Spring Wire Laser Marking for Defect Detection and Continuous Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current spring wire manufacturing processes are inefficient due to the inability to reliably detect and address defects in real-time, leading to interruptions and significant time and effort in cutting out defective areas, which reduces production capacity and increases scrap.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize laser markings to automatically identify and mark defective areas on spring wires during production, allowing for continuous processing without interruptions, using a device that integrates a testing unit and a laser marking unit to detect and mark defects as the wire is produced, ensuring reliable detection and processing of defective areas without additional material or downtime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional continuous manufacturing process is used, then production capacity is maintained, but defective areas cannot be reliably detected and require manual intervention causing interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by marking defective areas on the spring wire immediately after detection during the manufacturing process, before the wire leaves the production line. The laser marking unit creates permanent marks on defective areas while the wire is still in motion, allowing subsequent identification and sorting without interrupting the continuous manufacturing process. This resolves the contradiction by enabling reliable defect detection and marking while maintaining uninterrupted production capacity.
2Reliability
If manual inspection and cutting of defective areas is performed, then defect removal is achieved, but significant time and effort are lost reducing production efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical inspection and cutting process with an automated optical detection system and laser marking system. The test unit automatically detects defective areas using non-contact methods, and the laser marking unit automatically marks these areas without manual intervention. This substitution eliminates the time-consuming manual inspection and cutting operations while maintaining high defect identification accuracy, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and time loss.
3Reliability
If spring wire production is interrupted to address defects, then defective areas can be processed, but overall production capacity and efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuity of useful action by enabling the spring wire manufacturing process to continue uninterrupted while defective areas are being marked. The laser marking unit operates simultaneously with the wire production, marking defects on the moving wire without stopping the manufacturing line. This allows continuous production capacity to be maintained while quality control is effectively performed, resolving the contradiction between reliability and productivity.
4Reliability
If additional detection and marking equipment is added to the production line, then defect detection and marking capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by integrating the test unit and laser marking unit into a single coordinated system that operates in conjunction with the existing spring wire manufacturing facility. The control unit synchronizes the operation of detection and marking components, and both units are positioned to work on the wire as it moves through the production line. This integrated approach improves defect detection and marking capability while minimizing the increase in overall system complexity through coordinated operation and shared infrastructure.
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 spring wire production with reduced scrap, increased efficiency, and lower costs by allowing for the automatic detection and marking of defects, ensuring that defective areas can be reliably identified and processed, thereby maintaining production flow and reducing material waste.
Implementation Method 1
directs a laser beam at a temperature above the vaporization temperature of the base material of the spring wire onto the spring wire, so that part of the material of the spring wire vaporizes
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4(d)
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for producing a spring wire (2) comprising: a wire production apparatus (8), which is designed in such a way that a spring wire (10) can be produced from a raw material, in particular by drawing; a checking unit (14), which is designed in such a way that the spring wire (10) can be checked for flaws, in particular material flaws and surface flaws; and a laser marking unit (18), which is designed in such a way that flawed regions of the spring wire (10), in particular regions of the spring wire (10) having material flaws and surface flaws, can be marked with a laser marking (44) in such a way that a part of the surface of the spring wire (10) can be removed and that a part of the surface of the spring wire (10) can be tempered in such a way that the color of the surface of the spring wire (10) is changed in this part. The wire production apparatus (8) is designed in such a way that the spring wire (10) can be guided past the checking unit (14) and past the laser marking unit (18).