Plastic Profile Bar Welding With Integrated Miter Machining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for welding plastic window frames require separate machines for processing corner areas, leading to increased investment costs and production inefficiencies due to the need for additional equipment and reworking of miter areas, which hinders the creation of visually appealing and stable connections.
Innovation Solution
A device and procedure utilizing a movable and positionable distress meter for processing the miter areas of plastic profile bars, allowing for precise material removal and alignment without additional drives, combined with a heating tool, to create a visually appealing and stable connection in a single machine setup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If separate finishing machines are used to process corner areas after welding, then visually appealing corner design is achieved, but investment costs increase and production efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the welding machine and finishing machine into a single integrated device. The welding unit heats and joins profile bars at corner areas, while the finishing unit with parting knives immediately processes the same areas to remove excess material and create visually appealing corners. This integration eliminates the need for separate machines and eliminates the need to clamp and reposition workpieces between operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The finishing operations are performed immediately after welding while the corner area is still accessible and the workpiece remains clamped. The parting knives remove excess material from the corner areas right after the welding process creates the initial joint, preventing material deformation and ensuring precise finishing before the welded area cools and hardens.
2Manufacturing precision
If separate finishing machines are used to process corner areas, then precise machining is achieved, but additional equipment investment is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functional units into a single device: a welding unit with heating elements for joining profile bars, and a finishing unit with parting knives for precise corner processing. This consolidation provides all necessary functions in one machine, eliminating the need for separate welding and finishing equipment while maintaining high manufacturing precision through coordinated operation of both units.
3Productivity
If profile bars are welded without preliminary machining, then production speed increases, but corner area visual appeal and connection stability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The parting knives in the finishing unit perform preliminary machining of the corner areas immediately after welding. This removes excess material that would otherwise deform or create unsightly weld beads, ensuring visually appealing corners and stable connections are achieved without requiring slower, separate post-processing operations.
4Productivity
If a parting knife is used near heated surfaces, then material removal is efficient, but plastic chips may accumulate and disrupt the process
Solution Approach 1:
The design extracts and removes plastic chips from the machining area through channels that conduct chips away from the heated surfaces and welding zone. This prevents chip accumulation that would otherwise disrupt the welding process or create safety hazards, while allowing the parting knife to efficiently remove excess material from corner areas.
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 approach enables efficient, cost-effective, and visually appealing welding of plastic window frames by allowing for precise processing of miter areas with a distress meter, reducing material volume and eliminating the need for separate machines, thus enhancing production efficiency and quality.
Implementation Method 1
Heating the profile bars at least on their miter surfaces
Implementation Method 2
machining at least one profile bar, in particular in its miter area, with a parting knife
Implementation Method 3
Bringing together the miter surface of the first profile bar with the miter surface of the second profile bar such that the heated areas of the miter surfaces result in a material-locking connection
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a device and a method for welding two plastic profile bars (1, 2). After the profile bars (1, 2) have been provided, at least one profile bar (1, 2) is processed, particularly in its mitered area (11, 21), with a parting knife (3). Subsequently, the profile bars (1, 2) are heated, at least at their mitered surfaces (12, 22), and finally the mitered surfaces (12, 22) of the profile bars (1, 2) are brought together such that the heated areas of the mitered surfaces (12, 22) form a material-bonded connection between the profile bars (1, 2).