NL2025995B9

NL2025995B9 - Accumulated product flow- or product flow intensity indicator

Info

Publication number: NL2025995B9
Application number: NL2025995A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Van Lindenberg Jan-Willem
Original assignee: Cpm Europe B V
Priority date: 2020-07-03
Filing date: 2020-07-03
Publication date: 2022-08-24
Also published as: NL2025995B1

Abstract

An accumulated product flow or product flow intensity indicator comprising a plate embodied as a laminate of at least two wearable layers, provided on top of each other. In one em— bodiment the layers are provided with different colours. It is possible that the layers have equal thicknesses, but it can also be that the layers have different thicknesses. In one embodiment the layers are made of mutually different materials, and/or the layers are provided with mutually different wear resistance. It may be desirable that at least one of the layers is provided with a mark or pattern, a graphic or text. It is further possi— ble that in or between the layers one or more sensors, electron— ics or communication means are provided. Preferably the plate is made by additive or 3D manufacturing.

Description

Accumulated product flow- or product flow intensity indicator The invention relates to an indicator for an accumu- lated product flow or for a product flow intensity. In the following “product flow intensity” is defined as the amount of a product flowing per second (i.e. the flow rate) as measured in a unit of a certain area.

In industry often a need exists to measure the distribution of the product flow intensity in a production facility. This occurs for instance in industries that are active in the field of densification technologies, or that apply particle size reduction technologies.

Notable examples of densification technologies in- clude pelleting, briquetting, extruding, baling. Notable par- ticle size reduction technologies make use of hammer mills, roller mills, crumblers, crushers, flakers, crackers, shred- ders, bowl mills, ball mills. But also when the industry is using equipment like feeders, conditioners, hygienisers, ster- ilizers, dosing equipment, elevators, conveyors, coolers or sifters the need may arise to simply and inexpensively measure the distribution of the product flow intensity in the machine.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a simple and low-cost indicator for an accumulated product flow or for a product flow intensity.

The indicator of the invention is provided with fea- tures according to one or more of the appended claims.

According to a first aspect of the invention the in- dicator comprises a plate embodied as a laminate of at least two wearable layers, provided on top of each other. The indi- cation of the measured (distribution of the) accumulated prod- uct flow or the product flow intensity can then be simply tak- en by looking at the amount of wear of the respective layers on top of each other. This is particularly easy when the lay- ers are relatively thin, and when there is a plurality of lay- ers provided on top of each other. The accumulated product flow or the product flow intensity at a particular position of the indicator can then be recognized by a series of visible lines or even rings that develops as a result of the wear of the respective layers on top of each other.

The indication of the accumulated product flow or product flow intensity can further be easily visualized by ar- ranging that the layers are provided with different colours.

In one embodiment the layers have equal thicknesses. One can then simply count the number of lines that have been exposed to the accumulated product flow and by the consequen- tial wear of the plate have become visible, to know how much accumulated product flow has occurred or what the product flow intensity has been.

In another embodiment the layers have different thicknesses. This can be beneficial if one wants to differen- tiate in the sensitivity of the measurement.

In still another embodiment the layers are made of mutually different materials. This further makes it possible to differentiate in the sensitivity of the accumulated product flow or product flow intensity measurement. It is of course also possible to make a combination of layers of different ma- terials, also having mutually different thicknesses.

Particularly in the choice of material it is possible to arrange that the layers are provided with mutually differ- ent wear resistance.

In one beneficial arrangement at least one of the layers 1s provided with a mark or pattern, a graphic or text.

In doing so it is possible to show for instance a warning to a user that the amount of wear of the plate has accumulated to a degree that makes it desirable to replace a particular machine part.

In an advanced embodiment of the accumulated product flow or product flow intensity indicator of the invention, it is desirable that in or between the layers one or more sen- sors, electronics or communication means are provided. This makes in principle distant monitoring of the accumulated prod- uct flow intensity possible.

A further aspect of the invention is that the plate is made by additive or 3D manufacturing. This is a cost- effective manner of providing the indicator of the invention.

The invention will hereinafter be further elucidated with reference to the drawing of an exemplary embodiment of an accumulated product flow or product flow intensity indicator according to the invention that is not limiting as to the ap- pended claims. In the drawing: -figure 1 shows an example of an apparatus that can be provided with the product flow intensity indicator of the invention; and -figure 2 shows the accumulated product flow or prod- uct flow intensity indicator of the invention after a period of use. Whenever in the figures the same reference numerals are applied, these numerals refer to the same parts. Figure 1 shows an example of an apparatus on which the indicator of the invention can be applied. Figure 1 shows a pellet press 1 provided with a pellet breaking device 2. The accumulated product flow or product flow intensity indicator 8 of the invention is mounted on the pellet breaking device 2. It is known to the skilled person that the pellet press 1 is equipped with a cylindrical outer wall 3 that is provided with a series of radial through holes 4. These radial through holes 4 serve for radially and outwardly pressing the pellets 6 from within the press 1 towards and away from an outer circumferen- tial contour 5 of the pellet press 1. Said outer circumferen- tial contour 5 of the pellet press 1 is embodied by the outer surface 7 of the cylindrical outer wall 3 of the press 1. Figure 1 clearly shows that the breaking device 2 is stationary and provided at a predefined limited distance from the outer circumferential contour 5 of the pellet press 1. The use of this pellet press 1 leads to wear and tear of several parts of the machine, including the breaking device

2. By using the accumulated product flow or product flow in- tensity indicator 8 of the invention (which will be further discussed hereinafter with reference to figure 2), and mount- ing this indicator 8 on the breaking device 2, the distribu- tion of the accumulated product flow or the distributed prod- uct flow intensity, as well as the wear and tear of the ma- chine can be easily monitored. Figure 2 provides a 3D view at an indicator 8 of the invention. Essentially the accumulated product flow or product flow intensity indicator 8 comprises a plate 9 which is embod- ied as a laminate of at least two thin wearable layers. The layers are for instance each 2 mm thick. Preferably there is a plurality of such wearable layers provided on top of each oth- er. The plate 9 can easily be made by additive or 3D manufac- turing, and in the example of figure 2, the plate 9 is at dif- ferent places 10 - 17 visibly worn to different degrees. Be- cause of the wear that has occurred due to the distribution of the product flow along the plate 9, the wear of the plate © reveals on! — location 10: 2 layers, representing 5.1% of total product flow — loc. 11: 4 layers, representing 10.3% of total product flow - loc. 12: 5 layers, representing 12.8% of total product flow — loc. 13: 6 layers, representing 15.4% of total product flow - loc. 14: 6 layers, representing 15.4% of total product flow - loc. 15: 7 layers, representing 17.9% of total product flow - loc. 16: 5 layers, representing 12.8% of total product flow - loc. 17: 4 layers, representing 10.3% of total product flow To make the visual readout of the product flow inten- sity indicator easy, it is preferred that the layers are pro- vided with mutually different colours.

In the shown example the layers have equal thickness- es, but this is not essential. It is also possible that the layers have different thicknesses, depending on the require- ments of the application.

It is further possible that the layers are made of mutually different materials, and/or that the layers are pro- vided with mutually different wear resistance. Suitable mate- rials are plastic materials such as ABS and PE, non-plastic materials, or other materials.

Although it is not shown in figure 2, it may be pref- erable that at least one of the layers is provided with a mark or pattern, a graphic or text. A suitable text may for in- stance be [replacement required].

To make distant readout of the product flow intensity indicator 8 possible, it is possible that in or between the layers one or more sensors, electronics or communication means are provided, together with a minute battery for power supply. Although the invention has been discussed in the foregoing with reference to an exemplary embodiment of a product flow 5 intensity indicator of the invention, the invention is not re- stricted to this particular embodiment which can be varied in many ways without departing from the invention. The discussed exemplary embodiment shall therefore not be used to construe the appended claims strictly in accordance therewith. On the contrary the embodiment is merely intended to explain the wording of the appended claims without intent to limit the claims to this exemplary embodiment. The scope of protection of the invention shall therefore be construed in accordance with the appended claims only, wherein a possible ambiguity in the wording of the claims shall be resolved using this exem- plary embodiment.

Aspects of the invention are itemized in the following sec- tion.

1. An accumulated product flow or product flow inten- sity indicator (8), characterized in that the indicator (8) comprises a plate (9) which is embodied as a laminate of at least two wearable layers, provided on top of each other.

2. The indicator of claim 1, characterized in that the layers are provided with different colours.

3. The indicator of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the layers have equal thicknesses.

4. The indicator of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the layers have different thicknesses.

5. The indicator of any one of claims 1 - 4, charac- terized in that the layers are made of mutually different ma- terials.

6. The indicator of any one of claims 1 - 5, charac- terized in that the layers are provided with mutually differ- ent wear resistance.

7. The indicator of any one of claims 1 - 6, charac- terized in that at least one of the layers is provided with a mark or pattern, a graphic or text.

8. The indicator of any one of claims 1 - 7, charac- terized in that in or between the layers one or more sensors, electronics or communication means are provided.

9. The indicator of any one of claims 1 - 8, charac- terized in that the plate is made by additive or 3D manufac- turing.

Claims

CONCLUSIESCONCLUSIONS

1. Geaccumuleerde productstroom- of productstroomintensi- teitsindicator (8), met het kenmerk, dat de indicator (8) een plaat (9) omvat die is uitgevoerd als een laminaat van ten minste twee op elkaar aangebrachte slijtlagen.Accumulated product flow or product flow intensity indicator (8), characterized in that the indicator (8) comprises a plate (9) designed as a laminate of at least two wear layers arranged on top of each other.

2. Indicator volgens conclusie 1, met het kenmerk, dat de lagen van verschillende kleuren zijn voorzien.Indicator according to claim 1, characterized in that the layers are provided with different colours.

3. Indicator volgens conclusie 1 of 2, met het kenmerk, dat de lagen gelijke dikten hebben.Indicator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the layers have equal thicknesses.

4, Indicator volgens conclusie 1 of 2, met het kenmerk, dat de lagen verschillende diktes hebben.An indicator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the layers have different thicknesses.

5. Indicator volgens één van de conclusies 1-4, met het kenmerk, dat de lagen zijn gemaakt van onderling verschillende materialen.Indicator according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the layers are made of mutually different materials.

6. Indicator volgens één van de conclusies 1-5, met het kenmerk, dat de lagen zijn voorzien van onderling verschillen- de slijtvastheid.Indicator as claimed in any of the claims 1-5, characterized in that the layers are provided with mutually different wear resistance.

7. Indicator volgens één van de conclusies 1-6, met het kenmerk, dat ten minste één van de lagen is voorzien van een merkteken of patroon, een afbeelding of tekst.An indicator according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that at least one of the layers is provided with a mark or pattern, an image or text.

8. Indicator volgens één van de conclusies 1-7, met het kenmerk, dat in of tussen de lagen één of meer sensoren, elek- tronica of communicatiemiddelen zijn aangebracht.Indicator according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that one or more sensors, electronics or communication means are arranged in or between the layers.

9. Indicator volgens één van de conclusies 1-8, met het kenmerk, dat de plaat is gemaakt door middel van additieve of 3D-fabricage.Indicator according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that the plate is made by means of additive or 3D manufacturing.