Carbon Brake Disk Coupon Testing Without Product Destruction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current quality assurance testing for carbon brake disks is destructive, resulting in significant loss of saleable product and increased costs due to the destruction of tested brake disks.
Innovation Solution
A method of non-destructive quality assurance testing using a small 'coupon' test sample taken from a blank brake disk source, which is machined into a saleable brake disk product without damaging the source, utilizing CNC milling to form and remove the coupon sample.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If destructive testing is used to ensure quality assurance of brake disks, then reliability of the testing method is improved, but loss of saleable product increases
Solution Approach 1:
The brake disk is segmented into two parts: a test coupon portion (10%) that is destructively tested, and a remaining portion (90%) that becomes the saleable brake disk. The test coupon is cut from the brake disk blank before final machining, allowing destructive testing without destroying the entire product.
Solution Approach 2:
A test coupon is extracted from the brake disk blank by cutting a portion of the outer periphery of the lug area. This extracted coupon is then subjected to destructive strength testing, while the remaining brake disk blank continues to be processed into a saleable product.
2Reliability
If more brake disks are tested for quality assurance, then statistical process control is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the brake disk into a test coupon and remaining product, the cost of testing is reduced to only 10% of the original brake disk value, making it economically feasible to test a higher percentage of produced disks for improved statistical process control.
3Measurement precision
If destructive testing is performed on finished brake disks, then measurement precision of strength is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The test coupon is prepared and strength testing is performed during the machining process itself, before the brake disk is completed. The coupon is cut from the blank, tested, and the results obtained while the remaining material is being machined into the final product, thus not extending total manufacturing time.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of quality assurance testing for a brake disk includes forming a blank brake disk source to be processed into a finished brake disk, forming a lug area in the brake disk source for alignment of the finished brake disk, notching a portion of an outer periphery of the lug area of the brake disk source to define a sample portion within the brake disk source, removing the sample portion from the lug area of the brake disk source, wherein the brake disk source is not destroyed by formation and removal of the sample portion, the removed sample portion being a coupon sample, and strength testing the coupon sample. By removing the sample portion from the lug area of the brake disk source to form the coupon sample, the subsequent strength testing does not result in destruction of the brake disk in contrast to conventional testing procedures, resulting in increased saleable brake disk product.