Experimental investigations and analysis on in site camber grinding process in three roll calendar machines

Abstract

The aim of this research study is to investigate, experimentally, the feasibility of in-site grinding process in calender roll machines. Calendering is a process where rubber compound is formed to a continuous sheet and coated on a fabric which is used to produce thousands of meters of rubber coated fabrics in a day. The width of the fabric coated is around 1.25m to 1.5m based on the product required. The thickness of the web must be uniform for the entire width across the roll. An increase in the thickness of the web will lead to wastage of raw material and further it increases the manufacturing cost. On the other hand, the strength and the required quality of the product decrease when the thickness of the web reduces. To eliminate the above problems in-site grinding methodology can be considered to meet the needed tolerance and finish requirements. In this work grinding of rollers in in-site is introduced where the grinding equipment is fixed in-between the rolls and the rolls are not removed from the machine. The performance of the equipment is analyzed with material removal rate. The mathematical model has been developed to predict the material removal rate. Along with that the temperature variation in the rollers during the grinding process. Experiment demonstrates the prediction of material removal rate. Every material has its own unique characteristics and properties to respond during the grinding process. The results obtained from this work will be useful for new users to understanding the camber roll grinding using in-site grinding setup newline