Box Girder Plug-In Transverse Plates for Faster Welding Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of box girders, particularly crane girders, is time-consuming and costly due to the need for precise positioning and alignment of plates, which requires manual or automated marking and tack/spot welding, reducing weld quality and complicating accessibility within the hollow space.
Innovation Solution
Implementing form-fitting connections, such as plug-in connections, between transverse and side plates, allowing for pre-assembly and reducing the need for manual alignment and tack welding, enabling automated welding on the outside of the girder with fewer weld seams, improving accessibility and manufacturing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If plates are positioned and aligned using transverse plates with marking and tack/spot welding, then the box girder can be assembled, but the manufacturing process becomes time-consuming and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-assembling plate groups with transverse plates and chord plates in a predetermined configuration before final assembly. This pre-positioning and pre-alignment of plates into groups reduces the time required during final box girder assembly, as the complex positioning and alignment work has already been performed on smaller, more manageable plate groups
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the box girder assembly into multiple plate groups, where each group consists of transverse plates and chord plates assembled together. This segmentation allows parallel preparation of multiple groups and simplifies the overall assembly process, reducing total manufacturing time while maintaining precision
2Ease of manufacture
If marking and tack/spot welding are performed for positioning and alignment, then plates can be connected, but the process becomes costly and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary positioning and alignment of transverse plates relative to each other and to chord plates during the pre-assembly stage. This preliminary action eliminates or reduces the need for time-consuming marking and tack/spot welding operations during final assembly, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency and productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs self-aligning features such as form-fitting connections between transverse plates and chord plates that automatically position components correctly during assembly. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual marking and alignment operations, significantly improving productivity while maintaining ease of manufacture
3Strength
If plates are welded on the inner sides within the hollow space, then the box girder structure is formed, but accessibility during welding becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional welding approach by performing welding operations from the outer sides of plates rather than from the inner sides within the hollow space. This inversion is achieved through form-fitting connections that allow welding access from externally accessible locations, dramatically improving ease of operation while maintaining weld quality through proper connection design
4Ease of manufacture
If final weld seams cover the tack/spot welds, then the structure is completed, but the quality of weld seams is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts or eliminates the tack/spot welding step from the manufacturing process by using form-fitting connections that allow direct final welding without preliminary tack welding. This extraction prevents the quality reduction caused by covering tack welds with final weld seams, thereby improving weld seam quality and reliability while maintaining ease of manufacture
Data Source
AI summary
A box girder configured as a crane girder has two side plates spaced apart from each other, at least one chord plate connecting the two side plates to each other and at least one transverse plate arranged between the side plates and connecting the side plates to each other, with a welded joint provided between the respective chord plate and the side plates. In order to facilitate the manufacturing process of the box girder, at least one form-fitting connection configured as a plug-in connection is provided between the transverse plate and each of the two side plates. A crane may thus be configured having such a box girder. A corresponding method of manufacturing may also be employed for forming the box girder.