Polyurethane Honing Ring for Lightweight Gear Surface Finishing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing honing tools, particularly those with ceramic or multilayer composite systems, fail to achieve high surface quality and are heavy, making them unsuitable for high surface quality requirements of transmission components in electric vehicles.

Innovation Solution

A honing ring composed of a polyurethane bonding matrix with embedded abrasives like corundum, zirconium corundum, silicon carbide, or diamond, which avoids ceramic-ceramic composites, providing improved damping behavior and lighter weight, allowing for higher surface quality and reduced weight compared to conventional tools.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If ceramic or multilayer composite systems are used in honing tools, then structural strength and rigidity are improved, but weight increases and surface quality decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidweight
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by combining polyurethane bonding matrix with embedded abrasive grains (corundum, zirconium corundum, silicon carbide, cubic boron nitride, or diamond). This composite structure provides both the necessary structural strength for honing operations and the weight reduction benefit, as polyurethane is significantly lighter than ceramic materials while the embedded abrasives provide the required cutting capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Stability of the object's composition

If ceramic or multilayer composite systems are used in honing tools, then structural rigidity is improved, but surface quality decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproverigidityVSAvoidsurface quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameters by using polyurethane with specific elastic properties instead of rigid ceramic materials. The polyurethane bonding matrix provides appropriate elasticity and damping capacity that allows for better surface quality during honing operations, while the embedded abrasive grains maintain the necessary rigidity for effective material removal.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Weight of moving object

If polyurethane bonding matrix with embedded abrasives is used, then weight is reduced and surface quality is improved, but structural strength may decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveweightVSAvoidstructural strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent resolves this contradiction by creating a composite structure where polyurethane bonding matrix provides lightweight properties and embedded abrasive grains (corundum, zirconium corundum, silicon carbide, cubic boron nitride, or diamond) provide the necessary structural strength and cutting capability. The composite design allows the lightweight polyurethane to serve as the bonding medium while the hard abrasives reinforce the structure and perform the honing function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 polyurethane-based honing ring achieves superior surface quality and meets the high requirements of electric vehicle transmission components while being significantly lighter than ceramic tools.

Implementation Method 1

an annular body consisting of a polyurethane bonding matrix in which at least one abrasive in the form of corundum, zirconium corundum, silicon carbide, cubic boron nitride, or diamond, or a combination of at least two of the aforementioned, is embedded

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical bonding:

Data Source

PatentEP4470699B1Honing ring and method for producing the honing ring
Publication Date: 2025.11.05 KREBS & RIEDEL SCHLEIFSCHEIBENFABRIK GMBH & CO KG
  • EP4470699B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4470699B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Honing ring (100) for surface finishing of gear contours of workpieces, comprising an annular body (20) consisting essentially of a polyurethane bonding matrix (10) in which at least one abrasive (14) in the form of corundum, zirconia corundum, silicon carbide, cubic boron nitride or diamond or a combination of at least two of the aforementioned is embedded, wherein the annular body (20) has a toothed surface (22) on an inner surface for surface finishing of gear contours of workpieces and has an outer surface (24) that can be brought into contact with a honing ring holder of a machine tool; and a method for producing a honing ring (100), comprising: mixing (200) raw materials of the polyurethane bonding matrix (10) with the at least one abrasive (14); casting (300) a honing ring blank (30) from the mixture obtained; curing (400);and mechanical conditioning (500) of the honing ring blank (30) to obtain the honing ring (100) in the form of the ring-shaped body (20).;