Contact Element Manufacturing via Parallel Rotary Indexing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing contact elements from solid materials are complex and expensive, making them costly to manufacture, especially when using automatic rotary transfer machines with multiple workstations.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing a rotary indexing machine with at least 24 workstations, where a blank passes through 8 key stations to create a contact element, allowing for parallel processing of three blanks into contact elements, reducing the number of required workstations and optimizing the use of existing machinery by prefabricating the outer diameter of the connection area outside the production machine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a rotary transfer machine with multiple workstations is used to manufacture contact elements, then manufacturing precision and automation are improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blank is preprocessed outside the rotary transfer machine to create a semi-finished product with a prefabricated outer diameter in the connection area. This preliminary action reduces the workload inside the machine, allowing existing workstations to be used more efficiently and reducing the need for additional complex equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process is divided into two segments: preprocessing outside the rotary transfer machine and final processing inside the machine. This segmentation allows the complex tasks to be distributed, reducing the complexity burden on any single system while maintaining overall manufacturing precision.
2Productivity
If more workstations are added to increase production capacity, then productivity is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
By preprocessing blanks outside the rotary transfer machine, the machine can focus on final processing tasks. This allows existing workstations to handle multiple tasks more efficiently and enables parallel processing of three blanks simultaneously, increasing productivity without adding machine complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotary transfer machine is designed to handle multiple functions within its existing workstation structure. The same workstations process different features (pin area, socket area, fixing area, crimping area) and can process multiple blanks in parallel, maximizing the utility of each workstation without requiring additional specialized equipment.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional manufacturing methods are used, then manufacturing capability is maintained, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blank is preprocessed to create a semi-finished product before entering the rotary transfer machine. This preliminary preparation simplifies the subsequent manufacturing steps inside the machine, maintaining manufacturing capability while reducing process complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process is segmented into preprocessing and final processing stages. This division allows each stage to be optimized independently, with the preprocessing stage handling rough shaping and the rotary transfer machine handling precision features, thereby simplifying the overall manufacturing approach.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a contact element using a production machine having at least 24 workstations, wherein the contact element is manufactured from a blank (R) which passes through at least 8 workstations (I-VIII, I'-VIII', I"-VIII") on the production machine in a production cycle, wherein the respective workstations (I-VIII, I'-VIII', I"-VIII") perform the following manufacturing steps in total: - loading the blank into the production machine - generating a pin area or a socket area for electrical contact with another contact element - generating a fixing area for fixing the contact element in an insulating body - generating a crimp area for electrically connecting a conductor to the contact element - unloading the finished contact element from the production machine, wherein three production cycles (A, B, C) are carried out simultaneously on the production machine.The inventive method allows three parallel production cycles to be carried out in the manufacturing machine. This enables the production of contact elements in higher quantities and at a particularly low cost.