Grinding System Heat Flow Sensor for Burn Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing grinding device struggles with accurately determining grinding burn due to coolant adherence on the workpiece surface, affecting the temperature sensor's measurement accuracy.

Innovation Solution

A grinding system that incorporates a heat flow sensor to measure heat flow radiated from the grinding wheel and workpiece, enabling more accurate detection of grinding burn by positioning the sensor to avoid coolant interference and using the measured heat flow to determine the occurrence of grinding burn.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a temperature sensor is used to measure the surface temperature of the workpiece, then the grinding burn can be determined, but the measurement accuracy deteriorates when coolant adheres to the sensor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface temperature measurement accuracyVSAvoidcoolant interference
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a heat flow sensor as an intermediary device that measures heat flow radiated from the workpiece surface instead of directly measuring temperature. This mediator allows indirect assessment of thermal conditions without being contaminated by coolant, thereby maintaining measurement accuracy while still enabling grinding burn detection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the traditional temperature sensor (mechanical contact-based measurement) with a heat flow sensor that detects thermal radiation. This substitution eliminates the need for direct physical contact between the sensor and workpiece surface, thereby avoiding coolant interference while preserving the ability to monitor thermal conditions for grind burn detection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If a temperature sensor is placed in contact with the workpiece surface, then temperature measurement is possible, but the reliability of measurement deteriorates due to coolant adhesion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetemperature measurement reliabilityVSAvoidcoolant adhesion
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The heat flow sensor serves as a reliable intermediary that captures thermal information from the workpiece surface without direct contact. This mediator ensures consistent and reliable measurements by positioning the sensor to detect radiated heat while preventing coolant from compromising sensor performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces contact-based temperature sensing with non-contact heat flow detection. This substitution fundamentally improves measurement reliability by eliminating the vulnerability to coolant adhesion that plagues contact-based sensors, while maintaining the ability to detect thermal anomalies indicating grind burn

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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 accuracy of grinding burn determination, allowing for optimized grinding conditions and improved process control by using heat flow data to assess and adjust grinding parameters.

Implementation Method 1

a heat flow sensor (7) that measures a heat flow radiated from a surface of at least one of the grinding wheel (2) and the workpiece (80) as the heat is generated at a grinding point (P)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal radiation: Thermal Radiation

Data Source

PatentEP3815842B1Grinding system
Publication Date: 2022.06.01 JTEKT CORP
  • EP3815842B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3815842B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3815842B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

To provide a grinding system capable of improving the accuracy of determining a grinding burn of a workpiece, the grinding system (100) includes a grinding wheel (2) that grinds a workpiece (80), an electric motor (3) for a grinding wheel, which rotationally drives the grinding wheel (2), a Z-axis motor (41) and an X-axis motor (51), which generate a moving force for relatively moving the workpiece (80) and the grinding wheel (2), a controller 6 that controls the electric motor (3) for the grinding wheel, the Z-axis motor (41), and the X-axis motor (51), and an operation unit (61) that determines the occurrence of a grinding burn on the workpiece (80) based on a measurement value of the heat flow sensor (7) that measures the heat flow radiated from a surface of at least one of the grinding wheel (2) and the workpiece (80) as the heat is generated at a grinding point (P) where the grinding wheel (2) comes into contact with the workpiece (80).