Section Bar Work Centre Fairing for Continuous Chip Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing work centers for processing section bars are limited by small capacity lower collection tanks that fail to effectively convey machining chips and scraps, leading to inefficiencies in chip removal and conveyor belt operation.
Innovation Solution
The work center design includes a U-shaped base with inclined upper faces, vertical uprights, and a fairing system with discharging chutes that extend below support bars and conveyor systems, allowing for efficient collection and conveyance of machining scraps and chips using belt conveyors and actuation motors, ensuring all chips are removed while maintaining cleanliness around the processing area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If lower collection tanks are used to collect machining chips and scraps, then chip collection is enabled, but the collection capacity is limited and chips cannot be conveyed effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the chip collection function from the lower tanks and relocates it to the inclined upper faces of the base. The upper faces serve as collection surfaces while the discharging chutes extract and convey chips to the conveyor belt, eliminating the limitation of small tank capacity and enabling continuous chip removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The inclined upper faces act as an intermediary between the machining area and the conveyor belt. Chips are collected on the inclined surfaces and then discharged through chutes onto the conveyor belt, which serves as the intermediary for transporting chips away from the work center, thereby solving the conveyance problem.
2Productivity
If discharging chutes are added to convey chips to the conveyor belt, then chip conveyance capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fairing structure is designed to perform multiple functions: it provides the inclined upper faces for chip collection, houses the discharging chutes for chip conveyance, and protects the conveyor belt area. By combining these functions into a single integrated component, the invention avoids adding separate complex subsystems while still achieving effective chip conveyance.
3Quantity of substance
If the fairing extends below the support bars and conveyor, then chip collection coverage is improved, but the space for support bar movement is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fairing is designed with selective coverage: it extends below the support bars in the regions where chip generation occurs (near the operating head), but maintains clearances in the movement paths of the support bars. This local differentiation allows the fairing to maximize chip collection coverage while preserving the necessary movement space for the support bars and holding units.
Data Source
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AI summary
A work centre to process section bars (2) has a plurality of support bars (10), which are provided with respective holding units (22) for at least one section bar (2) and are slidably coupled to a pair of longitudinal guide members (9) respectively fixed to a respective plurality of vertical uprights (7) extending upwards from a base (3), along which an overhead crane (31) is movable and is provided with an operating head (34) to process the sections bars (2) and with a fairing (36) having two discharging chutes (40), each of which extends between the base (3) and a longitudinal guide member (9) to convey machining chips and/or scraps on a belt conveyor (35).