3D-Printed Welding Fixtures for Precise, Low-Heat Workpiece Fixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fixing devices for weld processes are expensive, time-consuming to manufacture, difficult to disassemble and reassemble, pose health risks to operators, and result in inconsistent quality due to human variation, leading to potential damage and inefficiencies in manufacturing processes.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing additive manufacturing processes like FDM, SLA, Binder Jetting, and SLM to create fixtures that are cheaper, faster, and more precise, allowing for modular design, automated assembly, and improved material selection for specific welding requirements, reducing wear and heat conduction issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional subtractive manufacturing methods (CNC-milling, CNC-turning, EDM, ECM) are used to manufacture fixtures, then manufacturing precision and structural integrity are improved, but manufacturing time and material cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental manufacturing parameter from subtractive removal of material to additive deposition of material. This allows fixtures to be manufactured layer-by-layer directly from digital models, dramatically reducing manufacturing time while maintaining precision through controlled deposition processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials consisting of a base material (metal, plastic, or ceramic) combined with a binding agent that enables additive manufacturing. This composite structure allows the fixture to achieve both the structural integrity required for precision work and the manufacturability of rapid production processes.
2Strength
If metal fixtures are used for welding processes, then strength and heat resistance are improved, but heat conduction to the worktable increases, causing thermal distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the fixture itself thermally insulating while using locally applied metallic elements (such as clamps, stops, or bonding surfaces) only where strength and heat resistance are specifically needed. This allows the majority of the fixture to be made from heat-insulating materials without compromising functional requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a bonding agent as an intermediary layer between the worktable and the fixture. This bonding agent serves as a thermal barrier that prevents heat from conducting to the worktable, while still providing adequate mechanical bonding strength to hold the fixture in place during welding operations.
3Manufacturing precision
If precision and specialty clamps and stops are used to accurately locate parts, then positioning precision is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into a single integrated fixture structure. The bonding agent simultaneously provides positioning, clamping, and locating functions that would traditionally require separate precision clamps and stops. This consolidation maintains positioning precision while dramatically reducing the number of individual components needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal bonding interface that can accommodate various workpiece geometries and positioning requirements through a single application process. The bonding agent adapts to different positioning needs without requiring specialized precision clamps or stops for each configuration, reducing overall fixture cost.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present application relates to a method for using a fixing arrangement with a base element (1) for fixing a workpiece (8) in a welding process, which comprises the following steps: attaching a fixture (3) at a precision structure (2) of a work surface (111) of the base element (1), securing the workpiece (8) at the fixing arrangement by means of the fixture (3), wherein the fixture (3) is made by an additive manufacturing process. The present application relates also to a device for carrying out such a method, a fixture, and to a method for producing such fixture.