Chassis Guide Element Forming to Prevent Cracks at Eccentric Mounts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chassis components with eccentric mechanisms suffer from reduced service life due to high pressure molding processes, clamping joints, cutting slots, and material cracking, which are costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A method for producing chassis components with guide elements formed as a single piece from the same material as the base body, featuring radiused transitions and tapered designs to enhance stability and robustness, using a cold forming process with low pressure and angled punch alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If guide elements are formed using high pressure molding process, then the guide elements can be formed as a single piece from the base body material, but clamping joints or damage remain on the component reducing service life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pressure parameter from high pressure molding to low pressure cold forming process. This allows the guide elements to be formed integrally from the base body material without creating clamping joints or damage that would reduce service life. The cold forming process maintains material integrity while achieving the desired geometric shapes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces radiused transitions at the interfaces between guide elements and the base body, replacing sharp corners with curved surfaces. This geometric modification eliminates stress concentration points that would otherwise form during high pressure molding, preventing crack initiation and improving the component's service life while maintaining integral formation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If guide elements are designed with cutting slots for adjustment, then the chassis component allows toe and camber adjustment, but the cutting slots increase the risk of cracking and reduce service life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the adjustment function from the structural integrity of the guide elements. Instead of cutting slots through the entire guide element structure, the design allows adjustment through controlled deformation zones with radiused transitions that can be precisely positioned without compromising the overall structural integrity, thus maintaining both adjustability and service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different geometric qualities to different regions: the guide elements maintain their full structural integrity in load-bearing areas, while localized zones with radiused transitions provide the necessary flexibility for adjustment. This local differentiation allows cutting slots or adjustment features to be implemented only where needed, minimizing crack risk while preserving adaptability.
3Ease of manufacture
If the punch is aligned perpendicular to the base body during forming, then the forming process is simple, but the guide elements lack proper alignment and the material flow is suboptimal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric punch alignment at a specific angle (30°-60°) relative to the base body rather than perpendicular alignment. This asymmetric approach optimizes material flow during cold forming, ensuring proper alignment of the guide elements with the base body while maintaining manufacturing simplicity. The angled punch creates favorable stress distributions and material flow patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an angular dimension to the forming process by aligning the punch at an angle to the base body. This dimensional change from perpendicular (0° or 90°) to oblique (30°-60°) alignment transforms the material flow characteristics, enabling precise guide element alignment and optimal fiber orientation without significantly complicating the forming operation.
4Ease of manufacture
If sharp transitions are used between guide elements and base body, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but crack formation occurs at the transition points reducing service life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies radiused transitions with specific radius values (0.2-2 mm) at all interfaces between guide elements and the base body. This curvature modification eliminates sharp corners that act as stress concentration points and crack initiation sites. The radiused transitions distribute stresses uniformly while remaining compatible with standard cold forming processes, thus improving service life without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity.
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 method increases the service life and reduces production costs by minimizing material damage, crack formation, and ensuring precise alignment and adjustment of chassis components.
Implementation Method 1
forming the guide elements (4) by linearly advancing the punch (20), wherein the punch (20) is aligned at an angle α between 30° and 60° to the base body (2) and the forming process takes place at a pressure between 5 t and 20 t
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
The invention relates to a chassis component 1 comprising a base body 2, wherein the base body 2 has an opening 3 for the passage of a fastening element and two guide elements 4 for guiding an eccentric element 5 are arranged on opposite sides of the opening 3, wherein the guide elements 4 are formed integrally and of a single material from the base body 2 of the chassis component 1 by mechanical machining and each has a rear side 6 and a contact side 7 facing the opening 3, the contact side 7 being orthogonal to the base body 2. According to the invention, an outer transition area 11 with a radius Ra is formed between the respective contact sides 7 and the base body 2. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing a chassis component.