Near Perfect Round Ball Bearing With Through-Hole Manufacturing Process
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing ball bearings do not provide a process for producing near perfect round ball bearings with a hole through them.
Innovation Solution
A multi-step process involving cold forging and hole punching devices to transform a slug into a near perfect round ball bearing with a hole, including forming flat ends, compressing for tapered ends, and pressing a hole through the slug to achieve a precise configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional ball bearing manufacturing methods are used, then ball bearings can be produced, but they cannot achieve near perfect roundness with a hole through them
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is divided into multiple sequential stages: cold forging to form the slug with flat ends, compression to create tapered ends, and hole punching to form the central aperture. Each stage builds upon the previous one, with intermediate forms being transformed step-by-step into the final near perfect round ball bearing with a hole through it.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold forging process preliminarily forms the slug with flat ends before compression and hole punching. This preliminary shaping creates a controlled geometry that facilitates subsequent processing steps and enables achievement of near perfect roundness in the final product.
2Reliability
If cold forging and compression processes are used to form the slug, then the material structure is improved, but the manufacturing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cold forging and compression processes are performed in continuous sequence without interruption. The slug is formed by cold forging, then immediately compressed, and subsequently punched with a hole. This continuous workflow minimizes idle time while maintaining material structure integrity throughout the transformation process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a hole is punched through the slug, then ball bearings with through-holes can be produced, but the structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The slug is preliminarily formed with flat ends through cold forging before the hole punching operation. This preliminary action creates a controlled geometry that distributes stress more evenly around the future hole location, maintaining structural integrity even after the through-hole is created.
Solution Approach 2:
The compression process creates localized tapered ends on the slug, which concentrates material density in specific regions. This local quality enhancement strengthens the material structure around the areas that will eventually contain the hole, compensating for the potential weakness introduced by the through-hole.
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 process efficiently manufactures durable, reliable, and cost-effective near perfect round ball bearings with a hole, addressing the need for improved manufacturing techniques.
Implementation Method 1
placing the slug into a first cold forging device. The first cold forging device has a first cold forging station and a second cold forging station. The first cold forging device has a hammer assembly and a die assembly.
Implementation Method 2
pressing a hole through the slug to achieve a precise configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A process of compressing a slug to have tapered ends, then reforming the slug to change the configuration to a shorter length with a larger diameter across the center of the slug. The slug is then reformed and a hole pressed there through, with the pressing of the partial hole reforming the configuration to have a near perfect radius with a hole through the slug, whereby a near prefect ball is made, and the ball has a hole there through.