Pivoting Coating Apparatus for Beveled Edge Machining
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coating devices struggle to efficiently coat workpieces with beveled edges in a single setup, requiring multiple reclamping and limiting flexibility in contour design and machining, especially when dealing with narrow surfaces at non-orthogonal angles.
Innovation Solution
A coating device with a processing unit that can pivot around a small interference contour, allowing for continuous adjustment of the swivel angle from -65° to +65°, and a separate rotation mechanism for maintaining the workpiece clamped, enabling machining of surfaces at any angle without reclamping, using a compact and reliable drive system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a manual swivel device is used to adjust the processing unit for coating beveled edges, then the processing unit can be positioned at different angles, but the workpiece must be re-clamped multiple times and the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The processing unit is made dynamically adjustable through a swivel mechanism that allows continuous angular adjustment around a vertical axis. The swivel angle can be varied from -65° to +65° to accommodate different bevel angles, transforming a static processing unit into a dynamic one that adapts to various workpiece geometries without requiring multiple fixed-position devices or repeated clamping operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The processing unit is designed with universal applicability by incorporating a swivel device that enables it to process both vertical narrow sides and beveled edges with various angles using the same clamping setup. This multi-functional capability eliminates the need for separate processing units or repeated clamping, allowing one device to handle diverse coating tasks including vertical surfaces, beveled edges, and complex geometries.
2Device complexity
If the processing unit is arranged vertically without pivoting, then the construction is simple, but the degrees of freedom are restricted and complete machining in one setup is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The processing unit transitions from a fixed vertical arrangement to a dynamic pivoting configuration. The swivel device introduces rotational degrees of freedom around a vertical axis, allowing the processing unit to tilt and position itself at various angles relative to the workpiece. This dynamic capability enables complete machining of beveled edges and complex geometries in one setup while maintaining a relatively simple construction by adding only the necessary pivoting mechanism.
3Device complexity
If the pivot axis is positioned far from the processing unit, then the pivoting guide is simple, but the interference radius increases and installation space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pivoting guide is designed with a curved or arc-shaped path that accommodates the rotational movement of the processing unit around the pivot axis. This curved guide path allows the pivot axis to be positioned at an optimized distance from the processing unit, minimizing the interference radius while maintaining guide simplicity. The curved geometry enables smooth angular adjustment from -65° to +65° without requiring excessive installation space.
4Productivity
If multiple reclamping operations are performed to coat all narrow surfaces, then complete machining is achieved, but the processing time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The swivel device enables continuous processing by allowing the processing unit to adjust its angle and position dynamically during a single clamping operation. Instead of interrupting the process for multiple reclamping operations, the processing unit can continuously coat different narrow surfaces of the workpiece by swiveling to the appropriate angles, maintaining uninterrupted useful action and significantly reducing total processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic swivel mechanism allows the processing unit to adapt its orientation in real-time during the coating process. By incorporating this degree of freedom, the system can machine all narrow surfaces with beveled edges in one continuous operation without requiring the workpiece to be re-clamped, thereby eliminating idle time between clamping operations and improving overall productivity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The machining device (1) has a pivoting device (3) which is arranged at a processing device and a pivoting guide (4) for performing a pivoting movement around a pivot axis. The pivoting guide is designed, such that an imaginary pivot axis of the pivot axis is located outside of the pivoting guide, and the pivoting guide is passed through a machining unit (5). A workpiece (2) is machined in a position of the machining unit to one surface of the workpiece (2a) and in a tilted position of the machining unit to another surface of the workpiece. An independent claim is included for a method for processing, particularly coating, of a workpiece.