Elastic Sleeve Positioning for Precise Tool Turret Tool Changes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tool turret systems face challenges in achieving high-precision positioning of tool holders during tool change operations, requiring tight tolerances and complex mechanical and control systems, which increases costs and labor.
Innovation Solution
A positioning device with sleeves on the tool holder that expand elastically to accommodate positional tolerances, allowing partial contact between the positioning pin and sleeve, reducing the need for precise gripper control and mechanics, and featuring a conical or convex design for improved alignment and secure fixing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If tight tolerances are required for positioning pins and receptacles to ensure high-precision machining, then positioning accuracy is improved, but the complexity and cost of the handling robot's mechanics and control system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state of the sleeve from rigid to elastically deformable, allowing it to yield under the action of the positioning pin. This parameter change enables the system to accommodate positional tolerances through elastic deformation rather than requiring precise mechanical tolerances, thereby reducing the complexity of the handling robot while maintaining positioning accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The elastically deformable sleeve acts as a pre-designed cushioning element that anticipates and compensates for positional tolerances during the tool holder attachment process. The elastic deformation capacity is built into the sleeve structure beforehand, allowing it to absorb positioning errors without requiring complex control systems or high-precision mechanics in the handling robot
2Manufacturing precision
If tight tolerances are required for gripper positioning during tool holder insertion, then positioning accuracy is improved, but the cost of the handling system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sleeve's material or structural parameters are changed to provide elastic deformability, allowing it to accommodate gripper positioning tolerances. This enables less precise (and therefore lower cost) gripper positioning while maintaining accurate tool holder attachment through the elastic yielding of the sleeve
Solution Approach 2:
The elastically deformable sleeve serves as an intermediary element between the gripper and the tool holder body. It mediates the interaction by absorbing positioning errors through elastic deformation, thereby protecting the system from requiring high-precision gripper control while ensuring accurate tool holder positioning
3Stability of the object's composition
If full-surface contact is established between positioning pin and sleeve, then positioning stability is improved, but the ratio of axial pull-in force to transverse alignment force deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of full-surface contact, the invention implements localized line contact between the positioning pin and the sleeve's inner circumferential surface. This local contact quality provides sufficient positioning stability through the line contact while minimizing friction, thereby maintaining a favorable force ratio between axial pull-in force and transverse alignment force
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
Enables reliable, low-cost, and high-precision tool changes with reduced mechanical and control demands, ensuring accurate alignment and secure attachment of tool holders during automated or semi-automated processes.
Implementation Method 1
The inner circumferential surface is part of an expanding part which, when the pin engages, expands elastically and flexibly away from the pin
Data Source
AI summary
A positioning device positions a tool holder (12, 14, 16, 18) on a tool turret (6) of a machine tool by positioning pins (10). The positioning pins are secured to the tool turret (6) and engage with receptacles (40) on the tool holder (6) when the tool holder (12, 14, 16, 18) is attached to the tool turret (6). At least one of the receptacles of the tool holder (6) is formed by a sleeve (40), with which the assignable positioning pin (10) engages in the mounted state while contacting the inner circumferential surface (58) of the sleeve (40). The inner circumferential surface (58) is part of an expanding part (56), which, when the pin (10) engages, expands elastically and flexibly away from the pin (10).