Annular Arm Wire Shaping Station Inertia Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

The integration of actuators and energy on a rotating arm in metal wire shaping machines leads to high inertia and requires expensive, sensitive components, such as rotating electric collectors and pneumatic or hydraulic seals, which complicates the shaping process.

Innovation Solution

An annular arm supports the bending tools, allowing rotation and translation movements to position and orient the tools relative to the wire and bending nose, eliminating the need for dynamic actuators on the arm by using a support plate that can move horizontally and vertically, reducing inertia and simplifying the system.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If actuators and energy components are integrated on a rotating arm, then the shaping station can execute bending operations, but the inertia increases and expensive sensitive components are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebending operation capabilityVSAvoidinertia of rotating arm

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the actuators and energy components from the rotating arm structure. The bending tools are mounted on a stationary support plate rather than being integrated on a rotating arm, eliminating the need for rotating actuators, electric collectors, and pneumatic or hydraulic seals. This extraction removes the source of high inertia and expensive sensitive components while preserving the bending operation capability through the stationary tool arrangement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Adaptability or versatility

If actuators and energy components are integrated on a rotating arm, then the shaping station can execute bending operations, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebending operation capabilityVSAvoidcomplexity of rotating connection components

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the complex rotating connection components (electric collectors, pneumatic or hydraulic seals) from the system by mounting the bending tools on a stationary support plate. This eliminates the need for complex rotating connections while maintaining the essential bending operation capability through the stationary tool configuration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If wire orientation speed is slowed down, then the effects of inertia on the part are limited, but the productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequality of bending anglesVSAvoidwire orientation speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional approach by making the tools stationary rather than rotating with the wire. The bending tools are mounted on a stationary support plate, and the wire is fed through them at high speed. This inversion eliminates inertia effects on the tools themselves while maintaining high wire orientation speed, thus preserving both productivity and bending quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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 configuration enables efficient three-dimensional shaping with reduced inertia, allowing for a variety of shapes and orientations without the need for expensive actuators, and facilitates simultaneous operations like cutting and bending, while maintaining reliability and cost-effectiveness.

Implementation Method 1

the annular arm 103, mounted to rotate about the travel axis 3

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRotation:

Implementation Method 2

The support plate can be moved horizontally and vertically in translation in a plane perpendicular to the travel axis

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTranslation:

Implementation Method 3

the annular arm 103, with the guiding in rotation thereof by rollers and a toothed ring

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical guidance:

Implementation Method 4

a wire feed station supplies the wire along a travel axis through a bending nose, the shape of which participates in the shaping of the wire as a reaction to the tools of a bending head

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical deformation:

Data Source

PatentUS8756968B2Shaping station of a wire shaping machine with annular tool holder arm

Publication Date: 2014.06.24 NUMALLIANCE

AI summary

The invention relates to a shaping station of a metal wire shaping sequence machine, a machine wherein a wire feed station supplies the wire along a travel axis through a bending nose which brings the wire in front of tools of a bending head which can be moved about the wire travel axis. The bending head is supported by an annular arm centered on the travel axis, and mounted to rotate about said travel axis. Preferably, the annular arm, with the guiding in rotation thereof by rollers and a toothed ring, are mounted on a support plate positioned vertically and perpendicularly to the wire travel axis. In addition, the support plate can be moved in horizontal and vertical translation in a plane perpendicular to the wire travel axis, which also is the arm rotation axis.