Air Spring Cover Venting During Aluminum Casting Temper
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of air spring covers for rail vehicles in aluminum casting faces challenges in achieving high strength while avoiding material inhomogeneities and stress cracks, particularly due to imprecise tempering processes that can lead to loss of strength and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the casting of a cup-shaped air spring cover with vent openings in the top wall to allow for controlled venting during tempering, preventing oil vapor and bubbles from forming, and using protruding pins as riser tubes to ensure continuous ventilation, which simplifies the quenching process and enhances structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the air spring cover is tempered by immersion in cooling medium, then the strength of the cover is improved, but oil vapor and bubbles form in the enclosed volume causing inhomogeneities and stress cracks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful oil vapor and air bubbles from the enclosed volume by providing vent openings that allow these substances to escape during the tempering process, preventing them from causing inhomogeneities and stress cracks in the cover material
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces pins with vent openings as intermediary elements that serve dual functions: they provide structural support during tempering and act as conduits for venting oil vapor and bubbles from the enclosed volume, facilitating controlled removal of harmful substances
2Adaptability or versatility
If the air spring cover is produced with additional volume for suspension characteristics, then the comfort and load regulation are improved, but the tempering process becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the air spring cover to temper itself by utilizing its own functional elements (pins with vent openings) to facilitate the venting process, eliminating the need for complex external venting systems or specialized tempering equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The pins serve multiple functions: they provide structural support, enable venting of oil vapor and bubbles, and maintain the enclosed volume for suspension characteristics, thereby simplifying the overall manufacturing process while maintaining performance requirements
3Adaptability or versatility
If the air spring cover is made with functional elements protruding into the enclosed volume, then the suspension functionality is improved, but the formation of closed cavities during tempering causes harmful effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the enclosed volume into multiple vented sections through pins with vent openings, allowing oil vapor and bubbles to escape from different regions simultaneously, preventing accumulation and harmful pressure buildup during tempering
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
This method results in an air spring cover with improved strength and reduced risk of inhomogeneities, maintaining structural design flexibility and cost-effectiveness, ensuring reliable performance under high loads.
Implementation Method 1
the air spring cover is immersed in a cooling medium in an upright position and with the top wall at the top
Implementation Method 2
vent openings provided in the top wall of the air spring cover, through which the volume enclosed in the cup-shaped cover is permanently vented during the entire immersion process in the cooling medium
Data Source
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AI summary
The method comprises forming a cup-shaped air spring cover having an upper wall, a lateral wall (11) and a flange (12) by an aluminum casting process, annealing the air spring cover, and immersing the air spring cover with the upper wall into a cooling medium. The air spring cover includes in the upper wall, ventilation openings, in which projecting functional components of the air spring cover are arranged so that a lid interior is permanently vented throughout the immersion process. The ventilation openings are made in the projecting pin. The method comprises forming a cup-shaped air spring cover having an upper wall, a lateral wall (11) and a flange (12) by an aluminum casting process, annealing the air spring cover, and immersing the air spring cover with the upper wall into a cooling medium. The air spring cover includes in the upper wall, ventilation openings, in which projecting functional components of the air spring cover are arranged so that a lid interior is permanently vented throughout the immersion process. The ventilation openings are made in a projecting pin provided for positioning and supporting the air spring cover to a car body, and are formed so that the openings are closed after the annealing treatment.