Robotic Wire Termination With Selective Pin Heating
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wire termination methods for electrical connectors, particularly in the medical industry, are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to errors due to the manual soldering of numerous fine wires, leading to high error rates and material waste.
Innovation Solution
A heat applicator device that selectively applies heat to individual connector pins within an electrical connector, allowing wires to be soldered efficiently without manual handling, using a control unit to automate the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual soldering is used to connect wires to connector pins, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but labor intensity increases and error rates rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical soldering operations with an automated system that uses a heat applicator device to apply heat to connector pins and a wire feeder to automatically position and solder wires. This substitution eliminates manual labor while maintaining precise control over the soldering process, directly resolving the contradiction between manual flexibility and production efficiency.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual soldering is used for numerous fine wires, then adaptability to different connector types is maintained, but time consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a robotic arm with dynamic positioning capabilities that can move the heat applicator device to different locations on the connector board. The system can adapt to various connector types and wire configurations through programmable motion paths and adjustable parameters, enabling fast automated wire termination while maintaining versatility across different applications.
3Productivity
If automated heat applicator device is used, then productivity increases and errors are minimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated wire termination system is divided into distinct functional modules: a robotic arm for positioning, a heat applicator device for heating connector pins, a wire feeder for supplying wires, and a control system for coordination. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while working together to achieve high-speed, error-free wire termination, managing overall system complexity through modular design.
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
Reduces labor intensity, minimizes errors, and increases efficiency in connecting wires to electrical connectors, especially in applications with numerous pins, by automating the soldering process.
Implementation Method 1
a heat applicator device that selectively applies heat to a specific connector pin within an electrical connector
Implementation Method 2
applies heat to a first connector pin for a period of time for soldering of a first wire to the first connector pin
Data Source
AI summary
A robotic wire termination system for efficiently connecting a plurality of wires to an electrical connector. The robotic wire termination system generally includes a frame, a connector support attached to the frame, a robot manipulator having at least one arm, a heating device attached to the at least one arm and a control unit in communication with the robot manipulator to control the operation of the robot manipulator. The arm of the robot manipulator is adapted to move the heating device so that the heating device can apply heat to a selected connector pin of the electrical connector.