Removable Cassette Tooling With Deformable Centering Washers

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional tools for manufacturing industrial parts, such as those in precision mechanics and injection molding, require skilled personnel for assembly and disassembly due to imperfect cassette positioning and heavy, complex mold frames, making maintenance and repair operations costly and difficult.

Innovation Solution

A tooling system with a frame and removable cassette, where the cassette features centering columns with conical projections engaging deformable washers for precise positioning, and is secured with fixing screws, allowing for easier assembly and disassembly by non-qualified personnel.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If traditional embedding housing and fixing screws are used to attach cassettes to frames, then the cassette can be fixed to the frame, but the position of the cassette is not perfect and assembly requires qualified personnel

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecassette positioning precisionVSAvoidassembly difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

A deformable centering washer is introduced as an intermediary element between the centering column and the frame. The washer deforms during assembly to accommodate the centering column, then maintains the centered position, achieving both precise positioning and easy assembly without requiring skilled personnel.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The centering column incorporates a conical peripheral projection that changes the geometric parameter of the connection interface. This conical shape, combined with the deformable washer, allows for self-centering during assembly, achieving perfect positioning through parameter change rather than precise pre-alignment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Strength

If heavy and unique mold frames are used, then the mold structure is robust, but disassembly and maintenance become costly and difficult operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemold frame strengthVSAvoidmaintenance difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The mold system is segmented into the frame, cassettes, and centering components. The cassettes can be removed and replaced independently from the frame through the centering column and washer mechanism, allowing maintenance and repair of cassettes without disassembling the entire heavy frame structure, thus reducing maintenance cost and complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Manufacturing precision

If the receiving holes have the same diameter as the centering columns, then perfect positioning is achieved, but assembly becomes difficult and requires skilled personnel

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecassette positioning precisionVSAvoidassembly ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The centering washer provides local deformation capability at the connection point between the centering column and the frame. This localized property change allows the hole to be slightly larger than the column while still achieving perfect positioning through the washer's deformable nature, simplifying assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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

Facilitates perfect cassette positioning and simplifies the assembly and disassembly process, reducing the need for skilled labor and lowering operational costs by enabling easier maintenance and tool changes.

Implementation Method 1

a conical peripheral projection (10) intended to come into contact with a corresponding radiated part (111) made on the receiving face of a deformable centering washer (11) arranged at the entry of the receiving holes (8)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDeformation: Deformation

Data Source

PatentEP2445694B1Tool improvement
Publication Date: 2015.02.18 MODETEC
  • EP2445694B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2445694B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2445694B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a tool for manufacturing industrial parts, consisting of a housing (1) consisting of a frame (2) onto which a cassette (3, 3a) is removably attached, said cassette constituting the tool itself, characterized in that the cassette (3, 3a) includes centering columns (7) to be inserted into corresponding receiving holes made on the front surface (4) of the frame (2), and in that the centering columns (7) include a conical peripheral projection to come into contact with a corresponding portion provided with radii and formed on the receiving side of a deformable centering ring (11) arranged at the entrance of the receiving holes, while the receiving holes of the centering columns have a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the centering columns, so as to achieve a perfect position for the cassette on the frame.