Taking unconventional approaches to design solutions is part of tech-solute GmbH's day-to-day business. The Bruchsal-based company, which specializes in technical product innovations, was founded in 2002 by mechanical engineers Dr.-Ing. Marcus Saak and Dr.-Ing. Dirk Schweinberger, who were working at the Institute for Product Development (IPEK) at the University of Karlsruhe at the time. While their initial focus was purely on concept development, the range of services offered by their company expanded with the increasing demands of customers to implement technical ideas through to near-series designs. Under the management of the two owners, tech-solute now develops a variety of ideas through to series production, creates functional models and prototypes and supports the process of in-house and customer innovation development. For example, tech-solute recently developed and prototyped an assembly aid for working on laboratory samples for a customer in the field of biomedical measurement technology. This new design makes it possible to move the sample head freely in different planes and to position it without any effort. The mounting aid is then securely fixed in the best possible position for the personnel and the samples. For this purpose, four clamping elements and a gas pressure spring from ACE Stoßdämpfer GmbH are combined in one construction.

For this application, the engineers at tech-solute have combined four different clamping elements and a gas pressure spring from ACE in a single design, in addition to other high-quality standard components for linear drives and pneumatics. © tech-solute GmbH

Fast, cost-effective and efficient solution sought
Thanks to the clever combination of these and other components, as well as agile product development, the mechanical development team led by project manager Philipp Aders from tech-solute succeeded in creating a functional prototype sample head holder in a short space of time, which has already proven itself in production tests. Managing Director Dr.-Ing. Dirk Schweinberger comments on the procedure: "As we were looking for a quick, cost-effective and efficient solution, the plan was to use standard components. We were familiar with the advantages of ACE machine elements from previous projects. The clamping elements allow them to be fixed in any position and, thanks to the gas pressure spring, the up and down movements are smooth and effortless." In line with the order and the requirements of modern laboratory work, the focus is on ease of use for the operating personnel of the sample head. The new tech-solute design allows all four axes to be adjusted individually. Only one hand is required to release the respective axis and the other to reposition the specimen. Compared to the ball vices previously used by the customer for this purpose, it has been possible to make operation easier in the truest sense of the word. "Previously in the laboratory, the direction of movement was not always really predictable with a sample weight of up to ten kilograms. This meant that the staff also had to manually secure, hold and align the samples," says Philipp Aders, describing the previously cumbersome, time-consuming and error-prone work process. The new assembly aid, on the other hand, enables modern assembly, says the design engineer, adding: "Thanks to the four axes, the sample body can now be positioned in such a way that all areas where assembly and soldering is required can be easily reached without the fitters having to contort themselves."

The LOCKED elements from ACE clamp and brake masses reliably and are suitable for both linear and rotary controlled holding in all process sequences. © ACE Shock absorber GmbH

High-quality standard components found
The assembly aid is attached to a height-adjustable table with a vertical aluminum linear guide. This makes it possible to move the entire articulated head up and down relative to the table top using an electric drive. A gas pressure spring type GS-22-250 from ACE is installed to facilitate the lifting and lowering of the specimen head holder. The desired quick implementation was supported by the calculation and configuration tools on the ACE Stoßdämpfer GmbH homepage.

Customer-specific designs and orders are therefore possible within a short space of time. In the case of ACE industrial gas springs, the subsequent customer-specific filling and delivery usually takes place within one working day. Gas pressure or gas tension springs are best used when reliable support of muscle power by means of a hydraulically functioning machine element is required. Once the sample head holder is in the desired position thanks to the mechanical assistance, a clamping unit for linear guides from ACE takes over the locking. The LOCKED PLK30-1-4B machine element is characterized by its compact design and ensures maximum holding forces even with greased rails. "It is released via a button on the rod end, which releases the clamping unit by applying pressure," says Philipp Aders, pleased with the precise hold and the ease of work. Further clamping forces act on the housing, which is attached to the linear slide. This is where the first axis of rotation of the assembly aid, which is arranged perpendicular to the linear guide, is located. Two type R70-4B rotary clamping units from ACE are responsible for rotation and locking. A PN63-20-2-4B rod clamping element is also installed centrally between the rotary clamping units. In addition, plain bearings ensure that when the rod clamp is released, only rotation and no translation is possible and the axle is supported in the intended position. These three axes are used for flexible orientation of the sample head. All fixing components are released via pneumatic valves and are tightened in the normal state. For the rotation of the sample head around its own axis, the tech-solute team has provided a bearing with three rollers, which is held in place by a brake block. The inner ring of this bearing can be divided and enables a variety of different sample heads to be attached to the mounting aid. Managing Director Dr.-Ing. Dirk Schweinberger sums up: "As requested by our customer, an overall design has been created that allows an optimal interplay between controlled movement and secure fixing in any position desired by the laboratory staff."