Integral Slide Gate Seal Using Hybrid Additive Machining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cold forming a strip of material into a slide gate groove is labor-intensive and costly, and the seal between the slide gate and gate frame can fail, leading to complex and expensive repairs.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid manufacturing process involving additive material deposition and machining is used to form an integral gate seal directly on the gate body, ensuring a permanent and efficient seal without the need for separate installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a strip of material is cold formed into a groove of the slide gate to create a seal, then the seal between the slide gate and gate frame is achieved, but the manufacturing process becomes labor-intensive and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is integrated directly into the gate body through hybrid manufacturing, merging the seal component with the main gate structure. This eliminates the need for separate strip installation and cold forming operations, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining seal reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional mechanical cold forming process is replaced with hybrid manufacturing technology that deposits and machines the seal material in an integrated process. This substitution eliminates labor-intensive hammering operations while achieving the same sealing function.
2Reliability
If a strip of material is cold formed into a groove to form a seal, then the seal is created, but the process is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The time-consuming cold forming process is replaced with hybrid manufacturing that deposits seal material and machines it to precise dimensions in a more efficient integrated operation, significantly reducing manufacturing cycle time while maintaining seal integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal is pre-integrated into the gate body design through hybrid manufacturing, eliminating the need for post-manufacturing installation and adjustment operations. This preliminary integration accelerates the overall manufacturing process while ensuring seal reliability.
3Ease of manufacture
If a separate strip of material is used for sealing, then the seal can be installed, but the seal may become dislodged from the groove leading to repair failures
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is merged with the gate body as an integral component through hybrid manufacturing. This integration eliminates the interface between separate parts that could allow dislodgement, ensuring permanent retention while simplifying the manufacturing process.
4Productivity
If cold forming is used to install the seal strip, then the seal is created, but repair and restoration become extremely costly and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The integral seal design merges the sealing function into the gate body structure itself. When repair is needed, the entire gate assembly can be addressed as a single unit rather than requiring complex disassembly and reinstallation of separate seal strips, significantly simplifying repair operations.
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 integral gate seal reduces manufacturing time, labor, and material waste while preventing seal detachment, thus eliminating costly repairs.
Implementation Method 1
The gate seal can be formed by an additive manufacturing process
Implementation Method 2
The gate seal can then be machined to a desired size and shape
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a method for manufacturing a slide gate, involving providing a gate body with a first face and integrally forming an integral gate seal with the gate body through a hybrid manufacturing process. The hybrid manufacturing process includes depositing an additive material onto the first face of the gate body to create the integral gate seal, with the deposition carried out by a first machine. Subsequently, the integral gate seal is machined to achieve the desired size and shape, with the machining also performed by the same first machine. This method combines additive manufacturing and machining techniques to efficiently produce slide gates with integral gate seals of precise dimensions and configurations.