Wire Feed Tip Cleaning Apparatus for Welding Guns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wire feed tips in welding processes often become clogged with weld splatter or hot wire adhesion, restricting wire dispensing, and current refurbishment methods reduce the tip's length and are limited in usage.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning apparatus with a support mechanism and a cleaning member, such as a needle, that can be translated through the wire feed tip's bore to dislodge debris, allowing for effective cleaning without shortening the tip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the wire feed tip is ground to remove weld splatter and adhesion, then the tip's cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the tip's length is reduced and it becomes unusable after limited use
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the cleaning function from the tip itself and implements it as a separate, removable cleaning device that can be inserted into the tip's bore. This allows the tip to be cleaned internally without removing material, preserving the tip's length while effectively removing weld splatter and adhesion through the cleaning member's action within the bore.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning member acts as an intermediary tool that enters the tip's bore to perform cleaning. Instead of directly grinding the tip exterior, the cleaning member mediates the cleaning process by being inserted through the bore and contacting the interior surfaces, allowing effective cleaning without reducing tip length.
2Ease of operation
If the wire feed tip is replaced when clogged, then wire dispensing functionality is restored, but the tip is discarded and cannot be reused
Solution Approach 1:
The invention enables the tip to serve itself through the cleaning device, which can be inserted into and removed from the tip's bore to clean internal surfaces. This self-service cleaning capability allows the tip to be restored to full functionality without replacement, enabling repeated use and preventing loss of the tip substance.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the tip when clogged, the invention allows recovery of the tip through cleaning. The cleaning member is inserted into the bore to remove weld splatter and adhesion, recovering the tip's wire dispensing functionality and enabling it to be used again, thus preventing premature disposal.
3Reliability
If the cleaning member is translated through the wire feed tip's bore, then debris is dislodged and cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning device is segmented into distinct functional components: a support mechanism to hold the tip, a cleaning member to perform the cleaning action, and a control member to drive translation. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, achieving effective cleaning through coordinated action while maintaining manageable device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning member is designed to be translatable relative to the support mechanism, creating a dynamic cleaning system. The control member drives this relative translational movement, allowing the cleaning member to be inserted into and removed from the tip's bore. This dynamic capability enables effective cleaning action while keeping the device structure relatively simple through controlled motion.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for cleaning fabrication equipment, such as for example wire feed tips provided on welding guns. Equipment of that nature usually includes an outlet through which joining or filling material is dispensed and which may easily become blocked by weld splatter or the like when in such close proximity to the work piece being fabricated. The apparatus provides a support means for holding the equipment, cleaning means for removing debris from the equipment, and control means for effecting relative movement of the support means and cleaning means in a swift and efficient manner.