Can Bodymaker Ram Drive With Motorized Linear Slide Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional can bodymaker systems rely on oil-fed hydrostatic slides and mechanical crank and flywheel drives, which are costly, energy-inefficient, and prone to alignment uncertainties due to hydraulic pressure variations, affecting can production quality.
Innovation Solution
A drive system utilizing a plurality of drive motors coupled to a yolk body and slide arrangement with rails and carriage members, enabling a reciprocal linear motion for the ram, eliminating the need for lubrication and simplifying alignment through precise, adjustable stroke length and speed control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If oil-fed hydrostatic slides are used to support the ram, then the ram can be supported and driven, but high levels of oil filtration are required and large amounts of electrical energy are consumed to power motors driving large pumps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the hydraulic pump-motor system with a direct electric motor drive system. Each drive motor is directly coupled to the crank mechanism, eliminating the need for hydraulic pumps, oil filtration systems, and associated mechanical transmission components. This substitution of hydraulic-mechanical systems with direct electric drive reduces energy conversion losses and eliminates the energy waste associated with hydraulic fluid circulation and filtration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the hydraulic system components (oil-fed hydrostatic slides, pumps, filtration systems) from the drive mechanism. By eliminating these components entirely and replacing them with direct electric motor drives, the system removes the source of energy inefficiency and high operational costs associated with hydraulic fluid management and pump operation.
2Reliability
If oil-fed hydrostatic slides are used to support the ram, then the ram can be supported, but alignment settings are dependent on oil temperature, pressure and proper Lee jet orifices, causing uncertainties in alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex hydraulic alignment control system with a mechanically rigid direct drive system. The drive motors are directly coupled to the crank mechanism with fixed geometric relationships, eliminating dependence on oil temperature, pressure, and orifice settings. This mechanical substitution provides inherent alignment stability through precise motor positioning and rigid mechanical connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the controlling parameters from hydraulic variables (oil temperature, pressure, orifice size) to fixed mechanical parameters (motor position, crank geometry). This parameter change eliminates the sensitivity to hydraulic condition variations and provides stable, predictable alignment through mechanically defined geometric relationships.
3Ease of manufacture
If mechanical crank and flywheel drive system is used, then the ram can be driven, but the system is costly to maintain, difficult to understand and may not be the most energy efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical crank and flywheel system with an electric motor-driven crank system. The direct electric motor drive eliminates the need for large flywheels and complex mechanical transmission components, reducing maintenance requirements and simplifying the system. Electric motors are more energy-efficient and easier to control than mechanical flywheel systems, while maintaining the same fundamental crank mechanism for converting rotational to reciprocating motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies universal electric motor technology to the can bodymaker application, replacing application-specific mechanical components with standardized electric drive components. This allows for easier maintenance, better energy efficiency, and simpler control while maintaining the essential function of driving the ram through the crank mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A drive system for a can bodymaker includes an operating arrangement having a number of drive motors, each drive motor structured to be coupled to a frame of the can bodymaker. The system also includes a yolk body structured to be coupled to an end of a ram body of a ram extending from a first side of the yolk body. The system further includes a slide arrangement coupled to the yolk body and structured to be coupled to the frame such that the yolk body can move linearly with respect to the frame. The slide arrangement includes a number of rails and a number of carriage members, wherein each rail has at least one carriage member slidingly engaged therewith. Each drive motor is operatively coupled to the yolk body to drive the yolk body in a reciprocal linear motion back and forth along the number of rails.