Sandwich panels are produced in two main methods: continuous and discontinuous. The discontinuous method is one of the most common and widely used methods in sandwich panel production. In Iran, most sandwich panel manufacturing plants use the discontinuous method to produce this product. In this article from Parsin Gostar, we intend to discuss the discontinuous production line and important points about it.
Discontinuous sandwich panel production line
A discontinuous production line is the opposite of a continuous or continuous production line. In a discontinuous production line, the manufacturing steps are designed and carried out completely directly and separately. In fact, instead of all raw materials entering the machine from one side and the final product being delivered from the output, like in a continuous production line, the steps are separated and separated from each other, and ultimately the product is produced in its final form.
The continuous die production line is usually semi-automatic and, given that each panel manufacturing step is independent, this production line requires less space. However, in this method, the cutting length of the sheets is limited and is less than in the continuous mode.
Sandwich panel production steps in a discontinuous production line
Sandwich panels go through various stages to be produced in this method, which are designed completely independently and separately. The steps of sandwich panel production in a non-continuous production line are as follows:
Cutting and shaping
The first stage of sandwich panel production in a non-continuous production line is cutting the sheets, which is done in the desired dimensions and number. After cutting the sheets, it is time to shape them. The machine used in this stage for shaping the sheets has two parts, the lower and upper. This machine applies the desired design and shape to the sheets. Using sandwich panels with shaped sheets is common in ceiling sandwich panels.
Insulating foam injection
Before the panels are joined together, the insulating foam is manually injected into the bottom sheet. The machine used for automatic injection mixes the polyurethane material with the appropriate catalyst in a specific ratio and based on the determined density and injects it into the bottom sheet through special nozzles.
sheet pressing
One of the most important parts of a non-continuous production line is the sheet pressing section. In this section, the lower and upper sheets of the panels are pressed together using a press machine that is more than 12 meters long, applying appropriate pressure and temperature.
Cooling and packaging
When polyurethane foam is injected into the bottom sheet, the temperature of the sheets increases to perform this chemical reaction, so after the pressing stage, in the cooling stage, the temperature of the panels is reduced and the produced sandwich panels are ready for packaging.
Packaging machine
Sometimes the sorting of sandwich panels is done completely manually. However, in high volumes and numbers and in larger discontinuous production lines, semi-automatic or fully automatic packaging machines may be used for this task. Usually, a certain number of panels are placed on wooden pallets and a special plastic or cellophane machine is used to stretch and vacuum the product.
Important points about panel production using the discontinuous method
Discontinuous production lines usually use more manpower for production, and the machines may be fully manual, semi-automatic, or fully automatic.
This type of production line requires less physical space compared to a continuous production line, but the manufacturing process in this production line requires more time and on the other hand, production capacity is also limited.
Due to the vulnerability of sandwich panels in the production and transportation line, their packaging stage is very important. In a discontinuous production line, unprincipled manual packaging may cause damage to the panels, and packaging must be done with utmost care and precision to prevent this from happening.
Equipping a discontinuous production line costs less than a continuous production line. The use of automated machines in this production method can speed up the production process.
The method of producing sandwich panels is one of the factors that affects the final price of prefabricated panels. Usually, the cost of manufacturing panels in this production line will be higher than prefabricated panels in the continuous production line.
summary
Sandwich panels are produced in two production lines: continuous and discontinuous. Although the sandwich panel production method is the same in both production lines and has similar standards, things such as the number of sandwich panels manufactured, production cost, production time, etc. are different in the two processes mentioned.
The discontinuous production line has advantages such as cheaper equipment and less space requirements. However, issues such as production limitations, the need for manpower, and the possibility of errors in performing processes manually must also be considered for this production method. Semi-automatic or fully automatic machines can also be used in a discontinuous production line. This increases the speed and accuracy of production and results in higher quality products.
