Die-Dried Friction Wafer Molding Process
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for manufacturing friction plates are laborious, wasteful, and prone to exothermic reactions, limiting the production of cost-effective friction assemblies due to the need for sheet cutting, resin saturation, and hazardous waste disposal in the beater-add process.
Innovation Solution
A method involving die-drying friction wafers using an aqueous slurry with fibers, fillers, and beater-add resin in a net-shape mold, where water is removed through a perforated screen, allowing for controlled curing and bonding to a steel core, eliminating the need for sheet cutting and reducing waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the beater-add process is used to eliminate resin saturation, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but exothermic reactions and fire hazards occur during rolling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful heat generation issue by eliminating the rolling step entirely. Instead of rolling the beater-add material into reels (which causes exothermic reactions), the process forms friction wafers directly in a mold cavity and transfers them individually to the core, preventing the accumulation of material that would generate dangerous heat.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the manufacturing process into discrete steps: forming individual wafers in a mold, transferring them to the core, and then curing. This segmentation prevents the continuous accumulation of material that occurs during rolling, thereby eliminating the exothermic reaction hazard while maintaining the simplicity of the beater-add process.
2Manufacturing precision
If sheet cutting and blanking are performed to create friction rings, then shape precision is achieved, but material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming the friction material directly into the final wafer shape within the mold cavity before transfer to the core. This eliminates the need for subsequent cutting and blanking operations that would generate waste, as the correct shape is established during the forming step itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the manufacturing parameter from subtractive (cutting sheets to create rings) to additive (forming wafers directly in the desired shape). This parameter change eliminates material waste by building the friction component in its final form rather than removing excess material afterward.
3Manufacturing precision
If the wet-laid process with resin impregnation is used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but the process becomes laborious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple steps into one by combining the forming and curing operations. The friction material is formed in the mold cavity with the steel core present, and curing occurs in the same location, eliminating the need for separate impregnation, drying, and assembly steps required in traditional wet-laid processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-positioning the steel core in the mold cavity before forming the friction material. This allows the friction wafer to be formed directly on the core in the final position, eliminating subsequent assembly steps and reducing overall process time while maintaining manufacturing precision.
4Productivity
If beater-add material is rolled into reels for continuous production, then productivity increases, but exothermic reactions create safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the hazardous rolling operation from the process while retaining the benefit of efficient production. By forming individual wafers directly in the mold and transferring them to the core, the process eliminates the continuous accumulation of material that causes exothermic reactions, achieving safe production without sacrificing productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the continuous production process into discrete wafer formation and transfer steps. This segmentation prevents the continuous accumulation of material that occurs during rolling operations, thereby eliminating the heat buildup and fire hazard while maintaining efficient production through systematic repetition of the safe forming and transfer cycle.
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 method enables cost-effective production of friction assemblies by minimizing waste, preventing exothermic reactions, and allowing for efficient curing and bonding, thus improving the manufacturing efficiency and safety of friction materials.
Implementation Method 1
A mold is provided with a perforated screen or wire and subjected to a vacuum to remove water from an aqueous slurry with friction particulate
Implementation Method 2
The molded friction wafer is then heated to dry and at least partially cure the beater-add resin
Data Source
AI summary
A process and apparatus for making die-dried friction wafers collects friction particulates in a mold defining a wafer. The mold includes at least one perforate wall portion against which an aqueous slurry including the particulates is passed to form at least one layer on the wall as the particulates collect in the mold. The collection is dried followed by curing, and may be cured in the mold by heating.