Folded Web Plate Bulkheads for Lightweight Manipulator Masts
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of bulkheads in hollow structures for large manipulators, such as truck-mounted concrete pumps, is complex due to the need for precise sheet metal cuts and welding, which complicates reinforcement and assembly, especially in articulated masts and frame supports that require stable reinforcement against bending and torsional moments.
Innovation Solution
A sheet metal arrangement where web plates are folded to form bulkheads within the hollow structure, with weld seams connecting these folds to the upper and lower flanges, allowing for easy assembly and reinforcement, and the weld seams are reworked to reduce notch effects, creating a stable and lightweight structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bulkhead sheets are provided with welding tabs and recesses for longitudinal welding, then transverse weld seams are avoided, but the manufacture of bulkhead sheets and flanges becomes very complex
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding welding tabs and recesses to flat bulkhead sheets, the invention inverts the approach by forming the bulkheads directly from folded web plates. The web plates are bent along fold lines to create the bulkhead geometry, eliminating the need for separate welding tabs and complex recesses, thus simplifying manufacturing while maintaining weld quality
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the web plates by introducing fold lines that create specific bend angles. This parameter change transforms flat sheets into three-dimensional bulkhead structures, allowing direct welding of the folded edges to flanges without requiring additional welding tabs or recesses
2Reliability
If bulkhead sheets with welding tabs and recesses are used, then transverse weld seams are avoided, but the assembly effort becomes considerable
Solution Approach 1:
The web plates are pre-formed with fold lines and bent into the required bulkhead geometry before assembly. This preliminary action of folding and bending the web plates into shape eliminates the need for complex on-site assembly operations involving welding tabs and recesses, significantly reducing assembly time while maintaining structural integrity
3Stability of the object's composition
If sheet metal assemblies are reinforced with bulkheads, then stability against bending and torsional moments is improved, but the structure becomes heavier
Solution Approach 1:
The bulkheads are segmented into folded sections created from web plates with specific fold lines. This segmentation allows the bulkhead structure to achieve the required stability through geometric folding rather than through increased material quantity, maintaining strength while minimizing weight
Solution Approach 2:
The web plates are bent along fold lines to create curved or angled surfaces that form the bulkhead structure. This curvature provides structural strength against bending and torsional moments more efficiently than flat plates, achieving stability with less material and reduced weight
4Adaptability or versatility
If mast lengths and ranges are increased, then the manipulator's working capability is improved, but the moment triggering stability requirements increases
Solution Approach 1:
The articulated mast is divided into multiple segments that can be folded and configured in different arrangements. This segmentation allows the mast to achieve greater extended lengths and ranges while maintaining stability through the folded bulkhead structures that provide reinforcement at each segment, distributing the moment loads more effectively
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to: a large manipulator (100), in particular a truck-mounted concrete pump, comprising a plate arrangement (1) having an upper flange (2), a lower flange (3) and at least two lateral web plates (4, 4a, 4b, 5), wherein the upper flange (2) and the lower flange (3), together with the web plates (4, 4a, 4b, 5), form a hollow structure (6), at least one of the web plates (4, 4a, 4b, 5) is folded, and the thus-formed fold (7, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7c) of the web plate (4, 4a, 4b, 5) forms a partition wall (8, 8a, 8b, 8c) in the hollow structure (6); and a large manipulator (100) which comprises a frame support (40) having such a plate arrangement (1) and which comprises an articulated mast (50) having such a plate arrangement (1). The invention further relates to a method for producing such a plate arrangement (1) for a large manipulator (100).