Universal Pump Housing Blank for Variable Gear Pump Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing manufacturing methods for gear wheel pumps in dialysis machines require multiple machining steps, use of expensive materials, generate significant waste, and involve complex assembly processes due to the need for different pump housing portions for varying gear wheel thicknesses, leading to high costs and inefficient resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
A universal pump housing blank is manufactured through primary shaping, which is then individualized by machining to accommodate gear wheels of different thicknesses, allowing production of pumps with varying performance without the need for separate housing portions, thus reducing material consumption and assembly steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If different pump housing portions are machined from raw round steel for each gear wheel pump variant, then each pump housing can be precisely manufactured to accommodate specific gear wheel thicknesses, but new expensive materials are needed for each pump and complex machining is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a universal pump housing blank that can accommodate multiple gear wheel pump variants with different gear wheel thicknesses. Instead of manufacturing separate pump housing portions for each pump type (degas pump, inlet pump, outlet pump), a single universal blank is machined to accommodate all variants, thereby reducing material waste and simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining precision requirements.
2Manufacturing precision
If different pump housing portions are machined from raw round steel for each gear wheel pump variant, then each pump housing can be precisely manufactured, but a lot of waste is generated and resources are not optimally used
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the production of multiple pump housing portions into a single universal pump housing blank. By combining the manufacturing of what would otherwise be separate components into one unified blank, material utilization is optimized and waste is significantly reduced, while the precision required for each individual pump housing variant is maintained through selective machining.
3Ease of manufacture
If hose grommets are not integrated into the pump housing portion, then the pump housing can be simpler to manufacture, but manual assembly work increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates hose grommets directly into the pump housing blank as integral components during the machining process. This merging of the grommet assembly into the main housing structure eliminates the need for separate manual assembly steps, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture while enabling automation of the production process.
4Loss of substance
If a universal pump housing blank is used for all gear wheel pump variants, then material usage is optimized and assembly is simplified, but the blank must be oversized to accommodate all variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs local quality by machining the universal pump housing blank to create variant-specific features only where needed. The oversized blank serves as a standardized base that is then locally adapted through selective machining to accommodate different gear wheel thicknesses and configurations, optimizing material usage while maintaining the necessary volume for each specific pump variant.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is used to manufacture a plurality of pumps with different performance properties. Each pump can have a pump housing or a pump housing portion for holding gear wheels in engagement. A plurality of identical universal pump blanks can be primary shaped to create a plurality of identical primary shaped pump blanks. A first operative pump can then be created with a first unique performance property, and a second operative pump can be created with a second unique performance property different from the first unique performance property.