Spring Forming Device with Real-Time Pitch Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spring forming devices struggle to accurately form helical springs with predefined pitch and length, often resulting in errors due to wire homogeneity, machine calibration, and pressure variations, leading to material wastage and springs with uneven mechanical characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A spring forming device equipped with a wire feeding system, winding tools, and an actual pitch detecting system using non-contact sensors, coupled with a control unit that continuously monitors and adjusts the pitch tool configuration in real-time to maintain accurate spring formation, ensuring the spring meets predefined specifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If pitch tool position is kept fixed to obtain constant pitch spring, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to pitch errors from wire non-homogeneity and machine variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system where the actual pitch of the forming spring is continuously detected by a detecting device, and this detected pitch is fed back to automatically adjust the pitch tool position. This closed-loop feedback mechanism resolves the contradiction by maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving high pitch accuracy through automatic compensation of errors caused by wire non-homogeneity and machine variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the static pitch tool positioning into a dynamic adjustment system. The pitch tool position is no longer fixed but is continuously adjusted based on real-time pitch detection. This dynamic positioning allows the system to adapt to variations in wire properties and machine conditions, thereby maintaining high manufacturing precision without compromising ease of manufacture.
2Measurement precision
If spring pitch is measured after complete formation to detect errors, then measurement accuracy is achieved, but productivity deteriorates due to material wastage from discarded springs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs pitch detection and error correction during the spring formation process itself, rather than after completion. By detecting the actual pitch of the forming spring and adjusting the pitch tool position in real-time, the system prevents the creation of defective springs, thereby eliminating material wastage and improving productivity while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-correction by automatically detecting pitch errors and adjusting its own pitch tool positioning during the formation process. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for post-formation measurement and rejection, allowing continuous production of high-quality springs without interrupting the formation process for inspection, thus improving productivity while maintaining precision.
3Manufacturing precision
If pitch tool position is adjusted discretely after partial spring formation, then some error compensation is achieved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to non-uniform mechanical characteristics in different spring portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous pitch detection and continuous pitch tool position adjustment during the entire spring formation process. This continuous action ensures that pitch errors are compensated uniformly throughout the spring length, preventing the creation of portions with different mechanical characteristics. The continuous feedback and adjustment maintain consistent pitch and uniform mechanical properties along the entire spring.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention refers to a spring forming device (1) comprising: a system (3) for feeding a wire (4) for forming a helical spring (2); a winding system (7) suitable for winding said wire (4) according to a helical configuration having a predefined diameter (D) extending along a helix development axis (A); one or more pitch tools (11, 13, 9), each suitable for acting on the wire (4) so that it takes on said cylindrical helix configuration with a predefined pitch (p); a system (15) for detecting the actual pitch of the spring forming in device (1) starting from said wire (4); means for detecting the amount (I) of the fed wire; a control unit configured for: —determining the actual length (Leff) of the spring forming in the device starting from the actual amount of the fed wire (I) and actual pitch (peff) detected for portions of the spring, already formed in the device; —determining a reference length (L) as a function of said actual amount (I) of fed wire; —determining an error between said reference length (L) and said actual length (Leff); —generating a command signal such to vary, during the spring formation, the configuration of one of said one or more pitch tools (11, 13, 9) as a function of said error. Moreover, the present invention refers to a method for forming springs and a corresponding computer program.