Detachable Heat Treatment Chamber Unit for Rapid Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heat treatment apparatuses require frequent replacement of components like heat insulating materials and heaters, which increases downtime and reduces productivity due to the need to carefully remove multiple heaters during maintenance, and existing technologies do not provide efficient methods for replacing these parts.
Innovation Solution
A heat treatment apparatus design where the treatment chamber unit, including the heat insulating material and heaters, is detachably fixed to the furnace shell, allowing the entire unit to be removed without disconnecting individual heater terminals, simplifying the replacement process by using a terminal wire to connect the heater terminal to the busbar and enabling the unit to be taken out as a single entity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the heat insulating material is replaced by removing the lid at the rear of the heating chamber, then the heat insulating material can be accessed for replacement, but multiple heaters must be removed from the heating chamber which increases replacement time and risk of damage
Solution Approach 1:
The heating chamber is divided into a stationary frame and a detachable treatment chamber unit. The treatment chamber unit includes the heat insulating material, heaters, and treatment container as an integrated module that can be removed as a single unit, eliminating the need to remove individual heaters for heat insulating material replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat insulating material, heaters, and treatment container are merged into a single treatment chamber unit. This consolidation allows all components to be replaced together as one unit, reducing the number of discrete removal operations required and minimizing the risk of damaging individual heaters during maintenance.
2Ease of repair
If multiple heaters are removed from the heating chamber during maintenance, then the heat insulating material can be replaced, but the complexity of handling multiple heater terminals increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connection system is segmented into a stationary busbar and a movable terminal assembly attached to the treatment chamber unit. This segmentation allows the terminal to move with the treatment chamber unit, eliminating the need to disconnect and reconnect individual heater terminals during maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal wire acts as an intermediary between the stationary busbar and the heater terminals on the treatment chamber unit. This intermediary connection allows the treatment chamber unit to be removed and reinstalled without requiring complex wiring operations, as the terminal wire automatically maintains electrical connectivity throughout the removal and installation process.
3Productivity
If the treatment chamber unit is designed to be detachably fixed to the furnace shell, then the entire unit can be removed for maintenance, but the connection structure between busbar and power supply portion must be simplified
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal wire connection is extracted from the complex wiring system and positioned at the treatment chamber unit exterior. This extraction allows the terminal to be easily disconnected from the busbar without requiring access to the interior wiring, enabling rapid removal and installation of the treatment chamber unit and minimizing apparatus downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical connection system is designed to be dynamic rather than fixed. The terminal wire can be quickly connected and disconnected at the busbar, allowing the treatment chamber unit to be rapidly removed for maintenance and quickly reinstalled, thereby reducing apparatus downtime while maintaining electrical connectivity throughout the process.
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 design significantly reduces the time required for part replacement and apparatus downtime, improving productivity by allowing the entire treatment chamber unit to be removed and replaced without the need to handle individual heaters, thus minimizing the risk of damage and deformation.
Implementation Method 1
a heater (50) that has a heating element (50a) located inside the treatment container (30)
Data Source
AI summary
A heat treatment apparatus includes: a treatment chamber unit that is, inside a furnace shell, detachably fixed to the furnace shell; and a power supply portion, in which the treatment chamber unit includes: a treatment container in which a heat treatment is performed on a workpiece; a heat insulating material provided inside the treatment container; a heater that has a heating element located inside the treatment container and has a terminal located outside the treatment container; and a busbar that is provided on the outside of the treatment container and is electrically connected to the terminal of the heater, the power supply portion is provided outside the treatment container, and the busbar and the power supply portion are detachably connected to each other.