Robot Arm Mounting Interface with Embedded Metal Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial robot arms typically made of metal face challenges in achieving weight reduction while maintaining strength and reducing manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A robot arm design featuring mounting interface portions with embedded metal members in a resin arm body, where the metal members have through-holes for screws and are positioned to protrude from the resin, allowing for precise positioning and machining-free manufacturing, enabling significant weight reduction and cost savings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If robot arms are made of metal to maintain strength, then strength is improved, but weight increases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining resin and metal members. The arm body is made of lightweight resin material, while metal members are embedded at critical mounting interface portions to provide localized strength and rigidity. This composite approach achieves the required strength without the weight penalty of a fully metal construction.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the entire arm from metal, the patent applies metal members only at specific locations where strength is needed - the mounting interface portions. The majority of the arm body remains as lightweight resin, optimizing the distribution of material properties to match functional requirements.
2Strength
If robot arms are made of metal to maintain strength, then strength is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple components (resin arm body, metal members, mounting surfaces) into an integrated structure through molding processes. The metal members are embedded directly into the resin during manufacturing, eliminating separate assembly steps and reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal members are prepared with mounting surfaces and through-holes in advance during the molding process, so that no additional machining or processing is needed after assembly. This preliminary preparation of mounting interfaces reduces manufacturing steps and costs.
3Ease of operation
If metal members are embedded in resin with through-holes for mounting screws, then ease of assembly is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The resin material itself serves as the embedding medium that automatically positions and secures the metal members during the molding process. The resin flows around and encapsulates the metal members, creating precise positioning without requiring external fixtures or complex alignment procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The integration of metal members within the resin matrix during molding creates a unified structure where the resin provides both structural function and precise positioning of the metal components. This composite manufacturing approach achieves high precision embedding as an inherent feature of the process.
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 design achieves a substantial weight reduction compared to metal arms and ensures reliable fastening and assembly, preventing screw loosening, while maintaining structural integrity and reducing manufacturing costs through precise resin molding of metal components.
Implementation Method 1
the metal member may be embedded, through insert molding, in the resin that forms the connecting section
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a robot arm that is provided with mounting interface portions at both ends of a long resin arm body. Each of the mounting interface portions is provided with: a connecting section that is formed of resin and that is connected to the arm body; and a metal member that is embedded in the resin, which forms the connecting section, and that forms a mounting surface. The metal member is provided with a through-hole that penetrates therethrough in the plate-thickness direction and through which a mounting screw passes, and is embedded in the resin while exposing the mounting surface and a seating surface, for the mounting screw, around the through-hole, the seating surface being located at the opposite side from the mounting surface.