Insulated Busbar Manufacturing via Electrophoretic Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing insulated bus bars struggle with efficiently removing insulating material from inward-facing surfaces, as conventional techniques like laser and mechanical methods require direct line of sight, making it impractical.
Innovation Solution
A method involving electrophoretic coating, where a masking material is applied to specific regions, followed by charging the conductive wire and passing it through a medium of oppositely charged insulating particles, allowing for selective binding and curing of insulating material, with a solvent used to remove the masking material without affecting the cured insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional laser or mechanical methods are used to remove insulating material, then the insulating material can be removed from outward-facing surfaces, but it is impractical to remove insulating material from inward-facing surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical and laser-based removal methods with chemical etching using a plasma torch. The plasma torch generates a reactive plasma environment that chemically etches the insulating material, allowing removal from both outward-facing and inward-facing surfaces without requiring direct line of sight or mechanical contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the state of the insulating material by exposing it to plasma, which alters its chemical properties and enables selective removal. The plasma treatment modifies the insulating material's structure, making it susceptible to etching while leaving the masking material and cured insulation intact.
2Manufacturing precision
If masking material is applied to specific regions and insulating material is selectively bound, then complex shapes can be created with precise insulation patterns, but additional process steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies masking material to specific regions before the electrophoretic coating process, pre-defining the areas where insulating material should be removed. This preliminary masking step enables precise control over the final insulation pattern without requiring complex post-processing or multiple coating steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The masking material serves as an intermediary that temporarily protects certain regions during the electrophoretic coating process. It allows the insulating material to be selectively deposited and then selectively removed through plasma etching, while the masking material itself remains unaffected and can be easily removed afterward.
3Reliability
If insulating material particles are cured in place, then insulation quality and adhesion are maintained, but the masking material requires a solvent that does not affect the cured insulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses different materials with distinct chemical properties for the masking layer and insulating layer. The masking material is selected to be soluble in a specific solvent, while the cured insulating material is resistant to that same solvent. This local differentiation in chemical resistance enables selective removal of the masking material without compromising the insulating layer.
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
Enables the creation of insulated bus bars with complex shapes, where insulation can be effectively removed from specific regions, reducing material waste and eliminating the need for costly tooling, while maintaining high insulation quality and adhesion.
Implementation Method 1
electrically charging the wire with a first charge polarity, providing a medium of electrically charged insulating material particles that are charged with an opposite polarity, passing the charged wire through the medium, whereby the insulating material particles bind areas of the conductive material other than the one or more regions
Implementation Method 2
curing the insulating material particles
Implementation Method 3
applying a solvent to the masking material to thereby remove the masking material, wherein the cured insulated material particles are substantially unaffected by the solvent
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing an insulated conductive material, the method including providing a wire, applying a masking material to one or more regions of the wire, coating regions of the wire other than the one or more regions with an insulating material by, electrically charging the wire with a first charge polarity, providing a medium of electrically charged insulating material particles that are charged with an opposite polarity, passing the charged wire through the medium, whereby the insulating material particles bind areas of the conductive material other than the one or more regions, curing the insulating material particles, and applying a solvent to the masking material to thereby remove the masking material, wherein the cured insulated material particles are substantially unaffected by the solvent.