Rotation Table Separable Seal Mechanism for EDM Maintenance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing rotary tables for electrical discharge machines require extensive manual effort and time for replacing the sealing material due to their integrated seal mechanism design, leading to early wear and subsequent damage from machining waste.

Innovation Solution

A rotary table design featuring a separable casing-side grooved portion and seal holding portion allows for easy replacement of the sealing material without removing the face plate, with notched edges for secure grasping and reduced risk of damage during replacement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the seal mechanism portion is formed in one piece (integrated design), then the sealing structure is simple and reliable, but the sealing material cannot be replaced without removing the face plate, increasing maintenance time and complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing reliabilityVSAvoidsealing material replacement ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The seal mechanism portion is divided into a casing-side grooved portion (fixed to casing) and a seal holding portion (removable). This segmentation allows the sealing material to be replaced by simply removing the seal holding portion without removing the face plate, while maintaining the integrated sealing function during operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Stability of the object's composition

If the sealing material is retained in a fixed integrated seal mechanism, then the sealing structure is stable, but replacing the sealing material requires face plate removal and readjustment, increasing maintenance man-hours

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseal mechanism stabilityVSAvoidmaintenance time
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the seal mechanism into fixed and removable portions, the patent enables quick replacement of the sealing material without disturbing the fixed casing-side grooved portion, thus maintaining stability while reducing maintenance time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The seal holding portion containing the sealing material is extracted as a separate removable component. This allows the sealing material to be taken out and replaced independently without affecting the overall seal mechanism structure or requiring face plate removal.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If the seal holding portion is designed to be removable, then the sealing material can be easily replaced, but the notched edge design is needed to prevent damage during replacement

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing material replacement easeVSAvoidseal mechanism structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The notched edge is added locally to the seal holding portion to provide a grasping point for tool insertion. This localized feature enables easy removal and installation without requiring complex mechanisms throughout the entire seal holding portion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3173174B1Rotation table
Publication Date: 2020.06.24 FANUC LTD
  • EP3173174B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3173174B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3173174B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A rotation table of the present invention includes a seal mechanism portion including a sealing material arranged between a casing and a face plate, a casing-side grooved portion for forming a casing-side seal mounting groove which is formed on an end of the casing and retains the sealing material, and a seal holding plate for holding the sealing material, wherein a portion having the casing-side grooved portion and the seal holding plate are configured to be separable.