Wheel Spraying Tooling for Uniform Hard Coating

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing wheel manufacturing technologies lack effective tooling for uniformly applying hard coatings to the inner rim and spoke back cavity of wheels, leading to issues of uneven spraying and poor roundness due to lack of precise positioning and radial/axial impact during the coating process.

Innovation Solution

A tooling system comprising a wheel hub positioning and rotating system, a wheel assisting system, and a hard coating spraying system, which includes a servo motor-driven shaft for axial and radial positioning, rollers for impact elimination, and adjustable nozzles for precise coating application on wheels of varying sizes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional spraying method is used without specialized tooling, then the process is simple, but the coating uniformity and roundness are poor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoating uniformityVSAvoidtooling structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The device is divided into three independent functional modules: wheel hub positioning and rotating system, wheel assisting system, and hard coating spraying system. Each module performs a specific function and can be independently adjusted, allowing complex coating operations to be broken down into manageable segments that achieve uniform coating while maintaining operational simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The wheel hub positioning system incorporates multiple positioning mechanisms (axial positioning, radial positioning, clamping) and rotating capabilities into a single integrated fixture. The wheel assisting system provides both support and rotation assistance functions. This multi-functional design achieves precise coating uniformity without requiring multiple separate tooling devices

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Productivity

If high-speed spraying is used to improve productivity, then the spraying speed increases, but wheel deformation and uneven spraying occur due to high-impact collision

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespraying speedVSAvoidcoating roundness
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The wheel assisting system is designed to counteract the harmful effects of high-speed spraying before they can cause damage. The supporting rollers and rotation assistance mechanism preemptively stabilize the wheel against the high-impact collision from hard coating particles, preventing deformation and uneven spraying while maintaining high productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The wheel assisting system acts as an intermediary between the high-speed spraying process and the wheel. It mediates the interaction by providing support and controlled rotation, allowing high-speed spraying to proceed without directly transmitting harmful impacts to the wheel, thus maintaining both productivity and coating precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the nozzle position is fixed, then the device structure is simple, but it cannot adapt to wheels of different sizes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewheel size adaptabilityVSAvoidnozzle positioning system
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The nozzle position is made dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. The hard coating spraying system incorporates movable nozzle components that can be repositioned along the wheel perimeter and adjusted in distance from the wheel surface. This dynamic positioning capability allows adaptation to wheels of different sizes while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3650127B1Tooling for spraying reinforcement on a wheel
Publication Date: 2022.10.26 CITIC DICASTAL CO LTD
  • EP3650127B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3650127B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The present disclosure is to provide a tooling for wheel spraying reinforcement, which can uniformly apply a hard coating on the inner rim and the spoke back cavity of a wheel, and can effectively solve the technical problems of uneven spraying and poor roundness. The high-precision spraying of the hard coating of the wheel is realized, and the device has novel structure, advanced technology and high universality.