Robot-Driven Coolant Purging for Resistance Welding Electrodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for resistance welding machines face challenges in efficiently purging coolant from electrode cooling lines, leading to potential hazards and inefficiencies due to residual liquid coolant spillage during electrode replacement.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing compressed air, locally generated and actuated by robot motion, to evacuate coolant from the cooling lines, ensuring thorough purging without the need for suction pressure, and allowing independent purging of each electrode line to prevent leakage and reduce maintenance costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If suction pressure is used to pull liquid coolant back from the coolant line, then coolant spillage is reduced, but system complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using suction pressure to pull coolant back (as in conventional systems), this patent uses positive pressure from compressed air to push coolant out of the coolant line. This inversion of the pressure approach simplifies the system by eliminating complex suction mechanisms while effectively preventing coolant spillage during electrode replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes pneumatic pressure from a compressed air source to force coolant out of the coolant line. This pneumatic approach replaces complex mechanical suction systems with a simpler air pressure mechanism, reducing system complexity while maintaining effective coolant evacuation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If compressed air is used to purge coolant from cooling lines, then purging effectiveness and safety are improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the robot's existing motion and power system to drive the compressed air source, rather than requiring a separate dedicated power source. This self-service approach utilizes already-available energy resources, minimizing additional energy consumption while achieving effective coolant purging.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot's power system serves multiple functions: both the welding operation and the compressed air generation for coolant purging. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate energy systems, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining effective purging capability.
3Device complexity
If a single compressed air source is used for multiple coolant lines, then system simplicity is improved, but purging completeness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the coolant purging process into separate controllable segments for each coolant line. Each line can be purged independently by controlling the timing and duration of compressed air delivery, ensuring complete purging of each line while using a single shared compressed air source. This segmentation maintains both system simplicity and purging reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically controls the compressed air delivery to each coolant line based on specific needs. By adjusting the timing, duration, and pressure of air delivery to each line sequentially, the system ensures complete purging of each line while maintaining a simple single-source architecture. This dynamic control achieves both simplicity and completeness.
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 system effectively removes residual coolant, reduces hazards, and saves energy by using compressed air to purge liquid coolant from the lines, ensuring a safer and more efficient electrode replacement process.
Implementation Method 1
the fluid purging line delivers a gas (atmospheric air, treated air, nitrogen, etc.) at a pressure higher than a pressure of one or more of the at least one liquid coolant line so as to evacuate at least a portion of the liquid coolant from the at least one liquid coolant line
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method apparatus for purging liquid coolant from liquid coolant lines providing cooling to welding electrodes in a welding apparatus. The system provides a purging fluid of air at a pressure higher than a pressure of the liquid coolant to be purged. High-pressure air is generated by a centralized compressor and distribution system, a local electric pump, or existing robotic arm movements applied to pump bellows mounted thereon. A variety of placements, tie-ins, and hardware for fluid purging line(s) and its valve(s), for coolant supply(ies) and its valve(s), for coolant return(s) and its valve(s), and for liquid coolant line(s) and its valve(s) allow individual liquid coolant lines to be purged independently, with trade-offs of speed to purge, thoroughness of purge, amount of liquid coolant needed to be purged.