Sonotrode Support Surface Design for Precise Ultrasonic Welding Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ultrasonic welding installations face challenges in achieving precise and fast adjustment of sonotrode sealing surfaces relative to the anvil, leading to laborious and frequent interruptions, especially when replacing worn sonotrodes, which results in reduced welding quality and potential damage to components due to flexing and misalignment.
Innovation Solution
A support element is introduced that allows perpendicular force application to the sonotrode, featuring corresponding support surfaces that prevent axial movement while allowing rotation, enabling simple and precise axial positioning and minimizing the influence on ultrasonic vibrations, along with a holder and angle positioning device for secure and precise orientation of the ultrasonic vibration unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sonotrode is frequently replaced due to wear, then the welding quality can be maintained, but the positioning time and processing interruptions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support element is pre-positioned in the holder with support surfaces that automatically guide the sonotrode into the correct axial position. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming manual positioning adjustments when sonotrodes are replaced, as the new sonotrode automatically assumes the correct position upon insertion.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual positioning of the sonotrode is performed, then the sealing surfaces can be aligned, but the positioning process is laborious and requires trained operatives
Solution Approach 1:
The support element with its specifically configured support surfaces enables the sonotrode to self-position axially relative to the holder and anvil. The geometric configuration of the support surfaces automatically ensures the correct parallel alignment and axial distance without requiring manual intervention or skilled operatives, making the system self-aligning.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the sonotrode is constrained in the holder, then the axial position is fixed, but the sealing surface parallelism to the anvil cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The support element introduces a new geometric dimension through its inclined support surfaces. These surfaces are configured at specific angles relative to the longitudinal axis, creating a wedge-like effect that simultaneously determines both the axial position and the angular orientation of the sonotrode. This geometric configuration in another dimension ensures that the sealing surface becomes parallel to the anvil surface while maintaining stable axial positioning.
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
This solution facilitates easy and precise adjustment of the sonotrode's sealing surfaces, reducing wear, improving welding quality, and preventing component damage by minimizing flexing and ensuring parallelism between the sonotrode and anvil surfaces, thus enhancing the overall efficiency and reliability of the ultrasonic welding process.
Implementation Method 1
the support surfaces are of such a configuration that when they are in contact with each other they prevent a relative movement of the sonotrode with respect to the support element in the direction of the longitudinal axis and do not impede a rotation of the sonotrode about the longitudinal axis
Implementation Method 2
the ultrasonic vibration unit can be caused to resonate with an ultrasonic vibration in the direction of the longitudinal axis at a frequency f=v/λ, wherein v is the propagation direction of the acoustic ultrasonic vibration within the ultrasonic vibration unit and λ is the wavelength of the ultrasonic vibration
Implementation Method 3
the ultrasonic vibration unit can be caused to resonate with an ultrasonic vibration in the direction of the longitudinal axis
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention concerns an ultrasonic welding installation comprising an ultrasonic vibration unit having a sonotrode and a converter, wherein the sonotrode and the converter are arranged in mutually adjacent relationship along a longitudinal axis and the ultrasonic vibration unit can be caused to resonate with an ultrasonic vibration in the direction of the longitudinal axis with a wavelength λ. To provide an ultrasonic welding installation which allows simple and fast highly precise adjustment of the sealing surfaces of the sonotrode relative to the anvil according to the invention there is proposed a support element for supporting a force applied to the sonotrode perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis, wherein the sonotrode and the support element have mutually corresponding support surfaces which at least when a force is applied to the sonotrode perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis come into contact with each other, wherein the support surfaces are of such a configuration that when they are in contact with each other they prevent a relative movement of the sonotrode with respect to the support element in the direction of the longitudinal axis and do not impede a rotation of the sonotrode about the longitudinal axis.