Ceramic Honeycomb Centering with Multi-Arm Single-Point Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The precise and accurate centering of ceramic honeycomb bodies prior to post-production processing steps is crucial for achieving repeatable and consistent high-quality final products, but existing technologies lack effective solutions for precise alignment.
Innovation Solution
A centering apparatus comprising moveable arms with rotatable supports and followers that engage the ceramic honeycomb body at multiple single points of contact, allowing for precise alignment in three degrees of freedom.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional centering methods are used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the centering precision is insufficient for high-quality final products
Solution Approach 1:
The centering apparatus is divided into multiple independent moveable arms (first moveable arm, second moveable arm, third moveable arm), each with its own rotatable support and followers. This segmentation allows each arm to independently adjust and constrain the ware along different axes, achieving precise three-dimensional centering while maintaining modular simplicity in the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Rotatable supports act as intermediary elements between the moveable arms and the followers. These rotatable supports enable the followers to engage the ware at multiple points while accommodating variations in ware geometry, providing a flexible interface that achieves precise centering without requiring complex direct coupling mechanisms.
2Measurement precision
If multiple followers engage the ware at single points of contact, then centering accuracy improves, but the number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each moveable arm assembly (comprising a rotatable support with multiple followers) serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical support, enables angular adjustment, and constrains the ware at multiple points simultaneously. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components for each function, achieving high alignment accuracy without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the functions of positioning, supporting, and constraining into integrated moveable arm assemblies where followers are mounted on shared rotatable supports. This merging of functions into unified assemblies reduces the total number of discrete components compared to having separate mechanisms for each function, while still achieving precise single-point contact engagement at multiple locations.
Data Source
AI summary
Centering apparatuses and methods for precision placement of a product or component, such as a ceramic honeycomb body, prior to a post-production processing steps are provided. In particular, after extrusion of a component or ware, the component or ware oftentimes requires one or more post-production processing steps in order to obtain a final product. The centering apparatuses and methods described herein provide for the precise and accurate centering of the product (or component) prior to performing these post-production processing steps, thereby obtaining repeatable, consistent, high-quality final products.