Spring Forming Method With Continuous Wire Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
In hot-forming of springs, the steel wire cannot be uniformly heated when feeding is stopped during cutting, leading to non-uniform heating times and quality issues, which has limited the use of hot-forming for coiled spring materials.
Innovation Solution
A spring forming device with a cutting mechanism where the cutting blade moves at a speed that allows continuous feeding of the steel wire, using a high-frequency heating mechanism and specific speed ratios to maintain uniform heating, and a coiling mechanism that forms the steel wire into a coil without stopping the feeding process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the steel wire feeding is stopped during cutting in hot-forming, then the cutting operation can be performed, but the heating uniformity deteriorates and quality issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains continuous feeding of the steel wire through the heating zone during cutting operations. The cutting mechanism is designed to operate while the wire continues to move, ensuring that the heating process remains uninterrupted and uniform. This resolves the contradiction by making the cutting operation compatible with continuous material flow, thereby preserving heating uniformity while enabling cutting.
2Manufacturing precision
If the steel wire feeding is continued during cutting in hot-forming, then the heating uniformity is maintained, but the cutting operation becomes difficult to perform
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic cutting mechanism where the cutting tool moves relative to the continuously fed steel wire. The cutting blade is positioned to engage the wire in a controlled manner while the wire maintains its forward motion. This dynamic arrangement allows cutting to be performed effectively without stopping the feeding, thus maintaining both cutting capability and heating uniformity.
3Productivity
If the feeding speed of the steel wire is increased to improve productivity, then the production efficiency increases, but the heating uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the heating zone parameters including its length, temperature distribution, and positioning relative to the wire feeding path. By carefully designing these parameters, the system can accommodate higher feeding speeds while maintaining sufficient residence time in the heating zone for uniform heating. The heating zone is configured to provide adequate thermal processing even at increased production rates.
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
Enables continuous cutting of the steel wire without stopping the feeding process, ensuring uniform heating and improving the quality of the coiled spring by maintaining consistent heating temperatures and preventing buckling, thus allowing for the production of high-durability springs.
Implementation Method 1
a high-frequency heating mechanism
Implementation Method 2
a high-frequency heating mechanism
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4A~4C
AI summary
A spring forming device in which the steel wire can be continuously cut off without stopping the feeding of the steel wire in cutting, and in which the steel wire can be uniformly heated, is provided. The spring forming device has a wire supplying mechanism for supplying a steel wire using a plurality of feeding rollers, a heating mechanism for heating the steel wire, a coiling mechanism for forming in a coil state the heated steel wire, and a cutting mechanism for cutting the steel wire coiled at a given number of turns off the steel wire remained backward. A cutting blade of the cutting mechanism follows tracks having a speed Va that moves to the receiving blade and a speed Vc that moves in an axial direction of the coiled steel wire, in cutting of the steel wire.