Brake Shoe Bonding via Segmented Curing Process
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Solution Overview
Problem
The integrally molded process for manufacturing drum brake shoes is time-consuming and costly due to the need for high temperatures and long curing times, which increases tooling costs, lead times, and capital requirements, limiting production capacity and throughput.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that involve applying an adhesive layer to a brake shoe carrier, bonding a friction material without initial curing, and then curing it in a separate oven, allowing for a shorter cycle process that reduces the need for high-temperature presses and simplifies tooling, enabling faster production and lower capital expenditures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the friction material is cured in the press during the bonding process, then the bond strength is improved, but the cycle time increases to 30 seconds or longer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the curing process into two separate stages: (1) bonding the friction material to the shoe carrier in the press without full curing, and (2) completing the curing process in a separate oven. This segmentation allows the press cycle to be completed quickly for bonding, while the time-consuming curing occurs afterward, thus reducing the press cycle time while maintaining bond strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the curing function from the press operation and relocates it to a separate oven. By removing the curing requirement from the press process, the press can operate with shorter cycle times focused only on bonding, while the curing is performed independently in the oven, resolving the contradiction between bond strength and cycle time.
2Reliability
If high curing temperatures are maintained during the bonding process, then the friction material cures completely, but the tooling costs and capital requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the high-temperature curing function from the press tooling and relocates it to a separate oven system. This allows the press tooling to be simpler and less expensive, as it only needs to provide bonding conditions rather than full curing conditions. The complex high-temperature curing infrastructure is separated into a dedicated oven, reducing overall tooling complexity and capital requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the thermal processing into two distinct stages with different temperature requirements: (1) a lower-temperature bonding stage in the press, and (2) a high-temperature curing stage in the oven. This segmentation allows each piece of equipment to be optimized for its specific function, reducing the complexity and cost of the press tooling while ensuring complete curing.
3Productivity
If the press tonnage capacity is increased to handle multiple pieces per cycle, then the production capacity is improved, but the capital requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous production by running the press and oven in parallel continuous operations. The press continuously bonds friction materials to shoe carriers, and the oven continuously cures them as they move through the process. This continuous flow allows high production capacity to be achieved without requiring a single large-capacity press, as the throughput is distributed across two smaller, more economical pieces of equipment operating in sequence.
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 enables faster production of brake shoes with reduced capital costs and tooling complexity, allowing for higher throughput and quicker market entry by separating the bonding and curing stages, thus enhancing manufacturing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
heating the adhesive layer to a first predetermined temperature using a first device to bond the friction material member to the brake shoe carrier
Implementation Method 2
substantially curing the friction material member disposed on the brake shoe carrier by heating the friction material member to a second predetermined temperature using a second device remote from the first device
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a brake shoe in accordance with an exemplary embodiment is provided. The method includes disposing an adhesive layer on a brake shoe carrier. The method further includes moving a friction material against the adhesive layer on the brake shoe carrier. The method further includes heating the adhesive layer to a first predetermined temperature using a first device to bond the friction material to the brake shoe carrier without substantially curing the friction material. Finally, the method includes substantially curing the friction material disposed on the brake shoe carrier by heating the friction material to a second predetermined temperature using a second device remote from the first device to form the brake shoe.