One-piece, additively manufactured component

Abstract

The invention relates to a one-piece, additively manufactured component (1, 1') comprising - a first element in the form of either a) a gearwheel (2) having a gearwheel main body (2a) and having a number of teeth (2b) arranged on the gearwheel main body (2a) or b) a balancing mass element (20), - a second element in the form of a shaft (3), and - a third element in the form of a bearing inner ring (4), wherein: the gearwheel main body (2a) or the balancing mass element (20) is arranged on a first end (5a) of the shaft (3) and the bearing inner ring (4) surrounds or adjoins a second end (5b) of the shaft (3); the shaft (3) is formed from a first material and the bearing inner ring (4) is formed from a second material; in case a) the gearwheel main body (2a) is formed from the first material and the teeth (2b) are formed from a third material, or in case b) the balancing mass element (20) is formed from a third material; and the first material, the second material and the third material differ from one another.

Description

[0001] P240624

[0002] - 1 -

[0003] One-piece, additively manufactured component

[0004] The invention relates to a one-piece component that is additively manufactured from different materials.

[0005] One-piece, additively manufactured components made of different materials are known, for example, from WO 2014 / 116 254 A1. Cold spraying is disclosed as the additive manufacturing process. In this process, a core is formed from one core material, and teeth made of a different material are formed around the core.

[0006] DE 10 2017 203 966 A1 discloses the production of multi-material gears comprising up to three different material sections using the additive manufacturing technique “Direct-Energy-Deposition”.

[0007] WO 2020 / 165 129 A1 discloses a toothed gear element comprising a section formed from a first material and an additively manufactured section made from a second material of greater hardness. In particular, the teeth are made from the second material.

[0008] Gear shafts have varying material property requirements. While the gear teeth must be hard and wear-resistant, the shaft itself must withstand bending moments and torsion and react as predictably as possible to overloads. Currently, a gear and an inner bearing ring are mounted onto a turned hollow shaft, for example, using a press fit. This results in complex assembly and the use of expensive shaft / hub connections that must be secured against loosening. Alternatively, gear hollow shafts turned from solid material are used, onto which an inner bearing ring is pressed. This results in significant material loss of approximately 50% due to the turning process. Furthermore, the gear section must be heat-treated, typically using case hardening.In any case, a compromise solution is reached regarding the individual functional areas "gear - shaft - bearing seat", particularly concerning the durability of the shaft and the gear. P240624.

[0009] - 2 -

[0010] A similar problem exists in the area of ​​balance shafts, consisting of a shaft material, a high-density balancing mass and a bearing inner ring, with regard to assembly effort and connection technology.

[0011] Here too, a compromise solution arises regarding the individual functional areas “balancing mass - shaft - bearing seat”, especially with regard to the durability of the shaft and the bearing seat.

[0012] The object of the present invention is to provide a one-piece, additively manufactured component made of different materials which, with regard to its function, represents the gear or counterweight area, the shaft area and the bearing area as a whole.

[0013] The task is solved for the one-piece, additively manufactured component, comprehensively

[0014] - a first element in the form of either a) a gear with a gear body and with a number of teeth arranged on the gear body or b) a balancing mass element, furthermore

[0015] - a second element in the form of a wave and

[0016] - a third element in the form of a bearing inner ring, wherein the gear body or the compensating mass element is arranged at a first end of the shaft and the bearing inner ring surrounds or adjoins a second end of the shaft, wherein the shaft is formed from a first material and the bearing inner ring is formed from a second material, wherein in case a) the gear body is formed from the first material and the teeth are formed from a third material, or in case b) the compensating mass element is formed from a third material, and wherein the first material, the second material and the third material are different from each other.

[0017] The one-piece component fully meets the requirements in each of its functional areas – "gear – shaft – bearing seat" or "balancing mass – shaft – bearing seat" – eliminating the need for any compromises regarding durability. Assembly costs P240624

[0018] - 3 - There are no costs for connections between functional areas, as the component is additively manufactured in one piece. The one-piece component is particularly fast and efficient to produce at moderate costs, even in small quantities, especially in time-critical applications where high downtime costs are expected.

[0019] It has proven advantageous if the first material is made of a metal or metal alloy, in particular a heat-treatable steel, such as 42CrMo4 (material number 1.7225) or 34CrNiMo6 (material number 1.6582) or X20Cr13 (material number 1.4021) or X46Cr13 (material number 1.4034) or 16MnCr5 (material number 1.7131) or 20MnCr5 (material number 1.7147) or 50CrV4 (material number 1.2241) or X5CrNi18-10 (material number 1.4301).

[0020] Furthermore, it has proven effective if the second material is made of a bearing steel, such as 100Cr6 (material number 1.3505), or copper or a copper alloy, or nickel or a nickel alloy. For plain bearings, the use of a second material made of bronze, such as CuSn10 (according to DIN EN 1982:2017), or CuPb10Sn10 (according to DIN ISO 4382-1:1992-11), has proven effective; this material is preferably open-pored to allow for lubricant absorption and release.

[0021] Finally, it has proven advantageous if the third material in case a) is made of a hard metal, a metal alloy, a ceramic, or a metal-ceramic composite. Metal alloys in the form of heat-treatable steel, such as 16MnCr5 (material number 1.7131) or 20MnCr5 (material number 1.7147), and especially in the form of nitriding steel, such as 31CrMoV9 (material number 1.8519) or 34CrAINi7 (material number 1.8550), have proven particularly suitable for gear teeth.

[0022] In case b), the third material is preferably made of a metal or metal alloy with a density in the range of > 6 kg / dm³ 3 formed. This includes, for example, P240624

[0023] - 4 -

[0024] Consider hard metals, copper, or iron.

[0025] The shaft and the gear body, or the shaft and the counterweight element, preferably have a central opening that extends through the component. This is used in particular for the central supply of lubricants.

[0026] The inner bearing ring has, in particular, a running surface for rolling elements (in the case of using a rolling bearing) or a sliding surface (in the case of using a sliding bearing), which is machined.

[0027] In case a), the teeth of the gear can also be advantageously machined.

[0028] Overall, it has proven advantageous if the shaft is a gear shaft in case a) or a balance shaft in case b). The one-piece component comprising a gear shaft can be used to advantage in highly stressed applications, particularly in the field of electromobility and in industrial gearboxes.

[0029] Figures 1 to 4 are intended to illustrate, by way of example, one-piece, additively manufactured components according to the invention. Thus, they show:

[0030] FIG. 1 a first one-piece component,

[0031] FIG. 2 shows the first one-piece component according to Figure 1 in longitudinal section,

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a second one-piece component, and

[0033] FIG. 4 shows the second one-piece component according to Figure 3 in longitudinal section. P240624

[0034] - 5 -

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a first one-piece, additively manufactured component 1, and FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section through this component 1. It comprises a gear 2 with a gear body 2a and with a number of teeth 2b arranged on the gear body 2a. Furthermore, the first component 1 comprises a shaft 3, here a gear shaft, and a bearing inner ring 4 with a running surface 4a for rolling elements (not shown). Alternatively, this could be a convex sliding surface of a plain bearing. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the gear body 2a is arranged at a first end 5a of the shaft 3, here designed as a hollow shaft with an opening 6. The bearing inner ring 4 surrounds a second end 5b of the shaft 3. The shaft 3 and the gear body 2a are made of a first material, here heat-treated steel. The inner bearing ring 4 is made of a second material, in this case the rolling bearing steel 100Cr6.Alternatively, if a sliding surface is present, the second material could be bronze. The teeth 2b are made of a third material, in this case, hard metal. Thus, the first, second, and third materials differ from one another. The shaft 3 and the gear body 2a have a central opening 6 extending through component 1, as shown in Figure 2. Alternatively, the inner bearing ring 4 can also be butt-jointed to the second end 5b of the shaft 3. In this case, the opening 6 would also extend through the inner bearing ring 4.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows a second one-piece, additively manufactured component 1' and FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal section through this component 1'. It comprises a balancing mass element 20, a shaft 3 (here a balancing shaft), and an inner bearing ring 4 with a running surface 4a for rolling elements (not shown). Alternatively, this could be a convex sliding surface of a plain bearing. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the balancing mass element 20 is arranged at a first end 5a of the shaft 3, and the inner bearing ring 4 encloses a second end 5b of the shaft 3, here designed as a hollow shaft with an opening 6.

[0037] Shaft 3 is made of a first material, in this case, heat-treated steel. The inner bearing ring 4 is made of a second material, in this case, the rolling bearing steel 100Cr6. Alternatively, if a sliding surface is present, it could be made of bronze. The compensating element 20 is made of a third material, P240624.

[0038] - 6 - here iron, formed. Thus, the first material, the second material, and the third material differ from each other. The shaft 3 and the compensating mass element 20 have a central opening 6 extending through the second component 1', see Figure 4. Alternatively, the inner bearing ring 4 can also be butt-jointed to the second end 5b of the shaft 3. In this case, the opening 6 would also extend through the inner bearing ring 4.

[0039] P240624

[0040] - 7 -

[0041] List of reference signs

[0042] 1 one-piece, additively manufactured component

[0043] 2 gear

[0044] 2a Gear body

[0045] 2b teeth

[0046] 20 leveling compound elements

[0047] 3rd wave

[0048] 4 inner bearing ring

[0049] 4a Running surface

[0050] 5a first end of the wave

[0051] 5b second end of the wave

[0052] 6 Opening

Claims

P240624 - 8 - Patent claims 1. One-piece, additively manufactured component (1 , 1 '), comprising - a first element in the form of either a) a gear (2) with a gear body (2a) and with a number of teeth (2b) arranged on the gear body (2a) or b) a balancing mass element (20), further - a second element in the form of a wave (3) and - a third element in the form of a bearing inner ring (4), wherein the gear body (2a) or the compensating mass element (20) is arranged at a first end (5a) of the shaft (3) and the bearing inner ring (4) surrounds or adjoins a second end (5b) of the shaft (3), wherein the shaft (3) is formed from a first material and the bearing inner ring (4) is formed from a second material, wherein in case a) the gear body (2a) is formed from the first material and the teeth (2b) are formed from a third material, or in case b) the compensating mass element (20) is formed from a third material, and wherein the first material, the second material and the third material are different from each other.

2. Component (1 , 1 ') according to claim 1 , wherein the first material is formed from a metal or a metal alloy, in particular a heat-treated steel.

3. Component (1 , 1 ') according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second material is formed from a bearing steel or copper or a copper alloy or nickel or a nickel alloy.

4. Component (1 , 1 ') according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the third material in case a) is formed from a hard metal or a metal alloy or a ceramic or a metal-ceramic composite. P240624 - 9 - 5. Component (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the third material in case b) is a metal or a metal alloy with a density in the range of > 6 kg / dm 3 is educated.

6. Component (1 , 1 ') according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the shaft (3) and the gear base body (2a) or the compensating mass element (20) have a central opening (6) passing through the component (1 , 1 ').

7. Component (1 , 1 ') according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the inner bearing ring (4) has a running surface (4a) for rolling elements or a sliding surface which is machined.

8. Component (1 ) according to one of claims 1 to 4 or 6, wherein in case a) the teeth (2b) of the gear (2) are machined.

9. Component (1 , 1 ') according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the shaft (3) is a gear shaft in case a) or a balance shaft in case b).

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