Pneumatic Fixture Clamp for Five-Axis Machining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pneumatic work holders for machine tools are often bulky and incompatible with five-axis machining centers, causing interference due to their design, especially when the turntable pivots about multiple axes.
Innovation Solution
A pneumatic fixture clamp with a housing having a rotational axis, a workpiece engagement surface, and a turntable engagement surface, featuring a piston-driven drawbar and fluid passage system that allows for compact operation and interference-free rotation within a five-axis machining center.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If conventional pneumatic servomechanism is extended behind the turntable, then clamping force is sufficient, but interference occurs with supporting features during multi-axis rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The pneumatic servomechanism is repositioned from a location behind the turntable to a location on the face of the turntable, changing its spatial dimension and orientation. This dimensional change allows the servomechanism to rotate with the turntable without interfering with supporting features located behind the turntable during multi-axis rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pneumatic servomechanism is integrated directly with the housing of the work holder, merging two previously separate components. This integration allows the servomechanism to rotate as a unified assembly with the turntable, eliminating interference issues that would occur with a separate servomechanism positioned behind the turntable.
2Volume of moving object
If pneumatic controls are made compact for five-axis machining centers, then interference is reduced, but installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid passage is integrated directly into the housing structure, merging the pneumatic control system with the mechanical housing. This integration reduces the overall footprint while simplifying installation, as the pneumatic components are built into the housing rather than being separate assemblies requiring complex installation procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, contains the workpiece, and integrates the pneumatic control system through built-in fluid passages. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate pneumatic components, thereby reducing footprint and simplifying installation.
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
Enables secure clamping and release of workpieces without interfering with the machining center's components, maintaining a compact footprint and ensuring smooth operation even with multi-axis rotations.
Implementation Method 1
A fluid passage is defined in the housing, connected to the chamber, and configured for providing fluid from a fluid line to the chamber so as to drive the piston from the extended position toward the retracted position
Data Source
AI summary
According to one aspect, a pneumatic fixture clamp includes a housing having a rotational axis and a housing exterior surface. The housing exterior surface includes a workpiece engagement surface intersected by the rotational axis and configured for engaging a workpiece assembly, and a turntable engagement surface disposed on a side of the housing opposite the workpiece engagement surface, intersected by the rotational axis, and configured for engaging a turntable of a machine center. A chamber is defined in the housing between the workpiece engagement surface and the turntable engagement surface along the rotational axis. A piston slidably disposed in the chamber and configured for being driven between an extended position and a retracted position relative to the chamber. A fluid passage is defined in the housing, connected to the chamber, and configured for providing fluid from a fluid line to the chamber.