Ceramic Roller Bearing Extrusion and Grinding Method
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of hybrid roller bearings for smaller rotary dynamoelectric machines is costly due to the sintering and machining of individual cylindrical rollers, which results in high expenses for profiling and grinding, making them less economical for applications with low axial loads.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the production of ceramic profiles by extrusion, followed by centerless cylindrical grinding, cutting to specific lengths, and plunge grinding to create the final raceway geometry on the inner and outer rings, allowing for the assembly of rolling elements into a roller bearing, which can be designed as floating, fixed, or support bearings, reducing production costs and complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If individual cylindrical rollers are sintered and machined with profiling, then the rolling elements achieve precise geometry and performance, but the production cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the profiling operation into the sintering process itself by using a profiled susceptor that transfers the raceway geometry directly to the green body during microwave sintering. This eliminates the need for separate profiling and machining operations, significantly reducing production steps and cost while maintaining geometric precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The raceway profile is prepared in advance on the susceptor before the sintering process begins. The green body is then pressed against this pre-profiled susceptor during sintering, so the profiling action is performed preliminarily and simultaneously with forming, rather than as a subsequent separate operation.
2Productivity
If ceramic profiles are extruded and cut to length, then production efficiency increases, but the raceway geometry requires additional grinding operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the profiling and sintering operations into a single process step by using a profiled susceptor during microwave sintering. This eliminates the need for separate grinding operations to create the raceway geometry, reducing device complexity while maintaining high productivity from the extrusion process.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If hybrid bearings use ceramic rolling elements, then bearing currents are reduced, but the manufacturing cost increases for smaller machines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple operations (forming, profiling, and sintering) into a single microwave sintering process using a profiled susceptor. This integration dramatically reduces the manufacturing steps for ceramic rolling elements, lowering the overall cost of hybrid bearings while maintaining the electrical isolation benefits of ceramic materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a disposable or reusable profiled susceptor that can be easily replaced or reused. The susceptor itself is a relatively simple component that enables complex geometry creation without requiring expensive, complex machining equipment, thus reducing the overall manufacturing cost.
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 method enables the cost-effective production of hybrid roller bearings suitable for low axial load applications, effectively reducing bearing currents in rotary dynamoelectric machines and allowing for efficient use in smaller motors and machine tools, while maintaining performance comparable to previous solutions.
Implementation Method 1
Profiles made of ceramic material are produced as extruded profiles
Implementation Method 2
the profiles are ground by centerless cylindrical grinding
Implementation Method 3
a final profiled raceway geometry is produced on the raceways of the rolling elements on the inner and outer rings by plunge-cut grinding
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to methods for manufacturing a rolling bearing (5, 10) with rolling elements, an inner ring and an outer ring by the following steps: - profiles made of ceramic material are produced as flow process profiles, - the profiles are ground by centerless cylindrical grinding, - individual profile lengths are cut off from the profile in predetermined lengths to obtain rolling elements, - by plunge grinding an end-profiled raceway geometry is produced on the raceways of the rolling elements on the inner and outer rings, - the rolling elements, inner and outer rings are assembled to form a rolling bearing (5, 10).