The team's atmosphere became more enthusiastic, and their enthusiasm for tackling the problem grew even stronger. However, the stubborn problem of thin-walled component deformation was not so easily tamed. The improvement plan that Liu Li and Zhou Wei worked together to develop had some effect after several trials, but it was always just a little bit off; it was still one last push away from achieving stable control within the acceptable range.
Where did the problem lie? Everyone gathered around the latest experimental data and the fixture that was being worked on to look more and more professional, discussing it animatedly.
“We’ve added support points and distributed the prestressing step by step, so why is the middle part still a bit ‘collapsed’?” Liu Li pointed to the tiny residual deformation area on the workpiece, her brows furrowed in worry.
Zhou Wei stared at his theoretical model, which had been revised several times, completely baffled: "According to the model, the stress distribution should be relatively uniform... Could it be that the fixture itself undergoes slight deformation when subjected to force, affecting the compensation effect?"
Sun Mei, who hadn't said much, was carefully measuring several key connection points of the clamp with a lever micrometer when she suddenly spoke up: "Look, the gap between the support arm and the base seems to be a little larger than the design value."
Everyone crowded around to take a look, and sure enough! Due to the machining precision and repeated disassembly and assembly, there was an extremely slight looseness in the hinge area. It was not noticeable under normal circumstances, but once subjected to the impact of cutting forces, this looseness would be magnified, causing the actual position of the support point to drift, and the compensation effect would naturally be reduced.
"No wonder I always felt the force wasn't being transmitted properly!" Liu Li slapped her thigh. "I was so focused on compensating the workpiece that I didn't realize the 'compensation tool' itself had given up first!"
The cause has been found, but how to treat it? Improving machining precision? Unrealistic in the short term. Redesigning a more complex connection method? Too time-consuming.
Old Zhang from the materials group, who had been listening in, stared at the hinged structure for a long time before slowly speaking up: "I'm thinking, could we try a different approach? Instead of just trying to 'lock it in,' could we learn from the pin connection on a tractor track? Leave some necessary leeway, but lock it in place in the key stress directions to prevent it from moving around?"
His words were like a bolt of lightning, instantly cleaving through the fog in Liu Li's mind!
"Mr. Zhang, your idea is brilliant!" Liu Li's eyes lit up, and she immediately grabbed a pen and started drawing. "We can add a simple 'directional limit block' at this hinge! It won't affect the adjustment normally, but once it's subjected to that tangential force that causes it to loosen, the limit block will push up and lock it in place! It's like adding a latch to a door; it won't hinder opening and closing, but a strong wind won't blow it open!"
This idea coincided perfectly with one of Zhou Wei's previous theoretical ideas about "constraint optimization"! Zhou Wei excitedly added, "Yes! This ensures both flexibility and enhanced rigidity in a specific direction! We can make this limit block adjustable to accommodate forces of different magnitudes!"
Once the approach was clear, subsequent optimizations went much more smoothly. Everyone contributed their ideas, one after another. Some suggested adding a disc spring under the force-applying screw to make the prestressing application more stable; others proposed optimizing the shape of the support pad to increase the contact area and reduce pressure…
Based on the collective feedback, Liu Li revised the fixture design again. This time, she didn't work alone; instead, she consulted with the experienced mechanics in the machine repair team to implement those ingenious "homemade methods" into the specific processing and assembly.
When the improved fixture was reinstalled on the lathe for verification, the effect was immediately apparent!
The deformation of the workpiece was stably controlled within a very small range, and the pass rate of several key dimensions was greatly improved! The residual deformation that had troubled everyone for so long has almost disappeared!
Looking at the impressive data on the test report, the entire team was filled with a sense of accomplishment. This crucial optimization was not the result of a single person's flash of inspiration, but rather the result of everyone on the team contributing their wisdom, inspiring each other, and working together.
Looking at her former strangers who were now fighting alongside her, Liu Li felt a deep sense of gratitude. She knew that without them, her rudimentary idea would never have come this far.
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