Ceramic Ball Material With Belt-Mark Removal for Heavy-Load Durability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ceramic ball materials produced by tumbling granulation have poor durability due to low density and are limited in size, making them unsuitable for applications under heavy loads.

Innovation Solution

A ceramic ball material with a sphericity of 2% or less and an arithmetic mean roughness Ra of 0.2 µm or more and 2 µm or less, produced by sintering a ceramic formed body from which the belt-like portion has been completely removed, enhancing polishing efficiency and durability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If tumbling granulation is used to produce ceramic ball material, then polishing efficiency is improved due to absence of belt-like portion, but durability deteriorates due to low density

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepolishing efficiencyVSAvoiddurability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the pressing pressure parameter from low (tumbling granulation) to high (100-500 MPa), which transforms the formed body density from poor to high density, thereby improving durability while maintaining the absence of belt-like portion for good polishing efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention performs preliminary densification by applying high pressing pressure during formed body production, creating a densely packed green body before sintering. This preliminary action ensures high density is achieved early in the process, preventing the durability problems that would arise from low-density tumbling granulation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If tumbling granulation is used to produce ceramic ball material, then polishing efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to size limitations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepolishing efficiencyVSAvoidsize control
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the pressing pressure parameter to enable production of larger sized formed bodies with controlled dimensions, overcoming the size limitations of tumbling granulation while maintaining good sphericity and surface quality for efficient polishing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If die pressing is used to produce ceramic formed body, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to belt-like portion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshape controlVSAvoidprocess complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates the belt-like portion from the formed body by optimizing the die pressing process parameters, thereby removing the source of polishing inefficiency while maintaining the manufacturing precision benefits of die pressing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 material achieves improved polishing efficiency and excellent durability, making it suitable for applications under heavy loads, while also reducing the polishing allowance.

Implementation Method 1

a material for a ceramic ball is produced by sintering a ceramic formed body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSintering: Sintering

Data Source

PatentEP4553330A1Material for ceramic ball, device for processing ceramic formed body, and method for processing ceramic formed body
Publication Date: 2025.05.14 NITERRA MATERIALS CO LTD
  • EP4553330A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4553330A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4553330A1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A material for a ceramic ball according to the present embodiment is characterized in that a deviation from spherical form is 2% or less, and an arithmetic mean roughness Ra is 0.2 µm to 2 µm inclusive. Moreover, in the material for a ceramic ball, a maximum cross-sectional height Rt is preferably 4 µm to 20 µm inclusive. Furthermore, in the material for a ceramic ball, Ra1/Ra2 is preferably 0.2 to 2, where Ra1 is the surface roughness Ra in a circumferential direction of a belt-like mark, and Ra2 is the surface roughness Ra of a circumference in a direction perpendicular to the belt-like mark.