Welded Sheet Metal Crankcase for Piston Compressor

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Solution Overview

Problem

Piston compressors with cast crankcases require active cooling, increasing costs, while those with welded crankcases are costly due to manual welding and complex recess formation, and lack efficient thermal insulation.

Innovation Solution

A crankcase manufactured from two angle-bent sheet metal body parts, flat end walls, and a saddle-shaped cylinder support part, connected by robot welding, allowing for automated production and eliminating the need for active cooling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a cast crankcase is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but active cooling is required which increases total system cost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecrankcase manufacturing costVSAvoidtotal system cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the material parameter from cast material to sheet metal, and changes the wall thickness parameter to thin-walled construction. This allows the crankcase to be manufactured without active cooling, eliminating the need for cooling medium installations and reducing total system cost while maintaining manufacturing efficiency through automated sheet metal forming and welding processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces the cast crankcase structure with a welded sheet metal construction. This substitution enables thin-walled design that does not require active cooling, thereby eliminating cooling medium installations and reducing overall system cost while maintaining structural integrity through modern welding techniques

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Quantity of substance

If a welded crankcase is used, then active cooling is eliminated, but manufacturing cost increases due to manual welding

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetotal system costVSAvoidcrankcase manufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention employs automated welding robots that perform the welding operations autonomously without manual intervention. The sheet metal parts are positioned and welded automatically, eliminating the need for costly manual welding operations while maintaining the thin-walled welded construction that eliminates active cooling requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the manufacturing process parameter from manual welding to automated robot welding. This parameter change reduces labor costs and manufacturing complexity while maintaining the welded construction advantage of eliminating active cooling systems, thereby reducing total system cost

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If manual welding is used for welded crankcase, then recesses can be formed, but productivity is reduced and cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverecess formation accuracyVSAvoidcrankcase production efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention uses automated welding robots that perform welding operations autonomously with high precision and speed. The robots can form recesses and weld joints automatically, eliminating the need for manual operations and significantly increasing production efficiency while maintaining or improving manufacturing precision through consistent automated processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces manual welding operations with automated robot welding systems. This substitution increases productivity by eliminating slow manual operations while maintaining or improving precision through programmed automated processes, thereby resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and production efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Quantity of substance

If thin-walled welded crankcase is used, then active cooling is eliminated, but thermal insulation is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidcrankcase temperature control

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the cooling function from the crankcase structure by using thin-walled welded construction that naturally dissipates heat without requiring active cooling systems. The design separates the structural function from the thermal management function, allowing the thin-walled crankcase to operate without cooling medium installations while maintaining acceptable temperature levels through its inherent thermal characteristics

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS9267600B2Crankcase of a piston compressor and piston compressor provided with such crankcase

Publication Date: 2016.02.23 GRASSO PROD

AI summary

A crankcase of a piston compressor including two body parts each comprising a rectangular piece of sheet metal that is angle bent along a limited number of folds and each having two opposite end edges and two longitudinal edges, the body parts including cylinder receiving recesses for receiving cylinders; two substantially flat end walls from a flat sheet; and a cylinder support part comprising a substantially rectangular piece of sheet metal that is angle bent along a limited number, preferably one or two folds, so as to be saddle-shaped and including cylinder receiving recesses; wherein the end walls and the two body parts are connected to each other by welds so as to form the crankcase. Also disclosed is a piston compressor provided with such a crankcase.