Metallic Belt Shearing Apparatus with Continuous Velocity Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing apparatuses for shearing metallic belts in electric accumulator manufacturing face inefficiencies, including suboptimal production rates, complexity, and inflexibility in changing contoured profiles, leading to high costs and precision issues.
Innovation Solution
A shearing apparatus with a support structure, sliding path, and synchronized sliders that allow continuous belt advancement with constant velocity, using reciprocating grippers and rollers to maintain belt speed and enable precise cutting without mechanical modifications, driven by a programmable control unit for flexible profile adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If intermittent motion is used to feed the cutting device with the metallic belt, then the cutting operation can be performed with the molds in closed configuration, but the production rate cannot be optimized due to necessary rest intervals at each work cycle
Solution Approach 1:
The metallic belt is pre-stretched by tensioning means before reaching the cutting device, storing elastic energy that will be used to maintain constant speed during cutting without requiring intermittent motion cycles
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static intermittent motion to dynamic continuous motion with variable speed control, allowing the belt to move continuously while maintaining precise cutting through speed modulation rather than stop-start cycles
2Productivity
If continuous motion at constant speed is used to advance the metallic belt, then production rate is improved, but it becomes difficult to obtain cyclic rest phases and acceleration phases at the cutting device without complex tensioning means
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the speed parameter of the metallic belt dynamically - accelerating before cutting, maintaining constant speed during cutting, and decelerating after cutting - to create effective rest phases without stopping the continuous motion, thereby achieving high productivity with controlled cutting conditions
3Productivity
If rotating tensioning means are used to obtain cyclic rest and acceleration phases, then continuous motion with constant velocity upstream and downstream of cutting device is achieved, but the apparatus complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and isolates the tensioning function into separate upstream and downstream tensioning means, allowing independent control of belt tension and speed in different zones, thereby simplifying the overall control system while achieving the desired cyclic acceleration and rest phases at the cutting device
4Manufacturing precision
If the metallic belt is made to advance with intermittent motion, then the molds can be brought to closed configuration to cut the metallic belt, but the rest interval at each work cycle prevents optimization of production rate
Solution Approach 1:
The metallic belt moves continuously without interruption through the cutting device, eliminating idle rest intervals between cuts. The cutting operation itself creates the necessary timing rhythm, with the belt feeding continuously and the cutting device operating at optimal speed without wasted time
Data Source
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AI summary
Apparatus for shearing a metallic belt for manufacturing electric accumulators, comprising: driving means (13) able to make a metallic belt (2) advance with continuous movement along a sliding path (6); a cutting device (16) able to shear the aforesaid metallic belt (2); a first slider (20) positioned upstream of the cutting device (16) and bearing a first movable roller (22) mounted thereon; a second slider (21) positioned downstream of the cutting device (16) and bearing a second movable roller (24) mounted thereon; handling means mechanically connected to the first slider (20) and to the second slider (21) and able to actuate said sliders along the sliding path (6); a control unit operatively connected to the handling means and designed to drive the latter to move the first slider (20) and the second slider (21) cyclically with corresponding outward and return strokes, in order to change the length of the sliding path (6) in such a way as to stop cyclically successive portions (2') of the metallic belt (2) at the cutting device (16), maintaining constant the advancement velocity of the metallic belt (2) upstream and downstream of the cutting device (16). The present invention also refers to a method of operation of the aforesaid apparatus.