Compact Web Welding Roller With Integrated Drive for Edge Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing welding machines for edge-side connection of material webs are bulky due to the space requirements of electric motors and reduction gears, limiting their use near edges or borders and reducing the visible welding area.
Innovation Solution
Integration of the electric motor and planetary gear system into the pressure roller, along with a modular design for the pressure roller, allowing for variable width and shape adjustments, and partial integration of the drum drive motor into the pressure roller to create a more compact and versatile welding machine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the electric motor and reduction gear are integrated into the pressure roller, then the device complexity is reduced and the welding machine becomes more compact, but the manufacturing precision and reliability of the drive system become more critical
Solution Approach 1:
The electric motor and reduction gear are merged into a single integrated drive unit that is incorporated into the pressure roller assembly. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate mounting of these components and their associated power transmission mechanisms, directly reducing structural complexity while maintaining drive functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure roller is designed to serve multiple functions: it applies pressure to the material webs during welding and simultaneously houses the drive mechanism. This multi-functionality reduces the overall number of components needed in the system, addressing the complexity reduction goal.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the welding machine is designed to work close to edges, then the adaptability improves, but the device complexity increases due to space constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The welding machine features an adjustable lateral leg that can be displaced relative to the longitudinal leg, allowing the guide rollers to be repositioned. This dynamic adjustability enables the machine to adapt to edge working conditions and various material web widths without requiring multiple specialized devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The chassis is divided into functional segments (longitudinal leg with heating device, lateral leg with guide rollers) that can be independently adjusted. This segmentation allows flexible spatial arrangement to accommodate edge working while maintaining clear visibility of the welding area.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the pressure roller is made modular with variable width, then the adaptability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure roller incorporates exchangeable shaping elements that can be attached or removed to vary the effective width and shape of the roller. This dynamic reconfigurability allows the same base roller to adapt to different material web widths and welding applications without requiring multiple specialized rollers.
4Ease of manufacture
If the electric motor and reduction gear are separated from the pressure roller, then the manufacturing ease improves, but the device complexity increases and the welding area visibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The drive mechanism is merged into the pressure roller assembly, eliminating the need for complex external power transmission devices and reducing the overall system complexity. The integrated design simplifies the mechanical layout while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized component integration.
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
The compact design enables the welding machine to operate effectively near edges and borders, providing a clear view of the welding area and allowing for adjustable width and shape to accommodate various surfaces and applications, enhancing its usability on flat and sloping surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
The heat is conducted for example by hot air, which is generated by an electric or gas heating element of the heating device and guided to the corresponding edge regions of the material webs, and which exits via the contact heating element
Implementation Method 2
Brushless DC motors are known. They are based on a synchronous machine with excitation by permanent magnets. The often tri-phase winding generates a rotating magnetic field which entrains the permanent-magnet rotor
Implementation Method 3
Planetary gear systems are also known. They are often referred to as planetary gears. Such transmissions include gear wheels or friction gear wheels, which comprise shafts and axles that are not only fixed to the chassis but which run on circular paths in the chassis
Data Source
AI summary
Welding machine for edge-side connection at the edge of overlapping material webs, wherein the materials are connectable to one another under the effect of heat and subsequent pressure, with a chassis on which at least guide rollers, a heating device and at least one pressure roller are arranged. The heating device has a cantilevered contact heating element that can be inserted laterally between the edges of the material webs, wherein the chassis is driven by an electric motor which is arranged on a longitudinal leg of the chassis. The electric motor according to the invention is formed as a brushless DC motor and the reduction gear as a planetary gear, which are united by a drum drive motor. In this case, the direct current motor is preferably a disk rotor motor. The chassis has a lateral leg which is adjustable perpendicularly to the working direction relative to the longitudinal leg.