Additive Manufacturing Conductive Tracks on Switchgear Back Walls
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for interconnecting electrical devices and components in switchgear cabinets are costly due to the need for manual assembly and integration of conductor tracks, which limits efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A method using a heated, liquid or viscous electrically conductive material, such as tin solder, aluminum, or copper, applied via Fused Deposition Modeling or Fused Filament Fabrication to create flexible and cost-effective electrical and communication connections on the back wall of the switchgear cabinet, forming tracks that connect components without the need for manual integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual assembly and integration of conductor tracks are used, then reliable electrical connections are achieved, but production cost and time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical assembly operations with an automated additive manufacturing process. The FDM 3D printer extrudes conductive material directly onto the back wall to form conductor tracks, eliminating the need for manual cable routing, connector attachment, and track integration. This substitution of mechanical assembly with automated material deposition resolves the contradiction by maintaining connection reliability through precise automated placement while dramatically improving production efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the conductive material from solid wire/form to a printable paste or resin that can be extruded in controlled amounts. By transforming the material parameters to be suitable for additive manufacturing, the process enables automated track formation without manual intervention. This parameter change allows the system to achieve both reliable connections (through precise material placement) and high productivity (through automated continuous deposition).
2Manufacturing precision
If manual integration of conductor tracks is performed, then precise electrical connections are established, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces costly manual integration operations with an automated FDM 3D printing system. The automated extrusion process deposits conductive material with consistent precision along programmed paths, eliminating variability associated with manual work while reducing labor costs. The system achieves manufacturing precision through automated control of extrusion rate, nozzle positioning, and layer thickness, while ease of manufacture improves through automation and reduced skilled labor requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of conductor track formation, electrical connection establishment, and structural support into a single additive manufacturing process. The conductive tracks are printed directly onto the back wall structure, combining what were previously separate manufacturing steps (track fabrication, installation, and connection) into one integrated process. This merging reduces production cost by eliminating multiple operation steps and associated labor, while maintaining manufacturing precision through the coordinated control of the printing system.
3Use of energy by moving object
If conventional cable connections are used, then electrical energy and data are transported between components, but system complexity and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the conductor tracks with the back wall structure itself, creating an integrated substrate that provides both structural support and electrical connectivity. Instead of separate cables and mounting structures, the back wall is printed with embedded conductive pathways that directly connect components. This merging reduces device complexity by eliminating redundant structural elements and simplifies assembly by providing pre-formed connection paths that require no additional routing or fastening operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The back wall structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support for components, establishes electrical connections through embedded conductor tracks, and enables data communication pathways. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity by consolidating what would otherwise require separate structural frames, cable management systems, and connection assemblies into a single integrated component that performs all necessary functions.
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
Enables flexible, cost-effective, and efficient production of electrical and communication connections, allowing for optimal energy and data transport with reduced manual labor and no requirement for sintering, while providing good heat dissipation and the ability to form desired cross-sections.
Implementation Method 1
the material is an electrically conductive material and is available in the form of a wire and during application is warmed or heated in such a way that it is liquid during application
Implementation Method 2
the material is warmed or heated in such a way that it is liquid during application... the material is liquid or semi-liquid or viscous, but not solid, during application
Data Source
AI summary
In a method for producing an electrical and/or communication connection between at least two components arranged in a switchgear cabinet for transferring electrical energy or for transporting data, an electrically conductive material is applied to a back wall of the switchgear cabinet. The electrically conductive material includes metal and is applied to the back wall in the form of a wire. While being applied to the back wall of the switchgear cabinet, the electrically conductive material is warmed or heated in such a way as to become liquid during application.