Extrusion Die Pin Coating for Precise Honeycomb Slot Widths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing extrusion dies, particularly honeycomb extrusion dies, face challenges in achieving precise slot widths and removing defects like nodules, leading to uneven geometries and dimensional variability, which affects the quality of ceramic honeycomb products.
Innovation Solution
A method involving overcoating the pins of the extrusion die with a coating material and using a cutting tool, such as an abrasive slitting wheel, to remove excess material and define the target slot width, allowing for efficient correction of defects and achieving precise dimensions in a single machining operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional coating methods are used on extrusion die pins, then wear resistance is improved, but slot width precision and geometric uniformity deteriorate due to coating thickness variability and nodule formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by overcoating the pins with an excessive thickness of coating material (greater than the final desired thickness) before the machining step. This ensures that even with variability in coating application, there is sufficient material to machine away to achieve the precise target slot width, eliminating the problem of coating thickness variability affecting final dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical shimming process with a coating-and-machining system. Instead of manually adding material to adjust slot widths, the process uses controlled coating application followed by precise machining with a cutting tool to achieve the desired slot dimensions, thereby improving manufacturing precision.
2Strength
If coating material is applied to improve die surface properties, then wear resistance increases, but defect removal and dimensional accuracy become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By applying the coating in advance with excessive thickness, the patent creates a uniform base layer that can be easily machined to remove defects and achieve precise dimensions. The overcoating ensures that any nodules or defects in the original coating are covered and can be uniformly removed by the cutting tool.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of coating thickness from the traditional exact-fit approach to an excessive thickness approach. This parameter change enables the subsequent machining step to effectively remove defects and achieve the target slot width, making the manufacturing process easier and more controllable.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple machining passes are used to achieve target slot width, then dimensional accuracy improves, but manufacturing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial or excessive action by using a cutting tool with a width equal to or slightly greater than the target slot width. This allows the slot to be defined in a single machining pass rather than requiring multiple passes, thereby maintaining dimensional accuracy while significantly improving manufacturing speed and reducing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The excessive coating thickness applied in the preliminary step ensures that sufficient material is available for the cutting tool to remove in a single pass. This preliminary overcoating action enables the single-pass machining to achieve the target slot width without requiring multiple iterative passes.
4Manufacturing precision
If precise slot widths are achieved through traditional methods, then product quality improves, but the manufacturing process becomes more time-consuming and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the time-consuming traditional shimming process with a more efficient coating-and-machining system. The controlled coating application followed by single-pass machining with a cutting tool significantly reduces the time required to achieve precise slot widths compared to manual shimming methods.
Solution Approach 2:
By using a cutting tool width equal to the target slot width and removing excessive coating material in a single pass, the patent eliminates the need for multiple machining passes or iterative adjustments, thereby reducing manufacturing cycle time while maintaining precise slot width dimensions.
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 approach enables the rapid and accurate setting of slot widths, reduces the need for tedious shimming processes, and enhances the dimensional accuracy and wear resistance of the extrusion dies, improving the consistency and quality of the honeycomb products.
Implementation Method 1
The coating material can be applied to the pin bases using any suitable coating technique, for example, by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process
Implementation Method 2
The cutting tool can then be used to remove a portion of the coating material from the pin sidewalls. For example, the cutting tool can comprise an abrasive slitting wheel
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of manufacturing an extrusion die (100) having a plurality of pins (600a-c) and a plurality of slots (601) defined by the plurality of pins, each pin having a base, the method including applying a coating material (604) over side walls of the bases of the pins of the extrusion die and removing a portion of the coating material coated over the side walls of the bases of the plurality of pins with a cutting tool (650). In some embodiments, the cutting tool has a cutting width (652) equal to a target slot width (640) of the slots. In some embodiments, applying the coating material over the side walls of the bases of the pins includes overcoating a coating material to a thickness that is greater than a thickness needed to define a target slot width of the slots.