Plate Workpiece Shield With Displaceable Seals for Sharp Tempering Edges
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing method of heat treating plate workpieces using shields results in an undesirable transition area between hard and soft regions due to heat leakage through gaps, leading to inefficient cooling and high energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A shield with displaceable seals that close the gaps between mask elements and the workpiece, ensuring minimal heat transfer to the covered area, allowing for quicker cooling and reduced dwell time, and enabling cost-effective and low-wear shielding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If gaps are left between mask elements and workpiece for easy insertion, then ease of operation is improved, but heat leakage occurs causing undesirable transition areas
Solution Approach 1:
The seal elements are made displaceable relative to the mask elements, allowing them to move from a retracted position (during insertion) to an extended position (during heat treatment). This dynamic adjustment enables the system to achieve both easy operation and precise thermal separation.
Solution Approach 2:
Seal elements are introduced as intermediary components between the mask elements and the workpiece. These seals fill the gaps and prevent heat leakage while allowing the mask elements to remain positioned away from the workpiece edges, thus maintaining both ease of operation and manufacturing precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If shields are positioned closely to workpiece to prevent heat leakage, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seal elements are made displaceable relative to the mask elements, allowing them to move from a retracted position (during insertion) to an extended position (during heat treatment). This dynamic adjustment enables the system to achieve both easy operation and precise thermal separation.
Solution Approach 2:
Seal elements are introduced as intermediary components between the mask elements and the workpiece. These seals fill the gaps and prevent heat leakage while allowing the mask elements to remain positioned away from the workpiece edges, thus maintaining both ease of operation and manufacturing precision.
3Loss of energy
If heat leakage is prevented by tight shielding, then energy efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal elements function as flexible sealing components that can be easily attached to and removed from the mask elements. These thin film-like seals effectively prevent heat leakage through the gaps without requiring complex rigid structures, thus improving energy efficiency while maintaining simple device architecture.
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 minimizes the transition zone between hard and soft areas, reduces cooling time, and achieves substantial energy savings by effectively preventing heat from reaching the covered region, resulting in a more efficient heat treatment process.
Implementation Method 1
The shield also comprises first and second seals on the first and second parts confronting each other and each displaceable on the respective part between a closely juxtaposed working position in which inner portions of the seals are spaced apart by a distance equal generally to a thickness of the plate workpiece and outer portions of the seal bear on each other
Data Source
AI summary
A method of tempering a plate workpiece entails first fitting the plate workpiece with a shield between first and second shield parts each having a respective mask element so as to cover only an edge region of the workpiece while leaving a more central region of the workpiece exposed. The shield and workpiece are then put in an oven with the plate workpiece fitted between the first and second shield parts. The shield also comprises first and second seals on the first and second parts confronting each other and each displaceable on the respective part between a closely juxtaposed working position in which inner portions of the seals are spaced apart by a distance equal generally to a thickness of the plate workpiece and outer portions of the seal bear on each other and a starting position spaced more widely from and out of engagement with each other. The seals engage and clamp the workpiece in the working position.