Wind Turbine Mold Clamp with Spherical Bearing Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional clamps for mold alignment in large composite parts, such as wind turbine blades, suffer from damage to moving parts, require complex assembly, are costly, and experience seal wear due to misalignment, leading to production downtime.
Innovation Solution
A clamping device with a catch plate and engaging part that uses spherical bearings for rotation and adjustment, allowing for precise alignment and reducing lateral loads on actuators, featuring a hydraulic actuator with improved durability and ease of assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional clamps with thin sheet metal covers and hinged mechanisms are used, then operator safety is improved by covering moving parts, but the thin cover is easily damaged and requires complex assembly with extra parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the hinged cover and spring mechanism entirely, extracting the safety function to a simpler fixed guard structure that does not require moving parts or complex assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the fragile thin sheet metal cover with a more robust fixed guard structure that is less susceptible to damage and does not require hinged connections
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional clamps with fixed alignment are used, then manufacturing is simplified, but misalignment causes wear on hydraulic cylinder seals leading to costly downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces adjustable alignment features that allow the clamp to adapt to misalignment conditions, transforming a static fixed-alignment system into a dynamically adjustable one that compensates for positioning errors
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables adjustment of alignment parameters (position and orientation) of the clamp components to compensate for misalignment, preventing excessive lateral loads on the hydraulic cylinder
3Device complexity
If conventional clamps with lateral misalignment are used, then device complexity is reduced, but lateral loads cause wear on cylinder seals and production downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates adjustable alignment mechanisms that allow the clamp to adapt to misalignment conditions, preventing excessive lateral loads that would cause seal wear and downtime
Solution Approach 2:
The patent provides adjustment capabilities that allow alignment to be optimized before operation, preventing harmful lateral loads from developing during operation
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
Enhances alignment precision, reduces part damage, simplifies assembly, and prolongs actuator lifespan, minimizing downtime and costs in manufacturing large composite parts.
Implementation Method 1
an actuator (54)
Implementation Method 2
spherical bearings for rotation and adjustment
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~9
Figure 10~12
AI summary
A clamping device for a mold, such as a wind turbine blade mold, used for the manufacture of a wind turbine blade for a wind turbine generator. The mold has two parts (mold-halves), and the clamping device has a catch plate attached to a first mold part, and a clamp body fixed to the second mold part. In use, the ca tch plate is inserted into a slot in the clamp body along an insertion path. An actuator moves an engaging part into contact with the catch plate to urge the catch plate along the insertion path with a clamping force for closing the mold parts and to reta in the catch plate in the insertion slot. The engaging part is formed of a plate that contacts the catch plate and forms a cover for one end of the clamp body when the mold is closed or when the clamp is not in use.