Wire Billet Butt-Welding with Automatic Coil Flipping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional wire billet butt-welding methods are highly labor-intensive, pose safety hazards, and have low productivity due to manual handling of heavy coils.

Innovation Solution

A wire billet butt-welding apparatus that enables automatic loading, flipping, and discharging, utilizing a rotary plate and a butt-welding stock receiver to perform semi-automatic butt-welding operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual flipping operation is used to re-order wire billet coils, then the coils can be re-positioned for welding, but the labor intensity is high and safety hazards occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanual flipping operationVSAvoidsafety hazards
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The wire billet coil performs self-flipping by rotating around the stock receiving rod. The coil is fed through the rod and then rotated 180 degrees in place, allowing it to flip itself without external manual intervention. This eliminates the safety hazards associated with manual flipping while maintaining the re-positioning function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The stock receiving rod acts as an intermediary tool that facilitates the flipping operation. By threading the wire billet through the rod and using the rod as an axis of rotation, the system enables controlled self-flipping of the coil without requiring direct manual handling of the heavy and loose wire billet.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If manual welding operation is used for butt-welding wire billet coils, then the welding can be performed, but the productivity is low and labor intensity is high

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewelding throughputVSAvoidmanual handling
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The wire billet coil performs self-loading and self-flipping operations. The coil is automatically fed through the stock receiving rod and then rotates itself to re-position for the next welding operation. This eliminates the need for manual loading and flipping, significantly improving productivity while reducing labor intensity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables continuous welding operations by maintaining the wire billet in a ready position through automatic self-flipping. While one coil is being welded, the next coil is automatically prepared and positioned, eliminating idle time and maintaining continuous productive action throughout the welding process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Productivity

If heavy wire billet coils are handled manually, then the welding process can proceed, but safety hazards and physical demand increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous welding capabilityVSAvoidsafety hazards
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The wire billet coil performs all handling operations itself - feeding through the stock receiving rod, rotating 180 degrees to flip, and re-positioning for welding. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual handling of heavy coils, removing safety hazards while enabling continuous welding capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The manual mechanical handling system is replaced with an automated self-flipping mechanism. The wire billet uses its own structure and the stock receiving rod as an axis to perform rotational movement, substituting human physical effort with a self-contained mechanical system that is safer and more efficient.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP4427859B1Wire billet butt-welding apparatus and method
Publication Date: 2025.06.11 ZHEJIANG HAILIANG
  • EP4427859B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4427859B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4427859B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

To solve the problems of conventional wire billet butt-welding such as high labor intensity, potential safety hazards, and low production efficiency, the disclosure provides a wire billet butt-welding apparatus and a wire billet butt-welding method. The wire billet butt-welding apparatus comprises: a rotary plate, a butt-welding stock receiver, and a wire billet butt-welder for welding, the wire billet butt-welder comprising a welding mechanism and a welding-scar removing mechanism, the welding-scar removing mechanism comprising a punching part, a grinding part, a sliding rack, and a vertical rail, the vertical rail being fixed on the sliding platform, the punching part and the grinding part being fixed on the sliding rack and slidingly connected to the vertical rail via the sliding rack, wherein the grinding part is disposed below the punching part.