Watch Gasket Sealing Using Engraved-Base Additive Manufacturing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing watch sealing gaskets, such as injection molding and extrusion, struggle to meet strict tolerance criteria for dimensions and surface finish, particularly in terms of seal thickness.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing additive manufacturing, where a custom-engraved base with precise tolerances is used to support the growth of the gasket material, allowing for iterative additive manufacturing steps to achieve the desired geometry and surface quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If injection molding or extrusion is used to produce sealing gaskets, then production efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to inability to meet strict tolerance criteria
Solution Approach 1:
The base is pre-machined with an engraved cavity that defines the precise geometry and tolerance of the seal before additive manufacturing begins. This preliminary preparation of the support structure ensures that the critical dimensional tolerances are established beforehand, allowing the additive process to focus on material deposition without compromising precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The machined base acts as an intermediary structure that transfers precision from traditional machining to the additive manufacturing process. By engraving the cavity with the exact negative geometry of the desired seal, the base mediates between the low-precision additive process and the high-precision requirements, ensuring the final seal meets strict tolerance criteria.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additive manufacturing is used to produce sealing gaskets, then adaptability for small series production is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to difficulty in meeting tolerance criteria
Solution Approach 1:
The support base is pre-machined with the precise cavity geometry before any additive manufacturing occurs. This preliminary action transfers the precision requirement from the additive process to the machining process, where tolerances can be reliably achieved, while the additive process provides the adaptability for small series production.
Solution Approach 2:
The engraved cavity in the base serves as an intermediary that defines the precise geometry of the seal. This mediator structure allows the additive manufacturing process to produce seals with high precision despite the inherent limitations of additive technology, while maintaining the flexibility needed for small series production.
3Manufacturing precision
If traditional machining is used to produce sealing gaskets, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity and tooling cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Only the base structure requiring precision is machined beforehand, while the seal itself is produced additively. This selective preliminary action reduces the overall complexity compared to fully machining seals, as only the support structure needs high-precision tooling, not the final seal components.
Solution Approach 2:
The machined base with engraved cavity acts as a simplified intermediary that defines seal geometry without requiring complex seal-specific tooling. This approach reduces device complexity by using a universal base structure rather than custom tooling for each seal design.
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 enables the production of watch sealing gaskets with precise dimensions and surface finishes, meeting stringent tolerance criteria while allowing for small series production without the need for expensive tools.
Implementation Method 1
at least said first part of said component is grown by additive manufacturing in contact with the entirety of said first base surface
Data Source
Figure 1~8
AI summary
One aspect of the invention relates to a method for producing a watch component (10) of which a first part (11) comprises a first toleranced reference surface (110), in the first step a first material is chosen to produce this first part (11) by additive manufacturing, a base (50) is prepared, in the second step a base surface (150), which is the negative of the first reference surface (110), is etched in said base (50), it is positioned on an additive manufacturing means, in the third step the first part (11) of said component (10) is grown by additive manufacturing in contact with the entire base surface (150), in the fourth step the development of said first part (11) is controlled with reference to a predetermined setpoint value, and said third additive manufacturing step is repeated iteratively until the desired development is obtained.