Modular Quenching Shower Head for Uniform Cooling of Hardened Workpieces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shower systems for quenching metallic workpieces during inductive hardening often result in uneven cooling, leading to component distortion and inferior hardening quality due to inadequate control over the quenching process.
Innovation Solution
A modular shower system with a cylindrical design featuring a cover, base, and outer casing, along with an inner casing and guide segments that allow for customizable flow channels and sealing grooves, enabling targeted coolant distribution and minimizing distortion by adapting to the specific geometry of the workpiece.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a conventional shower head with fixed geometry is used, then the structure is simple, but the quenching uniformity deteriorates leading to component distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The shower head is divided into multiple modular components including an outer shell, inner shell, guide segments, lid, and base. Each component can be independently manufactured and assembled. The guide segments are further segmented into multiple units that can be arranged in different configurations around the inner shell, allowing customization of coolant flow patterns while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardized parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular design enables the shower head geometry to be dynamically adapted to different workpiece shapes and sizes. By selecting and arranging different guide segments and inner shell configurations, the coolant distribution pattern can be optimized for each specific workpiece geometry, achieving uniform quenching without a fixed complex structure for each application.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the shower head geometry is fixed, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the adaptability to different workpiece geometries deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shower head is divided into multiple modular components including an outer shell, inner shell, guide segments, lid, and base. Each component can be independently manufactured and assembled. The guide segments are further segmented into multiple units that can be arranged in different configurations around the inner shell, allowing customization of coolant flow patterns while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardized parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular components, particularly the guide segments and inner shell variants, serve multiple functions. The same basic component types can be used across different shower head configurations to accommodate various workpiece geometries. This universal set of modular parts enables adaptation to different applications without requiring entirely new manufacturing processes for each configuration.
3Manufacturing precision
If coolant distribution is not optimized, then the system is simple, but component distortion increases due to uneven cooling
Solution Approach 1:
Different guide segments can be equipped with varying numbers and arrangements of ribs that create localized flow channels. These ribs direct coolant flow to specific areas around the inner shell, creating locally optimized cooling zones. The number, position, and configuration of ribs can be tailored to match the local heat generation and cooling requirements of different workpiece sections, ensuring uniform quenching across the entire component.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide segments act as intermediary elements between the coolant supply system and the workpiece. They receive coolant through the gap between the inner and outer shells and distribute it radially inward through their rib structures. This intermediary component enables precise control of coolant flow patterns without requiring complex integrated cooling channels in the workpiece holder itself.
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
The modular shower system ensures uniform quenching and minimizes component distortion by allowing for tailored coolant distribution patterns, optimizing the quenching process for various workpiece geometries and improving overall workpiece quality.
Implementation Method 1
coolant can be conveyed radially into a center of the inner shell... numerous guide segments are arranged, each having a longitudinally axial leg and a leg perpendicular to it... to guide incoming coolant
Implementation Method 2
modular shower head for quenching metallic workpieces during inductive hardening... ensures uniform quenching and minimizes component distortion
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The present invention provides a modular shower head (1) for quenching metallic workpieces in an inductive hardening process, a kit for assembling the shower head, and a method using this shower head. The cylindrical shower head (1) has a lid (5), a base (6), and an outer shell (2) with at least one connection opening (2') for coolant, wherein the outer shell (2) is fixable to the base (6). The shower head (1) further comprises an inner shell (4) which is inserted into the outer shell (2) spaced apart by an intermediate space (Z) and which is fixed between the lid (5) and the base (6), and which has a plurality of passage openings (4') for the coolant, which are oriented to convey the coolant radially to a center of the inner shell (4). Guide segments (3, 3') are arranged in the intermediate space (Z).This leaves a gap between the longitudinally extending leg (16) and the base (6) for the flow of coolant.