UV Light Guide Curing With In-Process Radiometry
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In additive manufacturing, especially in robotic assembly cells, there is a challenge in efficiently curing adhesives and ensuring proper bonding between complexly shaped components, often requiring separate tools for curing and verification, which increases cycle time and can lead to misalignment and defects due to the bulky size of radiation heads and limited access to curved or small surfaces.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus combining a radiation source, a radiation guide, and a sensor in a single end effector that transmits UV radiation and performs in-process verification, allowing real-time curing and evaluation, with a radiation guide made of fused quartz to reduce footprint and enable access to small or curved areas, and a controller to adjust thresholds based on reflection measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate tools are used for curing and verification, then each tool can be optimized for its specific function, but the cycle time increases and the system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the radiation source for curing and the sensor for verification into a single integrated end effector. This merging eliminates the need for separate tools and sequential operations, allowing simultaneous curing and verification which directly reduces cycle time while maintaining curing quality through real-time monitoring
2Power
If a bulky radiation head is used, then sufficient radiation output can be achieved, but access to curved or small surfaces is limited and misalignment risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a radiation guide as an intermediary component that transmits radiation from the source to the target area. This guide acts as a mediator that delivers sufficient radiation output to curved or small surfaces while maintaining a compact end effector structure, enabling access to difficult-to-reach areas without compromising radiation effectiveness
3Manufacturing precision
If additional robot motions are used for verification, then quality control can be performed, but the process time increases and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the curing function and verification function into a single integrated end effector that performs both operations simultaneously during one robot motion. This eliminates the need for additional verification motions, reducing process time while maintaining manufacturing precision through real-time in-process verification
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous useful action by performing verification during the curing process itself rather than as a separate subsequent step. The sensor continuously monitors the curing area while radiation is being applied, ensuring quality control happens in real-time without interrupting or extending the process
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 approach reduces cycle time by integrating curing and verification processes, enabling real-time quality control and immediate remedial actions, improving the accuracy and efficiency of adhesive bonding in complex geometries without the need for separate tools or additional robot motions.
Implementation Method 1
a radiation source configured to emit radiation to cure an adhesive
Implementation Method 2
a radiation guide configured to transmit the radiation emitted from the radiation source to the curing area
Implementation Method 3
a sensor configured to measure a reflection of the transmitted radiation reflected off the curing area
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods for curing adhesives in a robotic assembly cell and evaluating the curing at a same time or in parallel are disclosed. An apparatus in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure comprises a radiation source configured to emit radiation to cure an adhesive in a curing area during an assembly process, a radiation guide configured to transmit the radiation emitted from the radiation source to the curing area, and a sensor configured to measure a reflection of the transmitted radiation reflected off the curing area during the curing of the adhesive, wherein the sensor is positioned proximate to the radiation guide; and a controller configured to determine whether the measured reflection satisfies a threshold and, based on a determination that the measured reflection does not satisfy the threshold, to signal a remedial action of the assembly process.