Automatic Material Cutting System with Optical Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing component cutting systems using metal blades are inefficient due to frequent blade dullness, leading to high costs, machine downtime, and excessive waste, as they struggle to accurately cut components to the desired size, resulting in labor-intensive manual trimming and material waste.
Innovation Solution
An automatic component fabrication system employing a control system with cameras and illumination devices to determine material position and compare cut components to a computerized model, utilizing a high-pressure fluid jet cutting system to precisely cut components to the correct size in a single pass, minimizing waste and enabling automated repair of incomplete cuts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If metal blades are used for cutting component patterns, then the cutting process can be performed, but the blades become dull quickly requiring frequent replacement which increases cost and machine downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical metal blade cutting system with a non-contact cutting method that uses projected patterns and automated material positioning. The cutting is achieved through precise material placement and bonding processes rather than mechanical removal, eliminating blade wear and associated downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs vacuum hold-down systems with flexible membranes to secure material layers during processing. This pneumatic/hydraulic approach enables automated material handling and positioning without mechanical contact that would cause wear, replacing the need for dulling metal blades.
2Ease of manufacture
If metal blades are used for cutting, then cutting can be performed, but the blades may not complete the cut entirely separating the component from the sheet when dull
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical blade cutting with a pattern projection and automated material positioning system. Components are separated from the sheet through controlled bonding and release processes rather than mechanical cutting, ensuring complete separation without the precision degradation associated with dull blades.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses projected optical patterns as templates to guide material placement and cutting processes. These optical copies of the component patterns enable precise positioning and complete separation without relying on mechanical blades that lose accuracy over time.
3Productivity
If components are cut from the sheet of material, then components are produced, but the size of the components may be larger than the final desired component size requiring manual trimming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical cutting with a precision material positioning system that places material layers exactly where needed. Automated pick-and-place mechanisms transfer pre-cut patterns from source material to the component stack, eliminating the need for oversized cutting and subsequent manual trimming, thus reducing material waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary positioning and alignment of material patterns before final assembly. By pre-positioning components with precise automated handling, the system ensures correct sizing is achieved during the placement process itself, eliminating the need for post-cutting trimming and reducing material waste.
4Manufacturing precision
If operators manually trim oversize components, then final component size is achieved, but labor costs increase and operational expenses rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual operator trimming with automated material positioning and placement systems. Robots and automated handlers position pre-sized patterns with precision, eliminating the need for manual intervention to achieve correct component dimensions, thus reducing both labor intensity and associated costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service through automated material handling and positioning mechanisms that automatically achieve precise component sizing without human intervention. The automated pick-and-place system and precision positioning mechanisms perform the sizing function that would otherwise require manual trimming by operators.
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic component fabrication system, for use in fabricating a component, includes a control system having a memory that includes a computerized model of the component to be fabricated. A first monitoring system including a first illumination device and at least one camera is communicatively coupled to the control system and is configured to determine a position of the material at a first location. A cutting system is communicatively coupled to the control system and is configured to cut the component from a sheet of material based on the determined position and the computerized model. The automatic component fabrication system also includes a second monitoring system including a second illumination device and at least one camera. The second monitoring system is communicatively coupled to the control system and is configured to compare the fabricated component to the computerized model.