Quenching device and method for steel ball production

Abstract

The invention discloses a quenching device and method for steel ball production, and relates to the technical field of steel ball quenching, in particular to a quenching device and method for steel ball production. The quenching device comprises a base bin, a first quenching barrel and a second quenching barrel are arranged on the upper surface of the base bin, and a plurality of spiral sliding groove plates connected end to end are sequentially arranged in the first quenching barrel from top to bottom; a plurality of spiral chute plates connected end to end and spiral plates arranged on the inner walls of the spiral chute plates are matched with the synergistic effect of first air passages on the inner bottom surfaces of the spiral chute plates and second air passages on the upper surfaces of the spiral plates, so that a stable gradient field of which the temperature is gradually reduced from top to bottom can be constructed and maintained in a first quenching barrel; the steel balls are gradually cooled from gentle to violent in the rolling process along the spiral path, sudden change of the cooling rate is effectively avoided, concentration and superposition of thermal stress and structural stress are fundamentally restrained, and therefore the quenching hardness uniformity, the size stability and the product percent of pass of the steel balls are remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of steel ball quenching technology, and more specifically, to a quenching apparatus and method for steel ball production. Background Technology

[0002] As a key heat treatment process, steel ball quenching aims to significantly improve the hardness, wear resistance, and contact fatigue strength of the steel ball by controlling the transformation of its internal microstructure. This ensures the steel ball can operate stably under harsh conditions of high load and high-speed rotation. Especially for bearing steel balls, the quenching quality directly determines the bearing's service life and operational reliability. From a heat treatment theory perspective, the quenching process of bearing steel balls follows the core logic of "austenitization-rapid cooling," specifically divided into three key stages: heating, holding, and quenching. The first stage is heating, which requires heating the steel ball to the austenitizing temperature range above the critical temperature. The determination of this temperature range must strictly match the material composition of the steel ball—steel balls with different carbon contents and alloy element ratios exhibit significantly different austenitizing temperatures. The core objective of this stage is to completely transform the pearlite, cementite, and other microstructures inside the steel ball into a uniform austenite structure, laying the foundation for subsequent microstructure transformation. The process then proceeds to the heat preservation stage. After reaching the predetermined austenitizing temperature, a constant temperature must be maintained for a period of time. The theoretical basis for this process is the principle of heat conduction homogenization. Heat preservation eliminates the temperature gradient inside the steel ball, ensuring complete austenitization from the surface to the core, and avoiding uneven performance after quenching due to insufficient transformation of local structures. Finally, the quenching stage is followed by the rapid immersion of the high-temperature steel ball in a quenching medium (usually oil or water) for rapid cooling. The core principle is to inhibit the transformation of austenite into soft structures such as pearlite and bainite through rapid cooling, promoting its transformation into high-hardness, wear-resistant martensite under supercooled conditions, thereby achieving a leap in the mechanical properties of the steel ball. For example, the quenching device and method for producing bearing steel balls with application number CN202410808953.4 uses a specific structural design to prevent oxygen from entering the upper quenching chamber, thereby suppressing the combustion phenomenon caused by the contact between quenching oil and high-temperature steel balls during the quenching process. Even if a local flame appears in the chamber, the combustion range and duration will be limited due to insufficient oxygen supply, which has certain advantages in terms of safety protection. However, from the perspective of the core requirements for quenching quality control, existing technologies have significant shortcomings. According to the core theory of steel ball quenching, the key to quenching quality lies in the uniformity and controllability of the cooling rate. This is because if the cooling rate of the steel ball changes abruptly during quenching, it will lead to severe thermal and structural stresses within the ball. Thermal stress originates from the difference in cooling rates between the surface and the core of the steel ball. When the surface cools and contracts rapidly, it is hindered by the uncooled area in the core, while the subsequent cooling and contraction of the core is constrained by the already cooled and hardened surface. Structural stress originates from the transformation process of austenite to martensite. Differences in volume expansion and variations in the timing and degree of transformation in different regions can lead to the superposition of internal stresses. When these stresses exceed the yield strength of the steel ball material, they can cause fatal defects such as cracks and deformation in the steel ball. In the device disclosed in this prior art, the quenching oil adopts an intermittent circulation design, which causes the steel ball to repeatedly enter a low-temperature quenching oil environment with similar temperatures in different quenching spaces. This results in frequent abrupt changes in the cooling rate, making it impossible to form a stable cooling gradient. Consequently, it is difficult to avoid the superposition effect of thermal stress and structural stress, ultimately affecting the quenching quality of the steel ball and the product qualification rate. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a quenching apparatus and method for steel ball production, which solves the problems mentioned in the background section.

[0004] The technical solution of this invention is as follows: To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a quenching device for steel ball production, comprising a base chamber, wherein a first quenching barrel and a second quenching barrel are disposed on the upper surface of the base chamber, and a plurality of spiral sliding groove plates connected end to end are disposed sequentially from top to bottom in the first quenching barrel, and the upper and lower adjacent spiral sliding groove plates are staggered vertically, and the inner walls of the plurality of spiral sliding groove plates are provided with spiral plates that can move vertically, the inner bottom surface of the spiral sliding groove plates is provided with a plurality of first air passages, the upper surface of the spiral plates is provided with a plurality of second air passages, and a plurality of elastic telescopic components are disposed between each spiral sliding groove plate and its corresponding spiral plate.

[0005] Preferably, an air suction barrel is provided on the upper surface of the first quenching barrel, and an air pump that can continuously draw air from the first quenching barrel is fixedly installed inside the air suction barrel.

[0006] Preferably, the upper surface of the first quenching barrel is provided with a feed inlet, and the inner top surface of the first quenching barrel is hinged with a sealing plate that can completely cover the feed inlet. One end of the lower surface of the sealing plate is fixedly connected to a plurality of return springs, one end of which is fixedly connected to the inner circumferential surface of the first quenching barrel.

[0007] Preferably, the upper surface of the base chamber has a first communication port at the front that enables the first quenching barrel to communicate with the base chamber, and the upper surface of the base chamber has a third communication port at the rear that enables the second quenching barrel to communicate with the base chamber. The upper surface of the second quenching barrel is provided with an openable sealing cover, and both the second quenching barrel and the first quenching barrel are filled with quenching oil.

[0008] Preferably, a guide plate is fixedly connected to the front end of the top surface of the base compartment, and a guide limiting cylinder that can completely cover the third connecting port is fixedly connected to the rear end of the top surface of the base compartment. A collection bucket that can be pulled out from the opening on the upper surface of the second quenching barrel is slidably connected inside the guide limiting cylinder. A second connecting port is opened on the side of the outer peripheral surface of the guide limiting cylinder near the guide plate, and the end of the guide plate near the collection bucket is fixedly connected to the bottom surface inside the second connecting port.

[0009] Preferably, the upper surface of the base chamber is fixedly connected to a fixed column coaxially with the first quenching barrel, and multiple spiral sliding plates are fixedly connected to the fixed column. The top of the first spiral sliding plate from top to bottom corresponds vertically to the feed port on the upper surface of the first quenching barrel, and the bottom of the last spiral sliding plate from top to bottom corresponds vertically to the first connecting port.

[0010] Preferably, the elastic telescopic component includes an auxiliary sleeve fixedly connected to the inner bottom surface of the spiral slide plate, an auxiliary barrel with one end set on the spiral plate is slidably connected to the inner circumferential surface of the auxiliary sleeve, and a first spring is fixedly connected to the inner bottom surface of the auxiliary sleeve, with the end of the first spring away from the auxiliary sleeve fixedly connected to the inner top surface of the auxiliary barrel.

[0011] Preferably, the second airway is rectangular in shape and is inclined in the direction of a spiral.

[0012] Preferably, the length and width of the inlet end of the second air passage are both greater than the length and width of the outlet end, and there is a spiral space between the inner bottom surfaces of the spiral plate and the spiral groove plate.

[0013] This invention provides a quenching method for steel ball production, comprising: S1: The steel ball is quenched by rotating and rolling in the first quenching barrel. The flue gas generated during the process is extracted from the top of the first quenching barrel by the air pump in the suction barrel. S2: Steel balls and oxide layer fragments are collected through a collection bucket; S3: Remove the collection bucket, then pour out the steel balls and oxide fragments inside the collection bucket, clean the collection bucket, and then place it back into the second quenching bucket.

[0014] Beneficial effects This invention provides a quenching apparatus and method for steel ball production, which has the following beneficial effects: This quenching device and method for steel ball production utilizes multiple interconnected spiral chute plates and spiral plates installed on their inner walls. The synergistic effect of a first air channel on the bottom surface of the spiral chute plates and a second air channel on the upper surface of the spiral plates creates and maintains a stable gradient field with decreasing temperature from top to bottom within the first quenching barrel. This allows the steel balls to experience a gradual cooling process from gentle to intense as they roll along the spiral path, effectively preventing abrupt changes in cooling rate and fundamentally suppressing the concentration and superposition of thermal and structural stresses. This significantly improves the uniformity of quenching hardness, dimensional stability, and product qualification rate of the steel balls. Simultaneously, the periodic vibration of the spiral plates driven by the steel ball load and the directional liquid and airflow generated by their coupling with the air channel structure constitute a highly efficient self-cleaning system. This system continuously removes oxide scale and debris from the steel ball surface during quenching, preventing their accumulation in the chute and ensuring a clean cooling environment and long-term stable operation of the process. This achieves the integration of high-quality quenching and equipment self-maintenance. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the base compartment of the present invention from the right side. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperative structure of the spiral sliding plate, the spiral plate and the fixed column of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a portion of the spiral slide plate of the present invention; Figure 5 For the present invention Figure 4 Enlarged structural diagram at point A; Figure 6 For the present invention Figure 4 Enlarged structural diagram at point B; Figure 7 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the right side of the first quenching barrel of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a partial cross-sectional structural diagram of the spiral plate of the present invention.

[0016] In the diagram: 1. Base chamber; 2. First quenching barrel; 3. Suction barrel; 4. Sealing plate; 5. Second quenching barrel; 6. Sealing cover; 7. Fixed column; 8. Spiral sliding plate; 9. Spiral space; 10. Spiral plate; 11. Guide plate; 12. First connecting port; 13. Second connecting port; 14. Collection barrel; 15. First air passage; 16. Auxiliary sleeve barrel; 17. Auxiliary barrel; 18. First spring; 19. Second air passage; 20. Third connecting port; 21. Guide limiting cylinder. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0018] Example 1 According to the core theory of steel ball quenching, the key to quenching quality lies in the uniformity and controllability of the cooling rate. This is because if the cooling rate changes abruptly during the quenching process, it will lead to severe thermal stress and structural stress within the steel ball. Thermal stress originates from the difference in cooling rates between the surface and the core of the steel ball. When the surface cools and contracts rapidly, it is hindered by the uncooled area in the core, while the subsequent cooling and contraction of the core is constrained by the hardened surface. Structural stress originates from the difference in volume expansion during the transformation of austenite to martensite. The different transformation sequences and degrees in different regions will cause the superposition of internal stresses. When these stresses exceed the yield strength of the steel ball material, they will cause fatal defects such as cracks and deformation in the steel ball. In the prior art, the quenching oil adopts an intermittent circulation design, which causes the steel ball to repeatedly enter the low-temperature quenching oil environment with similar temperatures in different quenching spaces. This results in frequent abrupt changes in the cooling rate, making it impossible to form a stable cooling gradient. Consequently, it is difficult to avoid the superposition effect of thermal stress and structural stress, ultimately affecting the quenching quality and product qualification rate of the steel ball. This embodiment is invented to solve the above problems.

[0019] Please see Figures 1 to 8 The present invention provides a technical solution: a quenching device for steel ball production, comprising a base chamber 1, a first quenching barrel 2 and a second quenching barrel 5 disposed on the upper surface of the base chamber 1, and a plurality of spiral sliding groove plates 8 connected end to end disposed sequentially from top to bottom in the first quenching barrel 2, wherein adjacent spiral sliding groove plates 8 are staggered vertically, and the shape is as follows. Figure 3 As shown, the inner walls of multiple spiral slide plates 8 are provided with spiral plates 10 that can move up and down. Multiple first air passages 15 are opened on the inner bottom surface of the spiral slide plate 8, and multiple second air passages 19 are opened on the upper surface of the spiral plate 10. Multiple elastic telescopic components are provided between each spiral slide plate 8 and its corresponding spiral plate 10.

[0020] Please see Figure 1The upper surface of the first quenching barrel 2 is provided with an air suction barrel 3, and an air pump that can continuously draw air from the first quenching barrel 2 is fixedly installed inside the air suction barrel 3. An air outlet pipe is provided at the top of the air suction barrel 3, and the other end of the pipe is connected to the flue gas treatment device. Thus, the flue gas initially collected in the air suction barrel 3 can be fed into the treatment system for deep purification. After treatment, it is discharged after meeting the emission standards stipulated by regulations, thereby ensuring environmental safety. At the same time, the flue gas treatment device is a conventional existing technology on the market, so its working principle will not be described in detail.

[0021] Please see Figures 1 to 2 The upper surface of the first quenching barrel 2 is provided with a feed inlet. The inner top surface of the first quenching barrel 2 is hinged with a sealing plate 4 that can completely cover the feed inlet. One end of the lower surface of the sealing plate 4 is fixedly connected with a plurality of return springs, one end of which is fixedly connected to the inner circumferential surface of the first quenching barrel 2. The top of the first spiral slide plate 8 from top to bottom corresponds to the feed inlet on the upper surface of the first quenching barrel 2. Therefore, during the quenching operation, when the steel ball to be processed is placed on the sealing plate 4, its weight will cause the sealing plate 4 to rotate downward around the hinge point, thereby opening the feed port. At this time, the steel ball slides into the first quenching barrel 2 under the action of gravity and falls into the spiral sliding groove plate 8 inside it. Although the opening of the feed port may introduce a small amount of air, the air pump in the suction barrel 3 is equipped with a continuously running air pump, which can maintain a stable negative pressure in the feeding area. This airflow control mechanism can remove the oxygen that enters in time, significantly reducing the risk of combustion after the quenching oil comes into contact with the high temperature steel ball, thereby ensuring the operational safety and stability of the system while continuously feeding.

[0022] Please see Figures 1 to 2 The upper surface of the base chamber 1 has a first connecting port 12 at the front, which enables the first quenching barrel 2 to connect with the base chamber 1, and a third connecting port 20 at the rear, which enables the second quenching barrel 5 to connect with the base chamber 1. The upper surface of the second quenching barrel 5 is provided with an openable sealing cover 6. Both the second quenching barrel 5 and the first quenching barrel 2 are filled with quenching oil. When the steel ball enters the first quenching barrel 2, its falling process is not directly immersed in the quenching oil. This is because a specific gas phase buffer space is reserved between the quenching oil surface in the barrel and the feed port at the top of the barrel. The steel ball first passes through this space to achieve a brief pre-cooling and buffering before falling onto the spiral slide plate 8.

[0023] Please see Figures 1 to 8A guide plate 11 is fixedly connected to the front end of the top surface of the base chamber 1, and a guide limiting cylinder 21 that can completely cover the third connecting port 20 is fixedly connected to the rear end of the top surface of the base chamber 1. A collection bucket 14 that can be pulled out from the opening on the upper surface of the second quenching bucket 5 is slidably connected inside the guide limiting cylinder 21. A filter screen is provided in the middle of the collection bucket 14. Therefore, when the collection bucket 14 is pulled outward, the quenching oil, which is full of solid impurities such as oxide scale, must pass through this filter screen during the outflow process, thereby effectively intercepting suspended particles and purifying the outflowing oil. This facilitates direct reuse, which saves production costs and maintains the cleanliness of the oil system. At the same time, the operator can use a lifting device (such as a commonly used electric hoist) to lift the collection bucket 14 smoothly and vertically away from its original position. This operation usually requires first hooking the lifting device onto the collection bucket 14, and then starting the lifting device to slowly raise it under controlled conditions until it is completely lifted. Once outside the work area, since the lifting device used is a mature and widely used general-purpose equipment in the current engineering field, its structural principle, operating procedures and safety points have been standardized, so its specific details will not be elaborated further. The outer peripheral surface of the guide limiting cylinder 21 is provided with a second connecting port 13 near the guide plate 11. The end of the guide plate 11 near the collection bucket 14 is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the second connecting port 13. The bottom end of the last spiral slide plate 8 from top to bottom corresponds vertically to the first connecting port 12. Therefore, after the steel ball rolls out from the spiral slide plate 8, it first falls onto the guide plate 11 below it. The main function of the guide plate 11 is to receive and turn. Its specific tilt angle setting can convert the vertical falling momentum of the steel ball into a clear and controllable horizontal rolling direction, so that it rolls smoothly towards the second connecting port 13. After passing through the second connecting port 13, the steel ball enters the guide limiting cylinder 21 and is finally transferred into the collection bucket 14.

[0024] Please see Figures 1 to 8 The upper surface of the base chamber 1 is fixedly connected to the first quenching barrel 2 with a fixed column 7 coaxially, and multiple spiral sliding plates 8 are fixedly connected to the fixed column 7. Therefore, when the high-temperature steel ball falls into the first spiral chute plate 8 from top to bottom, the quenching process officially starts. From the perspective of heat treatment process principles, the core control point of steel ball quenching quality lies in the uniformity and controllability of the cooling rate. Its essence is to achieve a smooth transformation of austenite to martensite by regulating the cooling rate, avoiding excessive thermal stress and structural stress caused by sudden changes in the cooling rate, and thus preventing defects such as cracks and deformation of the steel ball. Inside the first quenching barrel 2, after the high-temperature steel ball enters the quenching oil, it will quickly transfer the large amount of heat it carries to the surrounding quenching liquid through heat conduction. At the same time, following the thermodynamic principle of the coupling of heat convection and heat conduction, the quenching oil around the steel ball will rapidly heat up due to the influence of high-temperature radiation and conduction. The quenching oil after heating up will generate upward buoyancy due to the decrease in density, thus forming a natural upward flow trend. Meanwhile, the quenching oil with a relatively lower temperature and higher density below will be replenished to the area around the steel ball under the action of gravity, forming a continuous and stable thermal circulation flow. This thermal circulation process ultimately leads to the formation of a stable temperature gradient in the first quenching barrel 2, where the temperature at the top is higher than that at the bottom. The formation of this temperature gradient perfectly matches the process requirements of the progressive quenching of the steel ball. Under this temperature gradient environment, a scientific "soft contact" cooling mode is formed between the steel ball and the quenching liquid. When the steel ball initially enters the quenching zone, it comes into contact with the relatively high-temperature quenching oil at the top. At this point, the cooling rate is relatively gentle, which effectively reduces the thermal shock generated when the high-temperature steel ball (usually in an austenitized high-temperature state) comes into direct contact with the low-temperature quenching liquid. This avoids early stress concentration caused by the instantaneous cooling and contraction of the surface layer. As the steel ball slowly rolls down along multiple interconnected spiral sliding plates 8 under the action of gravity, it gradually enters the lower-temperature quenching oil area at the bottom of the first quenching barrel 2. The cooling rate gradually increases, realizing a gradual transition from gentle cooling to deep quenching. This gradual cooling mode ensures that the austenite inside the steel ball can be fully and uniformly transformed into martensite, thereby obtaining the hardness and wear resistance required by the working conditions. It also minimizes the superposition of thermal stress and structural stress, effectively suppressing the generation of defects such as cracks and deformation, and significantly improving the quenching quality, dimensional stability and product qualification rate of the steel ball.

[0025] Example 2 While the above embodiments effectively ensure the full and uniform transformation of austenite to martensite within the steel ball, thereby enabling the steel ball to achieve the hardness and wear resistance suitable for harsh working conditions, and by constructing a stable, progressive cooling environment, they minimize the superposition effect of thermal stress and structural stress, effectively suppressing quenching defects such as cracks and deformation, and significantly improving the quenching quality, dimensional stability, and product qualification rate of the steel ball. They possess significant advantages in controlling core quenching performance. However, in actual industrial production scenarios, this embodiment still has a key problem that urgently needs to be solved: during the high-temperature quenching process, the surface of the steel ball undergoes an oxidation reaction with trace amounts of oxygen in the quenching environment, forming a layer of oxide scale (mainly composed of iron oxides). According to the characteristics of the heat treatment process, the bonding force between this oxide scale and the steel ball matrix is ​​weak, and the steel ball on the spiral chute plate 8... During the rolling process, the steel balls are subjected to the scouring effects of gravity, friction, and quenching oil flow, causing the surface oxide scale to easily fall off. This detached oxide scale accumulates continuously in the groove of the spiral chute plate 8 over a long period. On the one hand, it disrupts the smoothness of the groove surface, causing the steel balls to bounce and jam during rolling. This not only scratches the surface of the steel balls, affecting the product's appearance quality, but also disrupts the originally stable cooling rhythm, leading to abnormal local cooling rates in the steel balls, which in turn causes secondary stress concentration and reduces quenching quality. On the other hand, the accumulated oxide scale blocks the spiral chute plate 8 and related air passage structures, hindering the normal circulation and airflow of the quenching oil, disrupting the stable temperature gradient and atmosphere within the quenching barrel, and long-term operation can also lead to contamination and deterioration of the quenching oil, further affecting the subsequent quenching effect and service life of the steel balls. This embodiment is invented to solve the above problems.

[0026] Please see Figures 1 to 8 Based on the above embodiments, the technical solution adopted includes an elastic telescopic component including an auxiliary sleeve 16 fixedly connected to the inner bottom surface of the spiral slide plate 8, an auxiliary sleeve 17 with one end set on the spiral plate 10 slidably connected to the inner circumferential surface of the auxiliary sleeve 16, and a first spring 18 fixedly connected to the inner bottom surface of the auxiliary sleeve 16, the end of the first spring 18 away from the auxiliary sleeve 16 fixedly connected to the inner top surface of the auxiliary sleeve 17, the second air passage 19 is rectangular in shape and is inclined in the direction of spiral, the length and width of the inlet end of the second air passage 19 are both greater than the length and width of the outlet end, and there is a spiral space 9 between the spiral plate 10 and the inner bottom surface of the spiral slide plate 8; Therefore, when the high-temperature steel ball enters from the feed port and falls into the spiral slide plate 8, it first falls onto the spiral plate 10. Since the spiral plate 10 and the spiral slide plate 8 are connected by an elastic telescopic component, the impact load of the steel ball will instantly increase the equivalent weight of the spiral plate 10, thereby driving the spiral plate 10 to move downward along the inner wall of the spiral slide plate 8. This downward displacement is transmitted to the first spring 18 through the sliding cooperation between the auxiliary barrel 17 and the auxiliary sleeve 16, causing the first spring 18 to be compressed and store elastic potential energy. During compression, the first spring 18 converts mechanical energy into elastic potential energy. When the steel ball rolls from the current spiral plate 10 to the next spiral plate 10, the load applied to the spiral plate 10 decreases suddenly. At this time, the first spring 18 releases its stored elastic potential energy, pushing the auxiliary barrel 17 to slide upward and reset within the auxiliary sleeve 16, thereby driving the spiral plate 10 to move upward. This periodic up-and-down swaying constitutes a micro-vibration system based on load changes. Its vibration frequency is dynamically matched with the loading-unloading cycle of the steel ball, thus providing a continuous and stable mechanical excitation for oxide scale removal. Furthermore, as the spiral plate 10 moves upward, because its shape is also spiral downward, it will push the surrounding quenching liquid upward at an angle, generating local upward fluid impact and eddies. At the same time, the quenching liquid will apply a reverse scouring force to the surface of the spiral plate 10. This fluid-structure interaction can effectively peel off the oxide scale fragments adhering to the upper surface of the spiral plate 10. Meanwhile, the vibration inertia of the spiral plate 10 will cause the oxide scale fragments to detach from the adhesion surface under the action of instantaneous acceleration. Furthermore, due to the vibration guidance of the spiral plate 10 and the spiral layout of the spiral chute plate 8, the stripped oxide scale fragments move continuously downward along the spiral direction under the combined action of gravity and the scouring of the quenching liquid. The fragments eventually fall into the base chamber 1 through the bottom of the last spiral chute plate 8 from top to bottom, and fall onto the guide plate 11 through the first connecting port 12. Then, they will enter the collection bucket 14 together with the steel balls. This not only prevents the accumulation of oxide scale in the spiral chute plate 8, but also maintains the smoothness and purity of the quenching oil circulation, thereby ensuring the stability of the temperature gradient in the first quenching bucket 2 and the uniformity and controllability of the quenching process. Furthermore, when the high-temperature steel ball falls onto the spiral plate 10 and forces it to overcome the elastic force of the first spring 18 and move downward, the volume of the spiral space 9 enclosed by the spiral plate 10 and the inner bottom surface of the spiral groove plate 8 will decrease instantaneously. Although this space is connected to the external quenching oil environment through the first air passage 15 on the inner bottom surface of the spiral groove plate 8, providing a pressure relief channel for the fluid, the volume compression rate generated by the spiral plate 10 at the moment of rapid downward movement will still exceed the rate of quenching oil leakage through the narrow air passage. This causes the local pressure of quenching oil in the spiral space 9 to increase, and the squeezed oil will preferentially be ejected at high speed from the second air passage 19 with a relatively large flow area. Furthermore, since the second air passage 19 is opened as a rectangular cross-section inclined in the spiral direction, and its inlet end cross-sectional size is larger than that of the outlet end, this structure constitutes a prototype of the Venturi effect. When the pressurized oil flow passes through this converging channel, the flow velocity will further increase, forming a high-speed jet with a clear direction. When this jet leaves the outlet of the second air passage 19, it will carry significant momentum inclined downward. This directional jet of liquid acts on the upper surface of the spiral plate 10. Since the jetting direction is consistent with the overall direction of the rolling of the steel ball and the natural downward slide of the fragments (i.e. spiraling downward), it creates a fluid drag force field in the same direction. This force field not only effectively counteracts the static friction between the fragments and the plate surface, but also provides it with additional conveying power toward the bottom of the spiral chute plate 8. This process converts the mechanical energy of the spiral plate 10 moving downward under load into fluid kinetic energy with directional cleaning function. This, combined with the upward vortex scouring generated when the spiral plate 10 is unloaded and rising, forms a periodic dynamic cleaning cycle that couples "downward pressure-jet" and "upward vortex". This cycle continuously acts on the entire path of steel ball quenching, ensuring that oxide scale fragments are efficiently and continuously removed from the working surface of the spiral plate 10 and transported to the bottom along the preset spiral channel. This avoids a series of process problems such as oil circuit contamination and uneven cooling caused by fragment accumulation at the source, ensuring the long-term stability and high quality and efficiency of the quenching process. Furthermore, during the quenching process, the heat released by the high-temperature steel ball not only heats the quenching oil, but also causes the oil and attached impurities to produce a small amount of volatile fumes at local high temperatures. The fumes at the bottom of the first quenching barrel 2 have a high temperature and low density, and under natural convection, they tend to rise continuously. When the fumes rise to the area of ​​the spiral slide plate 8, a portion of the airflow will enter the spiral space 9 through the first air passage 15. Since the spiral space 9 is a continuous and progressive channel structure surrounded by a spiral plate, once the flue gas enters, it will continue to rise along this spiral path. During the rise, the flue gas will eventually reach the second air passage 19 opened on the surface of the spiral plate 10. Due to its unique rectangular, tapering and spiral-oriented geometric design, the second air passage 19 guides and accelerates the airflow. When the fluid flows through the tapering channel, the flow velocity will increase and the pressure energy will be partially converted into kinetic energy. Therefore, when the flue gas is discharged from the outlet of the second air passage 19, it forms a directional and high-speed inclined jet airflow. The jet of flue gas ejected obliquely from the second air passage 19 produces an important additional effect on the surface of the spiral plate 10. It exerts an aerodynamic force on the scattered oxide scale fragments on the plate surface. Since the direction of the jet is consistent with the direction of the spiral downward slide, the airflow provides a drag force in the same direction as gravity for the fragments, thereby significantly promoting the directional movement of the oxide scale fragments. This process transforms the flow energy of the quenching byproduct flue gas into a beneficial factor for auxiliary cleaning. It works in conjunction with the hydraulic scouring generated by the quenching oil vibrating up and down the spiral plate 10 to form a gas-liquid two-phase composite cleaning mechanism. This mechanism continuously and automatically maintains the cleanliness of the working surface of the spiral plate 10 without introducing external energy, effectively preventing oxide scale accumulation, ensuring the smooth rolling trajectory of the steel balls and the stability of the cooling environment, and further enhancing the self-maintenance capability and process reliability of the device. Furthermore, the contact time between the flue gas and the quenching oil is greatly increased during the spiral ascent of the flue gas in the first quenching barrel 2. During the process of flue gas injection and entering the spiral space 9 through the first air passage 15, large pieces of flue gas will be broken up, thereby diluting some of the quenching oil during the flue gas ascent, which can greatly reduce the loss of quenching oil and the difficulty of subsequent flue gas treatment. In addition, the flue gas also brings significant quenching oil recovery and flue gas purification pretreatment effects during the spiral path upward process. From the perspective of mass transfer and separation, when the high temperature flue gas is generated at the bottom of the first quenching barrel 2 and begins to rise, it often carries a large number of quenching oil droplets generated by high temperature volatilization or mechanical agitation. In the traditional straight-through upward path, the gas-liquid two-phase contact time is short, and the oil droplets are discharged before they can be fully condensed and separated, resulting in oil loss and increased subsequent processing load. However, after the flue gas rises in a spiral, it is forced to rise along the spiral path for a long time and a long distance. This process greatly prolongs the residence time and movement path of the flue gas in the atmosphere filled with quenching oil. According to the principle of gas-liquid two-phase mass transfer, the longer contact time and larger contact area are conducive to the collision, condensation and coalescence of oil droplets with the relatively low temperature spiral wall and oil and gas. More importantly, when the flue gas enters the spiral space 9 through the relatively small cross-section first air passage 15 and subsequently moves within the first quenching barrel 2, it will be subject to multiple throttling, turning, and acceleration. This drastic change in the flow field will exert a strong shearing and breaking effect on the entrained oil mist, breaking larger oil mist into smaller droplets. On the one hand, smaller droplets have a higher condensation efficiency due to their increased specific surface area. On the other hand, some of the smaller droplets will agglomerate and fuse on the surfaces of the spiral slide plate 8, the spiral plate 10, and the first quenching barrel 2 as they spirally rise with the airflow, and finally flow back into the quenching oil pool under the action of gravity. Therefore, after passing through the special path formed by the spiral space 9 and the first air passage 15 and the second air passage 19, the quenching oil components carried in the flue gas are largely stripped off, condensed and recovered during the ascent. This not only directly reduces the process loss caused by the volatilization and entrainment of quenching oil and lowers production costs, but also greatly reduces the oil content and organic load of the flue gas that is finally discharged from the suction tank 3 and enters the subsequent treatment system. This significantly reduces the purification pressure of the flue gas treatment device, improves the treatment efficiency, and makes the emissions cleaner, thereby improving the overall environmental protection and economy of the system.

[0027] Please see Figures 1 to 8 This invention discloses a quenching apparatus and method for steel ball production, comprising: S1: The steel ball is quenched by rotating and rolling in the first quenching barrel 2. The flue gas generated during the process is drawn out from the top of the first quenching barrel 2 by the air pump in the suction barrel 3. S2: Steel balls and oxide layer fragments are collected through collection bucket 14; S3: Take out the collection bucket 14, then pour out the steel balls and oxide layer fragments in the collection bucket 14, clean the collection bucket 14, and then put it back into the second quenching bucket 5.

[0028] In summary, when the quenching device and method for steel ball production are used, the high-temperature steel ball first enters the first quenching barrel 2 through the feed port controlled by the sealing plate 4, and slowly and spirally rolls down along multiple spiral sliding plates 8 and spiral plates 10 connected end to end under the action of gravity. During this process, the first quenching barrel 2 establishes a stable temperature gradient of "high temperature at the top and low temperature at the bottom" through natural heat convection, so that the cooling rate of the steel ball can be gradually transitioned to a rapid one, realizing an ideal "gradual" quenching. This effectively suppresses the superposition of thermal stress and structural stress caused by the sudden change in cooling rate, greatly reducing the risk of cracks and deformation of the steel ball, thereby ensuring and improving the quenching quality and product qualification rate. Secondly, addressing the problem of oxide scale accumulation during the quenching process, this quenching device for steel ball production cleverly utilizes the periodic energy of loading and unloading the steel ball. When the steel ball falls onto the spiral plate 10, the spiral plate 10 is driven to vibrate periodically up and down through an elastic telescopic component consisting of an auxiliary sleeve 16, an auxiliary barrel 17, and a first spring 18. This vibration not only directly dislodging oxide scale fragments, but also, during the "downward pressing" phase of the spiral plate 10, the quenching oil in the spiral space 9 is ejected at high speed from the inclined second air passage 19, forming a downward directional flushing liquid flow. During the "rising" phase, an upward vortex is generated. At the same time, the flue gas rising from the bottom of the first quenching barrel 2 enters the spiral space 9 through the first air passage 15 and is finally accelerated out through the second air passage 19, forming an auxiliary cleaning airflow. The vibration, directional oil flow, and airflow work together to form a highly efficient and automatic "gas-liquid-solid" coupled dynamic self-cleaning system, continuously removing oxide scale from the surface of the spiral plate 10 and completely eliminating the problems of slide blockage, uneven cooling, and quenching oil contamination caused by debris accumulation. In addition, the quenching device for steel ball production integrates multiple safety and environmental protection designs. The suction tank 3 and its air pump maintain negative pressure at the feed inlet, effectively isolating oxygen and preventing the quenching oil from burning. The long-path spiral ascent process of the flue gas in the spiral space 9 greatly promotes the condensation, coalescence and recovery of the oil mist entrained therein, significantly reducing the volatilization loss of quenching oil and reducing the purification load of the subsequent flue gas treatment device, making the emissions cleaner and more environmentally friendly. After quenching and initial cleaning, the steel balls are turned by the guide plate 11 and fall into the collection bucket 14 through the second connecting port 13 for temporary storage. This realizes the integrated and automated operation of quenching, self-cleaning, oil recovery and flue gas pretreatment. The quenching device for steel ball production ensures that the steel balls obtain excellent and uniform hardness and wear resistance, while significantly improving production safety, operational stability, resource utilization and environmental friendliness. It has outstanding industrial application value and economic benefits. Furthermore, regarding the initial stage of the quenching process, it is important to note that when the first high-temperature steel ball enters the first quenching barrel 2 in its initial state, the quenching oil inside the barrel has not yet formed a stable temperature distribution. The temperature of the medium in contact with the steel ball tends to be uniform in the vertical direction. According to the principle of thermodynamic transition from an unsteady state to a steady state, the large amount of heat carried by the first steel ball is precisely the key initial heat source for initiating the natural thermal convection cycle of the entire system and building a vertical temperature gradient. Although its cooling process does not occur under optimal gradient conditions, the heat it releases causes the top oil temperature to rise, thus initiating continuous convection of "hot oil rising and cold oil sinking." As this thermal cycle is established... With the establishment and strengthening of the first quenching tank 2, a stable temperature gradient from top to bottom is rapidly formed and maintained. Therefore, starting from the second steel ball, all subsequent steel balls can be quenched in the established, ideal progressive cooling gradient. For the first steel ball, which only serves as a "system preheating" and "cycle start-up" component, the operator only needs to discard it as a transitional component in the subsequent inspection. This method cleverly utilizes the system's own thermal dynamic characteristics to ensure that all steel balls in subsequent mass production can obtain uniform, controllable, and high-quality quenching at extremely low cost (only discarding a very small number of initial workpieces). This demonstrates the rationality and economy of the device design in engineering practice.

[0029] It should be noted that in the description of this invention, terms such as "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," which indicate direction or positional relationships, are based on the direction or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These are used merely for ease of description and do not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation; therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0030] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0031] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A quenching device for steel ball production, comprising a base chamber (1), characterized in that: The upper surface of the base chamber (1) is provided with a first quenching barrel (2) and a second quenching barrel (5). The first quenching barrel (2) is provided with a plurality of spiral sliding plates (8) connected end to end from top to bottom. The upper and lower adjacent spiral sliding plates (8) are staggered. The inner walls of the plurality of spiral sliding plates (8) are provided with spiral plates (10) that can move up and down. The inner bottom surface of the spiral sliding plate (8) is provided with a plurality of first air passages (15). The upper surface of the spiral plate (10) is provided with a plurality of second air passages (19). A plurality of elastic telescopic components are provided between each spiral sliding plate (8) and its corresponding spiral plate (10).

2. The quenching apparatus for steel ball production according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper surface of the first quenching barrel (2) is provided with an air suction barrel (3), and an air pump that can always suck air into the first quenching barrel (2) is fixedly installed inside the air suction barrel (3).

3. The quenching apparatus for steel ball production according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper surface of the first quenching barrel (2) is provided with a feed inlet. The inner top surface of the first quenching barrel (2) is hinged with a sealing plate (4) that can completely cover the feed inlet. One end of the lower surface of the sealing plate (4) is fixedly connected with a plurality of return springs, one end of which is fixedly connected to the inner circumferential surface of the first quenching barrel (2).

4. The quenching apparatus for steel ball production according to claim 3, characterized in that: The upper surface of the base chamber (1) is provided with a first communication port (12) that enables the first quenching barrel (2) to communicate with the base chamber (1), and the upper surface of the base chamber (1) is provided with a third communication port (20) that enables the second quenching barrel (5) to communicate with the base chamber (1). The upper surface of the second quenching barrel (5) is provided with an openable sealing cover (6), and both the second quenching barrel (5) and the first quenching barrel (2) are filled with quenching oil.

5. The quenching apparatus for steel ball production according to claim 4, characterized in that: A guide plate (11) is fixedly connected to the front end of the inner top surface of the base compartment (1), and a guide limiting cylinder (21) that can completely enclose the third connecting port (20) is fixedly connected to the rear end of the inner top surface of the base compartment (1). A collection bucket (14) that can be pulled out from the opening on the upper surface of the second quenching bucket (5) is slidably connected inside the guide limiting cylinder (21). A second connecting port (13) is opened on the side of the outer peripheral surface of the guide limiting cylinder (21) near the guide plate (11). One end of the guide plate (11) near the collection bucket (14) is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the second connecting port (13).

6. The quenching apparatus for steel ball production according to claim 5, characterized in that: The upper surface of the base chamber (1) is fixedly connected to the first quenching barrel (2) with a fixed column (7) coaxially. Multiple spiral sliding plates (8) are fixedly connected to the fixed column (7). The top of the first spiral sliding plate (8) from top to bottom corresponds to the feed port on the upper surface of the first quenching barrel (2), and the bottom of the last spiral sliding plate (8) from top to bottom corresponds to the first connecting port (12).

7. The quenching apparatus for steel ball production according to claim 6, characterized in that: The elastic telescopic component includes an auxiliary sleeve (16) fixedly connected to the inner bottom surface of the spiral slide plate (8). The inner circumferential surface of the auxiliary sleeve (16) is slidably connected to an auxiliary barrel (17) with one end set on the spiral plate (10). The inner bottom surface of the auxiliary sleeve (16) is fixedly connected to a first spring (18). The end of the first spring (18) away from the auxiliary sleeve (16) is fixedly connected to the inner top surface of the auxiliary barrel (17).

8. The quenching apparatus for steel ball production according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second airway (19) is rectangular in shape and is inclined in the direction of spiral.

9. The quenching apparatus for steel ball production according to claim 8, characterized in that: The length and width of the inlet end of the second air passage (19) are both greater than the length and width of the outlet end, and there is a spiral space (9) between the inner bottom surface of the spiral plate (10) and the spiral groove plate (8).

10. A quenching method for steel ball production, applied to the quenching apparatus for steel ball production as described in claim 9, wherein the quenching method for steel ball production includes: S1: The steel ball is quenched by rotating and rolling in the first quenching barrel (2). The flue gas generated during the process is drawn out from the top of the first quenching barrel (2) by the air pump in the suction barrel (3). S2: Steel balls and oxide layer fragments are collected through a collection bucket (14); S3: Take out the collection bucket (14), then pour out the steel balls and oxide layer fragments in the collection bucket (14), clean the collection bucket (14), and then put it back into the second quenching bucket (5).

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