Spanner Manufacturing via Cold Forging and Pressing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional methods for making spanners, such as hot and cold forging, result in high material waste, lengthy processing times, and increased costs due to the need for complex and costly heating and stamping processes.

Innovation Solution

A method involving preparing a flat metal blank, forging and pressing it to form a head and shank, followed by forming arch-shaped parts and punching holes, which reduces material waste and processing time, using simpler machines like heading and forming machines to shape the spanner efficiently.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If hot forging method is used to make spanner, then the metal blank can be shaped, but high cost for processing with correlated heating machines is required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespanner shaping capabilityVSAvoidheating machines

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the temperature parameter from high (hot forging) to room temperature (cold forging), eliminating the need for heating machines while maintaining the ability to shape metal blanks through cold-forming processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the thermal field (heating machines) with a mechanical field (cold-forging presses), using mechanical force directly to shape the metal blank without thermal softening

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of manufacture

If cold forging method is used to form round heads on thick metal blank, then the head can be formed, but a stamping press with much larger power output and weight is required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehead forming capabilityVSAvoidstamping press power output

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary actions by first forming the head on the metal blank before stamping, reducing the thickness and complexity of the material that needs to be pressed during the stamping operation, thereby reducing the required press capacity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent divides the manufacturing process into separate steps (head forming, then stamping) rather than attempting to perform both operations simultaneously on the full-thickness blank, reducing the power requirements for each individual step

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of manufacture

If traditional hot forging or cold forging methods are used, then spanner can be made, but high material waste and lengthy processing time occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespanner productionVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent prepares the metal blank in advance with pre-formed features (round heads, flattened sections) that reduce the complexity of subsequent stamping operations, enabling faster overall production

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines multiple operations into integrated stamping steps that form multiple features simultaneously, reducing the total number of processing steps and overall manufacturing time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 method significantly reduces material waste, shortens processing time, and decreases manufacturing costs by using simpler machines and minimizing scrap, enabling efficient mass production of spanners.

Implementation Method 1

pressing the head to form a first arch-shaped part; pressing a shank end of the shank far away from the head to expand the shank end and form a second arch-shaped part

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPlastic deformation: Plasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2937159B1Method of making a spanner

Publication Date: 2017.02.15 CHEN MING CHANG

AI summary

A method (4) of making a spanner (8) comprises the steps of preparing a flat metal blank (5), forging and pressing a part of the metal blank (5) to form a head (51) and a shank (52) whose width (w2) is smaller than a width (w1) of the head (51), pressing the head (51) to form a first arch-shaped part (d1), pressing a shank end (521) of the shank (52) to expand the shank end (521) and thence form a second arch-shaped part (d2), and pressing the head (51) and the shank end (521) again to remove redundant scrap projecting from the first arch-shaped part (d1) and the second arch-shaped part (d2) and also punch finished holes (81, 82) in the head (51) and the shank end (521) respectively, thereby completing the finished spanner (8). Accordingly, the method (4) reduces the waste of the material and the processing cost, decreases the use frequency of high-cost machines and promotes the processing efficiency by using the flat metal blank (5).