Material Testing System with Visual Gripper Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional material testing systems face inefficiencies and inaccuracies in positioning grippers and attaching test pieces, leading to variations in setting accuracy among operators, particularly in aligning test pieces vertically and marking gage lengths during tensile testing.
Innovation Solution
A material testing system with a pair of grippers, a photographing part, and display parts that show images of the test piece and setting position indicators, supporting the positioning of grippers, attachment of the test piece, and placement of gage marks, allowing operators to perform these tasks accurately by displaying necessary alignment cues on a separate display near the grippers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual positioning of grippers and test piece attachment is performed visually, then the system is simple to operate, but setting accuracy varies among operators and positioning precision is poor
Solution Approach 1:
A camera is introduced as an intermediary device to capture images of the test piece and grippers, and a display device is added as a mediator to show these images to the operator. This intermediary visual feedback system enables precise positioning without requiring complex automated control mechanisms, thus improving positioning accuracy while keeping the system relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of directly manipulating the physical test piece and grippers, the operator works with a visual copy (image) of the setup displayed on the screen. The camera creates a copy of the physical arrangement, allowing the operator to position components accurately by referencing the displayed image, which eliminates variability among operators while avoiding complex automation.
2Measurement precision
If a separate display near the grippers is added for setting position indicators, then positioning accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A camera is introduced as an intermediary device to capture images of the test piece and grippers, and a display device is added as a mediator to show these images to the operator. This intermediary visual feedback system enables precise positioning without requiring complex automated control mechanisms, thus improving positioning accuracy while keeping the system relatively simple.
3Productivity
If visual guidance is provided through display parts, then operator efficiency improves, but the system requires additional components
Solution Approach 1:
A camera is introduced as an intermediary device to capture images of the test piece and grippers, and a display device is added as a mediator to show these images to the operator. This intermediary visual feedback system enables precise positioning without requiring complex automated control mechanisms, thus improving positioning accuracy while keeping the system relatively simple.
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 system reduces variations in setting accuracy by providing visual guidance for operators, enabling efficient and accurate preparation of test pieces and grippers, improving usability during testing.
Implementation Method 1
a photographing part that photographs the pair of grippers and the test piece
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a material testing system provided with: an upper gripper 21 and a lower gripper 22 that grip a test piece 10; a video camera 18 that photographs the upper gripper 21 and the lower gripper 22 and the test piece 10; a first display part 25; a second display part 26; and a setting support section 61 that, in order to do test preparation where the test piece 10 is made to be gripped by the upper gripper 21 and the lower gripper 22, on the second display part 26, together with an image around the upper gripper 21 and the lower gripper 22, displays setting position indicators that support at least any one of positioning of the grippers, attachment of the test piece, and placement of gage marks to be marked on the test piece that is in a state of being gripped by the grippers.