Sheet metal parts are important components of air conditioners, and the sheet metal structure should focus on reliability, assemblability, maintainability, cost and other issues. This article focuses on examples from the aspects of sheet metal fabrication structure optimization, process optimization, and nesting process optimization.
Sheet metal structure optimization is summarized as sheet metal assembly positioning, sheet metal assembly less screws, sheet metal deformation prevention, simple assembly structure design.
Sheet Metal Structure Optimization
Pre-positioning of assembly – fixed by the card slot and fixed by the mounting ears
Before the improvement, the electric control box is fixed by the limit card slot. When fixing the electric control box, you need to hold the electric control box with your hand and screw it, which is small in space and inconvenient to operate. After the improvement, the hanging ear structure is used, which is not required when fixing the electric sheet metal box The electric control box is held by hand, which improves the assembly efficiency.
Summary: In order to improve the assemblability of sheet metal parts, try to pre-position the sheet metal parts when designing them, and then use bolts to fix them.
Fewer screws – Fixing the platen with screws and changing it with buckles
Before the improvement, the piping pressure plate was fixed with 10 screws; after the improvement, the clip structure was used, and 4 screws were used.
Summary: less screw assembly is a trend, and buckle is a common method. It should be noted that the sheet metal buckle often requires mold processing, and the disassembly should be comprehensively considered (for example, using 2 buckles + welding to fix, it is difficult to disassemble later).
Anti-deformation – Reinforcement to rectify the deformation of the diversion ring
Before the improvement, the sheet metal thickness of the guide ring was 1.2mm, which was easily squeezed during transportation and was slightly deformed into an oval shape; Meet the quality requirements.
Summary: Cylindrical sheet metal parts are easy to be squeezed and deformed during production and transportation because the thickness of the plate is thin, and the pressure ribs and flanging can be added at the edges to effectively reduce the degree of deformation.
Simple assembly – change to U-shaped hole
Before the improvement, the wire-passing hole was a circular hole, which was difficult to operate; after the improvement, the wire-passing hole was a U-shaped hole, which was easy to operate and improved in efficiency.
Sheet Metal Process Optimization
One-piece forming of sheet metal parts – optimization of small chassis components
Before the improvement, the welding parts of the small sheet metal chassis were connected and assembled by the small chassis components and the small chassis bracket with screws, and 10 screws were assembled, which affected the overall assembly efficiency; Sheet metal material, shortens the time for screwing and assembling.
The plastic of the left side plate of the volute is changed to sheet metal integrated
Before the improvement, there are plastic side plates on both sides of the volute. The assembly process route is: take the volute, the side plate, the wind wheel → install one side plate → turn the volute → install the wind wheel → install the other side plate.
After the improvement, the volute has only one side plate, and the other side of the plastic side plate is changed to sheet metal. The assembly process route is: take the volute, side plate, wind wheel → install wind wheel → install side plate.
Welding to riveting process
Before the improvement, the water outlet pipe of the water receiving pan was fixed by welding, which has low welding efficiency and high welding labor cost; after the improvement, the riveting method is used for riveting (the inner diameter of the water pipe is required to be higher) The riveting efficiency is high and the cost is low.
Narrow strip stamping, bending and flattening process
Before the improvement, the whole piece of sheet metal was blanked and formed, which wasted the intermediate material; after the improvement, the technological process was the next strip → forming → flattening, and a set of flattening dies was added to save the intermediate material.
Hole opening in sheet metal space, stamping, rewinding, circular welding and forming
- Before the improvement, the processing route was: blanking of the whole sheet metal → punching → stretching → notch punching, which wasted a large piece of material in the middle.
- After the improvement, the processing route is as follows: lowering the sheet material → rounding → straight welding → closing the bottom bevel → stretch forming → punching the notch, which saves the intermediate material.
Optimization of mold discharge process
Before the improvement, single-piece blanking, there is a lot of leftover material during blanking, which wastes materials; after the improvement, double-piece blanking is used, and there is less leftover material during blanking, saving materials. Specifically shown in Figure 3.
Summary
Sheet metal parts are the main parts of central air-conditioning products, from assembly efficiency, reliabilityIn terms of product structure, the following three points should be paid attention to:
- Structure optimization. pre-scheduled, Less screw, anti-deformation.
- Process optimization.Some sheet metal parts can beIn the current situation, integration, welding to TOX riveting can be comprehensively considered to improve processing efficiency. Rate.
- Quota optimization.Considering the processing technology quota, attention should be paid to reasonable layout (for Weighing/asymmetric, large sets of small pieces, etc.), or consider reducing the quota in the process.
Weighing/asymmetric, large sets of small pieces, etc.), or consider reducing the quota in the process
Sheet fabrication services for mild steel, high strength low alloy (HSLA) steel, cold/hot rolled steel, galvanized steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper and brass. Capable of fabricating parts up to 12 ft. length and +/-0.001 in. tolerance. Various capabilities include contract manufacturing,custom stamping,edge rolling, forming,top laser cutting, roll bending and welding. Finishing and secondary services such as hardware installation, tapping, deburring, cleaning, heat treating, plating, anodizing and painting available. Sheet Metal Prototype and low to high volume production runs offered. Suitable for commercial/residential architectural, aluminum brake shape parts, wall panel systems, brackets, general flashings, rails, call button plates and ship building component parts.