Roller Bearing Seal Ring Forming to Eliminate Stamping Scrap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tapered roller bearings on railway freight car axles experience fretting wear due to shaft deflections, leading to loose backing rings and increased axial play, which accelerates wear and potential failure, while existing manufacturing methods for bearing seals are inefficient and result in significant scrap material.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a sheet of steel of exact width, cut and formed into a ring using a ring forming machine, followed by welding and multiple pre-forming operations to create a finished bearing seal without waste, improving material use and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If traditional stamping operations are used to manufacture bearing seals, then the manufacturing process can be completed, but significant scrap material is generated and multiple dedicated stamping steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the manufacturing approach from discrete stamping operations to a continuous ring rolling process. The steel strip is fed continuously through a ring rolling machine that forms the seal in a single continuous operation, fundamentally changing the process parameters from batch stamping to continuous forming, thereby eliminating scrap generation and reducing equipment complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential forming function from complex multi-step stamping operations and consolidates it into a single ring rolling process. By taking out the core forming action and performing it continuously in one operation, the patent eliminates the need for multiple dedicated stamping steps and the associated scrap material
2Productivity
If traditional stamping operations are used to manufacture bearing seals, then the bearing seal can be produced, but the manufacturing efficiency is reduced due to multiple steps and dedicated equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The ring rolling machine performs multiple functions in a single continuous operation: it forms the steel strip into a ring, creates the seal geometry, and produces the final bearing seal component. This multi-functional approach replaces multiple dedicated stamping operations, improving manufacturing efficiency while reducing the number of specialized equipment pieces required
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous forming of the bearing seal through the ring rolling machine, where the steel strip is continuously fed and formed without interruption. This continuous action eliminates the stop-start nature of traditional stamping operations, significantly improving productivity and manufacturing efficiency
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 method reduces material waste and enhances the manufacturing efficiency of bearing seals, effectively addressing fretting wear issues by maintaining lubricant retention and excluding contaminants, thus prolonging bearing assembly life.
Implementation Method 1
a sheet of steel, which is the usual material of which a bearing seal is comprised, of the exact width in material needs of the finished bearing seal, such sheet of steel cut and run is initially through a ring forming machine
Implementation Method 2
The formed ring is then welded
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A method of manufacturing bearing seal for use in a roller bearing is provided. A steel coil of a preselected width is fed into a ring rolling machine to form a closed coil ring. The closed coil ring is then welded along the butted joint. The welded closed coil ring is then fed to a series of pre-forming machines wherein the desired profiles of the final bearing seal are formed.