Composite Roller with Hard Outer Steel and Tough Core

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional rollers for grinding and pressing devices face reduced service life due to either excessive wear from hard surfaces or material removal from soft surfaces, leading to inadequate force exertion and potential breakage under high pressures.

Innovation Solution

A composite roller design featuring a core area with high toughness and an outer area with high hardness, made from specific steel alloys, where the core area is connected to the outer area through diffusion bonding or hot isostatic pressing, allowing for enhanced mechanical properties and extended service life.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the steel of the roller surface is made hard to reduce wear and material removal, then wear resistance is improved, but the risk of breakage due to high contact pressures increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewear resistanceVSAvoidtoughness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The roller is designed with a composite structure where the outer surface area is made of hard steel (58-65 HRC) for wear resistance, while the core area is made of tougher steel for strength. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction by assigning different mechanical characteristics to different regions of the same component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The roller combines two different steel materials with complementary properties: a hard outer layer for wear resistance and a tougher inner core for strength. This composite material approach allows the roller to simultaneously achieve both wear resistance and toughness, preventing both excessive wear and breakage under high pressures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Duration of action of moving object

If the steel hardness is increased to extend service life, then wear resistance is improved, but the service life is reduced due to breakage under high pressures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice lifeVSAvoidtoughness
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The roller is designed with a composite structure where the outer surface area is made of hard steel (58-65 HRC) for wear resistance, while the core area is made of tougher steel for strength. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction by assigning different mechanical characteristics to different regions of the same component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The roller combines two different steel materials with complementary properties: a hard outer layer for wear resistance and a tougher inner core for strength. This composite material approach allows the roller to simultaneously achieve both wear resistance and toughness, preventing both excessive wear and breakage under high pressures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Reliability

If surface treatment such as nitriding or carburizing is applied to increase hardness, then wear resistance is improved, but the service life is reduced because the hardened layer is thin and wears through quickly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewear resistanceVSAvoidservice life
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The roller combines two different steel materials with complementary properties: a hard outer layer for wear resistance and a tougher inner core for strength. This composite material approach allows the roller to simultaneously achieve both wear resistance and toughness, preventing both excessive wear and breakage under high pressures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 composite roller design significantly extends service life, achieving more than six times the lifespan of conventional rollers by adapting mechanical properties to various loads and maintaining low wear resistance, while withstanding high forces and pressures without breakage.

Implementation Method 1

the core area and the outer area are connected to one another in a diffusion-tight manner

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDiffusion bonding: Diffusion Welding

Implementation Method 2

the core area and the outer area are connected to one another

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHot isostatic pressing: Hot Isostatic Pressing

Data Source

PatentEP3428300B1Roller for a grinding or/and pressing device, in particular compression roller for a press for the production of pellets, and method of manufacturing the roller
Publication Date: 2021.05.05 SAAR PULVERMETALL GMBH
  • EP3428300B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP3428300B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~3
  • EP3428300B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a roller (1) for a grinding and/or pressing device, in particular a roller for a pellet press, which is formed from metallic material. According to the invention, the roller (1) is formed from a composite body, the outer surface (2) of which comprises a lateral surface (4) of the roller (1), and the core area (3) of which is arranged within the outer surface (2) are made of different metallic materials and joined together. Advantageously, the core area (3) is made of a material that has a greater toughness than the material of the outer surface (2). Advantageously, the outer surface (2) is made of a material that has a greater hardness than the material of the core area (3), wherein the outer surface and/or the core area are advantageously made of steel and joined together by hot isostatic pressing.