Additive Gear Tooth Edge for Hard Surface and Ductile Core
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Solution Overview
Problem
Transmission elements, such as gears and racks, face challenges in achieving high surface hardness and sufficient ductility, particularly in turbines and electrical machines, while existing methods like surface hardening are time-consuming, costly, and environmentally adverse, and alternative approaches are limited in material properties.
Innovation Solution
A transmission element with a toothed design featuring a partial area made from a ductile material and an edge area formed additively with a harder material, utilizing additive manufacturing to create a graded hardness profile and residual compressive stresses, allowing for enhanced mechanical buffering and reduced production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If surface hardening is used to increase surface hardness, then surface hardness is improved, but production time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission element is divided into two distinct material regions: a ductile base material (first material) and a hard surface layer (second material) formed by additive manufacturing. This segmentation allows each region to have optimized properties - the core provides ductility while the surface layer provides hardness - eliminating the need for time-consuming surface hardening processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite construction with at least two different materials: a ductile base material and a harder surface material formed additively. This composite approach enables the transmission element to simultaneously achieve high surface hardness and core ductility without requiring additional surface treatment processes, thereby reducing production time and cost.
2Strength
If surface hardening is used to increase surface hardness, then surface hardness is improved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission element is divided into two distinct material regions: a ductile base material (first material) and a hard surface layer (second material) formed by additive manufacturing. This segmentation allows each region to have optimized properties - the core provides ductility while the surface layer provides hardness - eliminating the need for time-consuming surface hardening processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The additive manufacturing process itself creates the hardened surface layer directly during the base material formation, without requiring separate surface treatment operations. The second material is deposited and hardened as part of the additive manufacturing process, making the surface hardening self-service and eliminating additional production steps that would increase cost.
3Strength
If a single material is used for the transmission element, then manufacturing is simpler, but the element cannot simultaneously achieve high surface hardness and core ductility
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission element is divided into two distinct material regions: a ductile base material (first material) and a hard surface layer (second material) formed by additive manufacturing. This segmentation allows each region to have optimized properties - the core provides ductility while the surface layer provides hardness - eliminating the need for time-consuming surface hardening processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite construction with at least two different materials: a ductile base material and a harder surface material formed additively. This composite approach enables the transmission element to simultaneously achieve high surface hardness and core ductility without requiring additional surface treatment processes, thereby reducing production time and cost.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution results in a transmission element with significantly extended service life, reduced maintenance and repair costs, and the ability to withstand dynamic forces effectively, while being cost-effectively produced using additive manufacturing techniques.
Implementation Method 1
the second material of the transmission element has residual compressive stresses on a surface of the edge region as a result of its connection to the first material, in particular due to the deviations in the microstructure of the first and second material
Implementation Method 2
the transmission element according to the invention can be produced by means of multi-axis or robot systems by means of additive manufacturing
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a transmission element, which is toothed with teeth, having at least one portion formed with a first material and an edge additively formed with a second material. The second material has a greater hardness than the first material or induces internal compressive stresses in the surface. In the method for producing a transmission element according to one of the preceding claims, at least the second material is formed by laser cladding, in particular laser wire cladding, and/or thermal spraying and/or cold gas dynamic spraying and/or arc cladding and/or a powder bed method and/or selective laser melting.