Cold-Flow Leveling Pad for Machine Vibration Anchoring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Machine tools experience vibrations and lateral displacement due to harmonic motion, leading to reduced surface finish quality and safety hazards, with existing anchoring methods being labor-intensive, costly, and ineffective in managing frame-born vibrations.
Innovation Solution
The use of leveling pads with a metal base made of forged aluminum and a vinyl polymer liner that cold flows into the floor profile under the weight of the machine, providing a stable and secure connection without the need for coring or labor-intensive anchoring, and maintaining stability across varying floor surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional anchoring methods are used to stabilize machine tools, then vibration reduction is achieved, but labor intensity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state and properties of the polymer liner material to enable cold flow under machine weight, transforming it from a rigid component to a deformable one that automatically conforms to floor surfaces and creates mechanical interlocking without additional anchoring labor
Solution Approach 2:
The polymer liner performs self-anchoring by cold flowing into floor profile under the machine's own weight, eliminating the need for external anchoring systems or additional labor-intensive installation processes
2Reliability
If rigid anchoring systems are used to prevent lateral displacement, then stability improves, but adaptability to different floor profiles decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The polymer liner's physical properties are designed to change under load, transitioning from a flexible state during installation to a stabilized state under machine weight, enabling it to adapt to various floor profiles while maintaining anchoring stability
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static rigid anchor to a dynamic polymer liner that actively deforms and flows to match the floor profile, then stabilizes under operational conditions to provide consistent vibration damping
3Object-generated harmful factors
If heavy duty anchoring is applied to reduce vibrations, then vibration control improves, but device complexity and installation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining metal base components with polymer liner material, leveraging the complementary properties of both materials to achieve vibration damping and anchoring functions in a single integrated component
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the anchoring function from separate heavy-duty anchoring systems and integrates it into the polymer liner itself, which inherently provides both structural support and vibration damping through its cold flow characteristics
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
This solution effectively reduces frame-born vibrations, increases the apparent mass of the machine's base frame, and eliminates displacement issues, providing a cost-effective and flexible anchoring system that does not settle over time or change with temperature, thus improving surface finish quality and machine stability.
Implementation Method 1
a polymer liner coupled to the metal base and being configured to cold flow into a profile of a floor surface when a weight of the device is applied to the leveling pad
Implementation Method 2
The polymer liner is configured to plastically deform into a profile of a floor surface when the weight of the device is applied to the leveling pad
Implementation Method 3
an adhesive configured to chemically bond to the metal base and the polymer liner
Data Source
AI summary
A leveling pad for stabilizing a device is provided. The leveling pad comprises a metal base having a socket configured to receive a portion of the device and a liner coupled to the metal base and being configured to cold flow into a profile of a floor surface when a weight of the device is applied to the leveling pad. The liner may be of a polymer, such as vinyl. The liner is further configured to plastically deform into the profile of the floor surface. The plastic deformation is designed to increase a magnitude of a shear force or a tensile force required to separate the liner from a portion of the floor surface into which it is configured to plastically deform.