Air-Driven Collar Feeder for Lockbolt Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of lockbolts is inefficient due to collars falling off during the swaging process, especially when the workpiece is above the worker's head, and there is no effective collection system for pintails broken off during swaging, leading to reduced efficiency and safety hazards from foreign object debris.
Innovation Solution
A handheld collar feeder tool that loads and presents swagable collars for easy placement on lockbolt shanks, combined with a vacuum-operated system to collect and organize pintails, improving the efficiency and safety of the lockbolt installation process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If collars are placed on lockbolt shanks manually during the swaging process, then the installation can be completed, but collars may fall off when the workpiece is above the worker's head, reducing efficiency and creating safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The collar feeder pre-loads and positions multiple collars in a magazine before the swaging process begins. Collars are automatically presented one at a time to the worker, eliminating the need for manual handling and positioning during the actual swaging operation. This preliminary preparation ensures collars remain secure and readily available throughout the installation cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar feeder acts as an intermediary device between the collar supply and the lockbolt shank. It holds collars in a controlled manner and presents them systematically to the worker, preventing collars from falling off during the swaging process while maintaining efficient workflow.
2Ease of operation
If collars are held in place using sticky substance like rubberized cement, then collars can be positioned on lockbolt shanks, but the swaging process may still cause collars to fall off
Solution Approach 1:
The collar feeder pre-positions collars in a secure magazine and automatically presents them to the worker before the swaging operation begins. This eliminates the need for sticky substances to hold collars during positioning, as the feeder maintains secure holding mechanisms that prevent collar loss throughout the entire process.
3Device complexity
If pintails are ejected without collection during swaging, then the swaging process is simple, but pintails create safety hazards and foreign object debris
Solution Approach 1:
A vacuum system acts as an intermediary between the swaging tool and the work environment. It continuously removes pintails as they are ejected during the swaging process, preventing them from becoming foreign object debris while maintaining a relatively simple swaging operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum system converts the potentially harmful ejection of pintails into a beneficial automatic cleanup process. Pintails that would otherwise create safety hazards are systematically collected and removed, transforming a harmful byproduct into an automated safety feature.
4Productivity
If collars are swaged in groups of 6 to 12 collars per cycle, then the worker can maintain efficiency, but the worker must repeatedly lower the tool and reload collars
Solution Approach 1:
The collar feeder pre-loads a magazine with multiple collars and automatically presents them one at a time to the worker. This preliminary preparation allows the worker to complete larger batches of swaging operations without repeatedly stopping to reload collars, significantly reducing the time lost during tool reloading while maintaining high cycle efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar feeder enables continuous presentation of collars during the swaging process. Instead of interrupting the workflow to reload collars, the feeder maintains a continuous supply, allowing the worker to perform swaging operations in larger batches without breaking the workflow, thereby eliminating time losses associated with repeated tool handling.
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 collar feeder tool enhances the efficiency of lockbolt installation by maintaining collars in place during swaging and systematically collecting pintails, reducing waste and safety hazards, thus improving the overall installation process and worker safety.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum-operated system to collect and organize pintails
Data Source
AI summary
An air-driven device for feeding lockbolt collars to a presentation position for installation on lockbolts, one at a time, including a hand-held grip with a curved presentation piece on the top end and a flared bottom end with an air input. The grip is designed to receive in an attached relationship a cylindrical collar cartridge with a spiral cartridge passage for holding a large number of collars. An air supply can be connected into an inlet in the flared collar of the grip and this inlet is in communication with an air passage that extends downwardly through the cartridge to a point where it enters into the spiral passage so as to urge collars upwardly through the spiral passage into the grip body and from there to the presentation position.