Modular Water-Jet Head for Wear-Resistant Nozzle Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing water-jet operating heads experience wear in components through which the high-pressure jet flows, leading to decreased effectiveness and precision in cutting operations, requiring frequent replacement of parts like the focusing nozzle and primary nozzle, which is time-consuming and cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
The water-jet operating head design includes a nozzle-carrying support and mixing chamber that can be quickly and easily replaced, with features such as radial holes and mutual engagement means for alignment, allowing for simple and potentially automated replacement of worn parts, reducing the time required for maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the focusing nozzle and primary nozzle are made of durable materials to resist wear, then the reliability of cutting operations is improved, but the time required to replace worn parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle assembly is divided into modular components: the focusing nozzle, primary nozzle, and nozzle-carrying support are designed as separate, interchangeable parts. This segmentation allows individual worn nozzles to be replaced independently without replacing the entire assembly, reducing replacement time while maintaining cutting precision through consistent modular interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle-carrying support is designed with movable and interchangeable nozzle components that can be quickly swapped during operation. The dynamic design allows for rapid nozzle replacement while maintaining proper alignment and positioning, ensuring cutting precision is preserved despite frequent changes.
2Strength
If threaded couplings are used to secure the nozzle-carrying support to the head main portion, then the connection strength is improved, but the ease of replacement is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is segmented into a nozzle-carrying support with external threading and a head main portion with internal threading. This segmentation allows the nozzle assembly to be detached and replaced independently while maintaining strong connections through the threaded interface, balancing connection strength with replacement ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle components (focusing nozzle, primary nozzle) are designed as inexpensive, replaceable parts that can be quickly swapped when worn. The threaded coupling provides sufficient strength for operation while allowing rapid replacement of these consumable components, treating them as short-lived parts that are periodically replaced rather than maintained indefinitely.
3Device complexity
If the nozzle-carrying support and mixing chamber are designed as integrated components, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of repair is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
While the nozzle-carrying support and mixing chamber form an integrated assembly, the nozzle components themselves are segmented as separate, removable parts. This allows the support and mixing chamber to maintain a simple integrated structure while still enabling easy access and replacement of worn nozzles through the removable nozzle-carrying support design.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle-carrying support serves multiple functions: it holds the focusing and primary nozzles, provides structural support for the mixing chamber, and acts as a removable interface for nozzle replacement. This multi-functionality maintains structural simplicity while facilitating ease of repair through its universal design that accommodates nozzle replacement.
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 design simplifies and accelerates the replacement process of worn parts, enhancing the productivity of the machine by minimizing downtime and maintaining precision in cutting operations.
Implementation Method 1
a primary nozzle carried by said nozzle-carrying support upstream of the focusing nozzle and having a body with an orifice of predetermined diameter interposed in the communication between the water flow feeding passage and the hydro-abrasive jet ejecting passage
Implementation Method 2
at least one connecting element carried by said head, through which an abrasive agent can be fed into the high pressure water flow at a mixing chamber defined within the nozzle-carrying support, between the primary nozzle and the focusing nozzle
Implementation Method 3
a jet focusing nozzle, for emitting a high pressure hydro-abrasive jet, mounted on said nozzle-carrying support and defining an ejection passage which is arranged downstream of said feeding passage and is in communication therewith
Data Source
AI summary
A water-jet operating head for cutting materials by a high pressure hydro-abrasive jet includes a main portion which is to be carried by an operating machine movably along one or more axes and a focusing nozzle for ejecting the high pressure hydro-abrasive jet, carried by a support removably connected to the main portion of the head. This support also carries a primary nozzle with an orifice having a predetermined diameter arranged upstream of the focusing nozzle. The high pressure water jet is added with an abrasive agent which is fed through at least one connecting element at a mixing chamber interposed between the primary nozzle and the focusing nozzle. The connecting element is associated to the main portion of the head and the nozzle-carrying support is adapted to be slidably received within a cylindrical cavity of a main support forming part of the main portion of the head.