Horizontal Metal Extruder Thrust Bearing Spring Biasing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional HANSSON-ROBERTSON type metal extruders require costly deep foundations due to vertical orientation, and when reoriented horizontally, the thrust bearing arrangement fails to properly support the extrusion screw without extrusion pressure, leading to separation issues due to radial gravitational forces and thermal expansion differences.

Innovation Solution

A continuous metal extruder design featuring a rotatable screw with a thrust bearing biased by a spring element, which exerts an expanding force along the axial direction to maintain thrust bearing contact and prevent separation, even at varying temperatures and without extrusion pressure, allowing horizontal operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the extruder is reoriented horizontally to eliminate deep foundations, then installation cost and time are reduced, but the thrust bearing fails to support the screw properly due to radial gravitational forces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinstallation costVSAvoidthrust bearing support

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A spring element is introduced as an intermediary component between the thrust bearing and the bearing housing. The spring element acts as a mediator that continuously applies axial biasing force to the thrust bearing, ensuring it remains pressed against the screw end face even when gravitational forces act radially in horizontal orientation. This resolves the contradiction by providing the necessary support force without requiring vertical orientation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the operational parameter of the thrust bearing from relying on vertical gravitational force (in vertical orientation) to being biased by elastic spring force (in horizontal orientation). By changing the force application mechanism from gravity-dependent to spring-dependent, the thrust bearing maintains reliable support function regardless of machine orientation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the thrust bearing is designed for vertical orientation, then it supports the screw properly during extrusion, but the bearing parts separate during assembly and in non-extrusion situations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethrust bearing supportVSAvoidbearing part separation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The spring element is pre-loaded during assembly to continuously bias the thrust bearing against the screw end face. This preliminary action ensures that the thrust bearing races remain in contact and properly positioned before extrusion begins, preventing separation of bearing parts during assembly and idle periods. The spring maintains the bearing in its operational state at all times.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If the bearing housing operates at high temperatures during extrusion, then the extrusion process functions properly, but thermal expansion creates play and movement in the thrust bearing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveextrusion operationVSAvoidthrust bearing position

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The spring element is designed to accommodate thermal expansion of the bearing housing and its components. As temperature increases during extrusion, the spring compresses slightly, maintaining continuous contact and biasing force on the thrust bearing. This elasticity allows the system to absorb dimensional changes due to thermal expansion while keeping the thrust bearing stable and properly positioned throughout the temperature cycle.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #37Thermal expansion

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 solution ensures continuous operation of the extruder in a horizontal orientation by maintaining thrust bearing contact and stability, preventing separation and tilt, and accommodating thermal expansion, thus eliminating the need for deep foundations and enhancing operational reliability.

Implementation Method 1

a spring element for biasing the rotational member and the fixed part in relation to each other by exerting along the axial direction an expanding force between the first race of the thrust bearing and the fixed part

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic force: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

the distance between surfaces arranged to be in contact with the thrust bearing races changed between situations of different temperatures in the bearings housing. In this type of extruder the temperature in the bearing housing changes naturally, typically from several hundred degrees Celsius directly after extrusion has stopped, to room temperature after a longer period of stop

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentUS8166790B2Continuous metal extruder

Publication Date: 2012.05.01 H FOLKE SANDELIN

AI summary

Example embodiments relate to a continuous metal extruder that includes a rotatable member having an extrusion screw portion for transporting metal to be extruded in an axial direction of the rotatable member, a fixed part, a spring element for biasing the rotatable member and the fixed part in relation to each other, and a thrust bearing arranged between the rotatable member and the fixed part.