Wire Feed Roller Tensioning for Welding Wire Wear Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wire conveying systems in welding and thermal coating processes face issues with frictional losses, wear, and high setup costs due to heavy wire stock rolls and intermittent wire consumption, leading to inefficient and costly drive systems and increased plant downtimes.
Innovation Solution
A method and device where the wire is unrolled from a rotatably arranged supply roll using a wire feed roller with a smooth outer circumference, ensuring frictional engagement only when tensioned, and guided by driven conveying rollers with controlled pretension, allowing for frequency-controlled and low-power operation, minimizing contact pressure and wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high contact pressure is applied by wire feed rollers to overcome friction losses in long wire guides, then wire feeding reliability is improved, but wire surface is damaged and wear occurs on wire deflection devices and spray guns
Solution Approach 1:
A tensioning device is introduced as an intermediary component between the wire supply roll and the wire consumer. This tensioning device applies controlled tension to the wire, ensuring sufficient contact pressure at the wire feed rollers to overcome friction losses in long wire guides, while preventing excessive contact pressure that would damage the wire surface. The tensioning device thus mediates between the conflicting requirements of reliable wire feeding and wire surface protection.
2Reliability
If continuous drive is applied to heavy wire stock rolls (>200 kg), then wire supply is ensured, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic action by using a tensioning device that operates intermittently based on wire consumption patterns. Instead of continuously driving heavy wire stock rolls, the tensioning device applies tension only when wire needs to be fed, allowing the wire supply roll to rotate freely when no wire is being consumed. This periodic operation reduces drive system complexity and cost while maintaining reliable wire supply.
3Productivity
If wire is tensioned sufficiently for frictional contact with feed roller, then wire feeding efficiency is improved, but wire surface roughening occurs leading to increased wear
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies parameter changes by carefully controlling the tension force applied by the tensioning device. The tension is optimized to provide sufficient frictional contact between the wire and feed roller for efficient wire feeding, while remaining below the threshold that would cause wire surface roughening. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between wire feeding efficiency and wire wear prevention.
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
The solution enables continuous, wear-free wire conveyance with reduced drive power consumption, minimizing setup times and costs, and maintaining a smooth wire surface to reduce wear on subsequent components.
Implementation Method 1
the wire being at least in some operating states frictionally engages the outer circumference of the wire feed roller
Implementation Method 2
the wire being conveyed by rotating the conveying rollers
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The method comprises rolling up wire (2) using a wire conveyor roller (5) driven by a drive device, from a revolvably arranged wire supply roller (3), where the external circumference of the wire conveyor roller adjoins the wire in frictionally engaged manner. The wire conveyor roller is driven in phases by the drive device. The elasticity required for a frictionally engaged power transmission by the wire conveyor roller is applied by a conveyor device (8), which is arranged between the wire conveyor roller and a welding - or spraying device (4). The method comprises rolling up wire (2) using a wire conveyor roller (5) driven by a drive device, from a revolvably arranged wire supply roller (3), where the external circumference of the wire conveyor roller adjoins the wire in frictionally engaged manner. The wire conveyor roller is driven in phases by the drive device. The elasticity required for a frictionally engaged power transmission by the wire conveyor roller is applied by a conveyor device (8), which is arranged between the wire conveyor roller and a welding - or spraying device (4). The conveyor device comprises a pair of conveyor rollers, between which the wire is clamped. The wire is conveyed through the rotation of the conveyor roller. The wire adjoins on a circumference section of more than 90[deg] or 180[deg] at the external circumference of the wire conveyor roller. The wire completely entangles the wire conveyor roller. The conveyor device conveys the wire corresponding to the momentary wire requirement of the welding - or spraying device. The number of revolutions of the wire conveyor roller is 60 U/min. The ratio between the diameter of the wire conveyor roller in millimeter and the number of revolutions of the wire conveyor roller in revolutions per minute is 0.5-10. The ratio between the diameter of the wire conveyor roller in millimeter and the number of revolutions of the wire conveyor roller in revolutions per minute is 6. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for a conveyor device for conveying wire to a welding - or spraying device.