Roller Bearing Cage Forming via Unparallel Rolls
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of large diameter tapered roller bearing cages is challenging due to high costs associated with spinning and ring rolling/machining processes, which require part-specific mandrels and tailstocks, and are limited by material formability and tool capacity, while also being inflexible and costly for small batch production.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing straight metal strips, coils, or plates as raw materials, where a rolling mill with unparallel forming rolls and a third roll forms the cage blank into an arc shape and then a conical ring, allowing for flexible size adjustments and precision control, eliminating the need for part-specific mandrels and tailstocks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If spinning or ring rolling/machining processes are used for large diameter tapered roller bearing cages, then manufacturing capability is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, part-specific mandrels and tailstocks with a simple, universal rolling mill that uses straight metal strips as disposable blanks. This eliminates the need for costly, custom-made tooling for each cage size while maintaining manufacturing capability through a standardized process.
Solution Approach 2:
The rolling mill is designed as a universal device that can manufacture large diameter tapered roller bearing cages of various sizes using the same equipment. The process handles different cage dimensions by adjusting process parameters rather than requiring dedicated tooling for each size, significantly reducing manufacturing costs.
2Length of moving object
If part-specific mandrels and tailstocks are used in spinning processes, then large diameter cage production is enabled, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex mandrel and tailstock components from the manufacturing system. Instead of using these elaborate support structures, the process relies on a simple rolling mill that directly forms the cage from straight metal strips, dramatically reducing device complexity while maintaining the ability to produce large diameter cages.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than using mandrels and tailstocks to hold and shape the material from the inside out, the patent inverts the approach by using external rolling rolls to compress and form the straight metal strip into the desired cage shape. This reversal of the forming mechanism eliminates the need for complex internal tooling.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional spinning or ring rolling processes are used, then cage formation is achieved, but adaptability to design changes and size adjustments is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The rolling mill process is designed to be dynamic and adjustable, allowing quick changes in process parameters to accommodate different cage sizes and designs. Unlike fixed mandrel-based processes, the rolling mill can be reconfigured through parameter adjustments rather than physical tooling changes, enhancing adaptability to design changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes in the rolling process (such as roll gap settings, rolling speed, and material feed rate) to adapt to different cage specifications. This allows the same equipment to produce various cage sizes and configurations by modifying process parameters rather than requiring dedicated tooling for each design.
4Length of moving object
If large sized steel plates are used as raw material, then large diameter cages can be produced, but material cost increases exponentially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material form parameter from thick steel plates to thin straight metal strips. By using strips with much smaller thickness while maintaining the same final cage size through the rolling formation process, the material cost is significantly reduced while still enabling production of large diameter cages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from using two-dimensional large steel plates to using one-dimensional straight metal strips as raw material. This dimensional change allows the material to be efficiently formed into the three-dimensional cage structure through the rolling process, reducing material cost while achieving the same cage size.
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 significantly reduces manufacturing costs, enhances material utilization, and achieves superior dimensional and geometric precision, making it suitable for large diameter cages with quick part changeovers and size adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
one side of the cage blank is plastically deformed to reduce its thickness and to elongate its length
Implementation Method 2
A third roll disposed on the exit side of the forming rolls, in a pre-calculated position, bends the rolled cage blank into a circular conical ring
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing large diameter tapered roller bearing cages includes beginning with a metal strip, coil or plate of cage blank material and feeding it into a rolling mill. The rolling mill includes a pair of unparallel forming rolls disposed to define a wedge-shaped gap therebetween. As the cage blank material is fed through the wedge-shaped gap, one lateral side of the cage blank material is plastically deformed to reduce its thickness and to elongate its length, while slight or no deformation is introduced into the other lateral side, thus forming the cage blank into an arc shape. A third roll disposed at the exit side of the forming rolls bends the rolled cage blank into a circular conical ring. Adjacent butt ends of the formed conical ring cage blank are aligned and joined together during the assembly process to form the large diameter tapered roller bearing cage.