Composite Watch Component With 3D-Printed Integrated Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing watch components with sealing gaskets are prone to damaging the gaskets during assembly, require precise machining, and limit the range of shapes that can be achieved, leading to durability and sealing performance issues.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using additive manufacturing, specifically 3D printing, to produce sealing gaskets directly onto watch components, allowing for precise, complex shapes and eliminating the need for separate gasket production and assembly steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional injection molding or extrusion methods are used to produce sealing gaskets, then the sealing gaskets can be manufactured with standard processes, but the sealing performance and durability are compromised due to damage during assembly and imprecise machining
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sealing gasket production directly onto the watch component surface using additive manufacturing. The sealing gasket is printed directly on the component in a single integrated process, eliminating separate manufacturing and assembly steps. This combines what were previously separate operations (component manufacturing and gasket installation) into one unified process, resolving the contradiction between reliability and manufacturing ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing gasket is pre-formed directly on the component surface during the manufacturing process itself, before the component is finalized. The additive manufacturing process builds the gasket layer by layer directly onto the component, preparing the sealing interface in advance and eliminating the need for subsequent assembly operations that could cause damage.
2Strength
If driving operations are used to assemble sealing gaskets onto rigid components, then the components can be securely assembled, but the sealing gasket is at risk of being damaged during the driving operation
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the gasket and component into a single integrated structure where the gasket is printed directly on the component, the patent eliminates the assembly operation entirely. There is no driving or fastening process that could damage the gasket, as the gasket becomes an integral part of the component structure, simultaneously achieving strong assembly and gasket integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The additive manufacturing process acts as an intermediary that creates a transition zone between the component surface and the sealing interface. The gasket is built up layer by layer from the component surface, creating a gradual transition that maintains both structural strength and sealing integrity without requiring forceful assembly operations.
3Manufacturing precision
If traditional machining processes are used to achieve precise dimensions and surface finish, then the sealing interfaces can be precisely prepared, but the range of shapes is limited and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical machining processes with additive manufacturing technology. Instead of using cutting tools to remove material and achieve precise dimensions, the system uses digital modeling and layer-by-layer deposition to build the sealing gasket with exact dimensional precision. This substitution enables complex three-dimensional shapes that would be impossible or extremely difficult to achieve with conventional machining, simultaneously improving precision and expanding shape versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The additive manufacturing process allows for dynamic parameter changes during production, enabling the creation of varying geometries, infill patterns, and surface textures within the same component. The digital model can be easily modified to produce different shapes and configurations without changing physical tooling, providing adaptability while maintaining manufacturing precision through digital control.
4Productivity
If separate manufacturing of watch components and sealing gaskets is maintained, then independent production is possible, but material waste increases and production time is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the production of the watch component and sealing gasket into a single additive manufacturing process. Both elements are built in one continuous operation from digital models, eliminating the need for separate manufacturing cycles. This integration reduces production time by removing intermediate steps such as separate machining, handling, and assembly operations, while also minimizing material waste through precise digital fabrication and reduced scrap.
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 ensures the durability and sealing performance of watch components by integrating gaskets directly during manufacturing, reducing material waste, and enabling the creation of complex shapes that traditional methods cannot produce.
Implementation Method 1
a first relief (10) of at least one first material (1) is grown by additive manufacturing on at least one side of the base (50)
Data Source
Figure 1~4
AI summary
One aspect of the invention relates to a method for producing a composite watch component (1000), in the first step a base (50) and a first material (1) are provided, in the second step said base (50) is positioned on an additive manufacturing means, in the third step a first relief (10) of the first material (1) is grown by additive manufacturing on one side of the base (50), in the fourth step the development of the first relief (10) is controlled, the third and fourth steps are repeated iteratively until a development of the first relief (10) greater than a set value is obtained and verified, the additive manufacturing is stopped when this development is greater than this set value, optionally a second relief (20) of a second material (2) is grown by additive manufacturing on one side of the base (50) and/or on the first relief (10).