Crankshaft Seal Flange Sensor Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Crankshaft sealing flanges face challenges in achieving precise sensor positioning and measurement accuracy due to tolerances and sensitivity to vibration and shock, leading to complex and costly assembly processes, as well as issues with dirt and deposit formation and reduced sealing effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
The integration of the sensor's electronic assembly into the plastic carrier of the sealing flange during injection molding, eliminating the need for separate mounting and connecting elements, and providing a compact design with closed surfaces to prevent dirt and deposit formation, while ensuring high accuracy and sensitivity to vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sensor is mounted as a separate unit with connecting elements, then the sensor can be replaced or adjusted, but the assembly becomes complex and expensive, and positioning accuracy deteriorates due to tolerances and vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor and its electronic assembly are integrated directly into the plastic carrier of the sealing flange during injection molding, eliminating the need for separate mounting with screws and centering bushings. This merging of components achieves high positioning accuracy while simplifying the assembly structure and reducing the number of connecting elements required.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor is positioned and fixed in its final location during the injection molding process itself, before the sealing flange is assembled. This preliminary positioning ensures exact radial, tangential, and axial accuracy is achieved during manufacturing, eliminating the need for subsequent adjustment or complex mounting procedures.
2Measurement precision
If the sensor is mounted as a separate unit, then it can be adjusted, but vibration and shock sensitivity increases, affecting measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic assembly is embedded within the plastic material of the carrier, creating a monolithic structure where the sensor is an integral part of the sealing flange. This integration eliminates relative movement between components under vibration and shock, significantly reducing sensitivity to these harmful factors and maintaining high measurement accuracy.
3Ease of manufacture
If a radial guide is provided for the sensor, then positioning is facilitated, but gaps form that allow dirt and deposit formation, reducing sealing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor positioning is achieved through the injection molding process itself, which forms the sensor housing and mounting features as an integral part of the carrier. This eliminates the need for separate radial guides and their associated gaps, preventing dirt and deposit formation while maintaining ease of manufacture through the molding process.
Solution Approach 2:
The radial guide structure that created harmful gaps is completely removed from the design. Instead, the sensor is positioned and fixed through features integrated into the molded plastic carrier, eliminating the source of the problem while maintaining positioning capability.
4Reliability
If connecting elements are used to mount the sensor, then the sensor can be secured, but production cost increases and installation space requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor mounting features are integrated into the plastic carrier during injection molding, eliminating the need for separate connecting elements such as screws, washers, and centering bushings. This reduces the number of parts to be manufactured and assembled, significantly lowering production costs while maintaining secure sensor attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The plastic carrier serves multiple functions: it provides the sealing flange structure, incorporates the sensor mounting features, and integrates the electronic assembly housing. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated mounting components, reducing overall part count and production complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The crankshaft sealing flange has a carrier (1) that is at least partially made of plastic and has at least one dynamic seal (11). This seal extends around the circumference of an inner wall of a passage (22) in the carrier (1). The sealing flange also has at least one sensor (12) for detecting the rotational speed and position of the crankshaft, which essentially consists of an electronic assembly (13). This electronic assembly (13) of the sensor (12) is integrated into the plastic of the carrier (1).