Chassis Guidance Structures for Prefabricated Module Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in constructing modular buildings with prefabricated modules is achieving precise alignment, particularly when façade panels are pre-installed, as manual alignment is difficult and inefficient, leading to increased costs and weather-dependent construction delays.
Innovation Solution
A system and method using alignment structures on module edges, comprising various male and female guides, that interact to automatically align new modules with existing ones, allowing for precise positioning within narrow tolerances, even with pre-installed façade panels, by varying the degree of constraint on module edges during installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual alignment methods are used to position modules, then construction personnel can control the alignment process, but the difficulty of accurate alignment increases due to the need for personnel to stand off distance and the narrow alignment tolerance requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces alignment structures as intermediary components that mediate between the module being installed and the already-installed modules. These structures include alignment pins protruding from the substrate and corresponding alignment holes or guides on the module, which automatically guide and constrain the module's position during installation, eliminating the need for manual alignment by personnel standing at a distance.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment system enables self-alignment of the module through the interaction of alignment pins with alignment holes or guides. The module automatically positions itself relative to already-installed modules through the mechanical constraint provided by the alignment structures, without requiring external manual intervention or complex positioning procedures.
2Productivity
If façade panels are pre-installed on modules, then the building process efficiency improves and exterior work is eliminated, but the alignment tolerance requirement increases to less than or equal to 10 mm
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment pin structures are pre-installed on the substrate before the module arrives at the construction site. This preliminary action ensures that the alignment reference system is already in place, allowing the module to be automatically aligned to the required precision (less than or equal to 10 mm) when it is lowered into position, thereby enabling pre-installed façade panels to interlock correctly.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment pins and corresponding alignment holes/guides act as intermediary elements that ensure precise relative positioning between adjacent modules. These intermediaries bridge the gap between the module's pre-installed façade panels and the already-installed modules, guaranteeing that the panels will interlock within the required tolerance of 10 mm or less.
3Manufacturing precision
If modules are installed without pre-installed façade panels, then alignment requirements are relaxed, but the building process time increases due to additional exterior panel installation work
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment pin structures are installed on the substrate in advance, creating a ready-to-use alignment system that enables precise automatic alignment when modules arrive. This preliminary preparation allows façade panels to be pre-installed on modules during manufacturing, eliminating the need for time-consuming exterior panel installation work at the construction site while maintaining relaxed alignment tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The construction process is segmented into two distinct phases: (1) module manufacturing phase where façade panels are pre-installed on modules in a controlled environment, and (2) site installation phase where modules are automatically aligned using the pre-installed alignment pin structures. This segmentation allows each phase to be optimized independently, improving overall productivity.
4Manufacturing precision
If alignment structures are added to modules, then automatic alignment precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment functionality is extracted from the module structure itself and placed in the substrate as separate alignment pin elements. The module only needs simple alignment holes or guides, while the complex alignment reference system (pins) is provided by the substrate installation, reducing the complexity added to the module while maintaining high alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment pins serve as intermediary elements that provide the complex alignment reference function without being integrated into the module structure. This allows the module to maintain relative simplicity while achieving precise automatic alignment through the interaction with the substrate-mounted alignment pins and the module's simple alignment features.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for use in automatic alignment of prefabricated building modules. Mating alignment structures on a new module and one more placed modules or mounted pilots interact as the new module is lowered to align edges of the new module relative to the placed components. Different alignment structure types are used to provide different degrees of positional alignment for different edges of a module during installation. When two edges of a module are simultaneously constrained, a horizontal position of one edge is constrained to a greater degree than the second edge. Alignment structures also can be configured so the degree of position constraint on a particular edge varies and to change which module edges are constrained as a module is lowered into position. The system and methods are suitable for use with prefabricated modules having preinstalled interlocking façade panels.