WO2018186810A2

WO2018186810A2 - Equipment and process for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets

Info

Publication number: WO2018186810A2
Application number: PCT/TH2018/000014
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kraitira KITTISRISWAI
Original assignee: Kittisriswai Kraitira
Priority date: 2017-04-05
Filing date: 2018-04-05
Publication date: 2018-10-11
Also published as: WO2018186810A3

Abstract

The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets are such that special characteristics consist of the following steps: The first step involves checking rubber latex quality for quality and composition before the second step. The second step is the rubber latex filtration and separation process based on rubber latex quality and composition. The third step is the purification process by eliminating impurities and contaminants from fresh rubber latex. The fourth step is the process of adjusting rubber latex viscosity to have a viscosity of 30 - 40 percent by weight. The fifth step is the process of mixing rubber latex with chemicals to create a rubber compound or a non-rubber compound. The sixth step involves allowing the rubber latex to coagulate in the rubber latex coagulation tray (1) before entering the water tray to allow rubber latex to soak and coagulate better. The seventh step is to enter the rolling process. The eighth step involves beginning the heat treatment process. The ninth step involves beginning the cutting process. The tenth step involves compressing the rubber into standard sizes.

Description

EQUIPMENT AND PROCESS FOR AUTOMATIC MANUFACTURING OF MIXED RUBBER SHEETS

Branch of Science Associated with the Invention

The principles of mechanical engineering, factory machinery and chemical engineering or engineering associated with the equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets. In addition, rubber mixing uses rubber polymer knowledge to mix ordinary rubber sheets, compound rubber sheets or automatically mixed rubber.

Background of related art or science

Current rubber production processes involve many steps, locations and places, resulting in loss of time and expenses, including the loss of rubber raw materials removed from parts with impurities in the final step and thereby reducing price value and quality.

In the original method, rubber planters harvest rubber latex from plantations, use available filters to filter fresh latex into available containers and pour chemicals to let rubber coagulate. Once the rubber solidifies, a cylindrical-shaped piece of wood is used to press rubber flat for insertion into a roller. The rubber is rolled back and forth until it reaches the thickness specified by rubber planters, causing tubber sheets to not be standardized. Rubber sheets are then rolled again and put out to dry before being sold to rubber dealers. Rubber dealers offer prices based on the condition and grade of goods. Most rubber dealers offer prices for Grade 4 or Grade 5 rubber. As a result, the country and farmers to lose economic value. Rubber dealers then deliver rubber to drying houses. Drying houses hang rubber on bamboo poles on carts to be pushed into an oven to bake for 4 - 6 days, depending on weather conditions and rubber sheet type. Afterward, the rubber sheets on carts are taken from the oven and each sheet will enter the rubber sheet condition and quality adjustment process by taking rubber sheets to search for impurities and using scissors to cut off impurities, resulting in a loss of 3 - 5 percentage of rubber. Rubber sheets are then selected for each grade before being compressed into moulds with sizes based on market demands.

Previous rubber sheet production methods were unable to control rubber sheet quality with loss of time at each step as well as loss of raw materials and rubber prices. In addition, factories producing goods at the final step are unable to select desired rubber raw material grades.

Invention Characteristics and Objectives

Equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets are composed of machines and production processes. Machines and tools are used to adjust the automatic ready mixed rubber sheet production process to have quality meeting automatic ready mixed rubber sheets with the following goals and objectives:

1. To reduce the steps involved in production with a new method beginning with the selection of rubber latex and mixing automatic ready mixed rubber sheets.

2. To achieve lower raw material losses at each step during the processes beginning with the selection of rubber latex and mixing automatic ready mixed rubber sheets.

3. To control rubber sheet quality by sorting rubber latex based on quality standards before automatic ready mixed rubber sheet production and chemicals are mixed while rubber is in a liquid state in order to obtain good quality automatic ready mixed rubber sheets suitable for use as raw materials in the production of various products.

4. To reduce pollution and time loss.

5. To achieve energy and fuel conservation.

6. To achieve low labour requirements as a solution for rubber plantations with labour shortages that no longer need to waste time in making rubber sheets.

7. To have added value for rubber to increase rubber planters' income. Currently, most rubber planters make rubber into cup lumps because cup lumps involve no difficult steps. Rubber planters only need to harvest rubber and allow rubber to solidify naturally in a cup or add chemicals to speed solidification. However, the aforementioned step takes a long time and has high labour demands. Furthermore, cup lump rubber has a much lower price than rubber sheets. Normally, cup lump rubber prices are only 60 Percentage of rubber sheet prices.

Full Disclosure of the Invention

Figure 1 shows the equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in this invention with the ten following steps:

The first step involves checking rubber latex quality for quality and composition before the second step.

The second step is the rubber latex filtration and separation process based on rubber latex quality and composition.

The third step is the purification process by eliminating impurities and contaminants from fresh rubber latex until rubber latex is pure based on the standards for use in making various products. This process may be used for certain products requiring pure rubber such as condom production, etc.

The fourth step is the process of adjusting rubber latex viscosity to meet the same standard. Natural rubber latex obtained from rubber planters normally has a viscosity of 30 - 40 percent by rubber weight.

The fifth step is the process of mixing rubber latex with chemicals to create a rubber compound or a non-compound before entering the sixth step.

The sixth step is to allow rubber latex to coagulate in the rubber latex coagulation tray (1) before entering the water tray to allow rubber latex to soak and coagulate better.

The seventh step is to begin the rolling process.

The eighth step is to begin the heat treatment process.

The ninth step is to begin the cutting process.

The tenth step is to compress the rubber into standard sizes.

Automatic ready mixed rubber sheet quality is separated to achieve quality meeting market demands for producing each type of goods based on the best standards and quality in line with buyer or market needs before entering the rolling process with multiple rollers in order to control rubber sheet thickness and patterns to allow the rubber to dry easily and obtain the best quality. Figure 2 shows raw rubber latex production and quality control systems for testing elements in rubber latex from the start when rubber latex is submitted to the production process. Rubber latex quality is tested from the origin to separated rubber types and quality, separated rubber latex quality and separated impurities in rubber latex through filtration tanks or specific processes for disposing of each type of impurity in order to prepare rubber latex for entering the production process. Figure 2 also shows the process of adjusting filtered rubber latex viscosity to achieve standard viscosity at 30 - 40 percentage by rubber weight. The rubber latex is then submitted to the mixing tank to mix with specified chemicals in order to obtain automatic ready mixed rubber sheets as specified. Next, rubber latex mixed with chemicals enters the rubber latex coagulation tray (1) in slots to wait for rubber latex to coagulate in the specially invented rubber latex coagulation tray (1).

The work process begins as follows:

- Purchasing rubber latex from rubber planters by inspecting rubber latex before purchasing, measuring viscosity and testing solid content in the seller's rubber latex.

- Putting rubber latex in storage tanks into 3-layered vibrating filters with a mesh size of 20 meshes, 80 meshes and 100 meshes to remove impurities from rubber latex and allow rubber latex to flow into storage tanks according to rubber latex viscosity and quality.

Next, rubber latex from storage tanks will flow:

- Into the first set of mixing tanks to equalize rubber latex viscosity.

- Then rubber latex flows into the second set of mixing tanks where chemicals are added to mix with rubber latex according to formulas.

- Rubber latex will flow into rubber trays with partitions based on each tray's size and length, using 30 - 45 minutes before coagulating in rubber latex trays where the rubber latex coagulation tray (1 ) is designed into a number of slots. Rubber latex does not coagulate at the same time in each slot. Each tray and slot has an approximate length of 1 meter or 6-8 meters divided into at least one slot. In particular, 6-12 slots have a U-shape with a width of 3 centimeters and a height of 40 centimeters. The end of each slot in the rubber latex coagulation tray (1) has a door (2) capable of opening-closing independently to prevent rubber latex from spilling. Coagulated rubber is pulled from the end of each slot in the tray down into the tray well (3) and the door at the destination where rubber latex coagulates will open for convenience in pulling rubber lumps.

The mixed rubber in the rubber latex tray is moved up to the water tray (3) to prevent the rubber from becoming attached and to soak for better rubber coagulation in to prepare the rubber for entering each set of rollers until the rubber achieves a thickness of 3-5 millimeters on the entire broad and long sheet. Flat rubber sheets rolled to size and thickness are then transported to the continuous rubber rolling and pattern compression machine (4) until rubber becomes a long rubber sheet with a thickness of no more than four millimeters in order to allow for better evaporation. Rubber sheets are then transported via rolling conveyor belts onto pushcarts or conveyor belts (5) for supporting compressed rubber sheets in order to transport rubber sheets on the rolling conveyor belt (6) into the oven). Rubber sheets are pulled back and forth by rollers inside the oven and folded up and down from the entrance to the oven with a distance of no more than 30 centimeters from each slot or pulled from the entrance to the end of the oven (9) several times in order to allow rubber sheets to fully evaporate. Rubber sheets are placed on several sets of rollers in the oven to provide space for rubber to fully receive hot air. Rubber sheets are then pulled from the oven by multiple roller sets outside the oven.

Rubber sheets are long throughout to be pulled into the oven (8) in rows or layers. Time and temperatures in the oven are calculated and adjusted for suitability at 60-90 Celsius degrees to ensure that the rubber sheets will not inflate after leaving the oven. Rubber sheets are checked until it is certain that there is no moisture remaining in them.

The oven (8) is specially designed to be able to absorb moisture from the oven chamber more easily and quickly. The oven is designed to be able to absorb moisture from the oven chamber with a vent (7) for venting steam in the oven chamber.

Figure 3 shows the oven (8) to be designed with a heat vent (7) at the top side toward the entrance by a ratio of one-third, while the vent's distance from the exit is two-thirds of the oven's length. The oven is a long chamber designed for treating long rubber sheets from the entrance to the exit as a single sheet. The ceiling slopes upward toward the vent to allow steam in the room for better evaporation from the slot where rubber sheets enter and exit. The oven's temperature can be adjusted by adjusting the hot air pneumatic head at the desired point for a temperature of - 95 Celsius degrees.

The oven (8) can adjust heat at the entrance where rubber sheets enter for higher temperatures than at the end of the oven where the rubber sheets are pulled from the oven. Oven temperature can be adjusted in each section of the oven as deemed fitting. Vented heat can be reused to conserve fuel via the heat exchanger. The rubber oven system can adjust interior pressure to be lower than normal atmosphere to allow for faster rubber sheet evaporation and vented heat can be reused. When rubber sheets leave the oven, they will be long throughout and pulled by two rollers before being pulled to be cut at a specified length to fit rubber blocks.

Rubber sheets are pulled from the oven through several sets of pulling rollers outside the oven.

Figure 4 shows the conveyor roller (1 1) as the instrument pulling rubber sheets periodically in order to maintain rubber sheet size without stretching the shape. The conveyor belt (13) is driven through periodical rollers supporting rubber sheets. The hot air pipe was designed to blow hot air at corners and desired location by adjusting air pipes to exit at the desired location.

Length of each rubber sheet is controlled with the cutter in order to achieve a size needed by customers or a size to fit the molds. This method is consistent with each market's standard and size needs. The pulling device is four sets of double rollers over rubber sheets at the exit consisting of two sets of pullers behind the oven (10) and another two sets of pullers for sending rubber sheets to the cutter (1 1). The first two sets of pullers are used to place rubber sheets diagonally for more pulling efficiency. The second two sets of pullers are used to pull and send rubber sheets to the cutter. The cutter is able to cut to adjust rubber sheet length by adjusting rubber sheet conveyor belt speed or cutter blade revolution or both and rubber sheets are sent for cutting into specified sizes using 1.30 - 2 hours. Every rubber sheet has the same standard size, width, length and thickness and rubber sheets will be transported into molds to be compressed into block with sizes matching market specifications.

The final step involves selecting rubber sheet grades consisting of specially dried and selected rubber sheets, semi-ready mixed rubber sheets and ready mixed compound rubbers agreed with each customer and according to customers' purchasing orders with the following types and quality:

1. RSS 1 -3 rubber sheets.

2. Semi-ready mixed compound rubber sheets agreed with customers for entering into customers' production processes.

3. Ready-mixed compound rubber sheets according to agreements made with buyers for customers to use in molding different types of products.

In the final step, rubber sheets are molded and compressed into blocks to obtain rubber at the desired width X length X height.

Brief drawing description

Figure 1 shows the flow chart of the automatic ready mixed rubber sheet production process and methods.

Figure 2 shows images of the rubber latex coagulation tray, multiple sets of rubber flattening devices and two sets of rubber pressing devices in this invention.

Figure 3 shows an image of how the oven can reuse heat in this invention.

Figure 4 shows the chain motor and multiple sets of rollers for pulling rubber at the exit and the cutter in this invention.

Best Invention Method

This section is written in accordance with the statement in the sufficiency of disclosure section.

Claims

1. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets are such that special characteristics involve the following steps:

The first step is checking rubber latex quality for quality and composition before the second step.

The third step is the purification process by eliminating impurities and contaminants from fresh rubber latex.

The fourth step is the process of adjusting rubber latex viscosity to 30 - 40 percent by weight.

The fifth step is the process of mixing rubber latex with chemicals to create a rubber compound or a non-rubber compound.

The sixth step involves allowing the rubber latex to coagulate in the rubber latex coagulation tray (1) before entering the water tray to allow rubber latex to soak and coagulate better.

The seventh step is to begin the rolling process. The eighth step is to begin the heat treatment process. The ninth step is to begin the cutting process. The tenth step is to compress rubber into standard sizes.

2. The equipment and processes for the automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in accordance with claim 1, whereas the fifth step involves the process of mixing rubber latex with chemicals to be transported into the rubber coagulation tray (1) to wait for rubber latex to coagulate in the specially invented rubber latex coagulation tray (1).

3. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 1-2, whereas the rubber latex coagulation tray (1) has a number of slots.

4. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 2-3, whereas the second step consists of the rubber latex filtration and separation process based on rubber latex quality and composition. Rubber latex is stored in a tank with three layers of vibrating filters.

5. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 3-4, whereas the vibrating filter has three layers and mesh sizes at 20 meshes, 80 meshes and 100 meshes.

6. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 4-5, whereas the fifth step involves the process of mixing rubber latex with chemicals with rubber latex flowing into the first set of mixing tanks to equalize rubber viscosity before entering the second set of tanks to add chemicals to mix with rubber latex according to the formula.

7. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 5-6, whereas the sixth step involves allowing the rubber latex to coagulate in the rubber latex coagulation tray (1) with partitions in specified sizes and lengths in each tray. In 30 - 45 minutes, the rubber latex will coagulate in the rubber latex coagulation tray.

8. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 6-7, whereas the rubber latex coagulation tray (1) is designed with a number of slots. In each slot, rubber latex does not coagulate at the same time.

9. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 7-8, whereas the rubber latex coagulation tray (1) is designed with 6-12 slots.

10. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 8-9, whereas the rubber latex coagulation tray (1) has individual slots with a minimum length of one meter each.

1 1 . The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 9-10, whereas the rubber latex coagulation tray (1) has individual trays with lengths of 6 - 8 meters.

12. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 10-11, whereas the rubber latex coagulation tray (1) is U-shaped.

13. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 11-12, whereas the rubber latex coagulation tray (1) has a width of 3 centimeters and a height of 40 centimeters.

14. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 12-13, whereas opening-closing doors (2) are installed in each slot at the end of the rubber latex coagulation tray (1).

15. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 13-14, whereas the seventh step involves rubber entering the rolling process with rollers until the rubber has a thickness of 3 - 5 millimeters.

1 . The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 14-15, whereas rubber sheets rolled to size and thickness are continuously transported into the continuous rubber rolling and pattern compression machine (4) until rubber becomes a long rubber sheet with a thickness of no more than four millimeters. Rubber sheets are transported via conveyor belt rollers to pushcarts or conveyor belts (5) for supporting rubber sheets compressed with patterns in order to transport onto the roller conveyor belt (6) to enter the oven (8).

17. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 15-16, whereas the rubber sheets are pulled back and forth and folded up and down by rollers in the oven from the entrance into the oven.

18. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 16-17, whereas the rubber sheets are pulled back and forth and folded up and down by rollers in the oven from the entrance into the oven with a distance of no more than 30 centimeters between each slot.

19. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 17-18, whereas a number of rollers are installed in the oven.

20. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 18-19, whereas long rubber sheets are pulled into the oven (8) in rows or layers.

21. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 19-20, whereas long rubber sheets are pulled into the oven (8) in rows or layers by calculating time and adjusting temperatures in the oven to be within the range of 60 - 90 Celsius degrees.

22. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 20-21, whereas the oven (8) is equipped with a system for taking moisture in the oven by using a steam vent (7) in the oven.

23. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 21-22, whereas the oven (8) is designed with a heat vent (7) at the top toward the entrance by a ratio of one-third, while the vent's distance from the exit is two-thirds of the oven's length.

24. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 22-23, whereas the oven is a long chamber designed for treating entire long rubber sheets from the entrance to the exit as a single sheet.

25. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 23-24, whereas the ceiling slopes upward toward the vent to allow steam in the room to allow for better evaporation from the slot where rubber sheets enter and exit.

26. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 24-25, whereas the oven's temperature is 40 - 95 Celsius degrees.

27. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 25-26, whereas the oven (8) can have heat adjusted at the entrance of the oven to be higher than at the end of the oven where rubber sheets are pulled from the oven.

28. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 26-27, whereas the oven temperature is appropriate and adjustable in each section of the oven.

29. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 27-28, whereas vented heat is re-used through the heat exchanger.

30. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 28-29, whereas pressure can be adjusted in the rubber oven to be lower than ambient temperature.

31. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 29-30, whereas the ninth step involves pulling the rubber in by two sets of rollers to the cutter to cut rubber at the specified length to fit rubber blocks.

32. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 30-31, whereas rubber sheets are pulled from the oven through several sets of pulling rollers outside the oven.

33. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 31-32, whereas the conveyor roller (1 1) pulls and stretches rubber sheets in order to maintain rubber sheet size and prevent rubber sheets from being stretched.

34. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 32-33, whereas the conveyor belt (13) is driven through rollers periodically supporting rubber sheets as the puller.

35. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 33-34, whereas the hot air pipe is designed to blow hot air at corners and desired locations by adjusting air pipes to exit at the desired location.

36. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 34-35, whereas the length of each rubber sheet is controlled by using a cutter to make rubber sheets have the specified length.

37. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 35-36, whereas a pulling device, which is four sets of double rollers over rubber sheets at the exit consisting of two sets of pullers behind the oven (10), and another two sets of pullers send the rubber sheets to the cutter (1 1).

38. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 36-37, whereas the first two sets of pullers are used to place rubber sheets diagonally for more pulling efficiency. The second two sets of pullers are used to pull and send rubber sheets to the cutter. The cutter is able to cut to adjust rubber sheet length.

39. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 37-38, whereas the speed for sending rubber sheets and adjust blade revolution speed can be specified.

40. The equipment and processes for automatic manufacturing of mixed rubber sheets in any of Claims 38-39, whereas the rubber sheets are cut through the cutter at specified sizes over a period of 1.30 - 2 hours. Rubber sheets will have the same standard size, width, length and thickness.