In the design of juicer products, the balance between lightweight and strength of juicer housing is the key to improving user experience, reducing production costs and promoting sustainable development. The goal of "reducing weight without reducing quality" can be achieved through material selection, structural optimization, manufacturing process innovation and functional integration.
Traditional 304 stainless steel is widely used due to its excellent corrosion resistance, but its density is relatively high (about 7.93g/cm³). The use of high-strength and low-density stainless steel (such as 316L or duplex stainless steel) can significantly improve material utilization. For example, while maintaining corrosion resistance, 316L stainless steel has a yield strength that is 20%-30% higher than 304, allowing the material thickness to be reduced under the same strength requirements, thereby reducing weight. In addition, the new austenitic-ferritic duplex stainless steel has both high strength and good toughness, and is suitable for complex structural parts.
Through topological optimization technology, redundant materials in non-load-bearing areas of the housing can be removed. For example, finite element analysis (FEA) is used to simulate the stress state of the shell. Under the premise of ensuring stiffness and strength, the wall thickness is optimized from 1.2mm to 0.8mm. The local reinforcement rib design can further strengthen the weak parts. A certain brand of juicer uses this method to reduce the weight of the shell by 15%, while improving the vibration performance by 10%.
Thinning is the core means of lightweighting, but the problem of strength reduction caused by thinning wall thickness needs to be solved. The use of special-shaped cross-section design (such as wavy and honeycomb) can increase the moment of inertia of the section and enhance the bending resistance. For example, the side wall of the shell is designed to be wavy, which can maintain equivalent stiffness when the thickness is reduced by 30%. In addition, laser welding technology can achieve precise connection of thin-walled parts and avoid the performance degradation of the heat-affected zone caused by traditional welding.
Combining stainless steel with high-strength plastics (such as polycarbonate PC) or carbon fiber composites can achieve complementary performance. For example, the main body of the shell is made of stainless steel to ensure strength, and the top or handle is embedded with carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), which can reduce weight and improve grip comfort. A high-end juicer achieved an overall weight reduction of 20% and a cost reduction of 12% through this design.
Surface hardening treatment (such as PVD coating) can improve the surface hardness of stainless steel and reduce the material thickness requirement. For example, after increasing the surface hardness of the shell from HV200 to HV500, the thickness can be reduced from 1.0mm to 0.7mm. In addition, integrating functional modules such as heating and touch inside the shell can reduce additional accessories and further optimize space utilization.
Precision casting and laser cutting technology can achieve precise molding of complex shapes and reduce material waste. For example, the use of selective laser melting (SLM) 3D printing technology can directly manufacture juicer housing with an internal lattice structure, and the weight reduction effect can reach more than 40%. In addition, the combination of water jet cutting and CNC bending technology can realize the processing of high-precision thin-walled parts and reduce post-processing costs.
Lightweight design must take into account environmental impact. Choose a stainless steel grade with high recyclability (such as 304L) and optimize the shell disassembly structure for easy recycling and reuse. For example, using snap-on connections instead of welding can reduce the difficulty of disassembly. In addition, simulation analysis is used to predict the life of the shell in different usage scenarios to avoid material waste caused by over-design.
The lightweight design of juicer housing needs to focus on the dynamic balance between strength and weight, and achieve a double breakthrough in performance and cost through material innovation, structural optimization, process upgrades and functional integration. In the future, with the in-depth development of 3D printing, smart materials and circular economy concepts, lightweight design will further promote the evolution of the small household appliance industry towards high efficiency, environmental protection and sustainability.
