Method for producing the composite and the composite

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a metal member, a method for manufacturing a composite, and a composite, which aim to suppress the peeling of integrally molded elastomer members. [Solution] A method for manufacturing a composite having an elastomer member 20 having the property of hardening from a liquid and a metal member 10 integrally molded with the elastomer member, comprising: a surface roughening step (S100) in which the surface 1a of the metal material 1 is roughened to form a plurality of irregularities 2 that are joined with the elastomer member; and a pressing step (S101) in which a load is applied to the metal material to deform the protrusions 3 of the irregularities to form retaining portions 5 that partially cover the openings of the recesses 4 of the irregularities.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a composite having an elastomer member and a metal member integrally formed with the elastomer member, and to the composite.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a composite in which an elastomer member such as rubber or resin is integrally formed on a metal member having irregularities formed on its surface is known. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a metal fitting for reinforcing a rubber member in which a rough surface with minute irregularities is formed on the surface of a stainless steel reinforcing fitting by an etching treatment. Further, Patent Document 2 below discloses a metal / rubber composite structure in which irregularities are formed on the surface of a metal member by treatment with an etching agent.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the metal fitting for reinforcing a rubber member described in Patent Document 1 and the metal / rubber composite structure described in Patent Document 2, although the adhesion strength with rubber is improved by the formed irregularities, there is a concern that the rubber may peel off due to the rubber coming out from the concave portion of the irregularities by an external force or the like.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and relates to a method for manufacturing a composite and a composite for suppressing peeling of an integrally formed elastomer member.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a composite, comprising an elastomer member having the property of curing from a liquid and a metal member integrally molded with the elastomer member, characterized by comprising: a surface roughening step of roughening the surface of the metal material to form a plurality of irregularities that are joined with the elastomer member; and a pressing step of applying a load to the metal material to deform the convex portions of the irregularities to form retaining portions that partially cover the openings of the concave portions of the irregularities. The roughening step may be a process of etching the surface of the metal material with a chemical solution.

[0007] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a composite, characterized by comprising a molding step in which the elastomer material is hardened while the space between the recess and the retaining portion is filled with the elastomer material before hardening, thereby integrally molding the metal member and the elastomer member. Prior to the molding step, the method may further comprise an adhesive coating step in which an adhesive is applied to the surface of the irregularities.

[0008] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a composite comprising an elastomer member having the property of hardening from a liquid, and a metal member integrally molded with the elastomer member, wherein the metal member has a plurality of irregularities formed by roughening its surface, and retaining portions formed such that the protrusions of the irregularities deform to partially cover the openings of the recesses of the irregularities, and the elastomer member is integrally molded in a state where it is filled between the recesses and the retaining portions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] Since the composite manufacturing method and composite of the present invention have the above-described configuration, it is possible to suppress the peeling of the integrally molded elastomer member. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This flowchart shows an example of a method for manufacturing a composite according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] (a) and (b) are electron microscope images of the surface of a metal material after a surface treatment process has been performed. [Figure 3] (a) to (d) are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating an example of a method for manufacturing a metal member according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] (a) is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a composite according to one embodiment of the present invention, (b) is a schematic enlarged view of part X in (a), and (c) is a figure corresponding to Figure 4(b) which schematically shows a modified example of the composite. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The following describes a method for manufacturing the composite according to this embodiment and an example of the composite, with reference to the drawings.

[0012] The present embodiment relates to a method for manufacturing a composite having an elastomer member 20 having the property of curing from a liquid and a metal member 10 integrally molded with the elastomer member 20, and comprises a surface roughening step (S100), a pressing step (S101), and a molding step (S102). In the surface roughening step (S100), the surface 1a of the metal material 1 is roughened to form a plurality of bumps 2 that will be joined with the elastomer member 20. In the pressing step (S101), a load is applied to the metal material 1 to deform the convex portion 3 of the bumps 2 to form a retaining portion 5 that partially covers the opening 4a of the concave portion 4 of the bumps 2. In the molding step (S102), the elastomer material is cured with the space between the concave portion 4 and the retaining portion 5 filled with the elastomer material before curing, thereby integrally molding the metal member 10 and the elastomer member 20.

[0013] Furthermore, the composite 30 according to this embodiment is formed by integrally molding a metal member 10 and an elastomer member 20. The metal member 10 has a plurality of irregularities 2 formed by roughening its surface, and retaining portions 5 formed such that the protrusions 3 of the irregularities 2 deform to partially cover the openings 4a of the recesses 4 of the irregularities 2. The elastomer member 20 is integrally molded to the metal member 10 while filling the space between the recesses 4 and the retaining portions 5. Further details will be provided below.

[0014] The manufacturing method of the composite 30 will be explained with reference to Figures 1 to 4. First, a surface roughening step (S100) is performed to form multiple irregularities on the surface 1a of the metal material 1. The method of roughening to form irregularities on the surface 1a of the metal material 1 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a process of etching the surface 1a of the metal material 1 with a chemical solution. When the surface roughening step is performed by etching, there is an advantage that a wide area of ​​the surface 1a of the metal material 1 can be roughened uniformly. The chemical solution used for etching may be appropriately selected depending on the material of the metal material 1, but for example, if the metal material 1 is aluminum, both alkaline and acidic chemical solutions are preferably used. In addition, the roughening treatment may be a blasting treatment such as sandblasting, in which particulate abrasive material is sprayed onto the surface 1a of the metal material 1, or it may be a pressing treatment using a press or mold that has fine irregularities formed on the surface, or irregularities 2 may be formed by laser irradiation. Before and after the surface roughening step, a cleaning step or drying step may be performed as appropriate to degrease and clean the surface 1a of the metal material 1.

[0015] The metal material 1 can be any material whose surface 1a has irregularities 2 formed by a surface roughening treatment, such as an aluminum alloy like A5052. It can also be a metal such as aluminum, iron, magnesium, or copper, or an alloy containing such metals. Furthermore, the shape of the metal material 1 is not particularly limited; for example, it may be formed into a desired shape to match the composite 30 before the surface roughening process, or it may be in the form of a flat plate, rod, cylinder, etc., before being formed into the desired shape.

[0016] The irregularities 2 formed on the surface 1a of the metal material 1 have a plurality of protrusions 3 and a plurality of recesses 4. The opening widths D1 and D2 of the recesses 4 may be formed within the range of 1 to 5 μm, and the surface roughness of the surface 1a after the surface roughening treatment may be Ra 0.7 or higher. As shown in Figure 3(b), the irregularities 2 may be formed irregularly by the surface roughening process of the surface 1a of the metal material 1, with the protrusions 3 and recesses 4 being formed irregularly, or they may be formed with a certain regularity so that the protrusions 3 and recesses 4 are alternating. In short, the configuration of the irregularities 2 is not particularly limited as long as a retaining portion 5 that partially covers the opening 4a of the recesses 4 is formed by the pressing process. Furthermore, the surface roughening treatment may be performed on the entire surface 1a of the metal material 1, or it may be performed only on a part of it. For example, the surface roughening treatment may be performed only on the part that is joined with the elastomer member 20.

[0017] Figures 2(a) and 2(b) are actual electron microscope images of the surface 1a of a metal component 10 after a surface treatment process. In this example, a metal piece made of aluminum alloy with a diameter of 20 mm or more and a thickness of 1.6 mm or more was used as the metal component 10, and roughening treatment was performed by etching. As is clear from Figure 2(a), by roughening the surface 1a of the metal component 10, countless irregularities are formed, and from Figure 2(b), which is a further magnified image, it can be confirmed that multiple protrusions 3 and multiple recesses 4 are formed on the surface 1a, and that the recesses 4 have openings 4a formed to open upwards. Both images in Figure 2(a) and Figure 2(b) were taken using a scanning electron microscope FlexSEM1000II manufactured by Hitachi High-Tech Corporation, with Figure 2(a) taken at a magnification of 200x and Figure 2(b) at a magnification of 800x.

[0018] Next, a pressing process (S101) is performed (see FIGS. 3(c) and 3(d)). In the pressing process, an external force sufficient to deform the convex portions 3 is applied to the surface 1a of the metal material 1 on which a plurality of concavo-convex portions have been formed through surface roughening treatment, and a load is applied to deform the convex portions 3 of the concavo-convex portions to form a retaining portion 5 having a shape that partially covers the opening 4a of the concave portion 4. FIG. 3(c) shows an example in which the surface 1a of the metal material 1 is pressed by a press plate 6 to bend the convex portions 3 to form the retaining portion 5. As shown in FIG. 3(d), by pressing with the press plate 6, the convex portions 3 formed to protrude around the opening 4a are crushed and deformed, and the retaining portion 5 is formed so as to partially cover the opening of the concave portion 4. In other words, the convex portions 3 formed to protrude around the opening 4a are crushed and deformed, and the convex portions 3 are pressed with a pressing force that forms the retaining portion 5 that partially covers the opening of the concave portion 4. Then, due to the pressing by the press plate 6, the opening widths D1' and D2' (see FIG. 3(d)) after pressing are "smaller" than the opening widths D1 and D2 (see FIG. 3(b)) before pressing of the opening 4a.

[0019] Note that the metal material 1 may be processed into a desired shape (for example, a shape as shown in FIG. 4(a)) by pressing or the like before the pressing process, or may be processed into a desired shape simultaneously with the pressing process.

[0020] Next, a molding process (S102) is performed to integrally mold the metal member 10 and the elastomer member 20. The elastomer material constituting the elastomer member 20 may be a rubber material such as EPDM, NBR, H-NBR, ACM, AEM, FKM, etc., or a resin material such as a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, ABS, acrylic, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyacetal, polyphenylene sulfide, polyether ether ketone, etc., or a thermosetting resin such as a phenol resin, an epoxy resin, a polyurethane resin, etc. The elastomer material has the property of curing from a liquid state. Specifically, it has fluidity that can be filled between the recess 4 and the retaining portion 5 of the metal member 10 in the state before curing during the molding process and cures after filling to be joined to the metal member 10. There is no particular limitation as long as it is a different material from the metal material. Further, the elastomer material may be a composite material in which a fiber material, a particulate body, a granular body, etc. are blended with the above-described rubber material or resin material.

[0021] In the molding process, the elastomer material before curing is filled into the recess, and in this state, the elastomer material is cured to integrally mold the metal member 10 and the elastomer member 20. Specifically, first, the metal member 10 is placed in a mold in an open mold state (not shown). The mold has, for example, a fixed mold and a movable mold and has a cavity shaped according to a desired shape. In a state where the metal member 10 is placed in the cavity of such a mold, the liquid elastomer material before curing is injected and filled. At this time, the elastomer material is filled into the recess 4 through the opening 4a. Then, the mold is closed, and as the elastomer material cures, an elastomer member 20 integrally molded to the metal member 10 by vulcanization adhesion is molded, and the composite body 30 can be obtained by taking it out of the mold.

[0022] The manufacturing method for the composite 30 of this embodiment not only involves roughening the surface 1a of the metal material 1, but also includes a pressing step in which a load is applied to the metal material 1 to deform the convex portions 3 of the unevenness 2, thereby forming retaining portions 5 that partially cover the openings of the concave portions 4 of the unevenness 2. This helps to suppress the peeling of the integrally molded elastomer member 20. Furthermore, since the surface of the metal material 1 has been roughened, as shown in Figure 3(c), etc., the presence of convex portions 3A that are not subjected to load in the pressing step provides a wedge (anchor) effect, and in synergy with the retaining portions 5, improves the adhesive strength of the elastomer member 20 that is vulcanized and bonded to the metal member 10.

[0023] The manufacturing method of the composite 30 in this embodiment can be applied to various manufacturing methods of composites and is not particularly limited, but can be applied, for example, to the manufacturing method of a sealing device as shown in Figure 4(a). The composite 30 shown in Figure 4(a) is a sealing device installed between the outer ring and inner ring constituting a bearing device, and an elastomer member 20 made of rubber material is integrally molded onto a ring-shaped metal member 10 with a substantially L-shaped cross-section, which is equipped with a seal lip 21 that slides against and seals the rotating member side (e.g., the inner ring). As a result, even if the sealing device is used in a harsh environment, the peeling of the elastomer member 20 from the metal member 10 can be suppressed, and a long-life composite 30 can be made. In addition, the composite 30 may be a gasket that seals between two members, in which an elastomer member 20 made of rubber material or resin material is integrally molded onto a plate-shaped metal member 10 that is die-cut into an annular ring shape, and the configuration of the composite 30 is not particularly limited as long as the elastomer member 20 is integrally molded onto the metal member 10.

[0024] The manufacturing method for the composite 30 is not limited to the above example, and may further include an adhesive coating step in which adhesive 7 is applied to the surface of the unevenness 2 before the molding step (see Figure 4(c)). As the adhesive, fluorine-based, epoxy-based, or silane coupling agent-based adhesives can be used. With such a configuration, adhesive 7 is interposed between the surface of the unevenness 2 and the elastomer member 20, allowing for stronger vulcanization bonding between the metal member 10 and the elastomer member 20. In addition, adhesive 7 tends to accumulate in the recesses 4, making it difficult for adhesive 7 to flow out from the surface of the metal member 10. Furthermore, the adhesive 7 that has accumulated and hardened in the recesses 4 is locked to the recesses 4 and the retaining parts 5, more effectively suppressing peeling from the metal member 10. The adhesive used in the adhesive coating step is not particularly limited as long as it can bond the metal member 10 and the elastomer member 20.

[0025] The method of applying the adhesive 7 to the surface of the uneven surface 2 is not particularly limited. For example, the adhesive 7 may be sprayed onto the surface of the uneven surface 2, or the metal member 10 may be immersed in a liquid tank containing the adhesive 7. In the illustrated example, the adhesive 7 is filled into the entire recess 4, but it may be filled into only a part of it.

[0026] The manufacturing method for the composite 30 and the composite 30 are not limited to the above-described configurations. The different configurations described above may be modified, rearranged, or combined as appropriate and necessary. Furthermore, the method is not limited to the above-described configurations. For example, other processes may be performed before or after each of the processes such as the surface roughening process, pressing process, adhesive coating process, and molding process. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 1 Metal materials 1a surface 2 Unevenness 3,3A Convex part 4 recesses 4a aperture 5. Retaining part 7 Adhesive 10 Metal components 20 Elastomer components 30 Complex

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a composite having an elastomer member having the property of curing from a liquid state and a metal member integrally molded with the elastomer member, A method for manufacturing a composite, comprising: a surface roughening step of roughening the surface of the metal material to form a plurality of irregularities that will be joined with the elastomer member; and a pressing step of applying a load to the irregularities to deform the protrusions of the irregularities and form retaining portions that partially cover the openings of the recesses of the irregularities.

2. In claim 1, The method for manufacturing a composite, characterized in that the roughening treatment is a treatment in which the surface of the metal material is etched with a chemical solution.

3. In claim 1 or claim 2, A method for manufacturing a composite, characterized by comprising a molding step in which the elastomer material before hardening is filled into the recess, and the elastomer material is hardened in this state to integrally mold the metal member and the elastomer member.

4. In claim 3, A method for manufacturing a composite, characterized by further comprising an adhesive coating step of applying an adhesive to the surface of the irregularities before the molding step.

5. A composite comprising an elastomer member having the property of hardening from a liquid state, and a metal member integrally molded with the elastomer member, The metal member has a plurality of irregularities formed by roughening the surface, and retaining portions formed such that the protrusions of the irregularities deform to partially cover the openings of the recesses of the irregularities. The composite is characterized in that the elastomer member is integrally molded in a state where it fills the space between the recess and the retaining portion.

Images