Brake Disc Friction Ring Electron Beam Texturing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing brake disc coatings face issues with adhesion, as the connection between the friction ring surface and the protective coating is not stable, leading to potential delamination or flaking off during heavy use, and existing surface treatment methods like laser texturing are time-consuming and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

The method involves roughening the friction ring surface using a sharply bundled and highly accelerated electron beam to create defined indentations, allowing for a direct and stable application of a wear-resistant coating without the need for etching or intermediate layers, enhancing the surface area for better adhesion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a protective coating is applied to the friction ring surface, then wear resistance is improved, but adhesion stability deteriorates causing delamination or flaking off during heavy use

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewear resistanceVSAvoidadhesion stability
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The friction ring surface is roughened by applying an electron beam before coating application to create defined indentations. This preliminary surface preparation enhances mechanical interlocking between the coating and substrate, ensuring stable adhesion even under heavy loading conditions without requiring intermediate layers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The electron beam treatment creates localized indentations with specific geometry (depth, shape, and arrangement) on the friction ring surface. These locally modified areas provide optimized anchoring points for the coating material, improving adhesion stability while maintaining the overall integrity of the friction surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If laser texturing is used to enlarge contact area, then adhesion is improved, but processing time increases and heat-affected zone causes cratering

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadhesionVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces laser texturing with electron beam-induced surface roughening. This substitution eliminates the high heat input and prolonged processing time associated with laser methods, avoiding cratering while achieving the desired surface indentation for improved adhesion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The electron beam parameters (energy, direction, distance from surface) are precisely controlled to create indentations with predetermined depth, shape, and arrangement. This parameter optimization enables effective surface roughening with shorter processing times and without the harmful heat-affected zone produced by laser texturing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Area of stationary object

If mechanical treatment followed by blasting is used, then surface roughening is achieved, but additional process steps and cleaning requirements increase complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface areaVSAvoidprocess steps
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines surface roughening and coating application into a streamlined process where electron beam treatment directly prepares the surface for coating without requiring separate mechanical turning, blasting, or cleaning steps. This merging of operations reduces process complexity while achieving the necessary surface area enlargement for adhesion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 approach results in a significantly improved mechanical connection between the friction ring surface and the coating, reducing the risk of delamination, and enabling a faster, more reproducible process with a larger surface area for adhesion, thus enhancing the wear resistance and thermal properties of the brake disc.

Implementation Method 1

roughening the friction ring surface by applying an electron beam to the friction ring surface in such a way that a defined number of indentations per square millimeter of friction ring surface is created in the friction ring surface

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectron beam: Electron Beam

Implementation Method 2

the electron beam is set in terms of its energy, direction and distance from the surface to be processed in such a way that the indentations are arranged relative to one another in a predetermined manner and each indentation has a predetermined depth and shape

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAblation: Ablation

Data Source

PatentEP2678579B1Brake disc and production method thereof
Publication Date: 2015.02.18 MERCEDES BENZ GROUP AG
  • EP2678579B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2678579B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2678579B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~4b

AI summary

A method for producing a brake disc from a basic body (1) which has a friction ring surface (2). The method comprises the steps of the providing of the basic body (1) and the roughening of the friction ring surface (2) by directing an electron beam (5) onto the friction ring surface (2), wherein a defined number of depressions (3) per mm2 of friction ring surface (2) are produced in the friction ring surface (2). Here, the arrangement of the depressions (3) with respect to one another is predefined and every depression (3) has a predefined depth and shape. The application of a friction ring surface coating (4) follows without an etching step being carried out. Furthermore, a corresponding brake disc is disclosed.