundproofing panels from a pressed material mat (2), which consists at least partially of lignocellulosic particles wetted with binders, with a device which has an inlet zone (Z1) between two circumferential and in the pressing material mats running direction reducing their distance Screen belts (5a, 5b) and a calibration zone (Z2) for heating and hardening the pressing material mat (2) with the aid of at least two calibration plates (3a, 3b; 3c, 3d; 3e, 3f) lying opposite one another, i.e. at least one calibration plate pair (7a, 7b), wherein in the calibration zone (Z2) driven circulating screen belts (5a, 5b) in contact with the upper and the lower pressing material mat surface between the at least two calibration plates (3a, 3b; 3c, 3d; 3e, 3f) through a calibration gap ( 20) are moved in a running direction in the pressing material mats, characterized in that the calibration gap (20) between the at least two calibration plates (3a, 3b) is not set to a constant height in the running direction of the mats to be pressed.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that the calibration plates (3a, 3b) are set at an angle (a) to one another at least in the entry area (E) of the calibration zone (Z2), so that the distance between the at least two calibration plates ( 3a, 3b) reduced in pressing material mat running direction.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the angle (a) is adjusted so that the pressure on the pressed material mat (2) remains essentially constant over the length of the pair of calibration plates (7a) in the direction of movement of the pressed material mats.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that the angle (a) is set automatically on the basis of a measurement of the pressing material mat thickness via an angle adjustment device (15).

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that the pressing material mat (2) between the at least two calibration plates (3a, 3b; 3c, 3d; 3e, 3f) is vapour-deposited.

18. The method as claimed in one of claims 13 to 17, characterized in that a section of parallel pairs of calibration plates (3c, 3d) is arranged after the entry area (E).