Vacuum Pump Intake Flange Assembly With Steel-Aluminum Split Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vacuum pumps face high material and manufacturing costs due to integral construction of the casing and inlet port flange, which also result in increased weight and stress concentration during operation, necessitating a solution that reduces weight and cost while maintaining strength and absorbing fracture energy.
Innovation Solution
The inlet port flange and casing are constructed as separate components, with the flange made of stainless steel and the casing made of aluminum, fastened by bolts and sealed with an O-ring, and incorporating a projecting portion for positioning and energy absorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a vacuum pump is disassembled into multiple components for transport, then it can be shipped in standard containers, but reassembly requires precise alignment and positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum pump is divided into multiple transportable components including pump housing, motor assembly, and base plate that can be shipped separately in standard containers, then reassembled at the destination
Solution Approach 2:
Alignment features such as positioning pins, guide rails, and pre-drilled holes are built into the components before shipping, so that when reassembled, the parts automatically align correctly without requiring complex measurement or adjustment procedures
2Manufacturing precision
If alignment features are added to the base plate and pump housing, then reassembly precision is improved, but the number of components and assembly steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple alignment functions are integrated into the base plate and pump housing components. For example, the base plate combines mounting holes, positioning features, and leveling elements into a single component, reducing the total number of separate parts while maintaining high reassembly precision
Data Source
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AI summary
To provide a vacuum pump which separates and constructs an inlet port flange and a casing (outer cylinder) as two components to reduce weight while retaining required strength and which is consequently capable of reducing manufacturing cost. In a vacuum pump, an inlet port flange and a casing (outer cylinder) are separated from each other and constructed as different members. The inlet port flange uses stainless steel as a material thereof and the casing (outer cylinder) use aluminum as a material thereof. The components are fastened to each other by bolts and sealed by an O-ring in order to maintain a vacuum property during assembly of the vacuum pump. Accordingly, a weight of the vacuum pump can be reduced while maintaining strength of the inlet port flange.