Ceramic Shelf Assembly for Clean Horizontal Butt Welds
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Solution Overview
Problem
During horizontal butt welding of metal plates oriented vertically, liquid weld material often overflows from the lower plate and solidifies on the front surface, requiring additional time and labor to remove, as existing solutions focus on preventing overflow from the back side rather than the front side.
Innovation Solution
A ceramic shelf assembly with heat-resistant ceramic blocks and double-sided tape or magnets is attached to the front surface of the lower plate along the weld edge to prevent liquid weld material from overflowing, ensuring a smooth finish.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If welding is performed on a horizontal groove between vertically disposed plates, then the weld joint can be formed, but liquid weld material overflows onto the front surface of the lower plate requiring additional grinding work
Solution Approach 1:
The ceramic shelf is attached to the front surface of the lower plate before welding begins. This preliminary action creates a barrier that prevents weld material from overflowing onto the plate surface, eliminating the need for subsequent grinding operations and achieving a smooth finish directly from the welding process
Solution Approach 2:
The ceramic shelf acts as an intermediary barrier between the molten weld material and the front surface of the lower plate. It intercepts the overflowing weld material and allows it to solidify on the shelf rather than contaminating the plate surface, thus preventing the need for post-weld grinding
2Productivity
If welding is performed on a horizontal groove between vertically disposed plates, then the weld joint can be formed, but additional grinding steps are required to remove solidified overflow material
Solution Approach 1:
By attaching the ceramic shelf before welding, the system prevents overflow issues in advance, eliminating the need for additional grinding steps and thereby increasing productivity without adding complex post-weld processing equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The ceramic shelf is a disposable component that is attached before welding and removed after welding. It serves its purpose of preventing overflow during the welding process and is then discarded, avoiding the need for expensive and time-consuming grinding operations
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The ceramic shelf assembly effectively prevents weld material overflow, allowing for a clean finish without post-processing removal, thus saving time and material by maintaining a smooth transition between the weld reinforcement and the base metal.
Implementation Method 1
A ceramic shelf assembly with heat-resistant ceramic blocks and double-sided tape or magnets is attached to the front surface of the lower plate
Implementation Method 2
A ceramic shelf assembly with heat-resistant ceramic blocks and double-sided tape or magnets is attached to the front surface of the lower plate
Implementation Method 3
The ceramic shelf assembly effectively prevents weld material overflow, allowing for a clean finish without post-processing removal
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a ceramic shelf assembly for aiding formation of a butt weld of adjacent metal plates in a groove formed between adjoining plates. The assembly has at least one ceramic block having at least one straight edge. The assembly further provides an apparatus for removably attaching the rear side of the ceramic block to a front surface of one of the adjacent metal plates along an edge of the groove.