CuNi25 Alloy Internal Watch Case Eliminates Galvanic Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Internal watchmaking components face challenges with surface condition issues due to galvanic treatment, requiring protection and being prone to defects, while also needing to be machinable, durable, and resistant to tarnishing.
Innovation Solution
Using a single-phase alloy with a face-centered cubic structure comprising at least copper and nickel, with a total mass percentage of copper and nickel greater than or equal to 50%, eliminating the need for galvanic treatment and providing a stable, tarnish-resistant, and uniformly colored component.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If galvanic treatment is applied to internal watchmaking components, then appearance is improved, but the coating becomes fragile and accentuates defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the galvanic coating layer entirely and uses the base alloy material itself to provide the desired appearance. The CuNi25 alloy with face-centered cubic structure provides inherent uniform coloring and aesthetic quality without requiring any surface coating, thus eliminating coating fragility while maintaining appearance quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by selecting a specific alloy composition (CuNi25 with at least 50% total copper and nickel) and controlling its phase structure (face-centered cubic) to achieve the desired appearance properties directly in the base material, eliminating the need for galvanic treatment.
2Stability of the object's composition
If galvanic treatment is applied to achieve uniform coloring, then appearance is improved, but any prior defects are accentuated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the galvanic coating that acts as a magnifying glass for defects. By using the bare CuNi25 alloy surface, the material's inherent uniformity provides coloring consistency without accentuating any subsurface defects that would be visible through or amplified by a galvanic layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves uniform coloring by controlling the alloy composition parameters (CuNi25 with specific copper and nickel ratios) and phase structure (face-centered cubic), which provide inherent color uniformity at the material level rather than relying on a surface coating that would reveal defects.
3Reliability
If protective coatings are applied to internal components, then tarnish resistance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes all protective coating layers and achieves tarnish resistance directly through the CuNi25 alloy material properties. The specific copper-nickel composition and face-centered cubic phase structure provide inherent corrosion and tarnish resistance, eliminating the need for additional coating applications and simplifying the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves tarnish resistance by optimizing material parameters - specifically the alloy composition (at least 50% total copper and nickel with CuNi25 designation) and phase structure (face-centered cubic). These parameter changes give the base material inherent protective properties without requiring external coatings.
4Illumination intensity
If complex galvanic treatment processes are used, then surface appearance is improved, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the multi-step galvanic treatment process entirely. The CuNi25 alloy material is processed through standard machining operations only, with the final appearance achieved directly from the machined surface of the alloy itself, removing all coating application, drying, and curing time from the production cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves desirable surface appearance by controlling material parameters (CuNi25 composition, face-centered cubic phase) rather than through time-consuming surface treatment processes. This allows standard machining operations to produce the final aesthetic result, significantly reducing production time compared to galvanic treatment cycles.
Data Source
Figure 1~5
AI summary
Internal watch case component (1). This component (1) is made entirely of a face-centered cubic, single-phase alloy comprising, by mass, a total copper and nickel content greater than or equal to 50.0% of the total, and said component (1) is free from any coating. Use of such a single-phase alloy for the production of an internal watch case component (1). Method for manufacturing an internal watch case component (1) of determined shape and dimensions, wherein a raw material of a face-centered cubic, single-phase alloy comprising, by mass, a total copper and nickel content greater than or equal to 50.0% of the total, is used, and wherein said raw material is machined to obtain an internal watch case component (1) with finished dimensions corresponding to said determined shape and dimensions.