Metal Fitting Cold Forging Drawing Tool Engagement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for manufacturing metal fittings with tool engagement portions, such as spark plugs and sensors, face high manufacturing costs due to expensive dies and increased cutting workload, leading to inefficient die lifetime and material input.

Innovation Solution

A cold forging process that forms the tool engagement portion by drawing a butt portion with a larger diameter than the body portion, reducing die costs and cutting amounts, and integrating the tool engagement, compression deformation, and seal portions through continuous processes without additional cutting steps.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Shape

If the tool engagement portion is formed by bulging, then the diagonal dimension of the tool engagement portion becomes larger than or equal to the outer diameter of the base material, but the die cost increases and die lifetime decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvediagonal dimension of tool engagement portionVSAvoiddie cost and die lifetime

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of enlarging the base material diameter to form the tool engagement portion by bulging (conventional method), the patent inverts the approach by first forming a smaller-diameter body portion and then adding a larger-diameter butt portion that is subsequently drawn down to form the tool engagement portion. This inversion eliminates the need for expensive bulging dies while achieving the required diagonal dimension of the tool engagement portion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent divides the metal fitting into two distinct portions: a body portion with a first outer diameter and a butt portion with a second outer diameter larger than the first. This segmentation allows the butt portion to be selectively drawn down to form the tool engagement portion without requiring the entire base material to have a large diameter, thereby reducing die cost and extending die lifetime.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of manufacture

If the pre-seal portion and pre-tool engagement portion are integrally formed by diameter enlargement, then the outer diameter of the pre-seal portion becomes larger than the outer diameter of the seal portion, but the cutting amount increases leading to increased chip treatment workload and deteriorated cutting edge lifetime

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveformation of pre-seal and pre-tool engagement portionsVSAvoidcutting amount and chip treatment workload

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary forming of the body portion with the correct outer diameter for the seal portion during the cold forging process, before any cutting operations. By pre-establishing the correct diameter of the body portion (which becomes the seal portion), the need for subsequent cutting to reduce the diameter is eliminated or minimized, thereby reducing cutting amount and chip treatment workload.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If the outer diameter of the body portion is enlarged to form the tool engagement portion by drawing, then the tool engagement portion can be formed without bulging, but the cutting amount increases and manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveformation of tool engagement portion by drawingVSAvoidcutting amount

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a butt portion with a specifically larger outer diameter than the body portion, positioned exactly where the tool engagement portion needs to be formed. This localized diameter enlargement allows the drawing operation to be performed only on the necessary portion (the butt portion) without affecting the body portion, thereby minimizing the need for subsequent cutting operations and reducing manufacturing cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 approach decreases die and cutting costs, extends die lifetime, and reduces the overall manufacturing cost of metal fittings by minimizing the number of operation processes and chip treatment workload.

Implementation Method 1

the cold forging process includes: a step (a) of forming a body portion and a butt portion

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCold forging: Cold-forming

Implementation Method 2

a step (b) of drawing at least a part of the butt portion in an axis direction of the metal fitting, thereby forming the tool engagement portion

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDrawing: Deformation

Data Source

PatentUS9889496B2Method for manufacturing metal fitting, method for manufacturing spark plug, and method for manufacturing sensor

Publication Date: 2018.02.13 NITERRA CO LTD

AI summary

A method of manufacturing a metal fitting having a tool engagement portion engageable with a tool. The manufacturing method includes a cold forging process, wherein the cold forging process includes: a step (a) of forming a body portion having a first maximum length and a butt portion being continuous to the body portion and having a second maximum length larger than the first maximum length; and a step (b) of drawing at least a part of the butt portion in the axis direction, thereby forming the tool engagement portion.