Ultrasonic Welding Insulating Profile Production Method

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for producing insulating profiles are costly and inflexible, requiring complex and expensive extrusion tools for custom geometric specifications, and struggle with adapting to changes in composite geometry while maintaining thermal insulation and mechanical properties.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the separate manufacturing of profile bodies and functional elements, which are then ultrasonically welded together using a sonotrode with a recess, allowing for adjustable cross-sectional geometries and flexible production to achieve high dimensional accuracy and economic batch sizes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If custom extrusion tools are manufactured for each customer's geometric specifications, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegeometric precisionVSAvoidtool complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The insulating profile is divided into two separate components: a profile body and a functional element. These are manufactured independently using standard extrusion tools, then joined together through ultrasonic welding. This segmentation allows each component to be produced with simpler, more economical tools while achieving the final complex geometry through assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Two separately manufactured components (profile body and functional element) are merged through ultrasonic welding to create the final insulating profile. This combining approach enables the achievement of complex geometric specifications that would otherwise require custom extrusion tools, while maintaining manufacturing precision through the controlled welding process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Manufacturing precision

If fixed extrusion tools are used for production, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but adaptability to change requests deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegeometric consistencyVSAvoidflexibility to change requests
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the profile into a standard profile body and a separate functional element, the system gains flexibility. The functional element can be modified, added, or removed based on customer requirements without changing the core profile body extrusion tool, thus maintaining geometric consistency while enabling adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from a static, fixed-tool approach to a dynamic assembly approach. The functional element can be dynamically adjusted or customized for different applications while the profile body remains consistent, allowing the manufacturing system to adapt to change requests without sacrificing precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If foam material is subsequently applied to insulating profiles, then thermal insulation is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethermal insulationVSAvoidprocess complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The functional element is integrated directly into the profile body through ultrasonic welding, creating a unified insulating structure. This merging eliminates the need for subsequent foam application processes, as the functional element itself provides the necessary thermal insulation and structural functionality in a single integrated component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Manufacturing precision

If ultrasonic welding is used to join profile body and functional element, then manufacturing precision and productivity are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvejoint precisionVSAvoidwelding device complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Traditional mechanical joining methods (screws, clips, adhesives) are replaced with ultrasonic welding, which uses high-frequency mechanical vibrations to create a direct material bond. This substitution achieves superior joint precision and strength while the welding device complexity is offset by the elimination of additional fastening components and assembly steps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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 method enables the production of insulating profiles with high mechanical strength and thermal insulation, allowing for easy adaptation to customer-specific requirements, reduced material usage, and improved processing capabilities, including compatibility with various coating processes and storage conditions.

Implementation Method 1

both the profile body and the first functional element are fed to an ultrasonic welding device in the longitudinal direction of the insulating strip to be formed

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectUltrasonic vibration: Ultrasonic Vibration

Implementation Method 2

in which the profile body and the functional element are cohesively connected to form a welded joint

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction welding: Friction Welding

Data Source

PatentEP3636870B1Method for producing an insulating profile
Publication Date: 2021.12.08 ENSINGER GMBH
  • EP3636870B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2A
  • EP3636870B1 patent drawingFigure 2B~3
  • EP3636870B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A process is provided for the economical production of insulating profiles, adaptable to customer-specific functional requirements. In a first step, a profile body and a first functional element are manufactured separately. In a subsequent step, the profile body and the first functional element are fed longitudinally along the insulating web to be formed into an ultrasonic welding device, where the profile body and the functional element are metallurgically joined together to form a weld. The ultrasonic welding device includes a sonotrode with a recess for guiding the functional element during the weld formation process.The profile body and the functional element are brought together to form a predetermined first cross-sectional geometry during the formation of the welded joint and are then guided in this cross-sectional geometry or, if necessary, in a different second cross-sectional geometry until the plastic material of the welded joint has solidified to such an extent that the profile body and the first functional element are fixed in the predetermined cross-sectional geometry.