Automated Hi-Lok Fastener Assembly With Collar-Pin Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The manual process of assembling and tightening Hi-Lok fasteners is time-consuming and labor-intensive, requiring precise alignment of tools which can be inefficient in automated industrial settings.
Innovation Solution
A fastening system comprising a frame, movement control assembly, fastener drive assembly, and collar presenting assembly, which includes a base, collar coupling assembly, and pin coupling assembly, allowing for controlled movement and rotation to engage and threadedly connect fasteners automatically, with features like telescopic coupling and biasing members for precise alignment and engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual tools are used to assemble and tighten Hi-Lok fasteners, then the fastening process can be completed with simple equipment, but the process becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener drive assembly is designed to automatically grasp the collar, engage the threaded pin, and complete the fastening operation without requiring manual intervention for each step. The system serves itself by integrating the collar coupling assembly and pin coupling assembly into a single automated unit that performs the complete fastening sequence
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener drive assembly serves multiple functions within a single device: it grasps the collar, engages the threaded pin, rotates the collar onto the pin, and tightens the fastener. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate manual tools for each operation, thereby increasing productivity without proportionally increasing system complexity
2Loss of time
If manual alignment procedures are used during fastener installation, then the equipment remains simple, but time is lost in properly aligning tools with fasteners
Solution Approach 1:
The collar coupling assembly and pin coupling assembly are pre-positioned and pre-aligned within the fastener drive assembly before the fastening operation begins. The collar is grasped and held in the correct position, and the pin engagement feature is pre-aligned with the threaded pin, eliminating the need for time-consuming alignment adjustments during installation
Solution Approach 2:
The collar coupling assembly acts as an intermediary between the automated system and the collar, providing a mechanical interface that ensures proper alignment. The pin coupling assembly similarly mediates between the drive mechanism and the threaded pin, facilitating automatic engagement without requiring precise manual alignment
3Extent of automation
If automated fastening is implemented, then labor is reduced and efficiency increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated fastening system is segmented into distinct functional modules: the collar coupling assembly for grasping and rotating the collar, the pin coupling assembly for engaging and tightening the threaded pin, and the drive mechanism for providing rotational motion. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently while working together as an integrated automated system
Solution Approach 2:
The pin coupling assembly is nested within the collar coupling assembly, with the pin shaft extending through the collar portion. This nested configuration allows the automated system to perform multiple operations (grasping collar, engaging pin, rotating collar) within a compact structure, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high automation level
Data Source
AI summary
A fastening system including a frame, a movement control assembly, a fastener drive assembly and a collar presenting assembly. The frame can be coupled to an outside structure, for example, with a part that is to be coupled with a fastener attached to the frame. The movement control assembly is configured to controllably move the fastener drive assembly relative to the frame and the part so as to grasp the collar of the fastener, engage the threaded pin of the fastener and to threadedly engage the two structures together. The collar presenting assembly presents a collar of a fastener to the fastener drive assembly.