3D Printed Switchgear Cabinet with Integrated Conductors
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing control cabinets are error-prone and costly due to manual operations, and the need for pre-assembled transportation leads to high transport costs, while also posing risks of electric shock and arcing due to the handling of electrical energy distribution.
Innovation Solution
The use of three-dimensional printing technology to produce control cabinets, including base plates and switching elements, which allows for decentralized production and integration of electrical connecting conductors and logic, reducing manual assembly and transport costs, and enhancing safety by eliminating hazardous wiring and arcing risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual operations are used for drilling, attaching components, and wiring in control cabinet manufacturing, then flexibility in component selection and assembly is maintained, but production errors increase and manufacturing costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate manufacturing operations (drilling, component attachment, wiring) into a single automated 3D printing process that creates the base plate with integrated conductive pathways and mounted components, eliminating manual assembly steps and reducing production errors
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations with automated 3D printing technology, where a printer head automatically deposits conductive materials and mounts components according to digital designs, substituting human labor with automated manufacturing systems
2Reliability
If control cabinets are manufactured and assembled in specialized companies then transported to usage locations, then production quality can be controlled, but transport costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control cabinet into a modular base plate unit that can be manufactured independently using 3D printing, allowing decentralized production at or near the usage location, thereby eliminating long-distance transport of assembled cabinets while maintaining quality through standardized printing processes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables preliminary manufacturing of the base plate with all electrical connections and components integrated during the 3D printing process itself, so that the product is ready for immediate installation without requiring subsequent assembly or transport of pre-assembled units
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional wiring methods are used for electrical connections in control cabinets, then flexibility in circuit design is maintained, but risks of electric shock and arcing accidents increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical wiring with conductive pathways that are directly printed into the base plate structure, eliminating exposed wires and connection points that pose shock and arcing hazards, while maintaining circuit design flexibility through software-controlled pathway generation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating conductive pathways only where needed within the base plate structure, with conductive material deposited precisely at required locations to form electrical connections, reducing overall conductivity exposure while maintaining necessary circuit functionality
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces production errors, transport costs, and enhances safety by enabling on-site production of control cabinets with integrated circuit logic and conductors, allowing for automatic signal routing and reduced susceptibility to electric shocks and arcing accidents.
Implementation Method 1
layers of material being able to be liquefied and/or solidified one after the other in layers by means of an energy beam
Implementation Method 2
one or more materials can be applied in layers as a powder and/or pasty and/or liquid and correspondingly melted or solidified and/or hardened and/or chemically reacted in layers by a laser beam, electron beam or plasma jet
Implementation Method 3
integrated electrical connecting conductors (8) for connecting the switching elements (6) to one another
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention generally relates to switchgear cabinets comprising at least one switchboard having at least one base plate on which electrical switching elements are arranged and electrically interconnected. The invention especially relates to a method for manufacturing a switchgear cabinet of said type. According to the invention, the switchgear cabinet or the electrical components thereof is/are manufactured as much as possible using three-dimensional printing technology.