Integrated Lay-up and Trimming Head Retraction Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing manufacturing processes for fiber-reinforced material pieces are inefficient due to the need for a conveying process between the lay-up and trimming stages, which requires laborious work and involves attachment replacement, leading to poor work efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a support structure that allows the lay-up and trimming heads to be retracted without removing them, eliminating the need for attachment replacement and enabling both processes to be performed on the same table, using two structural bodies with lower strength requirements and low-power motors, reducing the overall cost and improving efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the lay-up process and trimming process are performed at different places with attachment replacement, then the processes can be specialized, but the work efficiency deteriorates due to laborious conveying and attachment replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the lay-up mechanism and trimming mechanism into a single integrated apparatus. The lay-up head and trimming head are both supported on the same support structure, allowing both processes to be performed on the same table without conveying the workpiece between separate locations. This eliminates the need for attachment replacement and manual conveying, thereby improving work efficiency while maintaining process specialization through dedicated heads for each function.
2Device complexity
If a single support structure supports both lay-up head and trimming head, then the device complexity is reduced, but the strength requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into two separate structural bodies: a first structural body supporting the lay-up head and a second structural body supporting the trimming head. Each structural body has its own driving unit, allowing independent operation. This segmentation reduces the strength requirements for each individual structural body compared to a single unified structure, while maintaining the benefits of integration by having both heads on the same support structure.
3Power
If high-power motors are used to drive the support structure, then the driving capability is sufficient, but the cost and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The driving system is segmented into a first driving unit for the first structural body and a second driving unit for the second structural body. Each driving unit uses a low-power motor suited for driving its specific structural body, rather than using a single high-power motor. This reduces the overall cost and energy consumption while providing sufficient driving capability for each individual structural body.
Data Source
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AI summary
A manufacturing apparatus (1) includes a support structure (50, 80) which supports a lay-up head (20) and a trimming head (70), a guide member (51, 81) which is provided corresponding to the support structure (50, 80) and supports the support structure (50, 80) so that the support structure is movable along a lay-up base (40), and a driving mechanism (58, 78) which moves the support structure (50, 80) on the guide member (51, 81), in which in the lay-up process, the support structure (50, 80) allows the trimming head (70) supported on the support structure (80) to be placed in a trimming head (70) retracted position which does not interfere with the lay-up head (20), in the trimming process, the support structure (50, 80) allows the lay-up head (20) supported on the support structure (50) to be placed in a lay-up head (20) retracted position which does not interfere with the trimming head (70).