Gear Wheel Flank Polishing with Parallel Grinding Workflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional grinding and polishing processes for gear wheels are inefficient, as they require significant time and occupy expensive grinding machines, limiting their utilization and increasing production costs due to the sequential nature of grinding and polishing, which can double processing time and reduce machine efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a process where a dynamic positioning device allows for the simultaneous grinding of a second gear wheel while polishing a first gear wheel on a separate, less expensive polishing device, utilizing a rotational grinding device and a stationary polishing device with a rotating polishing body, enabling dynamic adjustment of position and attitude for enhanced surface smoothness and reduced frictional losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If grinding and polishing are performed on the same machine in sequence, then the gear wheel receives both treatments, but the processing time is doubled and machine utilization is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the grinding and polishing operations into separate machines. The grinding machine performs only grinding operations while the polishing machine performs only polishing operations. This segmentation allows both operations to occur in parallel on different gear wheels, eliminating the sequential bottleneck and doubling overall productivity without compromising surface smoothness quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If a gear wheel occupies the grinding machine for both grinding and polishing, then complete processing is achieved, but expensive grinding equipment is underutilized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates grinding and polishing into dedicated machines, allowing the expensive grinding machine to be fully utilized for grinding multiple gear wheels while the polishing machine handles polishing separately. This eliminates idle time on the grinding machine and maximizes return on investment for high-cost equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a separate polishing machine as an intermediary device that takes over the polishing function from the grinding machine. This intermediary allows the grinding machine to complete its primary function without being bottlenecked by the slower polishing operation, thereby improving overall system efficiency.
3Device complexity
If grinding and polishing are performed sequentially on the same machine, then equipment simplicity is maintained, but production cost increases due to reduced efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent accepts increased system complexity by dividing operations into separate grinding and polishing machines. This segmentation enables parallel processing that doubles production efficiency, and the added complexity is offset by the ability to run both machines simultaneously rather than sequentially on one machine.
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 reduces the time spent on each gear wheel, increases machine efficiency, and extends the usable lifetime of gear wheels by achieving smoother surfaces with lower noise levels and reduced wear, thereby improving production efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
having the grinding device grind a first portion and a second portion of a flank surface of a tooth of the first toothed wheel
Implementation Method 2
having the positioning device bring the first portion of the flank surface in contact with the rotating polishing body such that the first portion of the flank surface is polished by the polishing body
Data Source
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AI summary
Process of grinding and polishing flank surfaces (40) of teeth (50) of toothed wheels (60), comprising the steps of a) providing a grinding device (6), a polishing device (7), a dynamic positioning device (8) and a toothed wheel (60); b) having the grinding device (6) grind the toothed wheel (60); c) removing the toothed wheel (60) from the grinding device (6); d) having the dynamic positioning device (8) bring the flank surface (40) in contact with a polishing body (80) of the polishing device (7) to polish the flank surface; e) having the dynamic positioning device (8) dynamically adjust position and attitude of the toothed wheel (60) relative to the polishing body (80), or having the dynamic positioning device (8) dynamically adjust position and attitude of the polishing body (80) relative to the toothed wheel (60), such that the flank surface is polished by the polishing body. The dynamic positioning device (8) may be a robot.