Floating Positioning Frame for Sheet Metal Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adjusting devices for aligning large and heavy workpieces, such as sheet metal stacks, are complex, expensive, and prone to errors due to restricted motion and susceptibility to damage during alignment, with stop elements often being destroyed and causing mechanical damage to the workpieces.
Innovation Solution
A floating mounting system for the positioning frame on a support frame allows for horizontal displacement and rotation, with large cross-section passage openings in the pallet enabling easy alignment and placement of workpieces without damaging them, and the use of actuators and a lifting device for precise control and reduced friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If stop elements are used to align workpieces during placement on the pallet, then alignment precision is improved, but the stop elements are destroyed after just a few alignment processes and workpieces may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a positioning frame with support rods as an intermediary device between the workpiece and the pallet. The support rods extend through openings in the pallet and provide alignment support without requiring direct contact between the workpiece and fixed stop elements on the pallet. This mediator approach allows the positioning frame to absorb alignment forces and protect both the workpiece and the pallet structure from damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning frame is designed to be movable relative to the pallet, allowing dynamic adjustment during the alignment process. This mobility enables the support rods to be positioned precisely where needed and removed or adjusted after alignment, eliminating the need for permanent, fragile stop elements on the pallet itself.
2Manufacturing precision
If adjusting devices with positioning frames and multiple degrees of freedom are used to place workpieces in exact positions on pallets, then alignment precision is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate functional components: a movable positioning frame with support rods for alignment, and a stationary pallet with openings. This segmentation allows the complex alignment function to be isolated to the positioning frame, while the pallet remains simple and reusable. The positioning frame can be manufactured with precise features, while the pallet maintains a simple structural design.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning frame serves multiple functions: it provides alignment support through support rods, enables precise positioning through its movable design, and can be reused across different pallets and workpiece types. This multi-functionality reduces the need for specialized components for each specific alignment task, simplifying the overall system.
3Ease of operation
If workpieces are manually aligned on the pallet, then operational flexibility is improved, but alignment precision deteriorates due to the inability to achieve exact positions
Solution Approach 1:
The support rods act as intermediaries that provide precise reference points for manual alignment. Operators can visually and physically reference the support rods to achieve exact positioning without requiring complex measurement tools or automated systems, combining the simplicity of manual operation with the precision of engineered reference features.
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 solution simplifies and speeds up the alignment process, reduces error susceptibility, and allows for manual alignment of heavy workpieces without damage, using a structurally simple and cost-effective design with minimal sliding friction, enabling efficient and precise placement on a pallet.
Implementation Method 1
The positioning frame (15) is mounted in a floating manner on a support frame (16) using ball casters (18), so that the positioning frame (15) can be displaced in a substantially horizontal plane
Data Source
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AI summary
An adjustment device for aligning workpieces, particularly stacks of sheet metal, relative to a pallet for subsequent storage or processing is proposed. The adjustment device comprises a plurality of support bars on which the workpieces can be placed, the support bars being connected to a positioning frame. The invention provides that the positioning frame with the support bars is slidably mounted on a support frame in a substantially horizontal plane. The invention further relates to an adjustment system with an adjustment device of the aforementioned type and with at least one pallet on which the workpieces can be placed. The pallet has through-openings that allow access to the support bars of the positioning frame, the cross-section of which is larger than the cross-section of the support bars.Furthermore, a lifting device is used in particular to raise and lower the support frame together with the positioning frame relative to the pallet mounted on a support frame.