Elastic Foam Plug Stacking Device for Automotive Tool Magazine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automating the stacking of plugs for vehicle body components is costly and prone to errors, and requires a separate process for each plug design, making it inefficient to prestack and fill a tool magazine.
Innovation Solution
A stacking device with a housing featuring elastic holding and guiding devices, preferably made of foam, that allows axial movement and secure positioning of plugs, enabling them to be easily fed into a tool magazine and ensuring they are aligned and stacked in a stable manner, with a system that includes a plug holding device for gradual filling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automation is used for stacking plugs, then productivity is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stacking device allows manual operation where the operator directly places plugs into the magazine using the device's guiding structures. The device serves itself by providing the stacking function through simple mechanical guidance rather than requiring complex automated feeding mechanisms, thus maintaining high productivity while minimizing device complexity and cost.
2Manufacturing precision
If a separate process is developed for each plug design, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stacking device features a universal design with a magazine and guiding structures that can accommodate different plug types and designs. The same device structure serves multiple functions by adjusting to different plug configurations, ensuring manufacturing precision across various plug designs without requiring separate processes for each type, thereby reducing device complexity and time consumption.
3Device complexity
If manual stacking is used, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity and time consumption worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The stacking device acts as an intermediary tool between the operator and the plug magazine. It provides mechanical guidance structures that facilitate efficient manual stacking by ensuring proper alignment and positioning of plugs, thereby improving productivity and stacking efficiency without requiring complex automated systems or increasing device complexity significantly.
4Manufacturing precision
If plugs are fed individually, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but time consumption and productivity worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The stacking device enables preliminary arrangement and alignment of multiple plugs within the magazine structure before they are needed. The guiding structures pre-position plugs in the correct orientation and location, allowing for rapid retrieval and installation without compromising positioning accuracy. This preliminary action reduces the time required for each individual plug insertion while maintaining manufacturing precision.
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
Facilitates simplified and cost-effective stacking of plugs, ensuring they are securely aligned and guided, reducing the risk of errors and allowing for efficient filling of the tool magazine with a predefined number of plugs.
Implementation Method 1
The holding and guiding devices for the plugs are preferably elastic, with the result that the plugs find an engagement therein. In a preferred embodiment variant, there is provision that the holding and guiding devices are formed from foam.
Data Source
AI summary
A stacking device is provided for stacking plugs, in particular paint or installation plugs for motor vehicles, having a housing which has an opening, at at least one axial end, on a front side and in which extend in the axial direction, on an inner wall of the housing, at least two retaining and guide devices for the plugs. The retaining and guiding devices are designed to keep the plugs stacked in position, to allow axial movement of the plugs, and to guide the plugs in the axial direction.