Cyclic Welding Machine Radial Guide Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing continuous welding machines require significant time and effort to adapt to different pipe diameters, leading to lengthy tool changeover times and non-productive periods, as they need to be converted to produce pipe segments with varying diameters efficiently.
Innovation Solution
The continuous welding machine allows for radial adjustment of pipe guides and a guide bar relative to the guide axis, with adjustable hold-down devices to accommodate different pipe diameters and material thicknesses, enabling efficient butt-welding of tube blanks without extensive conversion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the guide blade has a certain minimum thickness for stability, then the guide blade is stable, but the edges of the tube blank are pushed forward at an angle and require considerable clamping effort
Solution Approach 1:
The guide blade is made adjustable in thickness, allowing it to be dynamically adapted to different tube blank dimensions. This enables the guide blade to maintain stability while reducing the clamping effort required for different pipe diameters and material thicknesses.
Solution Approach 2:
The thickness parameter of the guide blade is made variable rather than fixed. By changing the guide blade thickness parameter, the system can accommodate different tube blank specifications without requiring excessive clamping force, thus resolving the contradiction between stability and force requirement.
2Reliability
If special clamping jaws with pressure rollers are used to press together the edges of the pipe blank, then the edges can be joined at the welding point, but the machine requires considerable conversion work to adapt to different pipe diameters
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping jaws are designed with adjustable components that allow them to accommodate multiple pipe diameters and material thicknesses. This universal design eliminates the need for special conversion work when adapting to different pipe specifications, while maintaining reliable welding quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping jaw system incorporates adjustable elements that can be dynamically reconfigured for different pipe dimensions. This dynamic adaptability allows the same machine setup to reliably join edges across various pipe diameters without requiring conversion work.
3Device complexity
If the pipe guides and guide bar are fixed in position, then the machine structure is simple, but the machine cannot adapt to different pipe diameters without extensive conversion
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe guides and guide bar are designed with adjustable positioning capabilities, allowing them to be radially adjusted to match different pipe diameters. This dynamic adjustability enables the machine to adapt to various pipe specifications while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The radial position parameter of the pipe guides and guide bar is made variable. By adjusting this parameter, the machine can accommodate different pipe diameters without requiring extensive structural conversions, thus balancing simplicity and adaptability.
4Area of stationary object
If multiple pipe segments with different diameters are produced on one production line, then production space is reduced, but the machine requires time-consuming conversions between different diameters
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable pipe guides, guide bar, and clamping jaws enable quick reconfiguration of the production line for different pipe diameters. This dynamic adaptability allows multiple pipe segment types to be produced on one line with minimal changeover time, reducing the need for extensive production space.
Solution Approach 2:
The key parameters of the guiding and clamping system are made adjustable, allowing rapid adaptation to different pipe specifications. This parameter variability enables the production line to switch between different pipe diameters efficiently, minimizing changeover time and space requirements.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The throughput welding machine (1) for welding up a tube blank (15) has its tube guides (e.g. 5) and its guide rod (2) guide rod able to be adjusted to fit different tube diameters in the radial direction relative to the guide axis. The guide tracks on the opposite sides of the guide rod are at an angle to each other in a plane running through the guide axis.