Compacting Screw Hardened Head Wear Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing compacting screws for waste and residue processing have limited service life and are labor-intensive to manufacture, with surfacing processes being inefficient and costly.

Innovation Solution

A compacting screw with a screw head treated by a hardening process to increase wear resistance, allowing for a service life comparable to or exceeding that of surfacing-treated screws, while reducing material usage and weight, and enabling quicker, more economical production.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the screw head is treated by surfacing process, then wear resistance is improved, but manufacturing complexity and labor intensity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice lifeVSAvoidmanufacturing labor intensity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical surfacing process with a hardening process that achieves wear resistance through metallurgical transformation rather than material addition. The hardening process transforms the microstructure of the screw head material through controlled heating and cooling, creating a hardened surface layer without requiring external coating materials or complex surfacing equipment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the hardening process parameters (temperature, time, cooling rate) to achieve the desired wear resistance. By adjusting these parameters, the screw head material undergoes phase transformation that increases hardness and wear resistance, providing an alternative to surfacing that achieves similar protective effects through material property modification rather than material addition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the screw head is made thicker to increase service life, then wear resistance is improved, but weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice lifeVSAvoidscrew head weight
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a hardened surface layer on the screw head that provides enhanced wear resistance only where needed - on the surface that contacts waste material. The bulk material maintains its original properties, allowing the screw head to be thinner overall while still achieving the required service life. This localized hardening eliminates the need to increase the entire screw head thickness for wear protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If surfacing process is used on screw head, then wear resistance is improved, but production time and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewear resistanceVSAvoidproduction speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the multi-step surfacing process with a more efficient hardening process that can be applied directly to the screw head material. This substitution eliminates the need for material deposition, drying, and curing steps associated with surfacing, reducing production time and enabling faster manufacturing cycles while achieving equivalent or superior wear resistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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 hardening process enhances wear resistance and service life, reduces manufacturing labor and costs, and allows for weight reduction without compromising performance, enabling efficient processing and transportation of waste and residue.

Implementation Method 1

The compacting screw for waste and/or residue processing comprises a screw head which is produced by means of a hardening process. The hardening process introduces irregularities into the crystal lattice of the metal alloy from which the screw head is made, so as to increase its hardness.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHardening process: Heat Treatment

Data Source

PatentEP3747642B1Compacting screw for processing waste and/or residue
Publication Date: 2024.10.09 VDL TRANSLIFT BV
  • EP3747642B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3747642B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention concerns a compacting screw (1) for processing waste and/or residue. The compacting screw comprises a screw body (3) and a screw head (5) connected thereto and produced by means of a hardening process. The invention furthermore concerns a waste processing device comprising at least one compacting screw. Finally, the invention also concerns the use of a compacting screw and a method for manufacturing a compacting screw (1).