Plastic Tube Bending Apparatus with Overlapping Thermal Cycles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for bending plastic/nylon tubes are costly and inefficient due to the need for dedicated, non-reconfigurable tools and long cycle times, especially for producing tubes with varying contours and low quantities.
Innovation Solution
A flexible apparatus and method that allows for simultaneous heating and cooling of plastic tubes, enabling rapid reconfiguration and minimizing cycle time through programmable control of heating and cooling processes, accommodating various bend radii and diameters, and incorporating a tube cutting system for continuous feeding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If dedicated forming tools are used to produce one contour consisting of multiple bends, then the tube can be formed to a specific contour with various bend radii and angles, but the tooling is expensive and not easily reconfigurable for different contours
Solution Approach 1:
The forming tool is divided into multiple independent bending stations, each capable of performing a single bend operation. This segmentation allows individual stations to be adjusted for different bend radii and angles while maintaining precision, and enables reconfiguration for different contours by adjusting or repositioning specific stations rather than replacing the entire tooling set.
Solution Approach 2:
The bending tooling incorporates adjustable and movable components that can be repositioned along the tube length and adjusted for different bend parameters. This dynamic capability allows the same tooling to adapt to various contour requirements while maintaining manufacturing precision through controlled adjustment mechanisms.
2Manufacturing precision
If dedicated forming tools are used for each contour, then the tube can be formed to the desired contour, but contour changes are very common and are expensive and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The forming tool is designed as a universal multi-functional device with multiple bending stations that can be configured for different bend types. This universality allows a single tool to perform multiple contour formations without requiring dedicated tools for each contour, significantly reducing reconfiguration time while maintaining precision through programmable control of each station.
Solution Approach 2:
The tooling incorporates programmable control systems that allow rapid adjustment of bending parameters (radius, angle, position) for each station. This enables quick reconfiguration between different contours by changing control parameters rather than physically retooling, reducing reconfiguration time while maintaining manufacturing precision through controlled parameter adjustment.
3Manufacturing precision
If the tube is heated and then cooled in place using cold air or water, then the tube achieves the desired contour, but the cycle time for each bend is extended
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple bending stations are pre-configured and ready to perform their operations simultaneously or in rapid sequence. While one station is heating a tube section for bending, other stations are already prepared with cooling mechanisms and positioning systems, allowing the tube to be quickly transferred and cooled without waiting for the heating cycle to complete, thus reducing overall cycle time while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The forming process is designed so that heating, bending, and cooling operations occur in continuous overlapping cycles across multiple stations. While one tube section is being heated, another is being bent, and a third is being cooled, ensuring that no station remains idle and the overall production cycle time is minimized while maintaining manufacturing precision through continuous controlled operations.
4Manufacturing precision
If dedicated tools and machines are used for each contour, then the tube can be formed to the desired contour, but a large manufacturing space is required
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple bending stations and their associated heating and cooling mechanisms are merged into a single integrated forming tool. This consolidation allows multiple contour formation capabilities to coexist in one compact device, reducing the manufacturing space required compared to having separate dedicated tools for each contour, while maintaining precision through the coordinated operation of integrated stations.
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 solution significantly reduces manufacturing costs and time by enabling quick reconfiguration and efficient production of tubes with multiple bends, achieving a cycle time of approximately 10-15 seconds per bend, making it suitable for higher volume manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
The tube is heated using hot air or other means in its straight form
Implementation Method 2
cooled in place using cold air or water or other means
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~2b
Figure 3~3a
AI summary
A plastic tube (1) is bent by advancing the tube to position a desired first bend location (105) of the tube at a bending/cooling station (30), the bend location of the tube having been previously heated by a tube heating assembly (20) sufficiently for bending. The tube heating assembly is moved to a next desired bend location (104) of the tube. Bending and cooling the tube at the first bend location, and heating the next desired bend location, take place in overlapping time windows, before advancing the tube to position the next desired bend location of the tube at the bending/cooling station. Total cycle time for heating, bending and cooling is thereby substantially reduced compared to carrying out heating, bending and cooling sequentially. The apparatus is controlled by PLC or PC-based programs, which effect movement via servomotors (14, 18, 25, 34, 36) and also control other parameters such as heating and cooling times and temperatures.