Integrated Ball Screw Ice-Breaking Seal With Dual-Hardness Polymer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice breaking seals for ball screws are heavy and difficult to manufacture accurately, as they consist of separately manufactured metallic ice breaking and sealing elements.
Innovation Solution
An integrally formed ice breaking seal with a hard polymeric ice breaking section and a softer polymeric sealing section, produced via additive manufacturing, such as photopolymerization, allowing for varying hardness and reduced manufacturing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a metallic ice breaking element with a sealing element attached by moulding or overmoulding is used, then the ice breaking function is effective, but the seal becomes heavy and difficult to manufacture accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the ice breaking element and sealing element into a single integrated seal component made from polymeric material. This merging eliminates the need for separate manufacturing and assembly of metallic ice breaking elements with attached sealing elements, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and improving accuracy while maintaining both ice breaking effectiveness and sealing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite polymeric materials with different hardness values within the same seal structure. The ice breaking section uses a harder polymeric material to effectively break ice, while the sealing section uses a softer polymeric material to ensure proper sealing. This composite approach allows the single integrated component to perform both functions effectively without the weight and manufacturing issues of metallic constructions.
2Ease of manufacture
If a single polymeric material is used for the entire seal, then manufacturing is simplified, but the ice breaking effectiveness is reduced due to insufficient hardness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using different polymeric materials with different hardness values in different sections of the same seal component. The ice breaking section is made from a harder polymeric material to effectively break ice, while the sealing section is made from a softer polymeric material. This localized differentiation of material properties allows the seal to perform both ice breaking and sealing functions effectively while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through integral formation.
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 provides a lightweight, accurately manufactured ice breaking seal that effectively breaks ice and maintains lubrication, eliminating the need for separate assembly and tolerancing of parts.
Implementation Method 1
The ice breaking section and sealing section are formed together in an additive manufacturing process, for example a photopolymerisation process
Data Source
AI summary
An ice breaking seal for a ball screw comprises a first, ice breaking section and a second, sealing section formed integrally with the ice breaking section. The ice breaking section is formed of a polymeric material and has a first hardness. The sealing section is formed of a polymeric material and has a second hardness, which is lower than the first hardness.