Winding Profile Centering for Precise Metal Grid Reinforcement Welding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing machines for producing metal mesh reinforcements from metal profiles face challenges in efficiently adjusting the welding unit and processing different winding profile diameters, leading to interruptions and increased personnel requirements, with a need for improved automation and reduced susceptibility to faults.

Innovation Solution

The machine incorporates a winding profile guide with a contact side and positioning side that are movable relative to each other, allowing for precise centering and alignment of the winding profile, combined with a spring-mounted welding unit that can be automatically adjusted to ensure accurate welding, minimizing deviations and interruptions during the manufacturing process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the welding unit is manually adjusted for different outer reinforcement dimensions and different coiled profile diameters, then the machine can process various reinforcements, but this involves considerable time and personnel expenditure and causes interruptions to the manufacturing process

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveability to process various reinforcements with different dimensionsVSAvoidadjustment time and process interruptions
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The wound profile guide is designed with movable contact sides and positioning sides that can dynamically adjust their position relative to each other. This dynamic structure allows the guide to adapt to different coiled profile diameters automatically during operation, eliminating the need for manual repositioning and maintaining continuous production without interruptions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The wound profile guide automatically centers and positions the wound profile through the coordinated movement of its contact sides and positioning sides. The system self-adjusts to accommodate different profile dimensions without requiring external intervention or personnel involvement, thereby reducing time loss and maintaining productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If the wound profile is fed from a template to the welding unit without precise positioning, then the feeding process is simple, but the welding precision and alignment at the connection point deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesimplicity of wound profile feedingVSAvoidwelding alignment precision at connection point
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The wound profile guide acts as an intermediary device between the template and the welding unit. It receives the wound profile from the template, centers it precisely through the coordinated action of contact sides and positioning sides, and then delivers it to the welding unit in the correct position, ensuring both ease of operation and high welding precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The wound profile guide performs preliminary centering and positioning actions on the wound profile before it reaches the welding unit. By pre-positioning the profile correctly using the movable contact sides and positioning sides with coordinated recesses, the system ensures that the subsequent welding operation can proceed with high precision without requiring complex adjustments at the welding point.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4175777B1Machine for producing a metal grid reinforcement
Publication Date: 2024.07.10 MBK MASCHENBAU
  • EP4175777B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4175777B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4175777B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to an apparatus for producing a metal grid reinforcement from a plurality of metal profiles comprising a plurality of longitudinal profiles (3) and a winding profile, the apparatus having a welding unit for welding a longitudinal profile (3) to a winding profile at a connection of the two metal profiles, and a winding profile guide (13) guiding the winding profile, which can be fed from a provision location of the winding profile to the winding profile guide, to the welding unit. According to the invention, the winding profile guide (13) has a contact side and a positioning side, the contact side and the positioning side being movable relative to one another, and the contact side and the positioning side being matched to one another in such a way that a winding profile which has been fed and is present between the contact side and the positioning side is forced into a centered position when the positioning side and the contact side are moved towards one another, the positioning side having a recess which is matched to the winding profile and into which a longitudinal portion of a centered winding profile engages.