CV Joint Butt Welding With Inner Recess for Burr-Free Strength

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for butt-welding outer joint members of constant velocity universal joints face issues such as burr generation, distorted shapes, increased manufacturing costs due to prolonged cycle times, and poor welding quality due to burrs and hollow cavity formation, which affect the strength and inspection reliability of the welded portions.

Innovation Solution

The method involves forming a recess on the radially inner side of the joining end surface to reduce the abutment area, allowing for efficient heating and reducing the volume of the welded portion, thereby preventing burr formation and improving the welding process through electron beam welding, which ensures deep penetration and stable strength without generating unjoined portions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If friction press-contact is used to join cup member and shaft member, then the joining strength is improved, but burrs are generated on the radially outer side of the joining portion requiring additional turning processing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvejoining strengthVSAvoidburr generation
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention utilizes the burrs generated during friction press-contact not as waste to be removed, but as beneficial protrusions on the radially outer side of the joining portion. These burrs serve as reinforcement features that enhance the joint strength and eliminate the need for additional turning processing to remove them.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of viewing burrs as harmful defects to be eliminated through turning processing, the invention inverts the approach by allowing burrs to remain and even promoting their formation on the radially outer side. This inversion transforms a previously harmful effect into a beneficial feature that strengthens the joint.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Manufacturing precision

If burrs are removed through turning processing, then the surface quality is improved, but the turning tip is significantly abraded due to high hardness and cracked due to distorted shape

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface qualityVSAvoidturning tip durability
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention converts the previously harmful burrs into beneficial features by allowing them to remain on the radially outer side of the joining portion. This eliminates the need for turning processing, thereby preventing tip abrasion and cracking while maintaining surface quality through the beneficial presence of burrs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the problematic aspect of burr removal by eliminating the turning processing step entirely. By allowing burrs to remain and serve a beneficial function, the invention removes the need for additional machining operations that cause tip wear and cracking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Device complexity

If friction press-contact is used to join cup member and shaft member, then the joining process is simplified, but the cycle time is increased due to multiple passes required for turning

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvejoining process complexityVSAvoidmanufacturing cycle time
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates the turning processing step from the manufacturing sequence by allowing burrs to remain as beneficial features. This removal of the turning operation reduces the number of processing passes required and shortens the overall manufacturing cycle time while maintaining joining process simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Ease of manufacture

If conventional butt-welding is performed without recess formation, then the welding process is straightforward, but hollow cavity portions are formed causing molten material blowing and degrading welding quality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewelding process simplicityVSAvoidwelding quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies preliminary action by forming recesses on the radially inner side of the joining end surfaces before welding. This pre-formed recess structure prevents hollow cavity formation during welding, thereby preventing molten material blowing and ensuring high welding quality while maintaining process simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention applies preliminary anti-action by creating recesses that counteract the formation of harmful hollow cavities during welding. The pre-formed recesses prevent the accumulation of molten material and eliminate the conditions that lead to welding defects, thereby preventing quality degradation before it occurs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

5Area of stationary object

If conventional butt-welding is performed without recess formation, then the abutment area is maximized, but the heating efficiency is reduced and welding penetration is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveabutment areaVSAvoidheating efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies local quality by creating recesses at specific locations (radially inner side of joining end surfaces) rather than uniformly modifying the entire surface. This localized modification concentrates heating efficiency in critical areas while maintaining adequate abutment area, enabling deep penetration welding without sacrificing overall contact area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 approach enhances the strength and quality of the welded portion, reduces manufacturing costs, and facilitates reliable ultrasonic flaw detection by eliminating burrs and ensuring complete joint inspection, resulting in improved manufacturing efficiency and product quality.

Implementation Method 1

joining the cup member and the shaft member which are in abutment against each other by welding through use of a high energy intensity beam such as laser welding or electron beam welding

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectron beam welding: Electron Beam

Implementation Method 2

welding through use of a high energy intensity beam such as laser welding or electron beam welding

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLaser heating: Laser

Data Source

PatentEP3159095B1Method for butt welding
Publication Date: 2024.12.04 NTN CORP
  • EP3159095B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3159095B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2c
  • EP3159095B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

For butt-welding, which includes bringing joining end surfaces (50 and 51) of a cup member (12a) and a shaft member (13a) into abutment against each other and radiating a high energy intensity beam from a radially outer side, the shaft member (13a) has a recess (52 or 53) on a radially inner side of the joining end surface (51) to obtain a welded portion (49) having a closed hollow cavity on a radially inner side after butt-welding. The joining end surface (50) (protruding surface (50a)) of the cup member (12a) protrudes toward a radially inner side with respect to an inner diameter (E) of the joining end surface (51) of the shaft member (13a). With this, a welded portion (74) of an outer joint member (11) of a constant velocity universal joint (10), which is manufactured by joining the cup member (12a) and the shaft member (13a), can be improved in strength and quality.