Coil Spring Coiling Layout with Laser-Heated Wire Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coiling machines for manufacturing coil springs face challenges in manufacturing efficiency and layout efficiency due to issues with high-frequency heating responsiveness, interference with cutting members, and inefficiencies in laser cutting processes.
Innovation Solution
A coiling machine comprising a feed unit, a helix formation unit, a laser heater, and a cutting unit, where the laser heater heats a portion of the wire, and the cutting unit cuts the heated site using a cutter, with optimized irradiation angles for the laser light to improve heating efficiency and prevent interference with machine elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If high-frequency heating is used to heat the cut site, then the wire can be heated and softened, but the responsiveness of heating is poor and the formation accuracy of the spring cannot be stabilized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces high-frequency heating (electromagnetic induction heating) with laser heating (optical energy conversion to thermal energy). The laser heater irradiates the wire with laser light to rapidly heat the cut site, providing superior heating responsiveness compared to high-frequency heating methods, thereby enabling stable formation accuracy of the spring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the heating method parameter from high-frequency electromagnetic induction to laser irradiation. This parameter change enables more precise control of heating location and duration, heating only the specific cut site area rather than continuing to heat the entire wire, thus improving both heating responsiveness and formation accuracy.
2Productivity
If high-power laser light is used to cut the wire, then the wire can be heated and cut, but sputter occurs and laser light may be applied to each unit of the spring manufacturing device
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using a cutting member (cutter) to cut only the specific heated site of the wire, rather than using high-power laser light to cut the entire wire. The laser heater is configured to heat only the cut site area locally, and the cutter removes material only at this localized position, thereby preventing sputter and avoiding laser light application to other parts of the manufacturing device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a cutting member (cutter) as an intermediary between the laser heater and the wire cutting process. The laser heater heats the wire cut site, and then the cutter physically removes the heated material. This intermediary approach eliminates the need for high-power laser cutting, preventing sputter and laser interference with other device units while maintaining cutting efficiency.
3Manufacturing precision
If the wire is cut in a state where high-frequency heating is continued, then the cut site is softened, but the members used for cutting may be affected by high-frequency heating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heating function from the cutting process. The laser heater heats the wire cut site separately and independently from the cutting operation. The laser heating is applied only to the wire at the cut site, not to the cutting members themselves. This separation ensures that cutting members are not affected by heating while the cut site still receives the necessary softening heat treatment.
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 proposed solution enhances the manufacturing efficiency of coil springs and improves the layout efficiency of machine elements, achieving better heating efficiency and preventing interference, thereby stabilizing the formation accuracy of the spring.
Implementation Method 1
a laser heater configured to heat a portion of the wire by emitting laser light to the wire which is bent by the helix formation unit
Data Source
AI summary
A coiling machine comprises a feed unit feeding a wire in a feed direction, a helix formation unit bending the wire in a perpendicular direction, thereby forming a coil spring extending into a helical shape toward a formation direction, a laser heater heating a portion of the wire, and a cutting unit cutting a site of the wire. When the formation direction is defined as 0°, and an opposite side of the feed direction is defined as 90°, and an opposite side of the formation direction is defined as 180°, and the feed direction is defined as 270°, an irradiation direction of the laser light forms a first angle which is greater than or equal to 0° and less than or equal to 270° with the formation direction.