One-Piece Bent Sheet Metal Linear Drive Carriage
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of linear drives with one-piece carriage bodies is often time-consuming and costly due to complex machining operations and precise assembly requirements, as seen in existing technologies.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece carriage body is produced by bending a contoured sheet metal part, where the guide legs and drive leg are formed from sections bent over relative to the central section, allowing for cost-effective and simplified production without the need for complex machining or precise assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the carriage body is produced by machining from a material blank, then manufacturing precision can be achieved, but production time and costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the manufacturing method from machining (subtractive) to bending (formative), fundamentally altering the production parameter. The carriage body is produced by bending a sheet metal blank into the final shape with integrated legs, eliminating time-consuming machining operations while maintaining precision through controlled bending processes
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the carriage body and its legs into a single bent metal part, eliminating the need for separate machining of each component and their subsequent assembly. The U-shaped guide section and drive leg are formed as one integrated piece through bending, reducing production steps and time
2Manufacturing precision
If the carriage body is produced by machining, then assembly precision can be ensured, but manufacturing complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines multiple components (carriage body, guide legs, drive leg) into a single bent metal part. The U-shaped guide section with its two guide legs and the drive leg are all formed from one sheet metal blank through bending, eliminating the complexity of machining multiple parts and ensuring assembly precision through integral construction
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the manufacturing parameter from complex multi-step machining to a simpler bending process. The sheet metal blank is bent into the final carriage body shape in controlled steps, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining the precision needed for proper assembly and function
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a linear drive (1), which has an output slide (4), which is guided on a drive housing (7) in a linearly movable manner. The output slide (4) contains a one-piece slide body (24), which is designed as a bent sheet-metal part. In this context, the slide body (24) comprises a plate-shaped central segment (32), guide limbs (33, 34), which are arranged alongside the plate-shaped central segment and bent downward, and a drive limb (52), which is arranged at an end face and which likewise is bent downward. The guide limbs (33, 34) are used to linearly guide the output slide (4), and the drive limb (52) is used for the application of the driving forces that cause the reciprocating motion (3) of the output slide (4). The invention further relates to a method for producing such a linear drive.