Why Are Air Expanded Shafts Becoming More And More Popular in Manufacturing?

The name of the air expansionable shaft is varied, such as the air pressure shaft, expansion shaft, flatulence shaft, inflatable roller, etc., the inflatable shaft is extremely convenient to use, only need to provide its own air source, the air pressure is controlled within a certain range, and the air nozzle on the inflatable shaft is inflated or deflated by the air gun, and the paper tube can be locked or relaxed.

The working principle of the pneumatic shaft is that when the compressed air of the gas-liquid booster cylinder pushes the piston rod in the gas-hydraulic booster cylinder to stretch out, it will drive the shaft core in the inflatable shaft to move axially, and the shaft core will push the airbag in the inflatable shaft, and the airbag will move radially, thereby expanding the reel. On the contrary, when the compressed air is discharged from the gas-liquid pressurized cylinder, the piston rod in the gas-liquid pressurized cylinder will drive the shaft core to do a return movement, and the shaft core will pull the airbag in the inflatable shaft, and the airbag will do radial contraction motion, thereby relaxing the reel.

Inflatable shafts are becoming more and more popular in manufacturing, mainly due to their many advantages:
1) The inflatable shaft has excellent stability.
It can adjust its diameter by inflating and deflating, and when the diameter is precisely controlled and integrated with the tension controller, a very high stability can be obtained, which allows the inflatable shaft to maintain constant tension and smooth operation when handling various paper and other materials, thereby improving production efficiency and product quality.
2) The inflatable shaft has a wide range of adaptability
There are many different types of inflatable shafts to choose from, which can cope with different production requirements, from lightweight paper cutting to complex composite processing, and this adaptability allows inflatable shafts to be used in a wide range of manufacturing scenarios to meet different production needs.
3) The inflatable shaft also has the characteristics of low running noise.
Compared with traditional paper processing machines, the inflatable shaft runs more smoothly, has stronger shock resistance and less noise, which can not only improve the productivity of operators, but also reduce noise pollution in the workplace and improve the production and working environment.
4) The inflatable shaft also has the advantage of being cost-effective.
Its inflation time is short, separation and placement only takes a while to complete inflation and deflation, and does not need to decompose any part of the shaft end side can be tightly engaged with the paper tube, at the same time, the inflatable bearing load capacity is large, the size of the shaft diameter can be determined according to the actual needs of the user, and the use of high hard steel to further increase its bearing weight, the maintenance of the inflatable shaft in the later stage is quite simple, and the use time is also long, which saves a lot of maintenance costs and time for customers.

Internal structure of the inflatable shaft: The principle of the internal structure of the inflatable shaft is based on the expansion and contraction characteristics of the gas, and the inflatable shaft usually consists of two main parts: the inner shaft is a hollow metal shaft and the outer coat covers the outside of the inner shaft.
1) A sealed space is formed between the inner shaft and the outer jacket, which is filled with compressed gas (usually gas or liquid).
2) When the air pressure force acts on the inside of the inflatable shaft, the gas starts to expand. This results in an increase in the gap between the inner shaft and the outer coat, making the inflatable shaft longer, a process that can generate tremendous force transfer capacity.
As soon as the force needs to be transferred, the gas enters the inflatable shaft through a control valve. The pressure and flow of the gas can be adjusted by the control valve to meet different working conditions and load needs, once the gas enters the inflatable shaft, it begins to expand, and the force can be transferred to the jacket through the inner shaft.
Conversely, when there is no need to transfer force, the inflatable shaft can contract by releasing gas. Through the control valve, the gas is released from the inflatable shaft, so that the gas pressure is reduced and the gap between the inner shaft and the outer coat is reduced. This makes the inflatable shaft shorter and no longer transmits force.
3) The inflatable shaft realizes the transmission and adjustment of force by filling the way of compressed gas, and can expand and contract according to the need, which makes the inflatable shaft efficient, stable and flexible in terms of transmitting force and bearing axial load.

Inflatable shafts have a wide range of applications in several industries:
Packaging and printing industry: the inflatable shaft is often used in the winding part of paper, plastic film and other materials, by adjusting the internal air pressure of the inflatable shaft, the fastening and release of the material can be realized, and the flatness and stability of the winding material can be ensured. In addition, the inflatable shaft is also used for conveyor belts in packaging machinery to ensure smooth conveyor belt transfer.
Paper industry: Inflatable shafts are also commonly used in paper machines for winding and conveying paper.
Lithium battery equipment industry: In the production process of lithium batteries, the inflatable shaft also plays an important role.

The inflation and deflation process of the inflatable shaft:
Inflation process: The control system sends instructions to open the air valve, so that the gas enters the inner tube through the air valve, increasing the pressure of the inner tube, so that the air shaft expands, this process can be controlled by the control system, or it can be done manually.
Deflation process: When it is necessary to deflate, the control system sends a command to close the air valve, so that the gas of the inner tube is discharged through the air valve, reducing the pressure of the inner tube, so that the inflatable shaft is reduced. This process can also be done manually.
Through this process of inflation and deflation, the inflatable shaft can be automatically adjusted according to actual needs to adapt to different working environments and application scenarios.

The main steps of inflatable shaft maintenance are as follows:
1) Keep it clean: The inflatable shaft should be placed in a dry and dust-free place, and pay attention to the cleaning inside and outside of the shaft hole to ensure the surface finish of the air contact and maintain the air tightness.
2) Regular inspection: regularly check the lubrication status, axial force, air tightness and other parameters of the inflatable shaft, and repair and replace abnormal parts in time.
3) Pay attention to keep dry: the inflatable shaft is generally not resistant to moisture, so you should pay attention to moisture prevention and heat preservation, and add desiccant regularly to ensure the normal operation of the inflatable shaft.
4) In addition, the following points need to be paid attention to during use:
a. Carefully check whether the tools, workpieces and accessories can be placed evenly, and whether the lines and pipes can be adhered completely.
b. After use, it should be cleaned in time to observe the use of the inflatable shaft, especially whether the machinery has oil leakage, water leakage, electricity leakage, etc.
c. When refueling the machine, it should be avoided to add unclean oil to ensure the normal operation of the machine.
 

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